[ericpalonen]

There’s a lot more than goes in to tuning and refining the sound quality than the transducer alone.

Well said. If a loudspeaker's performance was based solely on the transducer then that's how people listen to them. No need for a baffle, cabinet, waveguides, bass ports, feet, or even measurements of all of those things to determine where they go, for that matter.

 

[Nostoi]

Big fan of the IE series, Pro and non-Pro. Look forward to these!

 

[ericpalonen]

Big fan of the IE series, Pro and non-Pro. Look forward to these!

In case it gets buried, we are also kicking off with a tour (thread in the sponsored forum as well).

They are a blast to audition because of the dual staging. I am more or less listening to each track twice.

See the tiny keyhole slit? That opens up the sound stage when the ear tips are on and in the extended position... It also gently de-emphasizes the bass just enough for a feathery touch. I'm a fan of both positions but am growing into a "semi open" fan as the immersion factor is really nice.

 

[ipaddy]

To my ears, there are many similarities with the IE 600 in terms of shape, presence, and balance, with a hint of IE 300 in there. The TrueResponse DNA is strong!

I'll echo the above but say that the 600 and 900 have that "extra gear" of detail retrieval. Someone comparing the 600 and the 200 will hear both the similarities and differences, and probably find a slot for both in their rotation.

Absolutely smoother. The dual staging of the ear tips opens up some additional possibilities. Versus the 300 it will come across as more relaxed. Versus the 600 perhaps a bit warmer but very similar... Once again it straddles the line between engaging and non-fatiguing.

You are correct that it does not exceed the 600, and was not designed to. However, this is a gateway product. We want others to join this great hobby and you can't convince them that the journey is worth it unless they start off with an immediate reward. I think it will be a daily driver for some, a backup for others who maybe do not want to take a 600 or 900 on a 2-month backpacking trip, and for many will be the first serious in-ear to compliment their over-ear collection. I think it will have a similar affect that the 5x5 (and 5x8, 5x9) series had.

"Same" is a slippery slope especially as it comes to graphs. There's a lot of shared DNA but there are so many variables and ways to achieve a final sound beyond the driver. We are definitely proud of the driver and love its flexibility however it is not the "same" as the 600 or 900 or even the 300. For example the IE 900 voicing is noticeably different, and then you have The implementation of frequency absorbers and acoustic vortex milled into the earpiece which is highly complex and intensive. We do hope you hear the shared elements though, because it gives you a good idea of what it is capable of as you go higher up the chain. All that said I agree with your comment "it's not unreasonable..." as the team has worked hard to establish a "house IE sound". I'm excited for you to hear it so that you can connect the dots.

So, is something coming out shortly at the ie600 price level???

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

They don't use an identical driver. If you wouldn't like the IE 600 for 50€ you probably won't like the IE 200 for free and I won't try to convince you otherwise -- it's just not your flavor and we respect that. Cheers!

Great response, mate. Looks like it isn't your first rodeo

 

[123peter]

Probably many of us buy new headphones, test and sell, buy next and more ........
why Sennheiser does not care about securing the product so that it gives the opportunity to distinguish fakes from original headphones?.
The pre-owned Sennheiser headphone market is dominated by counterfeit products, the lack of a clear-easy way to check the serial number in the manufacturer's database could put an end to this scourge.
Starting the adventure and buying IE200,300,600 you will practically never sell them even after a few days of listening because no one on the secondary market believes that it is the original
- is there no hope in this matter?

 

[ericpalonen]

So, is something coming out shortly at the ie600 price level???

We don't typically comment on speculation but I can tell you the answer is "no" at this time.

Great response, mate. Looks like isn't your first rodeo

Thx! I hope it did not come across as crass. I genuinely hope they find a great Sennheiser solution, but realize it's just not always in the cards. They may simply not like the house sound. Apples vs oranges. The great thing about this community is that someone can eventually find something that suits their tastes. If it's not us, that's cool too Hi-Fi should be fun. Maybe one day we'll have something they like and we'll be ready then.

