[SteelRattus]

Hi folks,
 
I'm considering the IE8's.
 
My only concerns centre around fit.
 
1. Is there any issue wearing them with the wire down, rather than looped over the year?
 
2. Do they protrude much from the ear at all, when worn as per 1.?
 
3. Do they provide as good or similar isolation as the Etymotic ER-4P's?
 
TIA

 

[thomasdgray]

IE8 fit can be tricky.  You can wear them wire down but I find that the size/weight of the earpiece makes wire down a little awkward.  For me, over the ear is more comfortable and gives a more stable fit.  
 
They do protrude from the ear - I can't imagine too many ears that have a diamond shape to allow them to nestle close to the ear.  They aren't as obviously bolt like as the UE TripleFi but, if you're used to a close fit, like a Westone, they will look and feel a bit awkward.
 
Can't comment on the Etymotic but the isolation from the IE8 isn't great.  I generally get a good fit/seal with Sennheiser tips but the IE8 was the exception for me.  Even with the same tips that I used with the CX500/IE6, I couldn't get a great fit.  Comply sleeves will give you a good seal (probably, ymmv) but they tend to enhance the bassy feel and muffle the highs a little.
 
The IE8 can sound great but I tend to not to use them much for fit reasons.  

 

[shamrock134]

I find the most comfortable fit with best isolation is with either stock silicons or sony hybrids, worn wire down, with the R in your left ear and the L in the right ear.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Hi folks,
 
I'm considering the IE8's.
 
My only concerns centre around fit.
 
1. Is there any issue wearing them with the wire down, rather than looped over the year?
 
2. Do they protrude much from the ear at all, when worn as per 1.?
 
3. Do they provide as good or similar isolation as the Etymotic ER-4P's?
 
TIA

 
1. They stick out quite a bit when worn that way and so you won't be able to fit them under a hat.
2. See 1.
3. No way, ER4 isolate much better. However, IE8 with custom tips do isolate very well. But they also have too much bass when the seal is tight in my opinion.
 
I think the ergonomics on the IE8 are terrible. They may fit some ears well, but for most people, they just won't fit perfectly. The problem is the shape of the housing that was supposedly made to mimic custom fit IEMs, but in reality makes the fit far less universal because of its overly complex, fixed shape that does not adapt well to the multitude of ear shapes and sizes that people have. It's as though the engineers who designed the IE8 housing are all clones of each other with exactly the same ears.

 

[SolidVictory]

Quote:

Hi folks,
 
I'm considering the IE8's.
 
My only concerns centre around fit.
 
1. Is there any issue wearing them with the wire down, rather than looped over the year?
 
2. Do they protrude much from the ear at all, when worn as per 1.?
 
3. Do they provide as good or similar isolation as the Etymotic ER-4P's?
 
TIA

1) If you wear them with the wire down, it feels strange and the fit is not as good. These are ergonomically designed to be looped over the ear, and they feel very comfortable that way.
 
2) When you wear them without looping, yes they protrude but not that much at all. If you wear them looping the cable over the ear, they fit really well into your ear and barely protrude out.
 
3) The isolation on the IE8s is its weak point. It does not compare to the isolation of the Etymotic ER-4P, which has one of the highest isolation ratings on the market for universal IEMs.
 
I used to own the IE8 and they are a great IEM. Hope I helped!

 

[SteelRattus]

thomasdgray: I would find it uncomfortable to have over the ear, so it would have to be wire down. One of the Amazon(.co.uk) reviews said they fitted inside the ear, but I couldn't believe that so wanted to double check.
 
Pianist: Not for hat wearing, but I do fly or lie down with headphones on, so they can't stick out too far (due to them being pushed back in by the plane seat or pillow). I seem to have fairly easy ears for fitting, but I'm put off them enough now that I won't bother.
 
It's odd, because all I want are great sounding simple IEMs, that don't hook over the ear, or require running cable over the ear. They don't seem to exist, with the possible exception of the Monster Turbines.

