[defbear]

I saw a set on Amazon for $759.00. When I read the specs it said Made in Taiwan I called up B&H Photo in New York. Authorized Sennheiser dealer. They gladly matched the Amazon price. As this thread has made me paranoid I've checked as good as I can I have a real set. Box says made in German and the little silver sticker on the box matched the square medallion in the case. All the stitching straight and the box is perfect. All the rubber and metal is neat as a pin. So I think I have a real pair. But they have started with a V shaped signature that would do my th900's proud. The bass does cover up some treble. Do these break in. Please don't tell me 'Yes and the Bass gets even bigger'.

 

[ryanjsoo]

I initially bought my set from DWI in HK for $450, the price was too hard to resist and I had bought gear from them before, they seemed legitimate enough, more so then eglobal at least. The ie800`s came quickly, passed the authenticity test and sounded great, but I always had a suspicion that they were fake. They developed cable hardening, and Sennheiser were nice enough to provide me with a replacement unit. The new set was different, not a lot, but over time there were definite changes in the SQ, especially in treble and bass performance.
 
Despite the similarities, it was very possible that the first set was completely fake, the ie800`s are made in Germany so, as romantic as it sounds, it wouldn`t make sense for real sets to be leaking out of factories in China and sold for cheaps on Aliexpress. That being said, the ie800`s disappeared of DWI`s website for a year and they have since revised their pricing, they are now closer to $700, perhaps they were not aware that they were selling fakes, or perhaps it`s simply just exchange rate changes. Regardless, I was lucky to get a replacement, but new buyers may not be, I also haven`t noticed any cable hardening after 3 years of heavy use so sets affected by cable hardening may all be fake! 

 

[Vesperaudio]

sets affected by cable hardening may all be fake! 

Sorry, but that is a wrong conclusion. There are plenty originals with cables stiff like a stick.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Sorry, but that is a wrong conclusion. There are plenty originals with cables stiff like a stick.

 
 
Whoa, Whoa Whoa! 

I thought that only originals were hardening their cables. 
 
I mean, what a failure for a fake to even get cable hardening. I expected them to at least use other materials. Well, so much for fakes. 

 

[Vesperaudio]

  I thought that only originals were hardening their cables. 
 

Both fakes and originals do.

 

[Rob80b]

A few close ups of my "copies"

 

[defbear]

That's terrible. I went over to The Dark Side for a moment and checked out ie800 in aliexpress. OMG it is to laugh! Version 2 with white cables, detachable cables, colors. The American guitar company, Martin Guitars, has a problem in China just like this. Exact copy's right down to the Decal on the headstock. And they are so good, no real reason to purchase a Martin.

 

[Rob80b]

That's terrible. I went over to The Dark Side for a moment and checked out ie800 in aliexpress. OMG

it is to laugh! Version 2 with white cables, detachable cables, colors. The American guitar company, Martin Guitars, has a problem in China just like this. Exact copy's right down to the Decal on the headstock. And they are so good, no real reason to purchase a Martin.

And to add insult to injury...they usually offer free shipping with no import fees...I do not see how we can compete..

 

[Dobrescu George]

 
And to add insult to injury...they usually offer free shipping with no import fees...I do not see how we can compete..

 
You are so much annoying to me, recommend fakes, that I would almost buy one, as it is dirt cheap, only to compare and write a fair review LOL. But if they are smooth, it kills this intention, I am into bright sound, like, you know. Bright. 

 

[Rob80b]

   
You are so much annoying to me,.............
 

Sorry about that.....
 
They are smooth..no distortion in the highs…but not dark as in HD600/650..they’re more akin to my HD700s, clear with great separation but with deeper  and even more articulate bass like my LCD2.2s (not sure how they do that)…maybe you are thinking flat…which they are not...they have excellent dynamics.
Visually  they are lookalike copies of Sennheiser’s IE800s and unless they use the same drivers comparing them to hear if the sound if identical is IMHO sort of moot endeavour especially as there are many different copies from different factories... although I’d still be interested to hear the outcome.
And I guess like most who do find the cost “extremely cheap”, relatively speaking,  the curiosity to try a pair is too hard to pass up and therefore we take advantage of mainland China’s disregard to patent laws due to the fact that for them most  things do belong to the people… so morally I like to think of them as good (cheap $$) copies and not counterfeits. (I know the world’s complicated).

 

 

[Rob80b]

I guess if Canada has done it

who can stop anyone else....
 
"In an application to the Competition Tribunal, the regulator alleges the parkas marketed as made-in-Canada are mostly made in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia."
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/04/27/moose-knuckles-canada_n_9789032.html
 
http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/is-that-made-in-canada-product-really-made-here
"For products “Made in Canada”, 51% of the total direct costs associated with making the goods must occur here....."

 
Yes I know were are talking IEMs and the authenticity of the manufacturing but ......it makes one wonder.

 
 
 
Also notice my Chinese label is Sennheser.com.cn

and not .com.hk for Hong Kong as some are.

 
 
www.sennheiser.com.cn   ....Beijing

 
 
www.sennheiser.com.hk     .....Hong Kong

 
 
So yes there are counterfeits and bad and good copies out there but then there is also the "Grey" market....authentic product (made in China?) but that is designated to be sold only through proper channels or regions such as "mainland" China for example....who knows...

 

 

[jonstatt]

On my "genuine" IE800 the hologram sticker is on the side of the box (which is also the top half), not the back. So far all the fakes shown here seem to have their serial stickers on the back. Apart from this I haven't seen a fake IE800 where the case stitching on the inner side of the case, matches the stitching on the outside. The inner is always a poorer stitching. On the genuine one, the inner and outer stitching patterns are identical.

 

[Rob80b]

  On my "genuine" IE800 ....................Apart from this I haven't seen a fake IE800 where the case stitching on the inner side of the case, matches the stitching on the outside. The inner is always a poorer stitching. On the genuine one, the inner and outer stitching patterns are identical.

I do not place much importance on the quality of the case as I’m sure Sennheiser  farms them out…but mine does appear to be similar inside and out.

 

 

 

[Dobrescu George]

  I do not place much importance on the quality of the case as I’m sure Sennheiser  farms them out…but mine does appear to be similar inside and out.

 

 

 
Now either your light and camera are way off, or it is a totally different case. 
 
For the price paid, I guess it beats any case, no? 

 
Yeah, but no, ie800 should be around hd800 treble levels ? But they also have outstanding bass, so it might come as a shock that they are not exactly bright, but bright and bassy. 

 

[Rob80b]

   
Now either your light and camera are way off, or it is a totally different case. 
 
For the price paid, I guess it beats any case, no? 

 
Yeah, but no, ie800 should be around hd800 treble levels ? But they also have outstanding bass, so it might come as a shock that they are not exactly bright, but bright and bassy. 

I don't know...looks like all the other cases I see on line but yes my threads are not green but as you see them...

...lol.
(Daylight Canon G10)
 
Yep I'd say the treble is IMHO similar to the HD700/800s, mind you I'm deaf above 12K..

, ...and with "outstanding base" which I'm continued to be amazed with....

.....