[Scubadevils]

I shouldn't ask because no doubt I'll end up wanting, but what's this R2R all about?!

 

[snapandslide]

I shouldn't ask because no doubt I'll end up wanting, but what's this R2R all about?!

Stick to your gut.....

 

[Scubadevils]

Stick to your gut.....

Too late, Google search had already commenced...

 

[jmills8]

For me the ie900 is very easy to drive. I see no benefit from stronger sources.

But source differences may occur. Like the ie900 needs something that pushes the mids forward, and suppresses the subbass for midbass punchiness.

Power does not mean louder.

 

[gLer]

@Damz87 what's your take on the IE900's bass compared to Traillii? I'm finding it has an almost perfect balance between sub and midbass and extends deep into the sub when called for. But I know of at least one person who hears it as having less sub bass than Traillii, which I can only think might have something to do with the extra clicks of power it needs to get that sub energy going. Your thoughts?

 

[xenithon]

@Damz87 what's your take on the IE900's bass compared to Traillii? I'm finding it has an almost perfect balance between sub and midbass and extends deep into the sub when called for. But I know of at least one person who hears it as having less sub bass than Traillii, which I can only think might have something to do with the extra clicks of power it needs to get that sub energy going. Your thoughts?

I suspect I am that "one person" and I have a bit of a theory as to why I find the sub bass more visceral and powerful in the bird. I think it has, at least in part, to do with the nozzle width.

That is, the Traillii's nozzle is quite wide - a lot wider than my previous 64 Audio IEMs and wider than the IE900. When the IEM is in the ear, there is more of feeling of "fullness" in the ear, and as such it presses a bit more against the ear canal. That coupling in turn results in more of the sub bass vibration being carried through to the eardrum.

With the IE900, with the same tips, it feels like a slightly looser fit. There is still a proper seal (one tip size up and it's too big to fit) and the punch is there, but that really low end warble is distinctly heard but with less physicality in the rumble. Similarly, I can follow the tune of a deep bass tone better on the bird; being just slightly more diffuse / less precise.

The above and in a couple of other areas I do find clear superiority in the Traillii. That said, the fact that I nitpick when comparing to an IEM at 1/5 of the price, should speak for itself

 

[Damz87]

@Damz87 what's your take on the IE900's bass compared to Traillii? I'm finding it has an almost perfect balance between sub and midbass and extends deep into the sub when called for. But I know of at least one person who hears it as having less sub bass than Traillii, which I can only think might have something to do with the extra clicks of power it needs to get that sub energy going. Your thoughts?

Good question I’m not sure tbh as I haven’t compared them directly. But based on just an overall feeling of bass (both mid and sub) I find IE 900 more satisfying and natural compared to bird. Traillii bass is great but it still sounds distinctly BA to me, so I don’t get that proper feeling of moving air and DD texturing. At no point have I felt the sub bass to be lacking from IE 900.

I really like how Sennheiser have tuned the bass on IE 900. They’ve somehow managed to nail the balance between mid and sub bass, avoid lower mid bleed, and also keep the lower mids from sounding too thin. All with a single DD. It’s pretty damn impressive.

 

[sanakimpro]

Hi all, I am faithfully using IE800 for 2 years with Lotoo PAW S1 and incoming L&P W2. Unfortunately IE900 hasn’t dropped in my country so still waiting..

Can anyone with either dongle comment how the pairings sound?

I am hoping iPhone > W2 > IE900 will be my endgame

 

[Stevemitchell]

For me the ie900 is very easy to drive. I see no benefit from stronger sources.

But source differences may occur. Like the ie900 needs something that pushes the mids forward, and suppresses the subbass for midbass punchiness.

Au contraire mon ami. Power isn't about average volume only. When you listen to a wide dynamic range recording with no compression, your average listening only takes maybe 1/100th or less of the actual power output of your DAP. Since volume is not linear in its progression but rather logarithmic instead, you want the power in reserve to faithfully reproduce those peaks that take up to 100's of times the average power with which you listen normally. Additionally, the impedance of the IE900's is ½ of most other IEMS that sit at 32 Ohms. Impedance is also non-linear, so while the IE900 may not require 2X times the power to drive, let's just say it requires a lot more "volume," especially on short-lived multiple-millisecond peaks.

 

[PhazeCrive]

Are we able to connect DAPs to computer as the source and use them as the dac and amplifier? It'd be kind of nice to have something audiophile-esque on the go and at home.

 

[lostcattears]

Ok guys I finally got my refund after 12-13 business days if you include weekends 15-16days, if you know you got a defective product from sennheiser after going through technicals in Sennheiser America, for Digital River.

Argue for a shipping label at the very beginning, if you are returning for a refund on a defective product. I reported the problem within 24 hours of receiving the product asked for warranty twice before they told me to do refund, I would understand if I was getting warranty and if they were shipping back a replacement I would have to pay for shipping and handling or even a refund on a non-defective product I understand I would have to pay for shipping since it would be just down to taste wise that you are returning it but that wasn't the case my product was defective. I don't think there is communication between Sennheiser CS and DR even though I went through technical and the call should have been recorded.

