[Review] Sennheiser IE800: Appreciation, Frustration and a bunch of What-Ifs - Page 15

The cable is simply infuriating. Major R&D failure to have the most microphonic cable I´ve ever experienced in a product that pretty much can only be used worn down. Bass response is tuned for outside use too, making it even worse. Luckily there´s always EQ, but that can´t help with the microphonics. After using the IE800 almost daily for several months, I have to say the OP review is one of the best I´ve seen on this forum. All the IE800´s pros and cons are stated there, not much to add. 

OK here is a stupid question: What is microphonics? How does a cable induce that if that is the correct interpretation of what I am reading? The only headphones I have ever had are the Audeze LCD2.2 and the Beyer 990DT. Interested in possibly getting some IEMs for when open back phones not best.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrln 

The cable is simply infuriating. Major R&D failure to have the most microphonic cable I´ve ever experienced in a product that pretty much can only be used worn down. Bass response is tuned for outside use too, making it even worse. Luckily there´s always EQ, but that can´t help with the microphonics. After using the IE800 almost daily for several months, I have to say the OP review is one of the best I´ve seen on this forum. All the IE800´s pros and cons are stated there, not much to add. 

Seconded. I wish I had read it properly before purchasing it as it's one of the few reviews on headfi which completely match with my thoughts and user based experience.

I still cannot for the life of me find a reason why sennheiser advertised the cable length as being 1.2 meters, where in fact it is half a foot, 15 cm shorter than advertised. Isn't this something they have paraded as being a result of years of research, endeavours and technical breakthroughs and no one could even get out a tape measure and measure the cable. I guess people not using iem's on a daily basis commuting and outside don't think it's a problem. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantScareMe 

 

I still cannot for the life of me find a reason why sennheiser advertised the cable length as being 1.2 meters, where in fact it is half a foot, 15 cm shorter than advertised.

It's actually closer to 10cm shorter (not 15cm), 12cm to be precise (108cm).

I measured it with a fabric tape measure and it's 105. I'm just talking about the cable that's between the iem body and the 3.5mm termination.

Quote:

Originally Posted by custom-cable 

saying that though the official spec on the Sennheiser site is 1.1m

I believe that they have updated that then. I posted on this issue a few months ago and had downloaded the official specs from their site. I still have the PDF. It says 1.2M.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperpwc 

Quote:

Originally Posted by custom-cable 

saying that though the official spec on the Sennheiser site is 1.1m

 

I believe that they have updated that then. I posted on this issue a few months ago and had downloaded the official specs from their site. I still have the PDF. It says 1.2M.

It has CLEARLY been updated as 1.2m is also clearly stated the the back of the IE800 box (and possibly in the user's manual — can't check mine as I've already sold my pair). Here's a screenshot taken from an IE800 unboxing video (from Russia):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUCLY_1w4SQ.

Even the update is not accurate (!) as it's not 1.1m (110cm) but 1.08m (108cm). This was a major oversight as well as Sennheiser not having dealt with another key flaw of this IEM: a very microphonic cable which forces one to use a shirt-clip unless these IEMs are worn with the cable over the ears which is not only pretty inconvenient (since it can't be done the normal over-the-ear way), but it also affects the proper / intended sonics of these IEMs. As I said before, this is absolutely inexcusable for a company like Sennheiser and a £600 / 700€ / $1,000 flagship / statement product.

if only they had made detachable cables - more stuff for us to play around with and no issues with length's - i had great results with aftermarket cables on my IE80's and would have enjoyed doing the same with these

with saying that however I get by ok with a shirt clip and it just reaches my pants pocket but i am only 5,6" -  i can understand taller people having more of an issue in fact if you were over 6ft you prob cant use your pants pocket at all especially if its a deep pocket - being a short ass has some advantages !

^^  The IE8 cable, while being very similar to the IE80 cable, was even better, apparently (never owned the IE80 but based on reports from those who have had both models), more supple / flexible and just the perfect standard length. The IE8 cable was one of the very best I've ever had along with Westone cables, so to think that the same company that made the IE8 cables…..

I'm 6'2", so a cable-down fit for me is the only option. Although head-fier james444 and others may welcome a modular cable (in James' case to use his IE800s with a BT device), I believe more, if not most, people still prefer a single cable, which also avoids extra bulk and weight, but like I said elsewhere, at least the IE800 modular cable isn't quite like the pretty awful SE530 modular cable, which was very bulky, quite heavy and pretty cheap-looking).

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantScareMe 

 

Seconded. I wish I had read it properly before purchasing it as it's one of the few reviews on headfi which completely match with my thoughts and user based experience.

 

I still cannot for the life of me find a reason why sennheiser advertised the cable length as being 1.2 meters, where in fact it is half a foot, 15 cm shorter than advertised. Isn't this something they have paraded as being a result of years of research, endeavours and technical breakthroughs and no one could even get out a tape measure and measure the cable. I guess people not using iem's on a daily basis commuting and outside don't think it's a problem. 

I read it, but somehow didn´t heed the advice. Microphonics has never troubled me this much before and I thought I´d be immune to it. Guess not though: my IE800 are now in the for sale forums. I´ll miss them as they do so many things right, but I just can´t forgive the bass presentation and the cable issues. So for me the search goes on... And yeah this is a pretty shameless plug :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrln 

I read it, but somehow didn´t heed the advice. Microphonics has never troubled me this much before and I thought I´d be immune to it. Guess not though: my IE800 are now in the for sale forums. I´ll miss them as they do so many things right, but I just can´t forgive the bass presentation and the cable issues. So for me the search goes on... And yeah this is a pretty shameless plug :)

There were a couple of things that created the microphonics.

1) It had a Y-Split, causing the cable to swing around, rubbing through clothes etc.

2) It was not designed for Over-The-Ear. If it was, the ear could have stopped the microphonics channeling.

But I think it can be understood why they didn't had it over the ears.

Earbuds are designed to be inserted cable down, until companies with multi-driver made the housing so huge

and sometimes heavy, it wouldn't stay in the ears.

Thats when Over the ear design comes in, to eliminate pulling of the IEM by cables.

Since IE800 was small to begin with (Even smaller than IE8 by a margin)

I guess sennheiser didn't had a reason why it should be over-the-ears design by now.

Over-the-ears design was a hit and miss by some people, especially when the cable is not

flexible enough to bend at the top of the ears. I had problems with my Twags sometimes as they

would flip out of my ears, but I implemented some simply fix to ensure they stay.

I'm still on the IE8 and IE800 seems promising to me, next step up is customs which I didn't find

too value-for-money considering all the hassels of ear impressions, shipping to and fro.

Well, I have to give credit to custom cables. They did very well for me on the customer services front and dealt with the fact that I've never been able to use it because of the specification and design flaws. Great guys to deal with.

If I were a large seller of high end headphones/iem's I wouldn't feel inclined to doubt manufacturer specifications about the physical makeup of headphones I sell. If the foremost headphone manufacture releases a flagship, revolutionary, product after years of development and says the cable is 1.2m - what reason do I have to doubt it and 'double check' until a customer tells me something is wrong!