Sennheiser’s MM 50 iP Headphones are Music to my Ears

I have been using the Apple-issued iPhone headphones for over 2 years. Only for a brief period did I use some Sony Headphones with an adapter for the microphone. The Sony’s got a bit beaten up in my daily transportation routine so I was back to my standard issue Apple headphone. Music sounded great, clear, clean and crisp…that is, until I received some Sennheiser MM 50 iP headphones for review.

Let me tell you this, I was living under a rock! If you think that your music sounds good with cheap headphones, then you will be absolutely amazed at the sound quality that comes from a higher end set of ear buds. It is almost an injustice using bad headphones, especially after you hear the difference.

Note: Father’s Day is just around the corner now so be sure to see some of the reviews that I have tagged with “Father’s Day.” You can see the list here. Even before you finish this article, do know that the Sennheiser MM 50 iP is on that Father’s Day list and a great contender for the top spot there.

Sennheiser is known for producing high-end audio products from Headphones to other electroacoustic solutions. They were established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany and over the recent years, their product line has grown to fully embrace the digital sound experience.

The MM 50 iP is an in-ear headphone that truly isolates outside ambient noise from your music or audio (e.g., phone conversations). When properly inserted, these headphones almost act as earplugs. I found this extremely beneficial because I ride a noisy train every day to and from work. At times, the noise level when going through tunnels or when people are talking loudly is extremely bothersome. With the MM 50 iP’s in place, those outside noises become almost a non-issue and are almost entirely dampened out.

The MM 50 iP’s come with 3 different size ear buds and has a built-in push to talk microphone that can also control iTunes. It is fully compatible with iPods and iPhones, with the microphone fully connected and integrated with the iPhone’s system.

Below are some technical specs:

Headphones

• Frequency Response – 18-22,000 Hz
• Impedance – 16 Ohms
• SPL – 106 dB

Microphone

• Frequency Response – 80-15,000 Hz
• Pick-up Pattern – Omnidirectional
• Impedance – 2.2 K Ohms
• Sensitivity – (-) 44 dBV/Pa

The thing that troubles me is the fact that so many people continue use the Apple headphones, which sound tinny, without bass and wimpy in comparison to the Sennheisers. To further improve the quality of audio playback, I recommend going through your iPod or iPhone’s settings to see if you can and should adjust the treble and bass balance or use one of the presets. The thing about the presets is, they have been set at a much lower standard. That is to say, for lower-end headphones. If you try the Bass Booster setting, for example, with the Sennheisers, you may overload your ears with bass. Out of the box and using the standard EQ settings works just fine for me. The Sennheisers perform perfectly.

Do note, you really can get high volume from these guys so I would recommend turning on the Volume Limit setting so as not to blow away your ears. With it off, at the highest level, music is almost painful (but practically distortion-free, I might add). Try doing that with your standard-issue iPhone or iPod headphones!

Bottom line, these headphones are rock solid, make music sound exquisite and perform the important iPhone functions of controlling your iPod app as well as working as a microphone for phone calls. So if you have invested in an expensive iPhone or iPod, you are not getting the most out of your music experience unless you upgrade your headset. The MSRP for the Sennheiser MM 50 iP’s is $99.95 but you can pick them up for about $65 on Amazon.

HTD Says: The Sennheiser MM 50 iP headphones will truly transform your iPhone’s lackluster audio coming from the stock iPhone headsets into a rich and enveloping musical experience.