Emailing them is useless, you have to call them. All you get is automated messages... During the entire refund process you don't get any updates at all. In the end I know nothing more then what I did at the beginning about what happened to my product.

You may say 12-13 business days is fine, but on the refund email, they said once they received the product you should get your refund in 5-7 business days. But since they never provided the shipping label, and I had to procure one myself I had the tracking # I know when they gotten the shipment. It was only after 8 business days since they received the shipment that I called a second time. There they provide you with a case # and this time they tell you they will send you an email once they "find" the product or something a long those lines.

During the initial call, they never said anything about that, they will send a email of them receiving the product it was only after I called the second time wondering where is my refund. They found the product after 35 hours like I said in my last post, but I don't know if it was the fact that Digital river America is slow or the ticket case # open up by Sennheiser that sped up the process. Or maybe they are swamp with returns, or that Digital River is hoping that you will forget.

But after DR sent the second email about the "Receiving" and sending the refund the package on a saturday night 3am... Btw not a business day. I received my refund in 3 business days. Today on 7/7.
...

Overall. If we throw away all the useless conspiracy theories and just give them the benefit of the doubt for everything.
They are below average to "me" due to the fact they said in their first email they will issue a refund in 5-7 business days after they receive the return package. Which I am 100% sure they gotten since they made me get the shipping label and ship it to them. That the shipping cost wasn't refunded on a defective product. After I went through Warranty to technical to get warranty then back to CS then back to Warranty from sennheiser then Warranty told me to get a refund from DR. Digital River Lied that I will be getting refunded for my shipping, Yes they told me I will be getting a refund for my shipping cost. Never got it. I don't know if I I will get it in the future but I doubt it.

I don't know where the problem was. But all I do know is argue for a shipping label on a defective product on a return/refund. I wanted warranty but was told to get refund... refund said they will also refund shipping cost, Digital river lied at least to me. I know my product was defective and after going through technical sennheiser theatrically should believe that I have received a defective product. I don't know if Digital River River knows that I was sent a defective product or what testing it has went through, But the only thing I do know is I did not receive a refund on my shipping label and that the entire process took 12-13 business days instead of 5-7. Don't know if my second call to them have anything to do with them speeding up the process.

I had "30 days" to return the product to them after they sent the first email according to the message depending on how fast shipping was lucky I lived in NY the package got to them in 3 days to Old lyme CT. Depending where you live in the USA this could have realistically of taken 7 days on ground shipping. After 5-7 business days on the 8th business day or so after they gotten the product, I called them but that would have been 10 days in total, If you haven't gotten your refund yet. Some people might wait a few more days before calling them. Lets just say if we really stretch it for the busy people. a total of 20 days would have passed before a lazy person would have checked up on their refund. Now how long would it take for them to find your package I would not know. But it did take them 2 business days to find my package.

Oh I don't know how long someone else a lazy/busy person might, of taken to get a shipping label after they email you. You can add a few days. It would be cutting it close to the 30 day mark. As a very punctual person, it still took 16 in total after I initiated the RMA process until the second email saying they are refunding you now. Unknown how long the money averagely should take to arrive in your bank account but it took me 3 business days but if you add in the july 4th weekend saturday they sent me the 2nd email 4-5 days?

In total it took me 20 days total as a very punctual person to complete the process from start to finish. What would happen after the 30 day mark I don't know.
Even though, I said all of this to some people they might have given Digital River a very very bad review instead of saying they are below avg for missing their own 5-7 refund date. Don't expect any email replies from them at all, just automated messages there will be no updates.

Now, I am down 10$ and a lot of time on a defective product. I just google'd all of my local audiophile physical stores ... Now they are all on backorder or just don't have them in stock... Sigh Amazon still doesn't have them yet.... Just me and my bad luck. I still want them but i don't want to try and get them through Sennheiser's Diigital River America this time in case something like this happens again.

 

[Evshrug]

I was actually referring to “Chronos,” I haven’t heard “Max Out” yet but if they just remastered it for the 10yr, I bet it’s good.

here’s a good write up:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/edm.com/.amp/music-releases/koan-sound-chronos-ep

I think “Sanctuary EP” has some of their best work too.

Ah, so this one:
https://album.link/i/1565480306

 

[Scubadevils]

Ok guys I finally got my refund after 12-13 business days if you include weekends 15-16days, if you know you got a defective product from sennheiser after going through technicals in Sennheiser America, for Digital River.

Argue for a shipping label at the very beginning, if you are returning for a refund on a defective product. I reported the problem within 24 hours of receiving the product asked for warranty twice before they told me to do refund, I would understand if I was getting warranty and if they were shipping back a replacement I would have to pay for shipping and handling or even a refund on a non-defective product I understand I would have to pay for shipping since it would be just down to taste wise that you are returning it but that wasn't the case my product was defective. I don't think there is communication between Sennheiser CS and DR even though I went through technical and the call should have been recorded.

Emailing them is useless, you have to call them. All you get is automated messages... During the entire refund process you don't get any updates at all. In the end I know nothing more then what I did at the beginning about what happened to my product.

