[Mingneh]

Happy new year head-fi!

I recently received a pair of Sennheiser IE8 from my cousin that went to the states (Some 3 weeks ago). All was well with the sound and build quality until recently when i attempted to remove the wire from the driver it simply won't buldge. I then found out from my cousin he bought the IE8 at around 300USD, which is not the retail price of the genuine iem.

Looking at the fake ie8 guide, i identified two problems, there is no red chip/wire in the two connectors for either side of the cable, and the aesthetic properties of the box does seem a little off. I am no audiophile but i do find the ie8 i own to outperform anything i've heard, even the gargantuan soundstage is present when i listen to 320k orchestra pieces e.g One winged angel from advent children.

Can the above stated prove that my ie8 is indeed fake? Or is there any more 'official' ways to find out? Please assist me!

 

[alphaphoenix]

Why don't you first ask your cousin where he purchased it? IE8 for $300 is not unexpected as that's how much they go on Amazon from legit dealers most of the time. Also, why are you trying to remove the cable from the ear pieces? Are you trying an aftermarket cable?

 

[Mingneh]

Quote:

Why don't you first ask your cousin where he purchased it? IE8 for $300 is not unexpected as that's how much they go on Amazon from legit dealers most of the time. Also, why are you trying to remove the cable from the ear pieces? Are you trying an aftermarket cable?

Well there are two reasons why i'm removing it: 1) I know ie8 has removable wires and not having tried it before keeps nibbing at me x) and 2) My friend was showing me his 535 with a aftermarket wire. Can't recall the name but it cost around 60odds USD. I was planning to  buy one too after researching what can an aftermarket cable do for me.

I can't be 100% sure but i am pretty darn sure she bought it from best buy..not the best place i presume?

 

[jinx20001]

just pull it harder and keep it straight as you pull dont twist or bend as that wont go well. but yeh pull it harder it will pop out with enough force. it can be hard to get a good grip and that can make you think it wont come out but with a good grip and pull it will come out.

 

[IMAWolf]

If i copied the reply above me and randomly put it on Facebook i can't imagine the replies i'll get.
 
To OP: You should try wiggling it around a bit, does it budge at all? The shape of the housing kinda makes it hard to pull the connector out properly since it naturally gets into a weird angle when you hold it.

 

[jinx20001]

why is that?? i think wiggling it about a bit is a worse idea than the go for it and pull method lol i think even fake IE8's have removable cables, ive seen lots and not came across one without that yet. it should be fairly obvious if they are not removable, look at the seperation line and try sticking your nail inbetween it if you can, if there is movement its likely removeable.

 

[Mingneh]

Ok, i cmae up with this genius(or not, haha) idea of wrapping tissues around the connector for more grip and yep, off it came! Thanks for the input! But guys how do i identify if it's a fake or not? Besides visual inspection.

 

[nmxdaven]

Quote:

If i copied the reply above me and randomly put it on Facebook i can't imagine the replies i'll get.

lol

 

[jinx20001]

fake IE8's will likely sound very poor, very thin, the bass adjustments should turn from one side to the other fully ( fakes are made so poorly they usually dont even turn from minimum to maximum ) and it should work, fakes rarely work when adjusting the bass. take into consideration that real IE8's bass adjustment is fairly vague tho and it isnt a massive difference in sound. the cables should be a greyish blue colour not black. there is many ways to identify fakes and they are usually consistent, havnt seen a fake yet that has beaten all the signs. there is a thread on this site in fact that identifies them all for you with pics, cant be arsed to find it out for you tho it shouldnt be hard.
 
hope that helps. sounds likely you have good en's if it sounds good tho.

 

[Glow Fish]

I doubt Best Buy would sell fakes.  That's a big authorized retailer.

 

[tomscy2000]

I vote for this statement as 'most likely to be amusing to Americans"

 
Quote:

I can't be 100% sure but i am pretty darn sure she bought it from best buy..not the best place i presume?

 

 

[Totally Dubbed]

About the original post - why don't you post some pictures?
Maybe we can help

 

[imboden]

Quote:

just pull it harder and keep it straight as you pull dont twist or bend as that wont go well. but yeh pull it harder it will pop out with enough force. it can be hard to get a good grip and that can make you think it wont come out but with a good grip and pull it will come out.

I'm sorry this post made my day.

 

[Totally Dubbed]

Quote:

I'm sorry this post made my day.

hahaha!
 
*dirty mind activated*