Sennheiser momentum and Bowers & Wilkins P7

[gilbenmoshe95]

Hi All,

Last time I had to chose headphones you helped me a lot so thanks !

I have to choose between two headphones , the momentums (not on ear) and the p7.

Design wise both look very good and well built.

The problem is that I cannot test and listen to them and I will have to trust your recommendation. I have heard the momentums a while ago and liked them..

Generally I love natural clean and detailed sound .. sound stage is important as well. I own bowers & wilkins products and like all of them very much ... the momentums are very praised and sounded great to me so it is an hard decision to take please help me with explaining which headphone would you chose and why.

Thanks a lot!

 

[bigboss]

Detailed reviews to help you decide here:

B&W P7: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/headphones-etc/bowers-wilkins-bw-p7-stereo-headphone-review-by-dale

Sennheiser Momentum: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/headphones-etc/sennheiser-momentum-full-review-and-video

 

[gilbenmoshe95]

Hi ,

Thanks for the fast reply!

I have read all possible reviews on both headphones ... the main problem is that the b&w p7 are very new while the momentums are pretty old ... therfore I cannot understand if the have been judged according to the same standarts...

Also it seems that the p7 gets a bit more compliments then the momentums while in direct comparssion they not always win...

 

[AlmaataKZ]

You may also want to consider B&O H6. Compared to the two above they are more neutral and have less can colouration IME.

 

[gilbenmoshe95]

So would you buy them?

I did not consider them as I have read less positive review on them (comparing mainly to the ones about p7).

Also B&O are known for better design then sound ...

 

[bigboss]

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/headphones-etc/bang-olufsen-h6-agave-green-stereo-headphone-review

 

[gilbenmoshe95]

Forgot to mention I will be listening to them with my iPhone 5 and Fiio e11

 

[quadpatch]

Considering how much these cost I would force yourself to go somewhere that has them all and try them together. I had a go with both at Selfridges, the P7's can be played with in Apple stores. These 3 are good contenders though and my opinions of them all is this:

The Momentums are a little overzealous in the upper bass, but not as bad as some, their treble can feel bright enough to combat the bass bump, but it seems overall a little messy for the price, doesn't amp all that well and when used inside they sound a bit unrefined. Comfort is probably the least good of the 3, but it's not bad considering they're small ish. Their case is huge and they don't fold though so carrying around isn't all that easy and they don't sit well around the neck.

The P7 is a warm and very lush sound, bass is super if you like it quite noticeable, but as long as that's not off putting to you there is nothing much to argue with in the rest of the FR and once you get used to it the balance sounds really nice. Treble is fantasticly detailed and not overzealous. They amp really wel. Although the clamp is a bit hard the comfort is good and even go around my large ears. They also don't sit around the neck comfortably, but they do fold and get a little easier to store in a bag.

The H6 is a much more neutral sound. I think of them as like a closed back, compact version of the Sennheiser HD600. They are surrisingly comfy for a small headphone. The clamp is light, the fit is good and they sit around the neck pretty well when not in use. Unfortunately they don't fold, but it's a nice, simple design that looks like it might last as long as you're not too rough with them. I haven't tried these with different amps but I would imagne they scale up well with more and more expensive amps, neutral stuff usually does, as long as they're good and these really are.

So personally I would choose between the H6 and the P7 and to be honest I would struggle to pick one and not because they are similar. I think I lean towards the lush sound of the P7 a bit more, especially since good amping seems to calm the bass a bit and emphasise the mids even more - they sound amazing with vocals, but this will be very personal. Cnsidering you are looking for a clean sound with plenty of detail I would probably push you towards the H6, but at this point you really need to try them for yourself.

 

[quadpatch]

Forgot to mention I will be listening to them with my iPhone 5 and Fiio e11

Both the P7 and the H6 sounded stunning straight out of an iPhone 4 for me, I wasn't quite so stunned about the Momentum to be honest (found them better with my android phone). Of course they all sound better properly amplified and I'm sure your E11 will bring something nice to the mix too.

 

[Mickgw]

Are the P7's good enough without an amplifier? I do have an Arcam Rpac but can't be bothered carting my laptop about. So I will be using them with an iPad air. Would a Fiio be recommended?

Thanks

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Also B&O are known for better design then sound ...

that is what I used to think until I tried several their products. First class sound. Styling is not always my cup of tea but these headphones look superb to me in black.

I am considering buying them. I do have a very old pair of hphones but if I buy a new pair it would be them.

 

[quadpatch]

Are the P7's good enough without an amplifier? I do have an Arcam Rpac but can't be bothered carting my laptop about. So I will be using them with an iPad air. Would a Fiio be recommended?

Thanks

I found the P7 sounded pretty nice straight out of an iPhone, iPad should be similar, if not the same. A proper DAC will improve things of course but I wouldn't worry about the sound direct for convenience.

 

[letsavit2]

Got be honest I really fancy a pair of P7's, how will they compare against my akg 550's, Is it worth ( the outlay ) asking Santa for a pair?

Edit it to add;

i love the akg,s but 50% of what I listen too is bass heavy and as I'm new to headphones I'm unsure ill ever get the bass I want from bins.

 

[dalethorn]

i love the akg,s but 50% of what I listen too is bass heavy and as I'm new to headphones I'm unsure ill ever get the bass I want from bins.

The problem with playing bass-heavy music on a bassy headphone is you double up the bass which makes the mids difficult to hear.

 

[Kingston12]

I don't think you'd be disappointed with either, but the P7s would be worth the extra cash to me if you can justify it.

I have got the Momentums myself. If I had the choice again and could pay £70 extra for the P7s I would, but the price difference between selling the Momentums on now and buying the P7s new is more like £170 and the gap in performance is not that big.

 

[quadpatch]

i love the akg,s but 50% of what I listen too is bass heavy and as I'm new to headphones I'm unsure ill ever get the bass I want from bins.

The problem with playing bass-heavy music on a bassy headphone is you double up the bass which makes the mids difficult to hear.

Very true, I always found this relationship of frequencies a tricky one to balance. Saying that I did really like the P7's for bass heavy, but coming from the K550 the difference is pretty mental so it might take a while to adjust between the two, if at all possible.

 

[dalethorn]

i love the akg,s but 50% of what I listen too is bass heavy and as I'm new to headphones I'm unsure ill ever get the bass I want from bins.

The problem with playing bass-heavy music on a bassy headphone is you double up the bass which makes the mids difficult to hear.

Very true, I always found this relationship of frequencies a tricky one to balance. Saying that I did really like the P7's for bass heavy, but coming from the K550 the difference is pretty mental so it might take a while to adjust between the two, if at all possible.

Funny - this week I've been enjoying (really!) the KRK 8400, which has a *very* lean bass, and trying to reconcile that sound with my several bass-enhanced headphones. But even if the 8400 isn't the last word in fidelity, I really like the mids-centric sound, and it does have a really decent warmth as well.