**** 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. 
 
Most of my listening was done using the included single flange tips, paired with my Sansa Clip+ (80% of the time) or iPod Touch 2G (the other 20%). I didn't like the double flange and I've yet to try the included.
 
Comfort / fit seems to be the main pushing factor of the TinyEars. With many in-ears, the left side has a bad fit for me and the sound is horrible, as if the plug wasn't pushed in all the way or something (this is the case with the M6). These TinyEars are one of few that I have no problems with; I just throw them in my ear and it's golden, minimal adjustments required. These are easily worn up or down, with down being more low-profile and up having less microphonics, as you would expect. Wearing them down, I've been able to lay on my side and listen without any real discomfort. Obviously YMMV based on several factors, but this seems to be one of the things they were shooting for so I would expect that this will be the case for many users.
 
As for sound, on my first listen I was immediately impressed by the clarity these small things had. The next thing I noticed was that bass was a bit lacking in quantity, though definition was good. A few more decibels would be great but that should be easy enough to do with a quality EQ. Vocals are my other main complaint; on some recordings, voices just don't sound natural, even though they sound fine with other headphones. Male vocals in particular often sound a bit hollow, which comes back to the bass that I was talking about just a few sentences ago. Female vocals suffer much less but occasionally sound peaky, so I'd guess there's a spike somewhere in the upper mids. Beyond that, the timbre is accurate for most instruments, and this is one of the main qualities I look for in any headphone so I am pleased on that front. There is some grainyness in the higher frequencies, but nothing hugely detracting. Extension is fair in both extremes. Overall, they have a very good sound and are not very fatiguing, which definitely goes well with the comfort aspect. Combined with good isolation, it seems these are designed for extended listening sessions and I imagine they would be awesome on a long trip.
 
Build quality seems solid. The cable is a bit thin, but it doesn't feel like it's about to snap when I hold it. The housing, though made of plastic, doesn't feel flimsy and the nozzle part looks very well attached. I don't think anything will break when you are trying to change tips. Comes with a little plastic case to hold the IEMs and two sets of tips. It's a nice bonus, but it'll break if you step/sit on it I think.
 
As I mentioned at the beginning, I don't have anything in this price range to make comparisons against and I've been listening to much more expensive equipment for years now. That said, I'm very impressed with the Spider TinyEars and I feel they are a great value for their $40 asking price. I had been looking for a pair of IEMs suitable for exercising / sleeping before the giveaway, and these fit that bill extremely well. In fact, they are good enough that I'm sure I'll end up grabbing them for general use over my other IEMs once in a while.
 
 
[After trying the comply tips, they pretty much fix the problems I was having with the bass and upper mids. I'd yet like just a tiny bit more bass, but I'm very pleased with the balance now!]

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 that goes into the headband is metal. The "leather" is not genuine, but it is still incredibly comfortable. The headband and earpads are well made and feel great. They are circumaural for me and I would guess most people, but they are not very roomy; nowhere near my HD580s. Actually, the earpad feels like it's enveloping my ear. I don't mind but it might not be for everyone. In fact, part of the reason I bought them was to have something "portable" and usuable with portable equipment (not only DAPs, but for example PSP). I don't feel them getting hot or uncomfortable either until I take them off.

The Z1000s don't come with a whole lot of extras. There is a nice and simple pouch for the headphones which has another small pocket inside for whatever you want to put. There are two cables of different lengths, a long one and a short one, which are the same other than the length and termination. To clarify, both are terminated with 3.5mm plugs, but the long cable has a larger and nicer plug with threads for the included 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter. The short cable has a right angle plug which also feels durable. The cable feels a bit thick for portable use to me. Of course, that's one of the huge benefits of detachable cables; you can use whatever you want.

I'll talk about sound now. Note that I'm using a Twisted Pear Audio Opus DAC and AMB Labs CKKIII amplifier as my main setup with these. Sound is largely compared to my Sennheiser HD580s and IE8s.

The first thing I noticed when I tried these out was the treble. Coming from the Senns, the treble was a big change. While it is more pronounced, it's still very smooth. Not harsh, piercing, or really fatiguing overall. It sounds well extended to me as well.

The midrange is wonderful as well. It's also incredibly smooth and is more present than my Sennheisers. At first, I felt like it was missing something in the lower range of male vocals, but upon further listening it sounds just fine. Perhaps I was conditioned by the Senns which have a bit of a hump in that section. Now I can go back and forth between the different cans and it's all good. String instruments are also beautiful.

Bass did not impress me as much. It's by no means bad; decent quantity, crisp and clear. After reading some other reviews, I was actually expecting it to be almost overwhelming. I'd still say they have a slight emphasis towards the low end, but it's a very slight emphasis and I wouldn't mind having just a smidge more. It extends deeper than my HD580s, but not by a whole lot.

Other sound properties;
Soundstage is small when compared to open cans like the HD580, but in comparison with other closed headphones I've owned or heard (SRH840, ESW9, D2000, M50), it's about the same or a little bit larger. Positioning and spacing between instruments is good. It's good enough that I can enjoy classical music, if that's any point of reference.

