Exceptional in Every Detail: Say Hello to the IE 600

[ericpalonen]

@ericpalonen

Any idea on this one?

Working on it, but it depends on a few factors out of our control. More to come.

Updated 10:10pm ET: the IE 600 will not be at CanJam Singapore, however we are working on an IE 600 tour (details to be announced).

Looking forward to this IEM's UK release. Appreciate it's still early days but are we any clearer on a release date? It'll be my first pricey IEM and from what I've read I think it'll suit my taste.

Mid-Spring. The team is trying to get more exact dates and we will certainly share them as soon as we get them.

 

[Capyr]

@Sennheiser I think you should offer the ie600 for preorder even though you are not shipping them till summer.

That way we could at least form an organised line in front of the counter.

 

[Sennheiser]

@Sennheiser I think you should offer the ie600 for preorder even though you are not shipping them till summer.

That way we could at least form an organised line in front of the counter.

Thank you for the tag. Pre-ordering will be available this spring, and believe us, we want it to be live now, too. We don’t want to drag anyone into the boring details but we have just completed a major business transition so some of these things (preorders, stock and stock updates, etc) will happen I soon, and we thank you for your patience. There are a lot of balls in the air but some truly exciting things happening. Naturally we will update the community ASAP (unless someone randomly find it in the middle of the night after it goes live). If you have a preferred audiophile dealer that is maintaining a queue, do not hesitate to work with them.

 

[Jermo K]

Great to hear the "No". Thanks!

But can I get a straight answer on what Axel Grell was saying? From what you wrote, I understand this: Sonova bought the Sennheiser consumer business, which included the old consumer business research department. Now Sonova is closing the research department of this old Sennheiser consumer business and planning to continue any related research through its own research department(s). Is this correct? Is it like a post-acquisition efficiency downsizing?

Thanks for the question! Let's clarify the terms first: research refers to working on new technologies that "may" end up in products down the road but have a high chance of failure. Development mainly takes existing solutions and modifies them to create a new product. However, even turning small screws can result in massive performance improvements (i.e. HD 560S or IE 600).
What Axel refers to has nothing to do with Sonova. Back in 2020, the research department, an independent function, was integrated into the development function. So this was way before and independently of the acquisition. In the past, we sometimes worked for long years on new technologies, tried to go into product development, and found out that the technology wasn't close to serial production maturity. You can't imagine the disappointment of everyone involved. So there was a big missing link between researching a cool and exciting technology and implementing it for you to listen to.
We now integrate the process and have direct links to product needs and manufacturing requirements. And of course, we're still pushing to make the next big step. It's one of the biggest motivations for working here.

 

[lomenhk]

For those who are looking for the tips for IE 300/IE 600/IE 900, here is one more option:

Audio Technica CKS50

It fits pretty well with my IE 600:

and the seal is good.

 

[singlestack]

I know not a lot of people have these in their hands yet since you can only get them from Asia, but is the recessed connector a problem for aftermarket cables? Am I going to be stuck with the factory cables?

 

[lomenhk]

I know not a lot of people have these in their hands yet since you can only get them from Asia, but is the recessed connector a problem for aftermarket cables? Am I going to be stuck with the factory cables?

@singlestack I remember the following upgrade cables were posted before in this thread:

https://www.oeaudio.net/2dualcdc

The MMCX male connector fits the recessed female connector of IE 600.

https://briseaudio.jp/portable/pr/20220308.html

This cable from Brise Audio is specially designed for IE 600.

FYI.

 

[frix]

I know not a lot of people have these in their hands yet since you can only get them from Asia, but is the recessed connector a problem for aftermarket cables? Am I going to be stuck with the factory cables?

Yes it's a problem for most aftermarket cables. A real bummer

 

[ericpalonen]

I know not a lot of people have these in their hands yet since you can only get them from Asia, but is the recessed connector a problem for aftermarket cables? Am I going to be stuck with the factory cables?

We know Head-Fi likes to swap cables for a variety of reasons to individualize the listening experience. Sennheiser is working with 3rd party manufacturers on developing additional cable options if you want to venture away from the factory cable. Many ship worldwide (but please contact them opposed to Sennheiser for localized pricing, support, and availability) - the list includes (but may not be limited to):

• Brise Audio (Based out of Japan)
• Null Audio (Singapore)
• Onso Project (Japan)
• Tomy Audiophile (China)
• Han Sound Audio (Taiwan)

 

[rwelles]

I'd like to add PlusSound (US) to the list of aftermarket compatible cables. I got one for my IE300 and it's a perfect fit. But they may not be working directly with Sennheiser since @ericpalonen didn't include them.

 

[ericpalonen]

I'd like to add PlusSound (US) to the list of aftermarket compatible cables. I got one for my IE300 and it's a perfect fit. But they may not be working directly with Sennheiser since @ericpalonen didn't include them.

Good to know, thanks much! Given the decentralized nature of cable manufacturing and sales our list may not be comprehensive, but we'll add to it as we can confirm.

 

[frix]

Are there also reasonable priced aftermarket cables under $100?

 

[rggz]

Are there also reasonable priced aftermarket cables under $100?

The OEaudio posted above is under $100: https://oeaudio.shop/products/2dualcdc-oxygen-free-copper-hi-end-iem-upgrade-cable

They have a budget option called 2dualintro for $30 but the MMCX connector seems shallower than the CDC model.

 

[someyoungguy]

This may seem like a random question, but would the wireless cable that goes with the ie100pro work with the ie600?

 

[frix]

No the IE100 doesn't use mmcx