cooperpwc
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[Review] Sennheiser IE800: Impressions, Frustration and a bunch of What-Ifs
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MuppetFace
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I've got the IE800 headed my way from Amazon.co.jo via Tenso, along with a few other goodies. Should have them in a week or so. Really looking forward to it.
james444
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Blame Hansruedi!
Amazon Japan seems like an odd choice to buy Senns from. But then again, we both got our AKG K3003 from Stereo in Singapore. Says something about their marketing policies, I suppose.
Anyway, looking forward to your impressions, which are always a joy to read.
Blame Hansruedi!
Amazon Japan seems like an odd choice to buy Senns from. But then again, we both got our AKG K3003 from Stereo in Singapore. Says something about their marketing policies, I suppose.
Anyway, looking forward to your impressions, which are always a joy to read.
MuppetFace
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Speaking of Stereo Singapore they were actually my first choice for importing these, but their stock is currently depleted. Plus their asking price is a bit high.
I happened to be picking up some other stuff on Amazon.co.jp when I decided to check for the IE800 on a whim. Sure enough they had it, and at a reasonable price to boot.
Anyway, thanks for you kind words.
Blame Hansruedi!
Amazon Japan seems like an odd choice to buy Senns from. But then again, we both got our AKG K3003 from Stereo in Singapore. Says something about their marketing policies, I suppose.
Anyway, looking forward to your impressions, which are always a joy to read.
Speaking of Stereo Singapore they were actually my first choice for importing these, but their stock is currently depleted. Plus their asking price is a bit high.
I happened to be picking up some other stuff on Amazon.co.jp when I decided to check for the IE800 on a whim. Sure enough they had it, and at a reasonable price to boot.
Anyway, thanks for you kind words.
cooperpwc
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I posted my impressions of the IE800 in the other thread.
NewForce
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Yes, I concurred with your remark about Stereo Singapore. They're one of the wicked almost on-par with those blood sucking apple premium retailers.
Only once in a blue moon, they have some iem/headphones on special price, like the TDK BA200 for US$127 back in April this year. But I've got mines for the same price from Soundwaves Studio Singapore. Btw, i've heard Stereo are the only retailer carrying Senn IE800.
Yes, I concurred with your remark about Stereo Singapore. They're one of the wicked almost on-par with those blood sucking apple premium retailers.
Only once in a blue moon, they have some iem/headphones on special price, like the TDK BA200 for US$127 back in April this year. But I've got mines for the same price from Soundwaves Studio Singapore. Btw, i've heard Stereo are the only retailer carrying Senn IE800.
Ex1000 absolutely requre super tight fit (etymotic style) which is, normally, impossible to get with those (not just my opinion). othervise they sound extremely thin with no bass. Just flawed design, IMO.
james444
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The EX1000 have probably the most linear bass of all dynamic driver based IEMs (measured with stock hybrid tips, source: Innerfidelity).
Tie them in a loop like this, when not in use. Makes fit much easier:
The EX1000 have probably the most linear bass of all dynamic driver based IEMs (measured with stock hybrid tips, source: Innerfidelity).
Tie them in a loop like this, when not in use. Makes fit much easier:
@james444, I've been reading up on the FI-BA-SS, which I know is a favourite of yours. It's often described as raw. Does that make it more fatiguing than the K3003 and IE800?
james444
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I prefer to call them unforgiving, because with well recorded material they're not fatiguing at all to my ears. Though both the K3003 and IE800 are smoother and better in making less stellar recorded stuff sound agreeable. But the (shortened) Sony hybrid tips I use with the FI-BA-SS smooth them down a bit and make them better suited for a wider range of music, without taking away too much of their idiosyncratic rawness.
Fatigue, on the other hand, can have a lot of reasons. If I had to listen to acoustic folk and jazz with the IE800 in a quiet room, I'd probably be fatigued by their bass pretty soon. Also, some phones sound quite relaxing at low to medium volume, but may become obtrusive when you crank it up (because of the way our perception of equal loudness works), so preferred listening volume plays an important role. As for me, I listen at reasonable volume (mostly 25-50% on my DAPs, with the uber-sensitive FADs even lower) and don't perceive the FI-BA-SS as particularly fatiguing.
I prefer to call them unforgiving, because with well recorded material they're not fatiguing at all to my ears. Though both the K3003 and IE800 are smoother and better in making less stellar recorded stuff sound agreeable. But the (shortened) Sony hybrid tips I use with the FI-BA-SS smooth them down a bit and make them better suited for a wider range of music, without taking away too much of their idiosyncratic rawness.
