[evilhippie]

Its tough to tell from the pictures, especially since the faceplate is scratched up and theres no cable, but based on the way the bass knob markings look I believe they may be fakes.  The markings on my genuine ones purchased from amazon seem to look a bit different, much thinner lines and all are of the same length.  In this case it would be tough to test for the usual giveaways since there's no cable, obviously, but two of the main ones would be the bass knob having little to no effect and a red chip possibly missing from the cable.  The other is even more obvious... they'll sound like total crap.  Gonna have to agree with the people on the other thread though, if in doubt about their authenticity please do not sell them, since if they do turn out being fakes it could lead to a number of problems down the road, none of which will likely have a happy resolution.  Unfortunately there seems to be more fake IE8s/IE80s than real ones in circulation, so extra care is usually required to even sell them, such as providing a receipt from an authorized retailer etc. 
 
However, the purpose of my post wasn't to rant about business ethics, I just wanted to point out that there's a very high likelihood that these are fakes.  You should take a look at this thread about how to further identify fake IE8s/IE80s, though its quite an old thread and some of the information might be out of date, as the counterfeiters are getting better at it all the time.  Honestly, I'd suggest just keeping them and buying the cheapest ie8 cable you can find to try them out.  Worst case scenario is you have fakes and you only wasted 20-30 bucks or so.  Anyways, check out this thread for more info on how to spot fakes:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/457420/warning-fake-ie8s-comparison-pictures-included

 

[ImagineX]

I have look at the thread but my IE80s, the cable isn't see through like the IE8s
 
Here's a pic of the logo on the jack:
 
http://imgur.com/a/CeICZ
 
It does have the curve of the real audio jack..but im not sure..

 

[evilhippie]

its honestly a bit hard to tell anything from that image of the jack.  I was under the impression that you weren't able to test them out because you didn't have a cable, as the pictures you showed were just of some loose buds.  When you try turning the bass knob, does anything happen?  There should be a very noticable, audible change to the bass from notch to notch.  You might need a small tool to turn the knob.  Let us know what they sound like and we can help determine whether they may be authentic or not.

 

[ImagineX]

There is a significant bass change from the max setting to the min.setting on the bass nob. At max setting, vocals are slightly dampened. Vocals are more easily heard for minimum setting.

 

[sxomy993]

Hello! Today, i purchaserd ie80 from this shop (went there personally) http://www.cyberport.at/?DEEP=B605-2AW&APID=66&STOREID=-1
Up till now i had some skullcandy crushers, razer tiamat 2.2 and sennheiser cx680, so these are my first premium headphones BUT i doubt if they are authentic. The feel of packaging and its content is premium the sound is AMAZING but there is no difference when i adjust the bass. Tried high bass songs both on pc and android phone with poweramp... Anyone having any idea?
Pics: http://postimg.org/gallery/cfxg1oi8/f10ba60b/

 

[sxomy993]

  Whatch out, there are fake ones out in the market!
I did this comparison, but it needs more research...
http://whrl.pl/RdfNYe
 

You seem like you`re well into ie80`s

 

[jerryeight]

Hey Guys,
 
I i just found this site created by Sennheiser  that will help us identify the authenticity of our headphones. Its based on the QR code and also specific product ID. I hope it helps.  
 
Cheers!
 
http://qr-sennheiser.com/index.php?id=5&L=1&id=5

 

[Hybrim]

Got a sound problem with my new Sennheiser IE80 for my Note 3, if anyone could help me out

After having only used those standard samsung J5 headphones that came with my galaxy note 3 phone (unrooted), I've finally bought my first expensive IEM in hopes to spoil myself - the Sennheiser IE80, from an authorized dealer for $320. But after these first days of burn-in I must say I'm kind of torn whether they are even worth the high price.

On the first listen I immediately heard the bigger soundstage which I ofcourse like but I'm pretty dissapointed with the lack of bass (even tuned to the highest and I can't hear any difference) but perhaps this can be fixed with a better seal. But then there's the worst thing that's a deal breaker for me, I've started to hear a white/static noise on every calm track, especially on orchestral music, which I'm hoping you other users can help me solve whether these are infact defected or not. I just can't listen to any of my soundtracks with this noise, so if this can't be fixed then I'm forced to return these headphones.

