Fake Senheiser IE800?

[Rob80b]

  Spot the differences...real or fake... : )

 

Either way you look at it

both are copies.. fakes. (hint...photo was not flipped)
 
Same for Neil's shown below....

  so i just received the fake 40$
It verifies as an authentic in the sennheiser authentication page but says its been checked quite often
 
Here are some photos
................
 

 
 

 

[Sound Eq]

why is the original ie800 thread locked

 

[Mr Makarov]

Just saw that original thread was locked! I have pretty good idea why...(several pages where someone was talking about how bad engineered ie800 bass port was and started a rather long argument with other members). But not sure that it was such a big derail to shut down the original thread.

 

[Rob80b]

  why is the original ie800 thread locked

Yep..just saw that....
 
The moderators ..as may many of us.. may have felt doing this to ones phones was really not in the spirit of things...but each to his own..who knows?  Well at least we all know what the interior of a real pair looks like if you can see past the carnage.....
http://www.head-fi.org/t/605438/sennheiser-ie800-iems/5385#post_12683879
 

 

[Rob80b]

Almost...

 
but ..rotate one...

 

[Rob80b]

Hi Guys..took advantage of a descent offer off Amazon's warehouse deals and after careful scrutinizing I'm quite sure they're legit and haven't been swapped out by some unscrupulous individual.
Still need to spend more time listening to them to get a definitive grasp on their sound…especially with regards to my "Chinese" copies which IMHO actually sound very good, at least off an iPod Nano with no additional amplification. Later on I'll compare them off the Bryston BHA-1 Headamp and BCD-1 CD player.
 
For now some comparative shots, the new (legit) ones are always on the left.
Between the two without magnification some details would almost be impossible to spot,
Hope these shots help the weary few but there are many variations of fakes out there, mine is just one of many.
 
Finer overall manufacturing

 
 
Ear tip holders are much cleaner

 
Mini Jack are very close

 
Etched S is uniform and ear cushions have less of an obvious seam.

 
Screen Mesh is tidier

 
Cable, again very close..

 
 
Case has a nicer leather, more matte than glossy

 
Also the plaque is slightly embedded with a boarder and overall nicer on the legit pair
 

 
Chinese plague

 
Manual is crisp

 
and of course the most obvious difference between my two, otherwise without my glasses I'd be hard pressed to see most of these details.

 
Hope these help the weary few.

 

[Mr Makarov]

So how they sound compared to fakes? Also you tried swapping tips from the original ie800 to the fake and compare sound?

 

[Rob80b]

  So how they sound compared to fakes? Also you tried swapping tips from the original ie800 to the fake and compare sound?

Over the last 24 hrs I’ve gone through a few CDs played off a Bryston BCD-1 run through a Bryston BHA-1 headamp, also did some comparison while out and about off my iPod Nano…..Stravinsky’s ”L’Oiseau de Feu” on Orfeo, Rammstein’s “Reise Reise”, Percussion Music (Nonesuch)..with works by Varese Cowell, Wuorinen , Dave Holland Quintet “Prime Directive and FSOL’s “Lifeforms”….so a fairly good slice of genres …the legit ie800s sounded very good, problem is so did my copies from Aliexpress although the copies had to be boosted in volume a db or two to match volume.
Disclaimer, I’ve got a slight head cold so that will play havoc on a definitive evaluation, but swapping between the two after a few cuts or an album did not produce any revelations, both sound very similar, the new legit ones may have a touch more air but I’ll let my head clear first.
While booth sound very good, with regards to staging, depth and tonality with authoritative base the HD800S’ still come ahead although the little guys may have a bit more kick in the bottom end.
 
So the thing is…without doing what Alex did
http://www.head-fi.org/t/812757/sennheiser-ie800-iems-modding-issues/150

it’s impossible to really know what driver is encased in these Chinese copies or if they are even designed the same inside, maybe they are actual factory rejects because of slight cosmetic flaws…grey market…I’ll never know but what ever it is it’s doing a damn fine job, wish it didn’t as it would make life so much easier.

 

[kimD]

How bout sounds, got 2 difference between the SQ or big grab?

 

[Rob80b]

How bout sounds, got 2 difference between the SQ or big grab?

Not too sure what you are asking? But most questions regarding copies/fakes is basically moot unless one is able to acquire an identical set, I bought a second set for someone else from the same supplier, box and accessories were identical but the overall quality of the phones was much lower (check my earlier posts) and the connection at the Y connector had a fault, sent them back for an exchange which may never happen.
If you like the ie800s best to buy a legit "Sennheiser" pair and be happy. : )

 

[kimD]

Not too sure what you are asking? But most questions regarding copies/fakes is basically moot unless one is able to acquire an identical set, I bought a second set for someone else from the same supplier, box and accessories were identical but the overall quality of the phones was much lower (check my earlier posts) and the connection at the Y connector had a fault, sent them back for an exchange which may never happen.
If you like the ie800s best to buy a legit "Sennheiser" pair and be happy. : )

From my point of view these 2 should have difference selling price, if that seller used the fake one and selling same as original one, I think that is the worst case

 

[Rob80b]

From my point of view these 2 should have difference selling price, if that seller used the fake one and selling same as original one, I think that is the worst case

Hi KimI ...totally agree but that was not the case here.
I was totally aware that the ones I bought off aliexpress as a $50 curiosity were copies and it was just to see for myself how far counterfeiting has come, and my legit copy off Amazon as I wanted a “real” pair of Senns ie800s, and yes the cost difference is greater than a ratio of 10 to 1 if you can find a legit pair on sale, much higher if you can’t, unfortunately the sound quality between the two does not share the same percentage.

 

[kimD]

Hi KimI ...totally agree but that was not the case here.
I was totally aware that the ones I bought off aliexpress as a $50 curiosity were copies and it was just to see for myself how far counterfeiting has come, and my legit copy off Amazon as I wanted a “real” pair of Senns ie800s, and yes the cost difference is greater than a ratio of 10 to 1 if you can find a legit pair on sale, much higher if you can’t, unfortunately the sound quality between the two does not share the same percentage.

That is really made my day more excited

 

[Rob80b]

That is really made my day more excited

Don’t get your hopes up too high with regards to the good sounding copies, yes they are capable of healthy volumes without distortion, have deep prodigious base, produce little or no sibilance and sound fine but their strengths lie in omission not inclusion. The authentic ie800s have that subtle sense of air and resolution, which may not be evident through casual comparisons or with low quality recordings but becomes more obvious upon long term listening.

 

[Rob80b]

Anyway...to conclude and to help those who wish to know if they have an authentic pair or not…..the devils in the details.