Got a pair of wired, over-ear, Sennheiser Momentums a few years back. I love them. Beautiful design in dark brown, comfy leather pads. Good overall detail and imaging (like, close to my HE4xx’s good). Treble is relaxed. Bass has amazing extension, responds well to boosting on demand, and is balanced with the mids - plentiful but not intrusive.
They’re the original version. Now I’ve read the new ones (M2) fold up, while sounding much the same but with more detail. Also cheaper these days, about £120.
But here’s the thing: Both have been discontinued in the US, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the same happens in UK. I could use a backup plan.
So here’s the warm, closed, amp-free headphones on the Guide:
Monoprice Retro: Probably too cheap to expect detail as good. Only comes in black.
Marshall Major III: Ditto but also on-ear.
Sivga 002: Pretty but discontinued.
Sennheiser 598C: Treble shoots up about 3k to 5k. Only comes in black. Lacks the aesthetic.
B&O H6: Pretty but discontinued.
Meze 99 variants: Mids too quiet / too much bass. Poor “detail score” on DMS’s new “quality list”.
Sony MDR-1AM2: Mids also too quiet / Too much bass.
What do you all think? Got any other reccomendations? Should I buy the newer version in case it gets discontinued without a good replacement, then keep the old ones as backup?
If you really like the Momentums then buying a back up pair while you can might not be the worst idea. Buying something new is also a good option if your looking for something different.
If your looking to step up your game investing in a amp and maybe a dac would give you more options. For example the Beyerdynamic line up it good, but they are not a amp free sort of headphone.
They are more expensive, but there is the monolith m1060c. I would look at reviews to get an idea of what they’re like, I don’t think they’re for everyone, but it’s an option.
Seriously thanks, but amp and dac aren’t so great for portable use, going for walks and to and from work etc.
Already stepped up to He4xx, Objective2, and a Cyrus Soundkey for when I’m at home.
Gave M1060s a lot of thought when I was shopping for a home system though, I can see where you’re coming from with regards to the tone. Also trying planars instead of dynamic has been fun. Next up at home will probably be T50RP modding.
This is a long shot suggestion since it’s been a long while since I have owned the original Sennheiser Momentum. I am also not sure how good their stuff is anymore in today’s market, but V-Moda might be a potentially good option.
They look distinctive at least.
But it’s not a big hump of bass I’m looking for - I just don’t want it to roll off at low frequencies.
Maybe “Warm” isn’t quite the right word for that.
I think I just found something promising - Koss Pro4s.
Sub-bass still rolls off a bit more than Momentum M1 / M2 , and the dip into lower treble is a bit more abrupt. But that tuning is still acceptable.
So for now those’re my plan for if the Momentum M1 ever breaks and I can’t get Momentum M2. Hopefully Sennheiser won’t stop doing wired over-ear Momentums in Europe.