Review of the Sennheiser M2IEG / M2IEi Momentum Earphones – An all-round performer

Pros: Overall sound quality, build quality, comfort, looks and design
Cons: Piercing highs

Packaging & Accessories: 8/10
Build Quality: 9.5/10
Design & Look: 10/10
Microphonics (higher ratings means lower cable noise): 9/10
Isolation: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10
Sound Quality: 8/10
Value: 10/10
My final Rating: 9/10

Review Date: May 2015
Review Price: £78

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Design and looks

First of all I would like to thank Sennheiser for sending me the Momentum Earphones for review. After having reviewed the IE8, IE800, and quite a few of the CX range, I was interested where this mid-range earphone would fit in the Sennheiser product list.
The earphones can be found on AmazonUK for £78 and on AmazonUSA for $97.

More information about the earphones can be found on Sennheiser’s website.

Here’s my video review of the earphones:

Let’s now get into the written review!

Packaging & Accessories

The packaging and accessories of the earphones is relatively simple.
Inside the package there’s a manual, a hard case which also fits an earphone holder and 4 sets of silicone tips (SS, S, M, L).

I would have liked to see a little more variation in the tips included and more so a soft carrying pouch alongside the hard carrying pouch.
The packaging of the earphones is well done, as it is with most of the Sennheiser range, where you can see it stand out in a shop.

Overall the packaging and accessories could have been a little better, given its price-point – but on the whole it was decent.

Build Quality

The build quality of the earphones is near flawless. Given its price, I found the Sennheiser Momentum In-ears to be really well thought out – for once I can say that from top to bottom Sennheiser have really nailed the build quality of the earphones. Often I’ve found problems with the build quality of given earphones and headphones from Sennheiser – but in this case – almost flawless.
Starting from the jack, it’s terminated by a right-angled gold-plated 3.5mm jack – my only complaint about it really is that it has quite a small strain relief, which over time might cause problems. Moving up the cable, there’s the Y-split where the cable goes from an all-black design to a red-black design.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Right-angle jack
What I like with this is that it gives the earphones a bit of character – a very simple thing to have added, but a nice touch nonetheless. Finally, on the subject of the cable, I really like the cable management piece that Sennheiser have included. Yet again, small thing to notice, but it makes all the difference. The cable management is a norm, but the attention to detail, via the silver look alongside the “S” on it, makes it a nice touch.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Cable Management

As we move to the earphones, there is a microphone and 3-button remote that can be used on your given device. In my case, I requested the “Samsung” version – which in other words is the Android version, which has different poles to an iPhone. Thus the M2IEG is made for Android devices in mind, and the M2IEi is made for iDevices in mind. It’s nice that Sennheiser is catering for both market and charging the customer the same price for either version – it’s a rare thing to see, especially from a manufacturer like Sennheiser, but I was pleased to see the option provided to customers.
I used the mic with my JIAYU S3 and both the mic and the 3 button remote worked flawlessly with my phone. Having the option of a mic is useful nowadays as a lot more people are tucking away their phones and thus relying on in-line mics for phone calls.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  In-Line Mic

To round off the build quality, it’s important to mention the microphonics and the overall weight of the earphones. I found the microphonics to be very good – in other words there was little cable noise when they were brushing on my shirt. However there still is a little bit of cable noise and this can be fully eliminated by wearing them over-the-ear.
The weight of the earphones means that it’s comfortable to wear for long periods of time – I like the choice of material that Sennheiser have used, where they’ve opted for plastic rather than metal. Although this might not seem logical from someone who likes premium quality materials, it makes perfect sense for earphones. When an earphone is heavy it feels uncomfortable after a period of time.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Over-the-ear

On a different note, it’s interesting to see the strain relief, or should I say the lack of a strain relief used on the earphones’ housing. The earphone design slightly reminds me of the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 headphones, where the cable is slightly exposed by the cups.
This therefore could be intentional in terms of design, but I like it either way – it’s a nice take on an earphone’s strain relief.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Design

Overall the build quality is almost flawless – it’s hard to fault them in many ways, especially at their price-point, I was really impressed with the earphones.

