All about that bass!

Sennheiser’s Momentum brand is out with their first in-ear earphones, bringing that classic quality in a smaller package. Momentum is a range that Sennheiser marketed after collaborating with a lot of musicians, and the in-ear version has a pretty high standard to live up to, considering the other headphones in the line.

In a market that’s saturated with noise-cancellation and noise-isolating earphones, the Momentum range doesn’t make those promises, but instead simply focuses on sound quality. That means I could listen to music at work, but I could also figure out if someone was yelling my name across the room – which is a good thing, if you ask me. Sound quality is rich, staying true to the brand’s strength, and it captures the powerful bass. With a pretty standard frequency response range of 15-22,000 Hz, it felt like the bass heavy at times.

We listened to some old favourites on this pair, lots of acoustic guitar and the strumming and thrumming came across quite beautifully. A live performance of Jack Johnson live at the iTunes festival felt like we were right there – also because we could even hear the audience chattering in the background. Music from the sixties – our pick-me-up on a long working day – was so clearly reproduced that we could even hear the slight quavering in Dean Martin’s voice as he crooned to “Sway”.

Design wise, the new Momentum in-ear is all about stainless steel. From the acoustic pipe at the core of each ear phone to the monogrammed plate on the outside and even a ring around the jack – the shiny steel accents are a big part of the look. The major promise Sennheiser made with this pair was the comfort, thanks to the ergonomically designed 15 degree inclination and perfect fit, and it does deliver to a certain extent.

The extras in the box are a useful set of changeable ear sleeves that come in a range of sizes from L to XS, and for me the XS pair fit quite snugly. It also has a compact hardcase shell that comes with elaborate instructions for storage – you’re supposed to wind the cable around the black plastic case in a particular way – but of course we ended up just dumping them in a bag. The elliptical cables did stay true to the “tangle-free” promise though, which is saying something considering the jumble of things in an average backpack. The phones also come with an inbuilt microphone, convenient for taking calls.

The controls are designed to work with two different platforms – one option for Apple users and one for Android, which work fine except that the controls were a bit too high up for our liking.

There are many of us who aren’t big fans of in-ear earphones – especially since there are studies that show bacteria levels increasing due to constant usage – but this pair could definitely changed your mind. The initial odd feeling of “there’s something in my ear” wears off after the first five minutes and then it is easy to forget you’re wearing them. On the whole, it’s a pair to choose if you prefer an elevated bass response. The pricing might put you off if you’re looking for something economical, but if you’re going to be listening to music a lot, and you prefer in-ear style - it’s a wise investment.

₹6,990

Love – Cool design; comfortable fit

Hate – Heavy on the bass; pricey

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