bay news 9 breaking news: Sennheiser's Momentum headphones bring their leathery, metal goodness to IFA, we go hands-on (video)

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Sennheiser's Momentum headphones bring their leathery, metal goodness to IFA, we go hands-on (video)

Now these are some seriously nice-looking headphones -- and really, that's sort of the thing here. After all, internally, these cans are quite similar to older models from Sennheiser, and spending a little time underneath them was a fully engrossing experience, the cups dampening out a lot of noise of the show floor even without music playing. What was even more immediately noticeable about the Momentum, however, was just how comfortable they were, thanks in no small part, to the use of hair-sheep skin straight out of Somerset, England -- yep, if you're anti-leather, these aren't the headphones for you. But man, the material feels really, really nice.

The headphones are also quite light, which helps, so they shouldn't be too much of a strain when you wear them on the go -- and the Sennheiser rep we spoke with assured us that your ears still breathe well with them on, unlike a lot of over-ear pairs. The headband is made of a brushed stainless steel, which meets even more leather on the top of the headphones. Move down the wire and you'll see a panel with three buttons -- these control volume and let you pick up calls on your iPhone. Further down still ia a metal jack that bends, so you can keep the headphones at either a 180- or 90-degree angle from your device.

Of course, all that fine sheep leather and metal doesn't come cheap -- these guys will run you a cool $350 when they hit the states this fall. Check out a hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Sennheiser Momentum ears-on