Sennheiser recently announced the launch of their new Momentum On-Ear Headphones, and here is our review.

Injecting vibrant blue, pink, green and cream colours into Sennheiser’s range of headphones, the new MOMENTUM On-Ear is crafted from the finest materials and inspired by a team of international design experts and trend scouts.

The new compact MOMENTUM On-Ear headphones are stylish without compromising on sound quality. Incorporating a high performance transducer system which offers uncompromising rich and detailed sound performance with a slight bass emphasis, these headphones deliver a technically advanced audio experience you would expect from the Sennheiser brand.

The new headphones feature a headband and earpads finished in high-tech Alcantara, a specialised luxury material loved by yacht and automotive upholsterers for its unique combination of softness, durability, and breathable comfort, whilst giving the wearer a great listening experience on the move, even in noisy urban environments. Lightweight sliders of premium brushed stainless steel complete the high end look and a single sided detachable cable with in-line remote and mic for Apple iDevices means easy control for music, making and receiving calls.

Technical Data

• Impedance 18 Ω
• Frequency response 16–22,000 Hz
• Sound pressure level (SPL) 112 dB (1 kHz/1 Vrms)
• THD, total harmonic distortion < 0.5% (1 kHz, 100 dB SPL)
• Contact pressure approx. 3.2 N
• Ear coupling Supra-aural
• Jack plug Cable 1: 3.5 mm low profile angled plug
• Jack plug Cable 2: 3.5 mm straight plug
• Cable length Cable 1: 1.4 m iPod®/iPhone® cable with integrated smart remote and microphone
• Cable length Cable 2: 1.4 m cable for computers, phones, music players and any device with a headphone output
• Transducer principle Dynamic, closed
• Weight 160 g (including remote)
• Load rating 200 mW

What’s in the Box?

The box contains a carry case containing the headphones, some manuals and a spare cable (which is always useful, especially if you have cats that like to chew on cables!)

The is quite large as the headphones themselves don’t fold up, but it looks great and offers a lot of protection.

Inside the case there is also a pocket to store your spare cable or anything else small.

The spare cable is just a cable, it doesn’t have the remote that the main cable has, but it’s useful non the less.

A Closer Look

Inside the carry case is a cloth bag with the headphones in which provides another layer of protection, which you can’t get enough of!

The iRemote has the all the usual abilities you would expect for listening to music, it also has a built in mic and the ability to be used to make and receive phone calls. It can be used with any Apple idevice (so the iPod, iPad or iPhone).

You can easily detach the cable to either replace it with another or for easy transport. It just a small turn of the connector and pull the cable out. This is good as it stops the cable from falling out.

Ensuring that the headphones fit comfortably on your head is easy as the ear cups are easily positioned by moving them on the headband.

As you can see, the headband and the ear pads are covered with Alcantara (and the colour is dependant on which one you purchased). The Alcantara is very soft and even after prolonged used I didn’t feel any discomfort.

And in the recent heat we have had here in the UK having a material that is breathable certainly helps the comfort factor, as there is nothing worse than having the ear pads stick to your ears!

And as well as being practical, it also looks great!

Final Thoughts

I am a big fan of Sennheiser mics – I use a set of their wireless lav mics when I do video interviews, and I have used a set of in-ear headphones in the past, so I was happy to try on a pair of the new Momentum on-ear headphones and see just how they sounded.

I do a lot of travelling and so having a really good quality pair of headphones is really important to me. They have to have great sound (which is a given really) but also be comfortable as I can often wear them for many hours at a time.

The Momemtum on-ear headphones do not disappoint and they ticked both boxes for me perfectly. I wore them on a recent flight and they were very comfortable, however they are not noise cancelling so you may find they are better suited to quieter environments, such as your home, where they excel.

There is also the added bonus of having a built-in microphone as part of the iRemote which means that I didn’t need to take off the headphones to make or receive calls. Personally I don’t see myself using that feature much when I am out and about (that’s a personal preference) but when I am at home, that’s a different matter.

I also liked that the cable was removable and replaceable. The removable part makes it very easy to transport in the headphone case (there is a pouch for it) and the fact it is replaceable means that when one of my cats decides to eat through the wire (as so often happens with cats) I don’t need to replace the entire thing, just the cable.

There are four different colours to choose from too! So if you want a good looking, practical high quality pair of headphones then you should definitely take a look, and a listen, to the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear headphones, you won’t be disappointed.

The Momentum On-Ear headhphones are priced at a very reasonable £169.99 and are available now from John Lewis or via Sennheiser’s online store. They come in either Pink, Green, Ivory or Blue (the colour we reviewed).