ATH m50 vs Sennheiser Momentum on ears, pls suggest

[kartoonz]

Hi friends as the title suggests, i am looking to get either
ATH m50 http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/0edf909675b1be4d/
Sennheiser Momentum http://en-in.sennheiser.com/momentum-on-earon ears.

I mostly listen to commercial trance, psy/goa trance, dubstep, house, edm. Will be using it with my ipod 5, htc one x and laptop
I curently own sony xb90ex bassy earphones and are perfect for the type of music i listen to. Should i just save money and settle for the ATH m30 instead??

Need good bass along with soundstage. Pls advice. Thanks

 

[sushiwarrior]

I have a pair of M50's and I listen to a lot of really bassy dubstep (Mala, Skream, Loefah, etc.) and they do a pretty great job. Very good for on the go as well, they are comfortable, not too big, and fold up nicely. I wouldn't suggest going for the M30's, the M50's are worth the extra.

PS: If you're going to be using them outside, get the coiled cable.

 

[SAWYER]

I have the m50's and had the detachable cable mod done to them, love them

 

[kartoonz]

Thank you. Since i already have sony bassy earphones, i hope the ATH m50 arent too bassy, since i want to experience the mids and good soundstage?

 

[SAWYER]

They are used in studios if they tells you anything, I dont think they have exaggerated sound in any area

 

[sushiwarrior]

Thank you. Since i already have sony bassy earphones, i hope the ATH m50 arent too bassy, since i want to experience the mids and good soundstage?

They've got a somewhat heavy midbass area (80-150Hz) but nothing crazy, the upper and mid spectrum is generally quite crisp sounding to me (not a dedicated audiophile or anything) and the soundstage is alright, about as good as you can get for a closed headphone I would say.

 

[BassBomb]

I would say they're pretty balanced. I listen to Drum and Bass and have never noticed excessive bass, like a subwoofer. Not like in-ears bass on my CX870 and not sounding like total mud like JVC HARX900 did.

 

[kartoonz]

Thank you all... Senns it is then...

 

[hans030390]

I've only tried the Momentum over-ear, and they were OK. Not so much to my tastes and probably not worth the money, but I know lots of trustworthy people with good ears and experience like them. The on-ear could have worked better for me, but I'd lean towards the M50. If you're looking for soundstage or a sense of openness, these are not the headphones you're looking for (but that's a criteria that's a bit low on my list for closed headphones).

BTW, the Logitech UE6000 can be found for around $95 these days. The active noise cancellation mode sucks, but they actually sound pretty damn good in passive mode. They're slightly bassy but clean (it blends well and is tasteful, I don't think it's worse than the M50 for what I remember), treble is on the laid-back side but is still present and smooth enough to give good detail. One of the least problematic headphones I've tried in a while. They sounded more open than the Momentum and, from what I remember, the M50 as well, but they still don't have much "air" to them.

 

[kartoonz]

thanks all. Getting the ath50 next week. One question though, will I need an amp to power them up or it's good to go directly with my iPod 5th gen and HTC one x?

 

[sushiwarrior]

thanks all. Getting the ath50 next week. One question though, will I need an amp to power them up or it's good to go directly with my iPod 5th gen and HTC one x?

They usually do alright with portables, with my phone (HTC 8S) they're way too loud for me at max volume, and I like my music really loud :thumbsup:

 

[cmdrdredd]

If you want to open them up a bit you can get a small portable amp like a Fiio

 

[kartoonz]

thanks all.... i will perhaps consider getting the fiio x3 in the next 3-4 months...

 

[hans030390]

I'd stay away from Fiio products if you can. They're not awful, but they can be really hit or miss. The M50 will do just fine from a regular DAP or smartphone.

 

[SAWYER]

I have never used an amp with my m50's and they sound good to me

 

[cmdrdredd]

I'd stay away from Fiio products if you can. They're not awful, but they can be really hit or miss. The M50 will do just fine from a regular DAP or smartphone.

Is this recent? I have had an e6 for a while and no problems.

 

[kartoonz]

really!!! Well will try the m50 directly.
I hope I'm not annoying everyone here, but I just thought is it a good idea to spend $200 on headphones? Or should I get iem's in that range. Could you pls suggest good iem's as well, jut to keep my options open since I have another week to buy them... Thanks

 

[cmdrdredd]

really!!! Well will try the m50 directly.
I hope I'm not annoying everyone here, but I just thought is it a good idea to spend $200 on headphones? Or should I get iem's in that range. Could you pls suggest good iem's as well, jut to keep my options open since I have another week to buy them... Thanks

I don't know a lot about IEMs but I have a pair of Klipsch S4s that I like pretty well for when I'm traveling and don't feel like carrying anything real big. They have good bass response and are pretty clear. They are reasonably priced at around $80

Generally speaking the more expensive headphones are higher quality and have better sound. Better is subjective but they can sound more full and have better clarity. Really good headphones can allow you to hear things you didn't notice before in your music. Much like quality speakers and amps. It can also have the effect of highlighting the flaws in the sound a bit.

 

[Whirlwind]

$100 IEM....HiFiMAN RE400....Fantastic for the money....put some comply tips on them

 

[hans030390]

Is this recent? I have had an e6 for a while and no problems.

No, Fiio products have always been that way. Some stuff is pretty good for the money. Some stuff, it's really just better to stick with what you have already. For example, the E12 amp has a frequency response that is slightly treble tilted and has a bit of bass roll off, but the other aspects (distortion, for one example) looked good. It's a really minor issue, but something most amp designers don't have an issue getting right. Their new DAP had issues decoding certain digital music formats (verified in measurements), but that might have been fixed with a firmware update.

I don't think this should be surprising, though, given Fiio's target market. While you can't expect perfection, I think Fiio straddles the line between being good enough and a bit too sloppy with their products, thus making me hesitant to recommend them wholeheartedly in every situation. Put slightly differently, I think they could be doing a bit better with R&D and quality even given their portable, budget-oriented target market. But they also seem to want to constantly improve, so I think they have the potential for a really good future.

On the other hand, there aren't a ton of competitors in the market Fiio targets. In that regard they do offer valuable products.

$100 IEM....HiFiMAN RE400....Fantastic for the money....put some comply tips on them

I have read very good things about these and have been recommending them to those looking for IEMs at $100 or less. Too bad my ears don't agree with most IEM tips.

 

[Whirlwind]

I have trouble with most tips also, but at least the comply tips are very soft ....they really do not bother me.

 

[kartoonz]

what a shame...the hi fi's are not available here in India ...We have very few options here...i guess i stick to the ATH m50's...

 

[hans030390]

Oh, BTW, if the Logitech UE6000 is available in India and priced similarly to the M50, those are also pretty darn good. They both have their pros and cons.

 

[kartoonz]

Oh, BTW, if the Logitech UE6000 is available in India and priced similarly to the M50, those are also pretty darn good. They both have their pros and cons.

yes indeed they are, but again they are quite expensive and i have read a lot of negative reviews about their built quality... i was considering getting them last year, however i got the sony xb90ex instead, and its built quality hasnt disappointed me... I would rather spend the same money on shure e215...

 

[hans030390]

I had heard of some product variation and build issues when they originally launched. Perhaps Logitech has ironed out those issues? So far, mine feels quite sturdy...not quite as sturdy as the M50, but those are one of the better built headphones I've handled. Either way, build quality is the least of my concerns with the UE6000, but I could see why reports from others would make you cautious. If you can demo them somewhere, I would recommend it.