I'm not an audiophile so perhaps I've missed something, but here are some of my thoughts and questions:
1. All my tracks are mostly 320kbps mp3s and some flac, so it's not that the files lack quality or anything.
2. Are expensive IEMs really so clear that you can hear the white noise even more compared to cheaper IEMS? Before these headphones I never realised the noise on my cheaper ones.
3. The white noise is heard no matter what source I use: galaxy note 3 (stock/winamp/google players), my PC, my brother's PC and his iphone.
4. The bass is good if I put pressure on the earbuds to my eardrums, but without that pressure they sound too distant. (even tuned to highest and still can't hear any bass difference)
5. The isolation sucks because when cars drive by I can't hear the music on highest volume, even with finger pressure,
6. After having tried all tips, I settled with the normal sized tips that the IEMs already came installed with.
7. I'm not 100% sure yet, but the noise seems to be increased the higher the bass is tuned, although the noise is still a problem at lowest tuning.
8. Perhaps the noise is a sign of defect? Or cord related?
9. Perhaps these are even fake? I bought them from an authorized seller, but the package didn't come with a QR code so I can't really check the product's authenticity on sennheiser's website.

I can post pictures of the package and the headphones if anyone can help

 

[Sound Eq]

plz can someone check the pic in my dropbox if those are fake ie80 or not as i am not allowed to upload pics
 
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eojfdog8ki3j8be/IMG_20140621_232019.jpg

 

[Velocilobster]

For anyone still wondering on some tips on recognizing fake IE80s, I might be able to help.
 
I recently bought a pair on eBay thinking they were real, the sound quality wasn't a dead giveaway at least. The bass knobs actually worked, although not to a great extent. The box seemed legit, but only when you have the actual box next to it you'll notice the differences. For example the blue part with the Senneheiser brand on it extends a bit further up and some of the text has a slight blue tint while being completely gray on the fake one. The picture of the unit on the back is a bit green-ish on the real box but actually looks more real (gray) on the fake box. The 2 year warranty sign on the right side of the box is shiny on the fake one but matte on the real box. On the fake box the text on the left side is on the top half of the box while the text on the real box is on the bottom half. This is a prime example of the blue tint i talked about (The German and French part are blue-ish while the English part is white. On the fake box the English is still white but the German and French text is simply gray). The bottom is however easily spotted since some of the pictures saying where to cut the plastic before opening the box are misplaced. On the fake box they are next to each other in the top right hand corner, while on the real box they're stacked just right of the left bar code, to the left of the Sennheiser logo with trademark info below it. The fake box has the environment symbols (recycle, don't throw away in regular trash can etc) centered at the top, while the real one has them below the serial number (which is located in the upper right hand corner, the fake box doesn't even have this (although the real one also might not since they introduced this later i believe)) above the right bar code (both boxes have 2). If you open the magnetic flap the only real difference is the fact that the picture of the guy wearing them in his ears is a bit dull on the fake one, you'll have to have something to compare this to though.
 
If you get all the contents out of the packaging there's a couple more things that can tell you whether they're fake or not. One of the easiest, yet least obvious ones is the fact that all the accessories in the fake box are contained in zip lock bags, while the bags in the real box are simply plastic containers that can't be closed. Also the things you can use to help them stay over your ear are a slight bit green on the fake model. If you hold both in direct light you'll notice the real guiders are see-through except for the wire inside that keeps them in the correct form. Moving on to the unit itself, there are a couple things you can notice. The wire on the real model is tad stiffer, although you won't be able to properly compare this. The color of the wire is however completely black, or at least dark gray on the real model. You can tell it has no other colorings added. However the fake one has the same green-ish tint to it as the ear guiders do. Another giveaway is the thickness of the IE 80 text on the part where the wire splits. I believe it is a bit thicker on the fake model. The carrying case is also a little different on the fake model. The brushed aluminum isn't matte but rather shiny and the same goes for the plastic. The real case has a matte plastic and matte like brushed aluminum. It also opens and closes much more easily on the real model. Lastly, on my fake unit the 'Do not eat' bag with silica gel wasn't pre inserted into the case, while the real case already had the baggy in the bottom compartment when i opened it.
 
For clarification, i no longer own the fake unit and carrying case itself, but i still have the box and all accessories that came with it.
 
