[cooperpwc]

Headroom is teasing with a picture of the IE800 as "New In 2013". However, it is not listed when you click through. IE800 stock is still tight...
 
https://www.headphone.com/index.php

 

[Tweener]

anyone tried how does ie800 pair with ak100 ?

 

[woodcans]

With the rwak100, it pairs absolutely beautifully. So far I can find nothing to complain about. Quite an addicting little pair, I must say.

 

[cooperpwc]

IE800 straight from the iPad Mini makes one hell of a coffee shop platform for watching Homeland. 

 

[audionewbi]

Do you guys think the prices for this will go down ?

 

[vrln]

Unfortunately I doubt it, Sennheiser doesn´t usually lower prices on their high end gear. Any discounts are rare at least here in the EU. The HD800 price has been the same since launch, same for the HD700 and IE8 too. My guess is that a slightly inferior version of the 800 driver tech will eventually trickle down to a more mass market (in hifi market terms that is) product in the Sennheiser portable line, something in between the IE8 and 800. Just like what happened with the HD800. An IE600 or something at 400 euros would be a great competitor to Westone 4/UE 900/Shure 535 and others.
 
As for IE800, I´ve grown to like the earbud style insertion. Extremely comfortable and lightweight. I wouldn´t go running with these like I would with the IE8, but there are so much lighter and faster to put on I´m actually no longer thinking IE8 is better ergonomics wise. When it comes to sound quality, as I mentioned in my initial impressions, the two aren´t even remotely comparable. I´m a happy customer, although these aren´t exactly a value for money product and I still wish Sennheiser would have gone for a more reasonable price.

 

[audionewbi]

Thanks, I think what you said is very true. 

 

[DeepGroove]

Quote:

Thanks all for the comparison, I now have no doubt that this is the sound signature I crave for. I am making a trip to Singapore next 2 weeks and try it at stereo singapore. I heard they are awfully overprice there but if it sound as all has describe, I don't mind paying extra to get fast.

 
I just came back from Stereo trying various monitors (UE900, AK3003i, IE800... on top of my on-the-go W4). I have to say the IE800 really caught my attention. What struck me at first is their musicality. It's hard to describe but they sounded very natural, far from the over-analytical AK3003. They still managed to remained very detailed, especially in the treble.  It's truly a beautiful sound, full of life and dynamism. And incredibly fun.
 
Now let's be clear: the IE800 are bassy headphones. They may not please the ones here looking for a neutral/reference sound. The bass is strong, powerful, and give a solid body to orchestral music, pop and energetic rock. In terms of quantity, it is more present than on the W4 but obviously less than on the monsters FS Atrio M5. This is a strong improvement over the IE80, which I returned because I found the bass awfully muddy and veiling the mids. BUT: the bass is still slightly bloaty and somewhat overpowering, esp. on bass-heavy tracks. It lacks the definition and precision of my W4. The AK3003i bass is at the opposite: flat, controlled, very tight with short attack and decay. 
 
I found the treble very forward, and it added excitement to the sound. (That being said I've been raised with Westone which are known for their smooth and discrete highs.) I did not notice any sibilance which is positive since seing the word "sibilance" in a review has always been a deal-breaker for me.
 
At the end of the day I have to say those are the most fun IEMs I've heard. I was going to order a UM Merlin but after demoing the IE800 I am reconsidering. I'll try them again this week and will try to update this post.
 
The price was 1,149 SGD.
 
PS: As you saw this is my first post on HF and English is not my first langage so please be indulgent
 
 

 

[woodcans]

Now that I have lived with mine for several weeks, I agree with your impressions, DeepGrove. This is definitely the most fun IEM I have owned, including JH customs. They are extremely comfortable and I absolutely love the sound. The amount and quality of bass present is definitely source/amp dependent. With my rwak, the bass is so thunderous, it's almost like having a subwoofer in my head, albeit a well controlled one. With my Tera, the bass is much less prominent, probably more natural and with better texture/definition. One thing I was amazed that these phones could do I heard this morning on my way to work. While listening to Jeff the Brotherhood's Hypnotic Nights, on tracks ~2/3 there is tambourine in the percussion. Not only was the sound of it realistic with great attack and lifelike decay, I could actually see/hear the rotation of the instrument in the soundstage.

 Welcome to head-fi! And sorry about your wallet. 

 

[james444]

Quote:

With my Tera, the bass is much less prominent, probably more natural and with better texture/definition.

 
I agree, the bass enhanced IE800 and the bass rolled-off Tera Player are a great combo. Two wrongs can indeed make a right sometimes.

 

[Kunlun]

Quote:

 
I just came back from Stereo trying various monitors (UE900, AK3003i, IE800... on top of my on-the-go W4). I have to say the IE800 really caught my attention. What struck me at first is their musicality. It's hard to describe but they sounded very natural, far from the over-analytical AK3003. They still managed to remained very detailed, especially in the treble.  It's truly a beautiful sound, full of life and dynamism. And incredibly fun.
 
Now let's be clear: the IE800 are bassy headphones. They may not please the ones here looking for a neutral/reference sound. The bass is strong, powerful, and give a solid body to orchestral music, pop and energetic rock. In terms of quantity, it is more present than on the W4 but obviously less than the monsters FS Atrio M5. This is a strong improvement over the IE80, which I returned because I found the bass awfully muddy and veiling the mids. BUT: the bass still slightly bloaty and somewhat overpowering, esp. on bass-heavy tracks. It lacks the definition and precision of my W4. The AK3003i bass is at the opposite: flat, controlled, very tight with short attack and decay. 
 
I found the treble very forward, and it added excitement to the sound. (That being said I've been raised with Westone which are known for their smooth and discrete highs.) I did not notice any sibilance which is positive since seing the word "sibilance" in a review has always been a deal-breaker for me.
 
At the end of the day I have to say those are the most fun IEMs I've heard. I was going to order a UM Merlin but after demoing those I am reconsidering. I'll try them again this week and will try to update this post.
 
The price was 1,149 SGD.
 
PS: As you saw this is my first post on HF and English is not my first langage so please be indulgent
 
 

 
Wait, less bass than the FS Atrio?

 

[DeepGroove]

Kunlun I don't know any other headphones with more bass than the FS Atrio. I would say the Atrio have monster sub-bass and midbass while the IE800 have a prominent mid-bass hump and good bass extension.

 

[Audio-Omega]

Where is the cheapest place to buy them ?

 

[StyleElements]

Quote:

Where is the cheapest place to buy them ?

 
I don't know if it's cheapest, but I reckon amazon.co.jp has a pretty good price, at about $740 US.
 
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%BC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8F%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC-IE800-%E3%80%90%E5%9B%BD%E5%86%85%E6%AD%A3%E8%A6%8F%E5%93%81%E3%80%91-SENNHEISER-%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A4%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC/dp/B00A34TU7W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361177175&sr=8-1

 

[james444]

Quote:

Wait, less bass than the FS Atrio?

Quote:

Kunlun I don't know any other headphones with more bass than the FS Atrio. I would say the Atrio have monster sub-bass and midbass while the IE800 have a prominent mid-bass hump and good bass extension.

 
I think he was just joking. Everything except a walrus fart has less bass than the FS Atrio. 

 
Great first post @DeepGrove, thanks for your comparison.