Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 review: Over-ear headphone sequel gains comfort and slightly better sound

The one knock against the Momentum , Sennheiser's generally highly praised over-ear 2013 headphone, was that it just wasn't all that comfortable to wear for long periods. Naturally, the fit varied from person to person, but there seems to have been enough griping for Sennheiser to make some design changes to its second-generation Momentum, which goes by the name Momentum 2.0 and carries a list price of $350 (£270 UK, AU $400).

In fact, Sennheiser has tweaked the designs of both its Momentum over-ear and on-ear models, both of which now come in wired and wireless versions and have a new folding design that gives the headphones a little smaller footprint when they're in their included carrying case.

Both the Momentum 2.0 and its wireless sibling have larger earcups, so they fit over your ears better than the original Momentum and don't pinch anything. The designers also made the earcups softer and the end result is that the Momentum 2.0 is clearly a more comfortable headphone than the original.

The other small design change is to the plug. The original had a fancy plug that had a hinge in it that allowed it change angles and go with the flow, so to speak. The new 2.0 has a simple L-shaped plug that's slim enough to be used with a phone that's covered by a protective case.

Android devices or Apple iOS devices. The only difference is the cable -- and precisely, the inline remote/microphone -- that ships with the headphones.

Personally, for $350, I think you should get both an Android- and an iOS-oriented cable in the box, but I happen to use both Android and Apple devices, while other people may be truly dedicated to one platform and not care.

At launch, the headphone is available in two colors, black and ivory, but expect more colors to be available in the future.

Performance

As for sound, well, the Momentum 2.0 oozes refinement and seems to bring out the best in all types of music. While the biggest difference between this model and the original is the improved comfort and folding design, the sound has also changed, though not drastically. This new version is less bright, voices are more fleshed out, and bass impact is more viscerally felt.