Design, looks, comfort and isolation

Looks:
The looks to me are really cool – trendy and yet professional looking at the same time. The finish reminds me of a metallic car-paint, which is always nice to see.
The only thing here is that if you don’t like the colour red, then you’re not going to find any sympathy from Sennheiser. With that said, the red colour utilised by Sennheiser appeals to both a man and a woman – it’s just the right note to be truly uni-sex.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Design

Isolation:
The isolation of the earphones was actually surprisingly good. I was expecting them to fair decently, but wasn’t expecting them to isolate as well as they did – therefore making it a pleasant surprise!
It’s definitely above average and will block out enough noise for you to enjoy it during busy commutes in trains. I should note that there’s a small vent located at the top of the earphones’ housing, meaning you’ll get a very small amount of noise leaking from the earphones and vice-versa, going back into your ear drum.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Straight down

Comfort:
Due to the earphones being lightweight, I was extremely happy with the comfort – where they say straight down or over the earphone comfortably.
Also, due to their design, I like the way it sits in the ear canal – it’s a slight angled earphone which makes the overall comfort just that slight bit better.

Sound Quality

I was very intrigued by the sound quality, as unlike the other earphones I had reviewed, these ones had a different sound signature. Not only from the Sennheiser range, but generally speaking. This most probably comes down to the choice of the housing’s material, which gives a different sort of decay. It’s not a bad thing, just a different type of sound – I suspect most won’t hear it at first, but whilst comparing it with other earphones, it was obvious there was a slightly different decay.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Drivers

Lows:
The low-end is quite well done, with the mid-bass having a nice pronounced slam, and the sub-bass having somewhat of an extension. It could be improved via a better extended sub-bass and a more controlled and precise mid-bass, but on the whole I was satisfied with its performance in the low-end frequency tones.

Mids/highs: 
The mids were a little recessed and after having heard the mid-bass slam, it came to no surprise. The mids were unfortunately pushed back and therefore gave off a V-Shaped sound signature to the earphones. I feel that if the mid-bass wasn’t as strong, the mids would come out a little better and thus give a less recessed sounding earphone. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t weak in the mids, just that it could have been a little more forward and better presented – the mid-range reminded me more of the CX range than it did of the IE range that Sennheiser offer.
The highs were decent, although being a little rolled off. One thing to note however is that the highs were quite ear-piercing, making the earphones a little unbearable at higher volumes, or with a song that had an emphasis on female vocals. This meant that the earphones had a little bit of sibilance to them, something I’ve not come across for quite some time – however it was the case with these earphones.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Looks front

Soundstage:
The soundstage, as previously mentioned with the decay was interesting to hear. The actual width of the earphones was decent and so was the depth. I would have liked to hear a bit more depth and width, but at the given price-point I was happy with the performance of the Sennheiser Momentums.

Sound Quality Ratings
Lows: 8/10
Mids: 7.5/10
Highs: 8/10
Soundstage: 8/10

Conclusion & Closing Thoughts

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear -  Looks

Overall, these earphones actually surprised me – after having given these a demo at an event, I wasn’t overly impressed by them, but after having spent some time with them, and used them on a daily basis on my commutes and also had the chance to sit down and compare them to other earphones it comes up against, I feel that these earphones make a great buy.
Their price also sits in a very competitive market, where a little less money gets you a worse earphone and a little more money gets you a very good earphone. I feel for once that the price to performance is absolutely spot-on at £78 – they could be a slight bit cheaper, but on the whole I really like the earphones and would definitely suggest them to anyone looking for an earphone at its given price-point. I would still urge people to spend just that little bit more and buy the DUNU Titan 1’s that provide unparalleled sound at their price-point (and beyond to the under £200 price point) – but for your pick up and go earphones, that you might find in a local shop, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these. For once, I can actually recommend a Sennheiser product without having any major complaints about it – great!

