[uberburger101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm wondering if the Sony is helping the synergy overall, with the Mustang & Atrios.

Probably, that's the only reason I can think of.

 

[communic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The v.2 definitely has a little bit of harshness, over the original. I don't hear any sibilance on vocal 's', but there's a bit of bite to some notes in the mids & highs. It's not bad at all, very minor. The the W3's do it too, but on a smaller range of notes. But when it happens on the W3's it's pretty harsh. It kind of jumps out and surprises you because overall they're so smooth. The harshness on the Atrios affects a wider range of notes, but it's not so 'jump out at you'. And, my new Mustang amp pretty much gets rid of it. These comments apply more to them being run straight out of the Sony.

Cheers, very descriptive! Sounds like my ears could work with these; will see if I can muster a few £££'s and get a pair!

 

[Cecala]

After reading what seems like thousands of posts here and in other threads regarding the merits of each phone(IE8, W3), I think I have settled on the Senns for the following reasons:

1- Great soundstage, better than W3(very important).
2- Classical music is my domain.
3- Can buy Senns here in Australia for close to half of W3.
4- Isolation can be very close to W3.(do not want total cutoff but close).
5- Prefer Senns sound signature as described by many here.(smoother and laid back).

I am coming from the Audio-Technica ATH-CK7, so if anybody can tell me how much of an improvement I'm likely to incur, please do.

 

[Aevum]

i call them, the person child of the Atrio M5 and the UE Triple.fi 10 pro,

 

[toughnut]

Ck7 is quite similar sounding compared to mylar X3 iirc. IE8 should blow it apart especially in mid and bass. Ck7 and X3 pretty weak in bass.

 

[AgainstTheGrain]

its official i'm getting the IE8. i'll make my purchase sometime this week and post my impressions soon thereafter

 

[Cecala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aevum /img/forum/go_quote.gif i call them, the person child of the Atrio M5 and the UE Triple.fi 10 pro,

Quote:

Originally Posted by toughnut /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ck7 is quite similar sounding compared to mylar X3 iirc. IE8 should blow it apart especially in mid and bass. Ck7 and X3 pretty weak in bass.

Thank you both.

 

[AgainstTheGrain]

made my purchase today. shipped out today. due to the holidays i should have them by next week i'm hoping. i'm so amped. my first new purchase in 10 months.

 

[vedye]

Hehe i can feel ur excitement! But I strongly suggest you run your IE8s for about 100-200 hours time coz they do sound different after the run!

 

[thatguyoverthere]

How do they compare with Rock and Metal?

 

[Cecala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgainstTheGrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif made my purchase today. shipped out today. due to the holidays i should have them by next week i'm hoping. i'm so amped. my first new purchase in 10 months.

Can I ask how much you paid for the privilege?

 

[thatguyoverthere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nocturnalsheet /img/forum/go_quote.gif i prefer the IE8, the adjustable bass knob is a real big bonus for me.

wait, there's a knob to adjust bass?

Well, if that's true, then my decision is already made for me. I'm not buying anything with an adjustable anything that's not volume. I'll be so preoccupied that I'll never get around to hearing the music.

 

[toughnut]

IE8 has adjustable bass knob. The small knob that look like Philip screws on the face of the IEM, just below the corner of Senn emblem.

 

[somestranger26]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AgainstTheGrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif my first new purchase in 10 months.

Your wallet is going to hate you soon.

 

[windrider]

just had a long audition with the ie8 at sennheiser japan's showroom in tokyo.

i found them very impressive indeed, best i have heard so far except for the westone 3.

the larger foam tips fit my ears best, however one of them was missing, so i cant say it was the perfect environment. I did not know if the set they let me audition had any burn in at all whatsoever. It sounded grainy to my ears (compared to the westone 3), so i'll give it the benefit of the doubt that it wasnt burnt in properly yet.

The soundstage as people had mentioned, is big. Its much wider than the westone 3s.

the bass, adjusted to max, is probably the best bass out there in the iem category in terms of the amount of bass, yet it is of good quality and does not drown out the mids imho.

Sound presentation wise, i found westone 3 has a more intimate presentation of the sound with its smaller yet 3d sounding soundstage, while ie8's presentation was more "fun", especially if u pump up the bass knob.

SQ wise westone 3 wins by a significant margin imho. probably it wasnt burnt in enough, but ie8 sounded grainy to me when compared to the westone 3s. I'd give it the benefit of the doubt that it wasnt burnt in though, but to me, without hearing a fully burnt in set first, i'd say out of the box it would take alot of faith to put my money in ie8 instead of westone 3.

Even if ie8 smooths out and reaches westone 3 sound quality after burn in, personally I would still hesitate picking it over the w3. For the simple reason that i can sleep and lie on my side with the w3 comfortably because they dont stick out, but with the way the ie8 fits it seems pretty impossible to me after trying all the tips they had there. Its not the tips, its the way it fits... even with the shortest tips, they will stick out. Other than that, its very comfortable, and they are lighter than the westone 3s so thats a plus, though i would say the westone 3s probably isolate better. For those who intend to wear their iems to sleep at all, or do not want their iems to stick out much, and are deciding between the w3 and ie8, go for the w3 now as there is only one choice. If not, well, you can keep on considering =)

I was looking forward to the ie8s cos i find the w3 mids to be slightly dry/recessed sounding on some tracks i listen to. However, although the ie8 does seem to have slightly warmer mids, imho they sounded too grainy in comparison to the w3 to compete on the same level. smooth sounding beats slightly recessed/dry imho.

IF, ie8 does reach w3's level of smoothness after burn in, then i suspect, after fully burning in, it MIGHT sound better than w3. I cant say for sure as i have never heard a fully burnt in ie8. And hearing them out of the box i just cannot imagine that happening, even if they do smooth out, the gap was pretty big imho... though of course i cant say for sure.