IE8 issues; advice requested. - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by CEE TEE 

One thing to consider is to get refund on the HDP, especially until you know what will happen with your iems.

 

Regardless, you will always wonder about the HDP and think it could fry something.

 

Can't live like that, really...and if Senn doesn't replace it is better to have another pair of iems than an amp you are worried about.

 

Yeah, I might have to do that. I'll have to ask how much it'll cost for a replacement. I just found my box and it doesn't have my receipt so I can kiss warranty goodbye now.

I was hoping that the IE8 would mysteriously work again but it hasn't. I honestly love my IE8s lots and I wouldn't swap them for anything else to be honest, unless Senn comes out with something else to improve clarity on the IE8s.

If the cost of the speaker replacement is too much, I'll look for a second hand on the boards and hope I can find something on the cheap. This is nothing short of a disaster.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CEE TEE 

Or...I pulled photos out of a thread where someone had an exploded IE8 and I could finally see inside it (have to be curious).

 

If you could find that thread and user and he happened to still have the "other good side"...you could just be in luck.  

 

Advertise here which side you need.

 

There must be someone (might take a little while) who has a good side for you.

 

Heh; mine's the right side. I never saw the thread, any clue when or any hint of the thread title so I have direction as to what search terms to use?

the threads I've found: Broken IE8 internal but the guy sent it back to Senn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaddix 

Why do you hook up your K702s to something that destroyed your IE8s @_@!!!!!! And why aren't you getting all over nuforce about their HDP destroying your IE8s? Call them bishes up and make them replace your IE8s and send you a new HDP.

the 702s were hooked up before the IE8s went dead. but I put them on for a bit after and realised how stupid a move it was and took it off. I'm back to my D10 and M-Stage. I have to admit that usually when people are down, I tell them to do something they really like and take some time off for themselves. Problem I have, for me, that's music. I have my 702s but it's like a sucker punch.

I've already notified them and put up a ticket on their help forum and that's all I can do for now I guess. I doubt they will replace my IE8s which is why I am bummed out. I just read their sales term and conditions, admittedly not thoroughly just yet (waiting for their response) and they do distance themselves from special liability occasioned from products used with the HDP and warranty will only be for the HDP itself. I might be wrong. But yeah.

There are several problems if they open up themselves to this form of claim, but as much as I am almost 100% sure it was busted by the HDP, I really don't know what to do. Part of me obviously wants to blame them (and honestly, I am certain the HDP screwed my IE8s up), part of me understands faulty equipment that goes around and that's just plain bad luck (which is why I am not naming a crazy thread name and blaming the company) , part of me understands the implications of allowing a claim for other equipment, part of me is just pissed because this had become a very costly affair for me now (and I don't think I can afford repairing my IE8s if it costs too much seeing that this was my last strand of savings being a student and not working anymore and will not be for a while); and at the end of it all, I really just would like my IE8s to be back.

It'd be ideal if they did what you suggested, but I'm just not going to have much hope there for the above reasons and also because there isn't much hope doing that and then coming back crashing down.

I'm pissed, but there isn't much I can do at this stage; I just want stuff to work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaddix 

If they won't replace the IE8s, it's called small claims court. Find a pair of cheapy earbuds and see if the HDP kill them too, then you'll have some clout to throw around.

I'm also in another country, so I'm not sure how that would work out. My only back up is the one I am using now and I don't think I want that busted though I've tried it and I'm half sure of a channel imbalance now, but I don't wanna speculate cos' it is old and it may just be the fitting because I don't have proper tips for my ear size anymore. I am considering selling speakers I have to fund a new pair of IE8s, but I will give it a short while though I have to admit that I don't have a whole lot of patience as music really keeps me going, my savings are in it and I probably am not going to like seeing my IE8 around. On the flip side, I appreciate my 702s that much more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfkt 

I have similar issues, my right IE8 driver has gotten quieter. Not totally quiet, but maybe 5-6dB less than the left one. I didn't do anything special, always kept it plugged into the same amp and/or MP3 player. Guess I'll have to see if I'm still under warranty before the issue gets worse.

Yup, you might want to get that sorted. Mine only went after plugging it into the HDP :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict 

I'm sorry to hear this happened.  It sucks.  You still don't know if it was the HDP that's at fault, or whether it was just time for the IE8 to die because they were going bad (see dfkt post).  Definitely send the IE8 to Sennheiser with any little bit of documentation you have on the purchase or shipping, and see what they will do.  But don't tell Sennheiser you think your new amp killed them, because then they will not do anything for you if they can say that it wasn't a factory defect.  With the dfkt post I suspect the IE8 may simply be defective.