 

[AngryBaconGod]

Quote:

 
It's odd, because all I want are great sounding simple IEMs, that don't hook over the ear, or require running cable over the ear. They don't seem to exist, with the possible exception of the Monster Turbines.

It's early days but the new Shure se215 might be what you're after. They are a dynamic driver with supposedly good bass, and ergonomically they look like they fit nice and tight in the ear. If you can wait for the reviews to start, they *might* be a winner for you.
 
FWIW, I have IE8s and I adore them. They sound fantastic with the bass adjustment set to the minimum setting.
 
 

 

[MaxwellDemon]

Quote:

It's early days but the new Shure se215 might be what you're after. They are a dynamic driver with supposedly good bass, and ergonomically they look like they fit nice and tight in the ear. If you can wait for the reviews to start, they *might* be a winner for you.
 
FWIW, I have IE8s and I adore them. They sound fantastic with the bass adjustment set to the minimum setting.
 
 

Don't the SE215 hook over the ears as well?

 

[SteelRattus]

They certainly look like the same cable behind the ear type as other Shure's.
 
With some IEMs it's hard to find any actual shots of them in the ear e.g. the IE8's, and from a number of angles would be even more helpful.

Edit: Ah, I found at least one with the IE8 cable down. It looks like this causes it to protrude much further from the ear. With the cable behind the ear it looks like you can sit the diamond shaped bit inside the ear, sort of.

 

[AngryBaconGod]

Quote:

Don't the SE215 hook over the ears as well?

Oh, I guess so. I had old Shure's which could be used either way (until the cable disintegrated - I wish they had had a detachable cable). So if so, my bad.
 

 

[MaxwellDemon]

Well, I am sure if you ask IE8 owners how they wear their IEMs, they'll probably be willing to take a photo for you. In additional, there are a lot of great IEMs that can be worn wires down. I'd imagine IEMs like the e-Q7 or Radius can be worn down instead of over.
 
@AngryBaconGod: Yeah, the old SE models are a little bit more flexible unfortunately. Now that custom-like universal IEMs are all the rave, I find it sad that such versatility is going out of the door.

 
 

 

[Okwon]

They fit a lot better for me looped around the ears but, i practically wear them all the time and just got tired of taking that one extra step to looped them over my ears =)!
 
They tend to stick out a bit but, not as much when looped around the ears.
 
They aren't that great at isolating... =(

 

[shamrock134]

Seriously, try them wire down with the earpieces in the opposite ear. So L in the right ear and R in the left ear. They sit flush and are more comfortable to me than over the ear. I wear most other IEMs over ear, but it doesn't feel right with the IE8.

 

[RichWhitfield]

I am having problems with my ie8s.  I have tried them over-the-ear and wire down as well, with multiple different tips and after a while they just hurt.  I don't know whether it is because I have strangely shaped ears, or if I am doing something wrong (would seem to be very difficult to insert incorrectly).  The sound of them, however, is really really enjoyable, but I fear that I may have to trade/sell because of the pain I get from wearing them.
 
I have had er6is in the past, and they, without doubt, are the most comfortable iems I have worn.  Not sure how different the fit is between those and the er4ps but if anyway similar they will be way more comfortable to wear than ie8s.

 

[shamrock134]

Have you tried them wire down with the ear-pieces in the opposite/wrong ear? I'm starting to sound like a broken record but, I'd be interested to hear from someone else who has given this a go. I can't say I've ever noticed the channels being switched in my music.

 
Quote:

I am having problems with my ie8s.  I have tried them over-the-ear and wire down as well, with multiple different tips and after a while they just hurt.  I don't know whether it is because I have strangely shaped ears, or if I am doing something wrong (would seem to be very difficult to insert incorrectly).  The sound of them, however, is really really enjoyable, but I fear that I may have to trade/sell because of the pain I get from wearing them.
 
I have had er6is in the past, and they, without doubt, are the most comfortable iems I have worn.  Not sure how different the fit is between those and the er4ps but if anyway similar they will be way more comfortable to wear than ie8s.