“SENSATIONAL STYLE” decrees the Momentum’s packaging. We’ll see about that, we think, sliding a pull string carry bag out of a strikingly elegant zip case. All those fluffy marketing words are such a waste of everyone’s... oh wait, no, they’re gorgeous.
Good: Stlyish, superb sound for price
Bad: Antisocial noise bleed
Price: £169.99
The Momentum headphones are a minimalist affair of chrome and exposed wire: the two neatly finished earpieces, padded in a soft suede-like cloth, adjust to suit your skull by sliding on the metal headband – there’s no tacky plastic in sight. The headband offers yet more suede and neat stitching – blue in our case, but they also come in red, brown, black, ivory, cream, green and pink. They’re so stylish they pose the serious threat of making the rest of your outfit look comparatively shabby.
Unlike other style-heavy DJ endorsed earpieces, the Momentum back up the good looks with wonderfully balanced sound: the bass and sub-bass notes bounce along wonderfully, without squashing the vocal or mid-range tones, while the top-end is crisp and clear. These aren’t neutral studio headphones, but gorgeous on-the-go sound cannons.
But crank up the volume and the Momentum reveal their one weakness – they bleed sound at an alarming rate. While they fit comfortably on the ear, the uber-soft padding is a poor insulator. Expect dirty looks on from the quiet carriage.
If you’re looking for good quality headphones around the £200 mark, Sennheiser’s Momentum are a highly recommended investment.
