I was in the market for a solid travel headset when I fly. I have earbuds, but for some reason they are just not comfortable on a long flight. I spent about 2 weeks and about 20+ hours of research, countless listening tests to find the right ones. I am on a plane usually 1-3 times a month. Having tested it with my first flight today, I can say with complete confidence, I am happy with my purchase
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless, while not perfect, has so many positive things going for it, that it should be on your short list for Noise Canceling Travel Headphones
Pros
- Design: Clean, attractive and functional (I really like the look of the stainless Steel Rails)
- Great Dynamics for a Bluetooth NC Headset, but even better with the provided cable
- Excellent high frequency response, with a clear detailed midrange
- Bass was the best of the bluetooth models tested, this unit has apt-x for increased sound quality
- Excellent Battery life: Over 50% battery after 10+ hours of listening
- Good Noise Cancellation
- Excellent range, about 10 Meters (33 ft)
- Comes with Wired Cable, USB Charger, Nice Case, and Airline adapter
- Built in mics work well when used as with my cell phone to take calls
- Comfortable fit
- 2 year warranty vs 1 year of many other brands
- Bluetooth easy to connect, especially with the NFC (Near Field Connection option)
Cons
- Noise cancellation is always on in bluetooth mode, no way to turn off
- Can be pricey ($499.00 most places, but got mine for $339.00)
- Noise cancellation is good, but Bose does a significantly better job at it
- You can only sync 1 bluetooth device at a time, newer models like Bose QC35 allow for 2
- Minor Gripe: Small multifold manual that comes with it, just download a copy from their site
Focus on Design:
The bottom line is that they look great. The stainless steel rails blend in perfectly with the quality stitched leather top, which has minimal padding, but is very comfortable with its light weight. The foldable metal hinges allow you to pack it away in my laptop bag, but it still a tad bit on the bulky side. While I don't quite have dumbo ears, they are big, but the headset accommodated them quite well and were comfortable to wear for extended periods. These are the over the ear models. Soft Leather ear pads, while a little on the thick side, are very comfy I worn them for a 4 hour flight without feeling the need to remove or adjust them, they never got too warm that would make them uncomfortable to wear.
Features:
As I stated, I was looking for a travel headset that I could actually hear on a plane w/o killing my ears and these fit the bill. There were some feature I was looking for that were also important
- aptX Bluetooth
- active noise cancellation
Both work remarkably well. Since AptX is always on with my phone, I can not say for sure if there is a noticeable difference in bluetooth, but I will testify that they do sound very good. I did a comparison listening test with the Bose QC35 and found the Bose to have better noise cancellation, but lacking in overall sound quality compared to the Momentum. The best way I can describe it is that the bass on the Bose seemed "overemphasized" and a little muddy. The clarity while still very good, was not on par with the Sennheiser.
The noise cancellation worked very well, as I missed a few calls on my landline during my initial test. There was a greater impact on low frequency sound. Best example, I had my TV on and I could still hear voices, but the bass was almost completely gone. It does the job on a plane, but the Bose perform better in this area.
Sound Quality:
Pearl Jam "Just Breathe", vocals detailed and are expressive. Guitar strums sounded accurate and have fullness to it. My only minor gripe is the bass is not as perfect on bluetooth and sounded a little less clear then when I had them plugged into my phone directly. The sound is pleasant and not fatiguing and easily enjoyable for long listening sessions.
While I am not a huge fan of rap music, I did try some bass heavy tracks primarily to use for comparison against the Bose QC35. The low end carries some weight, it's detailed, but not on par with a quality set of wired headphones. When plugged into my phone or laptop, the quality of bass improved in the detail and clarity. For the sake of this review, in bluetooth mode, this is what sold me the most over the Bose. Base is not overblown like so many headsets try to do, it's much more accurate and doesn't take away from the song.
SIDE NOTES:
- You can run this even with the battery dead, but expect to take a hit in sound quality
- AptX works on more recent android devices, check your model for compatibility, no aptx on apple http://www.aptx.com/
Overall I would rate these headsets a 4.5/5 and 4.9/5 for bluetooth NC headphones. There are a lot of solid options in this price range, but I would definitely add this to your list of demos if you are in the market for set of Wireless Travel Headphones
