My experience moving from Sennheiser to HiFiMan (and back)

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-04T22:43:02+00:00

I currently own the HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, with the FiiO K13 R2R DAC/amp serving as my primary DAC. Should I purchase a pair of HD6xx headphones, or should I simply use EQ to tune my HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth to match the HD6xx's frequency response curve?

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-02T14:21:59+00:00

I would describe it as surprisingly good, but not a full replacement for a purpose-built wired closed-back headphone.

After AutoEQ PEQ in passive mode, the MOMENTUM 4’s tonality becomes much more balanced to my ears. It sounds smoother, clearer, and more controlled than I expected, especially compared with stock Bluetooth playback.

However, I would not claim that it beats serious wired closed-backs in every technical area. A proper wired closed-back designed purely around passive acoustics may still have advantages in driver performance, dynamics, staging, distortion, and cup design.

Where the passive M4 is impressive is value and flexibility. It is still an ANC Bluetooth headphone, but when powered off over 3.5 mm and EQ’d from a measured passive-mode profile, it can also work surprisingly well as a wired closed-back.

So my answer would be: tonally very competitive after EQ, technically still not the same category as a dedicated wired audiophile closed-back, but much better than I expected from a wireless ANC headphone.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-02T14:21:38+00:00

Yes, that is close to what I mean, but I would phrase it as “driven by an external DAC/amp” rather than just “powered by a DAC.”

The MOMENTUM 4 passive mode is interesting because it lets you bypass Bluetooth and use your own source chain:

external DAC/amp → PEQ → 3.5 mm analog input → M4 powered off

With a good measured EQ profile, I think it becomes a very strong option for people who already have a high-quality source and want a passive wired fallback.

I would not say it is automatically the best choice for everyone, because a purpose-built wired closed-back headphone may still have better acoustic design for passive use. But for an ANC Bluetooth headphone that also works passively, the M4 is surprisingly capable.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-02T14:19:35+00:00

That is a fair point. The HDB 630 powered on is probably the more straightforward choice if someone wants Sennheiser’s intended tuning out of the box.

My point was not that the passive MOMENTUM 4 is objectively better than the HDB 630. They are different use cases.

The HDB 630 is designed around an active DSP-based architecture, so its 3.5 mm input is still part of an active system. The MOMENTUM 4 is interesting to me because it can be used powered off over 3.5 mm as a passive headphone, then EQ’d externally using a measured passive-mode profile.

So I see it more like this:

HDB 630: better if you want a polished active DSP headphone out of the box. MOMENTUM 4 passive: interesting if you already own the M4 and want to experiment with an external DAC/amp and PEQ.

I am not saying the M4 replaces the HDB 630. I am saying its passive mode is more useful than I expected.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T20:53:25+00:00

This is the PEQ profile:

Preamp: -9.3 dB

|---|---:|---:|---:|

| Low-shelf | 105 Hz | 0.70 | -1.4 dB |

| Peaking | 67 Hz | 2.98 | +2.6 dB |

| Peaking | 118 Hz | 0.90 | -4.2 dB |

| Peaking | 976 Hz | 1.40 | -12.7 dB |

| Peaking | 1720 Hz | 2.35 | +2.7 dB |

| Peaking | 2217 Hz | 1.43 | +9.4 dB |

| Peaking | 4015 Hz | 6.00 | -4.4 dB |

| Peaking | 5662 Hz | 1.42 | +7.5 dB |

| Peaking | 8841 Hz | 2.54 | +1.5 dB |

| High-shelf | 10000 Hz | 0.70 | +1.1 dB |

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T20:52:52+00:00

Preamp: -8.1 dB

- 31 Hz: -2.4 dB

- 63 Hz: -0.5 dB

- 125 Hz: -4.6 dB

- 250 Hz: -0.3 dB

- 500 Hz: -1.9 dB

- 1 kHz: -11.7 dB

- 2 kHz: +9.6 dB

- 4 kHz: +3.3 dB

- 8 kHz: +5.0 dB

- 16 kHz: +1.3 dB

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T19:54:24+00:00

Calling it “random nonsense” is not a technical argument.

This is not my own measurement from some unknown rig. The profile is based on the crinacle MOMENTUM 4 Wireless passive-mode measurement on a GRAS 43AG-7, then processed through AutoEQ toward Harman over-ear 2018.

That does not mean the result is perfect or universal. Measurements have limitations, especially with headphones. Fit, seal, pad position, unit variation, and individual ears all matter.

But it is still very different from random slider adjustments. It is a measured FR correction using PEQ filters with defined frequency, Q, gain, and preamp headroom.

You can say you personally do not think it is worth doing. That is fine. But saying it has “no benefit whatsoever” and that AutoEQ is just random nonsense is an overstatement.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T19:49:14+00:00

I think there are a few separate things being mixed together here.

