Sennheiser IE8 - Page 2

IE8 is a great IEM, very musical and comfortable to listen to. As an after effect theyre one of the IEMs that proves some difference with amping. it will tighten and control the bass a bit more as well as other effects on the spectrum. A DAP, LOD, portable amp and these is a great way to listen to music

This is a brilliant post. Judging from the way I can change the sound of the IE8 with depth of insertion and certain tips am not surprised of the manifold reviews they receive.I'm sometimes even ambivalent to recommending them because I know some folks are just gonna ram them deep in their ears like they do with their other phones and then come back and post that the phones are veiled and muddy with too much bass. Perhaps the sound signature is not to everyone's liking but I find them to be the most musical and engaging phones I've tried. I've said before that listening to the IE8 is like listening to music with very good details as opposed to listening to details like some phones do. They fall more in line with the musical rather than analytical side of the spectrum which I personally prefer. If a phone can't get me into the music then no matter how well they do other things I don't want them! haha

Some phones have a bit more rawness that some folks prefer but the IE8 is extremely smooth from top to bottom and renders a non fatiguing listening experience. Most folks tout the bass as the best part of these IEMs but I feel they have better overall qualities. The bass is certainly above average IMO, great impact and extension. They do have good sub bass but they also have a mid bass emphasis that may shroud the sub bass on tracks that are mid bass heavy. I don't find the bass to be muddy at all. I personally prefer the FX500 bass to the IE8 but they are still lacking in midbass and doesn't quite have the impact of the IE8.

Most folks talk about their laid back treble but they never mention that these phones have the best treble extension of the touted top tier IEMs. The treble isn't as prominent as the ER 4P, W3 and triple fi 10 but it beats all of them in treble extension. I also think that striving to accomplish a complete seal with these kills the treble. I don't like to listen to these with a deep seal, I just can't.

The mids as mvw2 pointed out aren't the most articulate but they're smooth with very good texture and easy to listen to. I also find them to be energetic enough to be very engaging with rock and other fast paced genres. Some phones have more resolved imaging but the IE8 puts air around instruments in a manner that I haven't heard from any of them coupled with a very expansive head-stage that can fool me into creating a gigantic sound-stage.

As you should be able to tell by now I am a very biased IE8 fan boy. Reason is because I consider them to be the best audio purchase I've made yet. I've tried UM3x, W3, SE530, triple fi 10, ER 4P and some others. I must say that I liked triple fi 10 and ER 4P the best of that bunch though I still prefer the IE8 sound signature to them. It sounds more natural to my ears and absolutely more comfortable. What can I say.Every time I set out to write a brief note about the IE8 I keep going on about them endlessly haha. I hope there are other fokks out there who enjoy these phones as much as I do even months after the honeymoon period.

I love the IE8s for the comfort in wearing and sound. Before i bought them I was always sort of irritated by the faults of the music. High treble drums causing pain on my ears as welll as sibilance and hiss on the recordings. The IE8 kind of lie a layer on top of this, and not making it veil, but just really comfortable and musical to listen to. The darker signature recesses the high end a tad to the point where it doesnt cause any pain, even at higher volumes. The hiss also decreases because of the dark signature. The bass is also extremely lush, and i would never call it muddy. I've listened to a lot of tight, little bass headphones, and the IE8 just has more impact.

As well they're one of the IEMs that i feel like the portable amp wasn't a waste, at all.

ya HONEYBOY,after 6 months now since purchasing them,i can still say that these iems amaze me with their big sound and airness and the very best soundstage.i hope you like it too LABZE and keep us posted about your opinion on them after 30 to 70 hours of burn in or even more haha,i am interested in your impressions.

Yes midoo1990 haha these are awesome. Good luck Labze! hope u'll like em

I've got two questions about these;

1. What kind of tips come with them? Are they better quality soft ones or the same bog-standard ones that come with the more budget headphones like the CX300?

2. How similar/different are they sound-wise to the IE6 model? I see the description of the IE6 as having an enhanced bass response, I was wondering if they're basically the same as the IE8 but without the bass switch.

I'm getting more curious the more praise I see for them all over the place.