Fatigue, on the other hand, can have a lot of reasons. If I had to listen to acoustic folk and jazz with the IE800 in a quiet room, I'd probably be fatigued by their bass pretty soon. Also, some phones sound quite relaxing at low to medium volume, but may become obtrusive when you crank it up (because of the way our perception of equal loudness works), so preferred listening volume plays an important role. As for me, I listen at reasonable volume (mostly 25-50% on my DAPs, with the uber-sensitive FADs even lower) and don't perceive the FI-BA-SS as particularly fatiguing.
I've just spent a couple of hours comparing the IE800, FI-BA-SS and K3003. Make no mistake, these are all very impressive earphones that reproduce sound of remarkable quality.
Some brief impressions - I was aware of how small the IE800 and FI-BA-SS are but they are surprisingly tiny in the flesh. The IE800 looks like it would fit elfin like ears easily. The K3003 is considerably larger and heavier.
The clarity and detail of the FI-BA-SS is astonishing. It's a compelling listening experience to hear music you're familiar with laid bare. "Unforgiving" is an apt description of this highly resolving earphone. Listening to the IE800 was like coming home in a way. It reminded me of a honed version of my IE8. It sounded clearer and the bass had been reigned in but it was the least controlled of the three. The K3003's bass sounded more defined and better balanced in the overall mix. The FI-BA-SS lacked the bass extension of the other two but the textural detail is unsurpassed.
The K3003 combined excellent clarity, detail extraction and had good extension at both ends of the frequency spectrum. The mids were lovely with a touch of lushness and were neither too forward or recessed. The IE800's mids sounded more distant to me. The FI-BA-SS' mids were possibly even more forward than the K3003's but I'm not certain about that.
I was amazed by how dynamic the FI-BA-SS sounded but came to appreciate the more forgiving K3003 when I'd switch back to it. There were times that I thought the K3003 had more tonal weight than the FI-BA-SS, which was also welcome.
I've had the least to say about the IE800 and that's probably because it sounded like a more evolved IE8, whereas the other two were new to me. I don't want to give the impression that the IE800 is not as worthy of consideration as the other two phones because it most definitely is. I could see myself happily owning any one of these and ideally all three.
Some brief impressions - I was aware of how small the IE800 and FI-BA-SS are but they are surprisingly tiny in the flesh. The IE800 looks like it would fit elfin like ears easily. The K3003 is considerably larger and heavier.
The clarity and detail of the FI-BA-SS is astonishing. It's a compelling listening experience to hear music you're familiar with laid bare. "Unforgiving" is an apt description of this highly resolving earphone. Listening to the IE800 was like coming home in a way. It reminded me of a honed version of my IE8. It sounded clearer and the bass had been reigned in but it was the least controlled of the three. The K3003's bass sounded more defined and better balanced in the overall mix. The FI-BA-SS lacked the bass extension of the other two but the textural detail is unsurpassed.
The K3003 combined excellent clarity, detail extraction and had good extension at both ends of the frequency spectrum. The mids were lovely with a touch of lushness and were neither too forward or recessed. The IE800's mids sounded more distant to me. The FI-BA-SS' mids were possibly even more forward than the K3003's but I'm not certain about that.
I was amazed by how dynamic the FI-BA-SS sounded but came to appreciate the more forgiving K3003 when I'd switch back to it. There were times that I thought the K3003 had more tonal weight than the FI-BA-SS, which was also welcome.
I've had the least to say about the IE800 and that's probably because it sounded like a more evolved IE8, whereas the other two were new to me. I don't want to give the impression that the IE800 is not as worthy of consideration as the other two phones because it most definitely is. I could see myself happily owning any one of these and ideally all three.
cooperpwc
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Thanks for this, Finn78. Can you offer any insight into the comparative isolation of the K3003 and IE800?
james444
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Wow, how fortunate that you're able to compare them side by side. Thanks for your impressions!
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The IE800 isolated better than the K3003. I wore it cable down and achieved a good seal without too much trouble.
The IE800 isolated better than the K3003. I wore it cable down and achieved a good seal without too much trouble.
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Yes it was and you're welcome.
Wow, how fortunate that you're able to compare them side by side. Thanks for your impressions!
Yes it was and you're welcome.
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