Sennheiser IE8 Appreciation Thread - Page 514

using this with a pioneer stereo amp connected to marantz cd player and they just sound a bit more punchy and a tad clearer, but thats both pairs, sound is still identical wether its improved by the amp or not ( i even got my fiancee to blind test me  ) i will continue to send these back and stick with the ie8s and maybe sennheiser will make a next level flagship.

Edited by Samsara - 3/7/12 at 4:44pm

No if the IE8 has +5 db of added mid bass over the IE80 and they are both used on the same source, if the source was to add more to the mid bass emphasis the IE8 would still have more emphasis and it would be even worse...

I think what he's saying is the dB difference in the midbass frequencies between the IE8 and IE80 would be the same if they are driven from the same source, which is true.

I guess that is true but the more db you add the worse the IE8 is gonna get already having a +5 db difference. For me that +5 completely ruined the sound making the mid range cloudy and the bass bloated. It even overshadowed the treble somewhat.

 

Use EQ (a big no no IMO for such an expensive IEM) and you close the gap mostly.

 

Lets be honest, most people who sold their IE8s did so due to the mid bass bloat and where not willing to have to live with using EQ to just get decent sound out of IEMs at a premium cost...

Edited by lee730 - 3/7/12 at 8:50pm

This makes complete sense, if your preference is such that you need EQ with the IE8 and don't need EQ with the IE80.

 

In my case, I need to EQ with both to tune them to my preferred sound signature, or have to pair them with a bright amp. Therefore I decided to stay with my IE8 and donate the IE80 for a good cause. The IE8's slightly better soundstage and higher quality cable matters more to me than a 5db difference in EQing.

Quote:

Hm.. so it's not ok to EQ an IEM to get the best possible sound....but it's ok to cut big holes out of the nice mahogany cups of the $500 D5K....  

 

 

 

I never said that. But to find an IEM unlistenable stock is not good. Now if you love EQ then great but I've never found EQ to sound right across the board. Generally I'll have to constantly change it to better suite different genres of music and in doing so ruining my musical enjoyment by getting irritated lol. And while I do love the denons they will most likely be going on the for sale forum due to my W3000ANVs.

Also James really does have a point on brighter sources pairing well with the IE80. Most of my sources are on the neutral side and low impedece so it's basically allowing the IE80 to show its true signature. The silver cable also adds emphasis on the treble and mid range while tightening up the bass so in all I find the overall sound pretty balanced. Paired to the Studio V also yields results and with its crystal clear sound it really brings life to the IE80s.
Edited by lee730 - 3/8/12 at 1:37am

Hi all, just recently purchased a set of these, and would like to know - without reading through the entire thread, what you guys recommend eq wise when combing the ie8's and a sansa clip+, has anybody found the perfect setting?  I listen to dance, trance and chillout music.  Also I'm finding it hard to get used to the muffled bass, like most, are there any really decent tips out there which go perfect together with these iem's? I'm finding one person will say buy comply's, the other says the treble is ruined by using them. 

 

is there yet a frequency graph of the IE8 against the IE80 available?

 

 

I assume you use rockbox?

 

To clean up the bass set a peak filter at 150Hz with a -8db gain and q=1. This will get rid of the midbass bloat but still keep the sub bass. If you need even more subbass just turn up the bass knob.

 

imo, the medium double flange tips offer the best sound out of the stock tips.

Anybody found the perfect Eq settings and tips for a sansa clip+ for listening to trance ?

Edited by fluidz - 5/7/12 at 6:03am

advanced eq --> Low Shelf Filter: cutoff: 80 hz,Q:1,0, gain: +3db

peak filter 1: centre freq: 170 hz, Q: 1,0 , gain: -5.5db

peak filter 2: centre freq: 800 hz, Q;1,0: gain: 0.0 db

peak filter 3: centre freq: 3250 hz, Q: 1,0, gain: +2.5db

High shelf filter: cutoff: 12300 hz, Q; 2.0, gain: + 2.0 db

 

sounds good for me. I turned the bassknob to the max

 

and i'm using the stock single large tips... 

 

"The “Q” parameter should always be set to 0.7 for the shelving filters. Higher values will add a small boost around the cutoff frequency that is almost always undesirable."

Source: http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansaclipplus/rockbox-buildch6.html#x9-1100006.8

 

I changed my personal EQ setting to : -7db@190/200hz, Q=1.

Setting the center frequency to something like 150hz will affect the low bass to much.

Edited by Kaffeemann - 5/11/12 at 10:10am

okay, and the Q at the peak filters can stay at 1?

Lower Qs will affect a broader frequency band witdh, higher will affect a narrower frequency band width.