Sennheiser IE8

I am afraid that I am a bit of an IE8 refusnik. I have had them for a few weeks now. IMHO. They are good. possibly even very good but not superb. If I had paid £100 I would be very pleased. At £200 I expected more. Especially having read the generally approving posts on here, regarding them as a top tier IEM.
I find that with a complete seal, they have a ruddy great hump in the lower mid bass which makes them sound muddy, with bloated bass. The bass does not go particularly deep.
Cracking the seal a little improves things no end. Still no sub bass. Treble detail is there but you have to listen for it. They will certainly never sound shrill.
I got them from a very good UK supplier who gives a 14 day return policy, even after you have used them. (PM me if you are interested.) The reason that I kept them is that all IEM's at this price point seem to have their own shortcomings.
If you get these expecting wonders, I am afraid you may well be as disappointed as I am. If you have more realistic expectations you may be happy with the compromises. Me? I'm saving for the JH13's! HTH!

Interested as well. Tried to read the 100+ page thread but can't do it

I use Shure E2C black soft flex tips. I get a good seal and get tight bass with an extraordinary impact. Nothing bloated. Guitars will sound good but it has has the best bass guitar presentation that I've heard from an iem. It has it's shortcomings, but out of all the iems that I've owned, it has the best bass impact, best bass guitar presentation, and the best soundstage. I've read that the JH13 beats the IE8 in all of these areas. Someday, I might have to take the plunge into high end custom iems.

The bass amount is higher relative to the mid and high range. The Bass comes in up at the lower midrange/midbass range. The bass knob raises or lowers low bass, below 100Hz but doesn't do anything for the upper bass response, making the knob somewhat useless in my opinion. You sort of turn it to full and leave it. You set it low, you simply cut bottom end response and make the bass somewhat anemic, but it will still be bass heavy because the peak extends higher anyways.

No, these earphones are not super bassy. They are bass strong but not bass heavy.

The midrange and treble is quite good too. The response is pretty even and treble extends out as far as is useful. It certain doesn't lack capability, on either end.

The overall sound is a little laid back, softer. You don't get a tremendously crisp or articulate sound. Everything is good but not edgy, not energetic. The whole presentation is more casual in nature. There isn't quite as much pizazz and fan fair as with some other earphones. The bass is not sloppy or muddy per say, but it's also not razor sharp and articulate. It's capable of fast paced information and doesn't really get sloppy playing that type of information. It's just that it will be a little smoother doing it, and you don't quite get that edge and energy that you might be seeking. Treble is similar. The sound is there, but there is less sparkle and air. It's not lacking though, just laid back in presentation.

The IE8 is a great casual listening earphone. You get used to the bass pretty quickly, although, it might be a little off putting at first. Frequency response does realistically extend very low and very high, and the frequency response is decently smooth. There is a little midbass hump, but that's about it. It's around 100Hz too, so many simpler EQs can address the peak easily. Many simple EQs are 100Hz, 1kHz, and 10kHz, so cut a few dB at 100Hz, and it will come across a lot more even.

An alternative earphone with a well extended bass line, good balance, and a more energetic and articulate note would be Westone's UM3X. The sound presentation is more crisp and energetic, more articulate. For the way you describe the sound you want, it might be a better fit for you.

Which earphone you end up with depends on what you want from the earphone. For example, the Shure SE530 is a great earphone, but it isn't particularly well suited for what you are specifically looking for. It is light on bass and light on treble. It won't really give you the specific characteristics you're looking for, although it is exceptional in other areas. A certain product will fit you best.

Well, I would expect the JH13's to be a huge improvement for three times the price!
I was thinking that IE8's for $220 was pretty good. Now JH13's for $5-600?! Where are you?
BTW at $220 the IE8's would be a bargain. Just don't expect them to be JH13's!

???
I own the IE8's. What made you think that I haven't tried them and didn't answer the question of whether they had muddy or tight bass? Brain fart?

That is actually a far more even handed and accurate review than mine.

I have the IE8's and love them. I think some of the comments about bass in other threads you've read are partly attributable to the fact that IEM's with good response in the midrange and upper frequencies tend to be shy on bass (nothing is perfect, after all), but the IE8's are not. (That is, people emphasize how much bass they have because they are surprised that a phone with such a good response at the mid- and higher end also has bass.) In addition, the amount of bass can be adjusted by the notch on the side of the IEM's, by placement in the ear, and by different tips, so it can be pretty much tailored to your preferences, IMO. So when I fell like a little more bass in what I am listening to, I can usually achieve it quite easily with a little adjustment, or I can back it off a little bit.

I will also say that, like many other IEM's, you will find a range of comments about these IEM's. Many love them, but some hate them; some will say they're "X", and some will say they're the opposite of "X." Some of it may depend on the different shapes of people's ears, ear placement, the source one is using, the type of music you listen to, or the particular tips being used, etc. You really have to try them to make your own judgment. There is really no way around that, particularly with IEM's.

In any event, I think they put out excellent sound. Frankly, I like them better than the $500 custom IEM's I had previously, and don't see much of need for improvement. I consider it one of the best purchases for the money I've made in the audio area.

P.S. I can't overemphasize how much the use of different tips can affect the sound and how this can impact other's impressions and reviews of these phones.

To answer your questions:th bass is wonderful and doesn't sound muddy at all,it is just not super controlled but definetly excellent.I don't find them bass heavy,not at all,when the song have bass in it,they will give you.the overall sound signature is airy,huge soundstage,3D presentation,laid back,dark so they are very soft and relaxing.the highs are extremly soft and extend very well although not razed sharp so they don't fatigue you.the floot will have air,the guitar will be crystal clear but will not be upfront,as I said the presentation is laid back.I don't remember if you are the one that I responded t previously but the ie8 is EXCELLENT for trance,house,psytrance,vocal trance(unbelievable),techno..hope that help

Infected mushrooms sound superb on the ie8 and I know what you mean,but don't be worried,the baseline is not mixed or one line,you will hear the kick.