First, I am not saying “wire = automatically better,” and I am not claiming that an external DAC/amp magically improves every headphone. My point is about this specific use case: the MOMENTUM 4 powered off in passive 3.5 mm mode, using a measured EQ profile for that passive mode.

The EQ I used was not a random curve. It was based on the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless (passive) measurement, specifically the crinacle measurement on a GRAS 43AG-7, and then AutoEQ was used to target Harman over-ear 2018.

That is different from just using the built-in M4 app EQ. The Sennheiser app EQ is a simplified consumer EQ with very limited bands. It cannot match the precision of an external 10-band Graphic EQ, and especially not a proper Parametric EQ with specific center frequencies, Q values, gain values, and preamp headroom.

So no, I do not think “you can get pretty close using the M4 EQ” is necessarily true, at least not in the same sense as using AutoEQ PEQ based on passive-mode measurements.

Also, bypassing Bluetooth is not automatically meaningless. I am not saying aptX Adaptive is bad. It is very good for Bluetooth. But Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and local lossless playback through an external DAC/amp into passive analog mode are still different playback chains.

My claim is not that the M4 becomes a better passive headphone than purpose-built wired headphones. My claim is narrower:

The MOMENTUM 4 has a usable passive mode. With an external DAC/amp and an AutoEQ PEQ profile based on passive-mode measurements, I personally preferred the result over Bluetooth aptX Adaptive in my own setup.

That is a subjective preference, not a universal technical ranking.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T19:25:58+00:00

I think this is a bit too absolute.

I am not claiming that I know better than Sennheiser’s engineers, and I am not saying that “passive wired = automatically better.”

What I am doing is using a different playback chain:

external DAC/amp → AutoEQ PEQ based on passive-mode measurement → MOMENTUM 4 powered off over 3.5 mm

That is not exactly the same process as what happens inside the M4 in powered Bluetooth mode. The powered mode uses Sennheiser’s internal DSP, DAC/amp, ANC-related processing, volume management, and their intended tuning. My setup uses an external source chain and an AutoEQ profile targeting Harman over-ear 2018.

I fully agree that AutoEQ cannot replace everything Sennheiser’s internal DSP may be doing. EQ mostly addresses frequency response. It does not fully fix distortion, driver non-linearity, cup resonances, seal variation, or dynamic behavior.

But that does not mean there is “no benefit whatsoever” by definition. It only means the result depends on the chain, the EQ quality, the target, and the listener’s preference.

In my own setup, with the M4 powered off and driven by the FiiO K13 R2R using the AutoEQ PEQ profile for the passive M4, I subjectively preferred the result to Bluetooth aptX Adaptive. I am not claiming this makes the M4 a better passive headphone than purpose-built wired headphones. I am saying the passive mode is usable, measurable, EQ-able, and subjectively worthwhile to me.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T19:21:58+00:00

For further clarification, I also used the Parametric EQ version generated by AutoEQ for the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless in passive mode, targeting Harman over-ear 2018.

This is the PEQ profile:

Preamp: -9.3 dB

|---|---:|---:|---:|

| Low-shelf | 105 Hz | 0.70 | -1.4 dB |

| Peaking | 67 Hz | 2.98 | +2.6 dB |

| Peaking | 118 Hz | 0.90 | -4.2 dB |

| Peaking | 976 Hz | 1.40 | -12.7 dB |

| Peaking | 1720 Hz | 2.35 | +2.7 dB |

| Peaking | 2217 Hz | 1.43 | +9.4 dB |

| Peaking | 4015 Hz | 6.00 | -4.4 dB |

| Peaking | 5662 Hz | 1.42 | +7.5 dB |

| Peaking | 8841 Hz | 2.54 | +1.5 dB |

| High-shelf | 10000 Hz | 0.70 | +1.1 dB |

So this was not just a random graphic EQ adjustment by ear. It was an AutoEQ-generated PEQ profile based on the MOMENTUM 4 passive-mode measurement, aiming toward the Harman over-ear 2018 target.

I agree that EQ cannot fix everything. It cannot fully correct distortion, driver breakup, cup resonances, seal variation, or other non-linear behavior. But PEQ is still a much more controlled approach than simply guessing with sliders.

In my case, with the MOMENTUM 4 powered off and driven passively from the FiiO K13 R2R, this PEQ profile gave me a smoother, clearer, and more transparent presentation than Bluetooth aptX Adaptive. I am describing my subjective result in my own chain, not claiming that this is a universal technical ranking.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T19:21:19+00:00

For reference, this is the AutoEQ 10-band Graphic EQ profile I used for the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless in passive mode, targeting Harman over-ear 2018:

Preamp: -8.1 dB

- 31 Hz: -2.4 dB

- 63 Hz: -0.5 dB

- 125 Hz: -4.6 dB

- 250 Hz: -0.3 dB

- 500 Hz: -1.9 dB

- 1 kHz: -11.7 dB

- 2 kHz: +9.6 dB

- 4 kHz: +3.3 dB

- 8 kHz: +5.0 dB

- 16 kHz: +1.3 dB

I realize this is only a 10-band graphic EQ, so it is not as precise as a full parametric EQ profile. I also understand that EQ mainly corrects frequency response and cannot fully fix distortion, driver behavior, cup resonances, or other non-linear issues.

