Sennheiser MM50 iP

Who's It For

Audiophiles

This is a set of in-ear headphones for audiophiles. The distortion is absurdly low, and, unlike many in-ear headphones, the MM50 iPs don’t skimp on the bass.

Portable User

The MM50 iPs are great for commuters. They’re portable, comfortable, isolate well, and have great audio quality. They even have a microphone for when you have to take a call en route to work. A tip though: mind the cord at the plug. The cord guard there isn’t the best, so always make sure the plug is pointing upwards to minimize bending.

Airplane Traveler

Airplane travelers will like the isolation and comfort, even when worn for six hours or longer. Plus, they don’t require batteries which is a plus.

Home / Office Use

First of all, the MM50 iPs don’t have a cord that’s long enough for more home theater setups. Secondly, in-ear headphones can’t create some of the same audio qualities as a set of over-ear headphones, such as a large, open soundstage, or rumbling bass (although the MM50 iPs might be exempt from the bass comment). You can get more appropriate headphones for home theater use, although they might not be as cheap.

Conclusion

We like the Sennheiser MM50 iP headphones. They have great audio quality, are comfortable, come with a microphone button, and cost $100. If you’re looking for a set of in-ears in this range, the MM50 iPs are a great option.

To get into specifics, the MM50 iPs don’t have the greatest isolation: they’re about on par with an above average set of active noise-cancellers, but they don’t compare to some of the better in-ears. They do have very good leakage control. Their frequency response is good for the most part. The bass gets a big boost, but might sound a bit boomy in the lower bass sounds. The distortion is absurdly low, making the MM50 iPs our new second-place champ in that category (the Sennheiser HD 555s are currently in first place, although they use our old graph lay-out; ignore everything below 100 Hz).

One thing some users might miss, however, are the array of options that typically come with in-ear headphones. The Etymotic Research ER6is and Shure SE210s, for example, each come with a ton of different sleeve options, which vary in size as well as type (soft plastic, foam, triple-flanged, etc.). The MM50 iPs come with three sleeve options, which is the standard assortment. The MM50 iPs also might have some durability issues: the plug doesn’t have much of a cord guard. This means if your phone or media player shifts around in your pocket, it could lead to the cord bending sharply at the plug. This could lead to the cord getting damaged.

Overall, for $100 the MM50 iPs are excellent. They’re not the perfect pair of headphones, but in terms of value they’re one of the best. This is a pair of budget headphones that bests headphones costing upwards of three times what they cost.