 

I also would do what someone else suggested and get some really cheap IEM and plug them in and see if the HDP kills them when trying to play music.  You said the K702 sounded fine on the HDP after that, so why do you think it was the HDP that killed the IE8?  Did the IE8 sound fine with HDP and then start to go bad, or did it happen right away?  If right away, the IE8 could have already been bad when you plugged them into it, since they never sounded right with it.

 

I've had four HDP come through here from prototypes to final version, and I've used several $1000+ IEM with all of them, and never heard an issue.  Sure, if your HDP is broken then I would blame it for killing the IE8, but we haven't read anything yet that says it's broken.  So, test it with some earphones that you wont mind seeing die, or have Nuforce check it out to see if it's bad.  And, if you really think the HDP is bad, make sure they know when you send it back, so they don't try to sell it as b-stock open box or anything.  Good luck with everything.

thanks HPA. The reason why I do believe it is the HDP's fault and obviously, I'm open to correction, is because they worked prior though with hiss issues. I walked home using them on my iPhone with no indication of issues i.e. no hiss, no microphonic issues like the HDP had; and when I got back to re-test, it gave out the way I mentioned. Also, another forum member who I am in contact with said there wouldn't and shouldn't be any hiss issues. If it was the IE8, wouldn't it have been apparent on other sources?

The HDP sounded fine, i.e. no hiss with the 702s from my recollection which was obviously odd. But I do recall channel imbalance (mild) on everything I tried with it.

I'm probably going to let NuForce check it out, or at the minimum have it replaced. For me obviously, it will feel like it's the HDP, but perhaps it's just a big coincidence, but the hiss issue on HDP and not on D10 before 2 - 3 pm and not on my laptop and not on the iPhone kinda is enough for me.

The company I got my Sennheiser from just got back to me even though they have closed, one of the partners replied and retrieved my invoice so I'm going to send my IE8s out later immediately with the invoice. So that has just gotten a load off my mind.

P.S. I'm not here to bash their product btw. I just really would like my IE8s working cos I know people use the HDP with IE8s with no problem. It could be the IE8 and could be the HDP and obviously I understand that bad batches go out for either. But my IE8 had been fine for some time now and the HDP just arrived and the IE8 has been with me for a year without hint of a fault, so it is all rather painful for me.

Just an update and also, I've sent back my IE8s to the Distributor now to get it sorted; so will see how things go from here now.

This was the latest update and I'm just copying and pasting.

I've just tested the HDP with my Sony MDR-EX71s, the hiss is definitely less, but it is still there and microphonic issues when shifting the volume pot as well. I didn't test it pass 12 o'clock.

Also, another issue that I'm facing is channel imbalance. Against my greater judgment, I'm using my 702s with it to evaluate the DAC (this testing was done with the volume dial at 12pm vertical); I've tested it with several songs and had a friend listen to it as well without telling him if there was any channel imbalance and he immediately noted that the left side was louder. We both noted that after a while we would get used to it somewhat, but for me its more my brain and trying to convince myself that it's fine because in every song, the vocals are always off centre.

If I had to draw a line to show what the sound feels like, it would be from my nose outwards, it would be a diagonal line from my nose to my eye and upwards and the area in between would be where the vocals would be around. Even if I force myself to try to somehow listen through my right ear only, it's the same thing. The weight/balance just seems off. To eliminate any doubt, I've switched my 702s around (left side of the headphone to my right ear and vice versa) and I still have the same issues. To put the nail in the coffin, I switched back to my D10 to M-Stage and I don't have that issue, so I am 100% sure of channel imbalance and the unit is going back. I do like the DAC and I like the unit as a whole, but I'm really sure there is something wrong with my unit now and this has cast some doubt as to the cause of the IE8 meltdown being the IE8 just coincidentally dying off or me playing around with the volume pot and without any music.

Anyhow, this is just my experience. If that channel imbalance issue is normal, then I will definitely ask for a refund because it drives me crazy. Also, I'm still awaiting a reply from NuForce. I'll probably ship this off tomorrow or the day after as I'm stuck with so much university work at the moment. I was hoping this would accompany me through it all. And please don't anyone think I'm hating on the product. I really like the unit, I just honestly believe I have a faulty product, but I'm open to correction otherwise.