You may say 12-13 business days is fine, but on the refund email, they said once they received the product you should get your refund in 5-7 business days. But since they never provided the shipping label, and I had to procure one myself I had the tracking # I know when they gotten the shipment. It was only after 8 business days since they received the shipment that I called a second time. There they provide you with a case # and this time they tell you they will send you an email once they "find" the product or something a long those lines.

During the initial call, they never said anything about that, they will send a email of them receiving the product it was only after I called the second time wondering where is my refund. They found the product after 35 hours like I said in my last post, but I don't know if it was the fact that Digital river America is slow or the ticket case # open up by Sennheiser that sped up the process. Or maybe they are swamp with returns, or that Digital River is hoping that you will forget.

But after DR sent the second email about the "Receiving" and sending the refund the package on a saturday night 3am... Btw not a business day. I received my refund in 3 business days. Today on 7/7.
...

Overall. If we throw away all the useless conspiracy theories and just give them the benefit of the doubt for everything.
They are below average to "me" due to the fact they said in their first email they will issue a refund in 5-7 business days after they receive the return package. Which I am 100% sure they gotten since they made me get the shipping label and ship it to them. That the shipping cost wasn't refunded on a defective product. After I went through Warranty to technical to get warranty then back to CS then back to Warranty from sennheiser then Warranty told me to get a refund from DR. Digital River Lied that I will be getting refunded for my shipping, Yes they told me I will be getting a refund for my shipping cost. Never got it. I don't know if I I will get it in the future but I doubt it.

I don't know where the problem was. But all I do know is argue for a shipping label on a defective product on a return/refund. I wanted warranty but was told to get refund... refund said they will also refund shipping cost, Digital river lied at least to me. I know my product was defective and after going through technical sennheiser theatrically should believe that I have received a defective product. I don't know if Digital River River knows that I was sent a defective product or what testing it has went through, But the only thing I do know is I did not receive a refund on my shipping label and that the entire process took 12-13 business days instead of 5-7. Don't know if my second call to them have anything to do with them speeding up the process.

I had "30 days" to return the product to them after they sent the first email according to the message depending on how fast shipping was lucky I lived in NY the package got to them in 3 days to Old lyme CT. Depending where you live in the USA this could have realistically of taken 7 days on ground shipping. After 5-7 business days on the 8th business day or so after they gotten the product, I called them but that would have been 10 days in total, If you haven't gotten your refund yet. Some people might wait a few more days before calling them. Lets just say if we really stretch it for the busy people. a total of 20 days would have passed before a lazy person would have checked up on their refund. Now how long would it take for them to find your package I would not know. But it did take them 2 business days to find my package.

Oh I don't know how long someone else a lazy/busy person might, of taken to get a shipping label after they email you. You can add a few days. It would be cutting it close to the 30 day mark. As a very punctual person, it still took 16 in total after I initiated the RMA process until the second email saying they are refunding you now. Unknown how long the money averagely should take to arrive in your bank account but it took me 3 business days but if you add in the july 4th weekend saturday they sent me the 2nd email 4-5 days?

In total it took me 20 days total as a very punctual person to complete the process from start to finish. What would happen after the 30 day mark I don't know.
Even though, I said all of this to some people they might have given Digital River a very very bad review instead of saying they are below avg for missing their own 5-7 refund date. Don't expect any email replies from them at all, just automated messages there will be no updates.

Now, I am down 10$ and a lot of time on a defective product. I just google'd all of my local audiophile physical stores ... Now they are all on backorder or just don't have them in stock... Sigh Amazon still doesn't have them yet.... Just me and my bad luck. I still want them but i don't want to try and get them through Sennheiser's Diigital River America this time in case something like this happens again.

That's terrible to hear and awful customer service. Disgraceful to be left wait that long for a refund and to be out of pocket. I'd suggest taking a complaint to Sennheiser directly, maybe they could offer a goodwill discount or something for the way you've been messed around.

 

[alphaman]

WRT:

gLer --- Headphoneus Supremus --- review ....


You spilled a LOT of ink in the write-up, dude ... but SAID almost nothing. Typical h-f review. Nice photos BTW! So an A+ on photography used in your OP.
Yes, I am buying the 900s ... but mostly based on my long-term experience with the IE-8's, which I've had since early 2009.

 

[alphaman]

REGARDLESS of the 900's power requirements .... you're ALL kidding yourselves if you think not driving with a GOOD amp -- even a small portable one -- won't significantly improve performance. Indeed that's what I found when I FINALLY Line-Out'd my Fiio M11 Pro. Because of the markety specs and the Fiio's price, I thought its internal amps were all I needed. And then I Line-Out'd to my old 2006 Go-Vibe 9v-powered amp ... and Whoa Nelly! It was night and day.
I've been reading head-fi since 2004 and can with confidence ... amps make a difference. In fact, I'll take an IE300 + amp + Fiio M11 Pro over IE900 + (no amp) + Fiio M11 pro any day. ANY DAY. A N Y friggin' D A Y