I would have liked to include some pictures but I can't seem to figure out how.
 
Please forgive me for any mistakes in my English, and the length of the post.
 
I hope I could help some of you to find out whether your unit is fake or not, since it is just impossible to find out by pictures of the model on eBay for example. After all this I would simply recommend you to buy them on a trusted site like Amazon, you'll get a warranty and most importantly, you'll know for sure they're the real deal.
 
On a side note: maybe I'm just a terrible person to not have noticed the fact that they were fake by the sound quality, but comparing them to my previous Sony XBA-3s they just sounded different, not exactly worse, plus I loved the bass. If you can get the fake ones I received for very little they might actually be a good buy (I got mine for €130 shipped).

 

[AudioMan2013]

I made a mistake but I think I am ok.  I purchased the IE80 from Amazon for $266.99 and instead of checking the seller, I just went with the one Amazon chose for me. It was fulfilled by Amazon.  First I know that I won't get the warranty, as it was another seller than Amazon.  I hate the return them and repurchase through Amazon with them being the seller.  As far as telling if they are fakes or not, I read through this forum and watched a few youtube videos.  Right now I don't have any indications that they are fake but the writing on the box is a bit different.  On the front of the box, on the right side of sound tuning, there is nothing written.  Also on both the right and left side of the box, there is no foreign language written.  On the left side the writing "For more than 60 years.." is dead center of that side. 
 
On the phones themselves, they sound good, the bass adjustment only produces a small effect, the cord is black, the Sennheiser logo is etched into the aluminum. The IE 80 on the cable split looks normal and not thick lettering.  All the accessories look okay as well. 
 
Other than the writings that I mentioned about, all other indicators in this thread and youtube seem to indicate that they are originals.  I just need to be more careful when purchasing items.  In the last week, I purchased a fake Samsung EVO micro SD card from Amazon.  This is my first experience with a counterfeit item.  With the Samsung card, it was very easy to tell it was a fake. 
 
I with the government would do more to prevent this from happening, I pay my taxes!!

 

[ottofauth]

hi there,sennheiser uses a holagram on the outside of the box,for all there products,i missed this in all the replys i have been reading.
Without this seal there all fake.
regards Otto

 

[Velocilobster]

I believe they added this in recent years, which means some models may not actually have this.

 

[ryutakayoli]

Any idea whether this is Authenic or not? 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321796592734?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l5010&_trkparms=gh1g%3DI321796592734.N25.S2.M2527.R1.TR7&autorefresh=true

 

[smithro]

Long time reader, first time poster.  Thought I would share my story in case it helps anyone.
 
I own a couple pair of IE80s (my favorite IEMs by far) and saw a listing for IE80s on eBay from a seller called libertystore.  libertystore is a member of the eBay Valet program, which as described is:
 
"An eBay Valet listing, part of eBay’s reselling program (www.ebay.com/valet) in which eBay trusted partners list, sell and ship items for customers on their behalf. Items are competitively priced and inspected by professionals."
 
The listing was for a starting price of $120, and a buy-it-now price of $160.  I figured this was too good to be true, but this Valet program seemed like it would provide some protection, so I lobbied in a bid of $125, and won.
 
I just got the phones, and not only are they fake, they are not even good fakes.  Simple things like the packaging where the cords for the earbuds are held in place, on the authentic packaging there are loops to hold the cords in place, on these, there were no loops.
 
I sent in a request to get a refund, and they sent me a packing slip, so they went off today, time will tell if I get refunded.  I don't anticipate any problems as the long arm of the FBI may not reach to China, but it will reach to Indiana where this reseller is based.
 
In any case, my advice is, either look for a sale from an authorized retailer (I got a pair from an authorized seller for $199 recently, and got a legit pair), or if you want knockoffs, just buy knockoffs.  I recently bought a pair of Earmax ER80s, which are copies of IE80s, for $30 on eBay, and they are decent replicas.  They sound OK, not as good as IE80s, but well enough to throw in a gym bag, etc.  They are worth the $30 I paid, but not $100 that some people are paying for similar phones in fake Sennheiser boxes.
 
The point being, rather than hope like heck you can somehow get real IE80s from a Chinese seller on eBay for $100, either shop around for real ones, or just buy obvious replicas.