The praise is deserved, but they aren't god of everything. Depending on the characteristics you deem necessary and how you weigh various characteristics, they may or may not be the best option out there. For example, the IE8 isn't great on locational cues or a sense of proximity. You get a big sound and a rough locational sense, but it never sticks the singer or instrument in an exact location. If they singer was 10 degrees right from center and 15 feet back, you wouldn't know it using the IE8. You'll know the singer is a little to the right, but you don't really know where. Consider it a side effect of the big, spacious sound. However, something like the UM3X does a much better job of location and depth. If the guitar player is 20 feed back and 30 degrees to the right and the drummer is center and 30 feet back, you know it. Now I can't say how accurate it really is. I'd need to get a hold of a test CD for such things including a placement chart to know where people really are. I'm just saying that there's a much better sense of location and depth/layering then the IE8.

I'm not trying to denounce the IE8. I am simply stating that there are a LOT of characteristics to the end sound and no one earphone is capable of doing every one of these brilliantly. It's more a series of trade-offs and an eventual "best fit" product. Personal preference plays a big roll in all of this. It's also why you get a lot of variation in reviews and comments on all these earphones. Everyone hears sound differently.

I've been oblivious to the IE8 for about a year, but I was walking through some airport last week, I saw the packaging in person. Although their prices were over-inflated, I became hooked... I think it's so cute in a geeky kind of way *blush*

So after going through everyone's (very helpful) opinions, I too have a question: How far can you improve the isolation on the IE8, short of getting a custom thing done? I've seen a lot of owners say they're not the most isolating IEMs for the price. Talking about the need for outside tips like the sony hybrid, the comply, the ATH fine fit... What's the best isolation you've gotten with these tips, and what would you compare them to?

In the past I've always been rather isolationist (ha), but lately that requirement has come down. I used to need the ER4, now I'm happy with the coverage of Comply on my RE0. I'm ready to spring for the IE8 if it can be modded? to provide that.

I still have to go down to a local store to listen to the IE8, to make sure I'm not at odds with the sound. I've only heard low to mid-end Senns before, but everything I've heard I liked, and I thought the IE8 might be a plausible choice. But I've really enjoyed the nitpicky resolution of armature drivers over the last few years, and it'd be unwise to buy without hearing it first. However, isolation can't really be effectively judged indoors, so your comments would be very helpful... TIA

Well I was with you there for a while. I find that the IE8's treble does have air. The whole presentation of the phone is airy. That's one of the traits and attractions of its sound signature. I do detect some sparkle in the way the IE8 renders cymbals. And yes, it has all the treble extension that you need without sounding fatiguing.

I could never describe the UM3X as an energetic earphone on any level. This phone might best be described as an analytical phone but I'm a little reluctant to use that term as its sound signature is on the warm side, and I'm yet to hear an Etymotic for comparison.

I wholeheartedly recommend the IE8 to the OP if he/she is looking for a dynamic, engaging listen, with a spacious soundstage for an earphone. I enjoy this earphone more than any other I've heard so far.

There are few things I like about IE8...soundstage, separation, treble and bass but I could use a little less and of course comfort and durablity (built like german tank). If it has just a little less bass with more tightness, it would be a perfect iniversial IEM.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/w...ssions-430955/

You can try this tip mod by decay if you have the chance. I posted my version of his mod here (doesn't stick out as much):

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/s...ml#post6137943

The reason i use decay's mod is because i just can't seem to get the right fit for my right ear no matter which tip i try. While occasionally i get a proper fit, it still can't beat this mod. By no means i am an audiophile (i do not want to describe in all the technical terms as they might be inaccurate), but what i can really say is, this tip combination keeps making me want to put them on whenever i'm free and usually they are stuck inside my ears for hours. You can feel vibrations when playing certain genres of music such as electronic or techno (yes i'm not kidding).

By no means this tip mod will create an excellent seal (such as er6i triple flange) but it will create a good seal with a snug fit. When music are not playing, you can still hear ambient noise. Yup so this is not the perfect seal which will seal out all noise that makes the IE8 sound very bad. Also note that the IE8s are quite dependent on recording.

I just want people to try out this mod as it is so easy to assemble and there is not need to buy any extra third party tips if you don't want to (this mod can be assemble from only stock tips too). If you don't like it, you can always disassemble them. The reason i keep posting this tip mod is because i like them so much and i just want to share them with as much people as possible.

You never know unless you try!