DeusInvictus7
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2008
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Ok, so after being IEM-less for the past week, my Sennheiser IE7 arrived this morning, half an hour before I had to leave to go to work. Here are a few pics I took about 5 min ago:
So fast forward to now, and after about half an hour of listening to them, I decided to post my impressions. First things first, these things SHINE. I know I haven't burned them in effectively yet, but I already prefer them compared to the PFE. I'll get to why I think that later on.
Build Quality/Aesthetics:The first thing I noticed on the IE7s was the cable, since Sennheiser really put the emphasis on them with the "kevlar coating" and all. The cable is very flexible, and movable, without feeling flimsy. One of the problems I had with the PFE was that the cable felt a little stiff and as time went on, they hardened, causing them to crack. One con maybe is that for me, they are easily tangled, but I guess that's just the way I store and take them with me, so YMMV. Anyway, the earpieces are actually bigger than I had thought, but in a good way, since they fit my ear perfectly. One of the main things that drew me to the IE7 was the style of them, and they are much nicer looking and unique in person than any pics will show. Comparing to the PFE, even though the IE7s are plastic as well, they still seem a bit better built, it is a little hard to tell, since the PFE is on the glossy smooth plastic side, where as the IE7 is on the textured, more matte feel. Very well done on the style and build quality side.
Accessories: I was actually amazed at how much stuff came with the IE7, and by stuff I really mean the tips. 8 different sizes and types, so you can totally find one that will fit your ear. I chose the Small silicons, but the small foamies seem to be my second pick. The case that comes with them is also very nice, brushed aluminum, although I would never see myself using it.
Fit: I chose to make this a separate section, mainly because of how different they are compared to the PFE. For me, the PFE had to go pretty deep into the ear to get a proper seal, and for some reason, the left side always squeezed itself out, no matter what. On the IE7, they are much shallower in comparison, and the way that the actual body of the earpiece makes them stay in my ear better than the PFE, without losing the seal. It almost feels like I am wearing custom IEMs, that's how perfectly they fit my ear.
Sound Quality: Ok, so here is where it will get pretty subjective, since it is MY ears doing the testing, so yeah. I'll try to separate the bass, mids, and highs into their own sections, but there might be some overlapping.
Bass: The bass on the IE7 is plenty as far as quantity goes, and for quality, well, all I'll say is that it is better than the PFE, since they are the only other IEM that I have owned. Very good extension, and really quick. Comparing to the PFE, there is a lot more thump, but without getting muddy or taking away from the mids or highs. This is what I have heard from only about an hour of listening, since I am listening to them as I type this.
Mids: Mids has always been hard for me to describe, and there's really not much to say when comparing to the PFE. They sound pretty much the same in this regard. Clarity wise, it's hard to say, but I can say that the PFE are a bit more analytical, where the IE7 is more fun to listen to. But that line is pretty thin, and very blurry.
Highs: If I had to pick a word for the highs, it would have to be Sparkly. However, I felt the same when I was listening to the PFE. I will keep this section updated after I have properly burned them in, but it is at this point the same as the mids. Pretty much the same as the PFE.
Soundstage: HUGE compared to the PFE. You can really feel like you are in the middle of the band you are listening to, and if you close your eyes, you can pretty much imagine exactly where each of the instruments are. I love it. A lot of people have said similar things when comparing the PFE and the IE8, and I do believe that, since the IE7 does the same.
Now, it may seem like I had the most to say about the bass, which is exactly right, since that is really the only place that the IE7 is much different from the PFE, and the IE7 is actually exactly what I was looking for in an IEM. This is not to say that the PFE is bass-light, because they are not, but the IE7 just has that extra umph that some of the people debating on this topic have been wondering about.
I'll add some more to this later tonight, since right now I am about to go see Monsters vs. Aliens
So fast forward to now, and after about half an hour of listening to them, I decided to post my impressions. First things first, these things SHINE. I know I haven't burned them in effectively yet, but I already prefer them compared to the PFE. I'll get to why I think that later on.
Build Quality/Aesthetics:The first thing I noticed on the IE7s was the cable, since Sennheiser really put the emphasis on them with the "kevlar coating" and all. The cable is very flexible, and movable, without feeling flimsy. One of the problems I had with the PFE was that the cable felt a little stiff and as time went on, they hardened, causing them to crack. One con maybe is that for me, they are easily tangled, but I guess that's just the way I store and take them with me, so YMMV. Anyway, the earpieces are actually bigger than I had thought, but in a good way, since they fit my ear perfectly. One of the main things that drew me to the IE7 was the style of them, and they are much nicer looking and unique in person than any pics will show. Comparing to the PFE, even though the IE7s are plastic as well, they still seem a bit better built, it is a little hard to tell, since the PFE is on the glossy smooth plastic side, where as the IE7 is on the textured, more matte feel. Very well done on the style and build quality side.
Accessories: I was actually amazed at how much stuff came with the IE7, and by stuff I really mean the tips. 8 different sizes and types, so you can totally find one that will fit your ear. I chose the Small silicons, but the small foamies seem to be my second pick. The case that comes with them is also very nice, brushed aluminum, although I would never see myself using it.
Fit: I chose to make this a separate section, mainly because of how different they are compared to the PFE. For me, the PFE had to go pretty deep into the ear to get a proper seal, and for some reason, the left side always squeezed itself out, no matter what. On the IE7, they are much shallower in comparison, and the way that the actual body of the earpiece makes them stay in my ear better than the PFE, without losing the seal. It almost feels like I am wearing custom IEMs, that's how perfectly they fit my ear.
Sound Quality: Ok, so here is where it will get pretty subjective, since it is MY ears doing the testing, so yeah. I'll try to separate the bass, mids, and highs into their own sections, but there might be some overlapping.
Bass: The bass on the IE7 is plenty as far as quantity goes, and for quality, well, all I'll say is that it is better than the PFE, since they are the only other IEM that I have owned. Very good extension, and really quick. Comparing to the PFE, there is a lot more thump, but without getting muddy or taking away from the mids or highs. This is what I have heard from only about an hour of listening, since I am listening to them as I type this.
Mids: Mids has always been hard for me to describe, and there's really not much to say when comparing to the PFE. They sound pretty much the same in this regard. Clarity wise, it's hard to say, but I can say that the PFE are a bit more analytical, where the IE7 is more fun to listen to. But that line is pretty thin, and very blurry.
Highs: If I had to pick a word for the highs, it would have to be Sparkly. However, I felt the same when I was listening to the PFE. I will keep this section updated after I have properly burned them in, but it is at this point the same as the mids. Pretty much the same as the PFE.
Soundstage: HUGE compared to the PFE. You can really feel like you are in the middle of the band you are listening to, and if you close your eyes, you can pretty much imagine exactly where each of the instruments are. I love it. A lot of people have said similar things when comparing the PFE and the IE8, and I do believe that, since the IE7 does the same.
Now, it may seem like I had the most to say about the bass, which is exactly right, since that is really the only place that the IE7 is much different from the PFE, and the IE7 is actually exactly what I was looking for in an IEM. This is not to say that the PFE is bass-light, because they are not, but the IE7 just has that extra umph that some of the people debating on this topic have been wondering about.
I'll add some more to this later tonight, since right now I am about to go see Monsters vs. Aliens