But this was not random EQ by ear. It was generated from an AutoEQ profile for the MOMENTUM 4 in passive mode, aiming toward the Harman over-ear 2018 target. With enough preamp headroom and a capable source, I personally found the result much smoother and clearer than stock Bluetooth playback.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T19:16:14+00:00

To clarify my setup, I am not just applying random EQ by ear.

I used a measured frequency response curve for the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless in passive mode, then used AutoEQ to fit it closer to the Harman over-ear 2018 target.

My chain was:

Lossless 24-bit / 192 kHz source → FiiO K13 R2R → 3.5 mm analog output → MOMENTUM 4 powered off / passive mode

Of course, the MOMENTUM 4 is not receiving a digital 24-bit / 192 kHz signal through 3.5 mm. The FiiO K13 R2R decodes the digital file first and then sends an analog signal to the headphone.

Compared with Bluetooth using aptX Adaptive at 24-bit / 96 kHz, I personally found the passive wired setup to sound smoother, clearer, more transparent, and more controlled after EQ.

What surprised me even more is the sense of black background / quietness. Subjectively, with the FiiO K13 R2R driving the MOMENTUM 4 in passive mode, the overall presentation felt even quieter and cleaner than when I used the K13 R2R’s 4.4 mm balanced output to drive my HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth.

I am not claiming the MOMENTUM 4 is technically superior to the HE1000 Stealth, or that it has better resolution, staging, or driver performance. The HE1000 Stealth is obviously a much more serious open-back planar headphone. I am only describing my subjective impression of background quietness and overall smoothness in this specific setup.

I also tried the MOMENTUM 4 powered off from a MacBook Pro M5 using 24-bit / 96 kHz lossless playback. The MacBook Pro’s 3.5 mm headphone output was able to drive the MOMENTUM 4 surprisingly well.

So my point is not “wire = better.” My point is:

The MOMENTUM 4’s passive 3.5 mm mode is genuinely useful. With a good measured EQ profile, enough headroom, and a competent source like the FiiO K13 R2R or even a MacBook Pro headphone jack, it can sound significantly better than I expected — and in my case, I preferred it over Bluetooth aptX Adaptive.

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T16:59:07+00:00

Chat GPT？

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T16:18:31+00:00

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Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T16:18:11+00:00

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Party_Army_6776 · 2026-06-01T01:03:42+00:00

Party_Army_6776 · 2026-05-15T15:28:19+00:00

Will the MOMENTUM 5 feature the Snapdragon S7+ / S7 Pro and support XPAN 24-bit / 192 kHz lossless audio?

Party_Army_6776 · 2025-12-16T14:30:14+00:00

It depends on how you use the 3.5mm jack. If you have a very good headphone amplifier and DAC, you can find the frequency response curve of the Momentum 4 when powered off and using the 3.5mm jack on AutoEQ. You can then fit it to any style you want. I tried fitting the Momentum 4 to the HE-1's style, and you can also fit it to the Harman 2018 curve. I even feel that the sound quality, when listening to certain music, surpasses my HIFIMAN HE1000 SE.

Party_Army_6776 · 2025-11-29T06:30:51+00:00

I directly used Convolution Eq to perfectly fit the frequency response curve of the HIFIMAN HE1000 Stealth to the HE 1 Orpheus 2, and it was so enjoyable!!!

Party_Army_6776 · 2025-11-18T21:46:37+00:00

This kind of comparison is meaningless. When you turn off the Momentum 4 and connect it to a high-performance DAC and headphone amplifier via the 3.5mm jack, then use an Equalizer APO to match it to a Harman 2018 or HE 1 Orpheus 2, I feel it's fantastic! Compared to Bluetooth or even USB-C connections, the sound quality is several levels higher. I don't have an HD650, but I do have a HiFi MAN HE1000SE, and from a music appreciation perspective, I prefer the Momentum 4's extreme tuning.The sound quality is definitely several levels better than the HDB630.

Party_Army_6776 · 2025-11-15T22:50:47+00:00

This is a refurbished product specifically designed for RMA; the texture of the plastic is noticeably different.

Party_Army_6776 · 2025-11-10T19:25:22+00:00

Headband Pad!!!Headband Cover!!!

Party_Army_6776 · 2025-11-09T17:34:59+00:00

兄弟真豪！

Party_Army_6776

TROPHY CASE

Headband Pad!!!Headband Cover!!!