Hope you enjoyed my review!
TotallydubbedHD

27 thoughts on “Review of the Sennheiser M2IEG / M2IEi Momentum Earphones – An all-round performer

  1. Dan

    Does Dunu offer good sound isolation,especially in the London tubes or waking on a busy street? I already have a Seinheisser Momentum In ear and love it so far.

    Reply
      1. Dan

        Ah thank you! I travel a lot in London so Seinhisser Momentum in ear is the probably the best choice for me. I must say despite a few drawbacks the sound is so crisp and clear.

        Reply
          1. Dan

            I must admit I do use the Poweramp app to tinker with my music on my android phone, may be that’s also a factor. I have an unopened box of Dunu Titan1 in my room,which I was planning on returning to Amazon after buying Seinheisssr momentum. Your review has just made my re think my choices 🙂

  2. Daniel

    Thinking of buying both these and the titan 1’s as i need good isolation for when commuting.
    Are the titan 1 really that bad for noise isolation and how do you feel about having a pair of each?

    Reply
    1. TotallydubbedHD Post author

      The Titan has much better sound quality but its isolation is really bad – it’s just due to its design. I would still sacrifice isolation over sound quality – but that’s me

      Reply
  3. Steen Christensen

    As a Sennheiser user over decades, I bought these buds with high expectations. I have used the CX95’s for years and had somehow got used to the heavier/warmer lower registers.

    My listening covers Jazz / Jazz-funk (GRP style) / vocal and also some classical.

    When I first listened to the momentums, I found the bas too retracted and somewhat pale. At the same time I found the upper mids to be weak so the vocals were standing too much back, and finally the treble levels to be very aggressive. I was really disappointed, and were actually considering to return the device and try another brand.

    Luckily I didn’t. Having used a fair share of phono cartridges over the years, I recognized some of the symptoms as lack of burn-in, so I gave it a shot. I played the buds with high levels around the clock (not listening myself..), and noticed that after around 70 hours the buds changed character. The treble aggressiveness disappeared, and the mid range fell more into line. The bass is still not as profound as on other devices, but I now have a very pleasant soundstage with a lot of details.

    So after an extensive burn-in, I can now really recommend these buds.

    Reply
      1. Steen Christensen

        Yes – but 70 hours were still over my expectations. Patience is needed with these – but it’s awarded

        Reply
  4. Arun

    How well is the build quality? I’ve seen reviews stating the wires are turning sticky and falling apart after a few months of light use. How good is Shure SE215 and Audio Technica ATH IM50? I want to buy one of these soon, so your opinion helps!

    Reply
    1. TotallydubbedHD Post author

      Unfortunately, as I didn’t use them on a daily basis, I can’t really comment. I did think the cables were well made, but was worried about their strain relief (not sure if I mentioned that in the review!)
      I haven’t heard the ATH, but can say that these Sennheisers are better than the Shure SE215.

      Reply
      1. Arun

        Thanks a lot for your quick reply 🙂 How’s the Momentum’s noise isolation vs the Shure’s? Also, is it the best earphone within a $100 price tag? Do you have any other suggestion?

        Reply
        1. TotallydubbedHD Post author

          They’re both equivalent.
          Other earphones to look at -and suggested from me: DUNU Titan 1, 3 or 5 and 1More Triple Driver – I got reviews on all (apart from the Titan 3)

          Reply
          1. Arun

            Will surely check them out! Correct me if I’m wrong, so these are actually M2 right? So there should have been an older version, maybe M1. Is there a way to know whether I receive the M2 itself, what all changes were made from M1?

      2. Arun

        Got the Momentum just now! 🙂 Do I need to buy portable amplifiers like FiiO A1 or Creative Sound Blaster E1? Do they improve sound quality?

        Reply

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