 "Sennheiser Momentum 2")
Choosing a pair of headphones is never easy, especially if you want to choose one for your daily commute. Some are light but don't filter out the noise on the street; others are heavy and filter out the noise but are uncomfortable to wear for extended periods; and some have the habit of seeping noise.
The first coming of the Sennheiser Momentum was indeed a momentous occasion for most; here was a pair of headphones which were light, filtered the street sound and yet the music didn't seep out. Unfortunately, they also clasped your ears like the embrace you unwillingly subject yourself to from an acquaintance.
The second version of the Momentum, also known as the Momentum 2 or M2, claims to have fixed those chinks - it's bigger and can be folded as well. The review sample I received was the M2 AEi (Rs 24,999) in ivory colour. The "i" is meant to signify that this pair is for Apple devices.
I connected the pair to my iPod and my first port of call was a lossless version of Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good. The pair did justice to the late British diva's vocals though initially, the pair may sound a bit harsh if you're moving from a "warmer" pair of headphones. Next, it was Alanis Morissette's Knees Of My Bees, where the M2 did justice to the high-on-treble sound as well as the sitar interludes.
Elvis Presley's Always On My Mind was the next track, where I was impressed by the subtle lows; that said, I've heard better for the mid-range. That's not to say the mids are bad on this pair - they sound quite nice but the range seems to miss the nuances the highs and the lows have.
A lossless version of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, by Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra, was next. The tonal variations had a lot of bright spots and the wideness of the soundstage was maintained. There was depth and while a casual listener may not notice, I felt the mids were drowned out by the highs and lows.
One thing that stood out was how comfortable the leather-and-foam headphones were; I felt no discomfort even after a five-hour-long session. And since it was so comfortable, I decided to take the pair out on my run. The David Guetta tracks I listened to were bass-heavy and this pair delivered the punch. Also, they never slipped off. The headphones bundle a microphone, so you can easily take calls. A caveat: The volume buttons work only on Apple devices.
The Sennheiser Momentum M2 AEi, at Rs 24,999, makes a great pair for your daily commute and for most popular genres of music. If you're an audiophile looking for a pair to listen to classical music, this might not impress you.