 

[ericpalonen]

Probably many of us buy new headphones, test and sell, buy next and more ........
why Sennheiser does not care about securing the product so that it gives the opportunity to distinguish fakes from original headphones?.
The pre-owned Sennheiser headphone market is dominated by counterfeit products, the lack of a clear-easy way to check the serial number in the manufacturer's database could put an end to this scourge.
Starting the adventure and buying IE200,300,600 you will practically never sell them even after a few days of listening because no one on the secondary market believes that it is the original
- is there no hope in this matter?

We do care, but how do you suppress the counterfeit buyer's behavior? I have NEVER seen a buyer pay market price from a shady seller... that's because the buyer wants the brand but does not want to pay for it. That is out of our hands. Apple, Louis Vuitton, North Face, Nike, etc all deal with this too.

1) If you are buying new, only buy from an authorized Sennheiser retailer. No exceptions. Many offer great trial periods and discounts on demo gear. You also support a community member or sponsor, in many cases.

2) If you are buying used, try to buy from someone who can verify their new purchase was from an authorized Sennheiser retailer.

99% of the counterfeit issues occur in shady gray markets, online or in person, with someone looking to pay significantly less as the motivating factor.

Serial numbers have their purpose but can be faked as well.

I've processed literally thousands of counterfeit Sennheiser products. The long and short of it is that if it's too good to be true, it's suspect.

You are always welcome to check with us through the DM and we will be happy to investigate it for you.

 

[123peter]

1. I buy new headphones after a few days - weeks, want sell them - the price is a balance, not selling them almost for free, but you have to lower the price, which is understandable to make them attractive in terms of price.
2. Dishonest people buy the original with a receipt and the second counterfeit headphones, and sell them with the original receipt. The receipt is not a document and does not confirm that the original ones from the salon are in the package.
I had such a case - very frustrating especially when you return the goods and the seller claims that he sent the original -ufff.
3. Of course, you can buy headphones in the salon and even listen to them, but how to sell them later and convince the buyer that they are original.
Sometimes the distances are too great to meet and listen before buying.

Thank you for your help suggestions, but please write on the forum how you can verify the original product - what's your idea?
The serial number may be repeated on a counterfeit, the receipt means nothing, a close-up photo, what other method?

 

[ST33L]

The dual-position nozzle is intriguing.

 

[AnalogEuphoria]

In case it gets buried, we are also kicking off with a tour (thread in the sponsored forum as well).

They are a blast to audition because of the dual staging. I am more or less listening to each track twice.

See the tiny keyhole slit? That opens up the sound stage when the ear tips are on and in the extended position... It also gently de-emphasizes the bass just enough for a feathery touch. I'm a fan of both positions but am growing into a "semi open" fan as the immersion factor is really nice.

I really do love semi open or open iems, there aren't enough of them honestly. I know they have limited use but I prefer them even with next to no isolation.

 

[ericpalonen]

I really do love semi open or open iems, there aren't enough of them honestly. I know they have limited use but I prefer them even with next to no isolation.

Isolation is almost indistinguishable as a hybrid. Here's a quick snapshot of the L in "hybrid" and the R in "closed" side by side (but I will not listen to them that way haha)

 

[ericpalonen]

Thanks for the reply it clears up a lot of things. The information about the drivers being identical is from the product description of the ie200 from the official website. That being said I get that the implementation is different with the models.

Fair point -- it could be clearer. Thx for the snapshot!

 

[maceto]

I was just going to get ei600 and 900 now I’ll wait to see if prices drop of new models are coming in a couple of months. I hope the latter as fit and size is super. The 900 is just a tad strange for some songs so if a tuning option it might be just what the doctor ordered

 

[ericpalonen]

I was just going to get ei600 and 900 now I’ll wait to see if prices drop of new models are coming in a couple of months. I hope the latter as fit and size is super. The 900 is just a tad strange for some songs so if a tuning option it might be just what the doctor ordered

IE 200 is the newest, no changes to the 600 or 900 offerings.