**** Please note that I received these from Spider Cable for free [ http://www.head-fi.org/t/564608/spider-gives-away-20pcs-tinyear-micro-driver-iem ]   I've owned these IEMs for about a week now, and in that time I've used them exclusively and quite often. I don't have any IEMs in this price range (~$40) other than my Meelec M6 (which I haven't used in months because they don't fit well), and looking through my past IEMs, I never explored this price range in my IEM quest so I won't be able to make direct comparisons with competing products.   ...

Let me start with build quality and comfort. Upon first holding them in my hands, I was surprised at how durable they felt, while still being very light weight. The cups themselves have a very nice finish that has been very resistant to any scratches or markings over the time I've had them (about a month). The hook parts that connect the cups to the headband are plastic, which I kind of have mixed feelings about. It's held up well so far, but we'll see as more time passes. For what it's worth, they haven't scratched or lost any paint so far. The part...

Let me start off addressing the pros I've listed. --I love the design of the Sennheiser IE8s. They look great, it fits the shape of my ear, the cable goes over ear to reduce microphonics, and they are easy to put in. --These are comfortable IEMs, I often wore them for several hours at a time to deal with noisy floor mates in my door. --Natural sound is something I'll cover when I hit the sound section later. --The cables on the IE8s are probably the best I've ever personally experienced. It is very well built, feels nice around my ear, supple...