bui501-tech
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 1, 2016
- Posts
- 52
- Likes
- 37
So... Out of pure curiosity, I purchased a pair of "DIY IE800 Headphones" from a well-known Chinese online site. The photos in the listing showed what looks like Sennheiser IE800s with the retail box, cables, and everything looking like they were from Sennheiser, but the Sennheiser logo and name were all blocked out in the photos. The headphones were just under $40 for the version in retail packaging and under $20 for just the headphones and cable in a generic bulk package. I ordered the retail package.
What arrived has Sennheiser all over it -- down to the authentication code that resolved correctly on the Sennheiser website but with a warning that the code had been used many, many times and was probably from a counterfeit item.
I was initially blown away by the sound from the headphones considering the $40 price tag. These fake sennheisers sounded pretty good... However, when I put my Shure SE400s back on, it was clear there's a reason why I'm willing to pay hundreds of dollars for quality headphones from a reputable vendor. The fake IE800s just did not have the clarity that my authentic SE400s with the custom shells have -- the sound was pleasant enough listening to pop rock, but it was muddled enough that I couldn't detect that sharp clangs of the cymbals or the crisp sounds of individual guitar picks like I could with my authentic SE400s.
The fakes were worth the $20 price-tag for the non-retail packaging -- they're better than the over-priced replacement in-ear buds that Apple sells. But they're no where near a good pair of audiophile headphones.
I'll post some photos once I get permission to attach photos to my posts.
What arrived has Sennheiser all over it -- down to the authentication code that resolved correctly on the Sennheiser website but with a warning that the code had been used many, many times and was probably from a counterfeit item.
I was initially blown away by the sound from the headphones considering the $40 price tag. These fake sennheisers sounded pretty good... However, when I put my Shure SE400s back on, it was clear there's a reason why I'm willing to pay hundreds of dollars for quality headphones from a reputable vendor. The fake IE800s just did not have the clarity that my authentic SE400s with the custom shells have -- the sound was pleasant enough listening to pop rock, but it was muddled enough that I couldn't detect that sharp clangs of the cymbals or the crisp sounds of individual guitar picks like I could with my authentic SE400s.
The fakes were worth the $20 price-tag for the non-retail packaging -- they're better than the over-priced replacement in-ear buds that Apple sells. But they're no where near a good pair of audiophile headphones.
I'll post some photos once I get permission to attach photos to my posts.