Timbre is spot on for pretty much everything. I've sold a lot of headphones because I thought they didn't reproduce sounds as I've heard in live performances.

These are more detailed than any headphones I've owned. They are more resolving and expose some things that I haven't heard before.

Isolation is pretty good. Can't compete with IEMs of course, but I bring them to the arcade when I go to play DJ Max Technika and it blocks the sound around me well enough.

These headphones seem to scale well with better equipment in my experience, as well as some others.


As I mentioned earlier, the Z1000s come with a short cable, about 4ft long. This might lead you to believe they are good portable headphones as well. In my opinion, they are not. If you're looking for something to use with a portable set up or while you're out and about, you can find better headphones at lower prices.

The greatest thing I notice with my main portable sources (iPod Touch 2G, Sansa Clip+) is sibilance. It's completely under control with my home set up for most recordings, but with both of those portable sources if there is even a hint of sibilance in the track, it will be exaggerated to the point of pain. Treble just becomes harsh.

Wind wreaks havoc on these headphones. They have a port on each cup, which lets wind make horribly loud noise.

Just those two factors is enough to make me not want to use them outside (of course, in addition to risking damage). Beyond that, the sound is just less refined, bass is a bit weaker. These are to be expected though. A portable amp may help, I can't really say since I don't have one. I will say that I prefer them with my iPod Touch vs the Clip+, surprisingly (I much prefer the Clip+ with my IE8s). I think they work well with my Rio Carbon as well, but I haven't spent as much time with that one. Basically, if you plan to use these mainly with a desktop rig but want something reasonably portable for bringing around to other (indoor) locations, these can work. If you live anywhere windy and want to use them while walking outdoors, look elsewhere.

To finish this up, I'll just say I'm pleased with these headphones and don't regret my purchase. A large part of it was for portable use, but even though I won't be using them while walking between classes, they do fine at the arcade, the library, and for when I want to play PSP or something at home but don't want to use IEMs or hook it up to my amp. The sound is very suitable for me; my main genres are classical, hip hop, jazz, metal, classic rock. They work great for all of them, though depending on the recording and the piece, I may prefer my HD580s for classical still. Build quality and comfort are great.

Hope this was helpful!

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, and most of all user replaceable. A bit disappointed that the plug isn't gold plated, but it's not a huge issue considering how great the actual cable is.
 
Now for the cons.
--The IE8s are infamous for their low isolation. If you are on noisy streets, buses, subways, etc., these may not be a great choice because you'll hear more of what's going on around you than you really need to without custom tips.
--The adjustable bass port was one of the big features I remember being talked about in the early days of the IE8s. I quickly found out that it's useless unless you like an exaggerated midbass and low subbass. As you turn it up, it only increases the bass response below the hump. Essentially it smooths out the bass and makes it more even. I just turned it up to max and left it. I find that most people use it on the lowest or lower-medium settings, and I strongly recommend at least trying it for a few days at max before making a decision.
--Most of the accessories that come with these IEMs are not useful. The tips are ok, I personally prefer UE single flange tips before I got custom tips for these. The small case it came with is a bit difficult and troublesome to use. The earhooks are too bulky and uncomfortable.
 
Moving to the sound...
The thing most discussed about these IEMs is the bass, and for good reason. I find that the IE8s produce bass really well. It is full, present, and textured. It has quality and quantity. Admittedly it can get a bit boomy on some super-bass tracks, but it holds well for most music I've thrown at it from all sorts of genres. When the bass knob is turned all the way up, the bass sounds smooth and even to my ears, with a very slight midbass hump. This hump is more noticable when the bass knob is turned lower. When amped, the bass tightens up a bit and there is more punch to it.
 
I think the IE8s have a very lush, warm midrange. It's very smooth and inviting. The most important thing is that it sounds natural. I've been through a few sets of headphones where male or female vocals just don't sound right but these produce voices spot on. I hesitate to say more about the mids because I haven't heard other headphones/IEMs which reportedly have awesome midranges, such as the Shure SE530s.
 
As for treble, when I first listened I thought it was a bit recessed. As I listened more though, I realized that the treble and mids were well balanced and that it was only an emphasis in bass that made that first impression. The IE8s have the greatest treble extension I've heard from IEMs. The treble is not sparkly and bright, so if that's the kind of sound you like these are not for you.
 
These IEMs have detail, despite how it may seem on the first few listens. Particularly, you might find that the treble lacks detail. I think this is simply because the treble is not emphasized, so it's harder to notice.
 
The presentation is definitely relaxed and slightly dark, which may again explain why they seem to lack a bit in detail. It's a presentation that doesn't suit everyone.
 
I sort of mentioned this a little earlier, but these IEMs sound very natural. They never sound strained and always seem to handle music with ease and finesse across the whole frequency spectrum.
 
I've owned these IEMs for almost 8 months now, the longest I've kept such a pair. I don't see myself selling them soon either, partially because I invested in custom tips, but also because the sound suits my preferences so well. I love the bass, I love the presentation, I love how effortless the sound, and I love how natural they sound.
Will you feel the same about them? I don't know.
 
I hope this review will help those who are considering the Sennheiser IE8s make a decision, but remember these are my opinions, my ears, etc., so take it with a grain of salt.