[Feischmaker]

Now i am curious lol, I need to find out whether its squarish shell is comfortable. This could be it.

 

[Precogvision]

Sennheiser IE900 Impressions

Phew. I finally got around to hitting up the Sennheiser SF store to hear the IE900, their latest DD flagship IEM. Admittedly, I've been avoiding this for a while just because the parking situation and general flow of traffic around that area are terrible. But of course, curiosity got the better of me. I brought along the Sony IER-Z1R for comparison, so that's what I'll be using to frame a lot of my thoughts on the IE900. As usual, please take these impressions with a grain of salt as they were done in a more noisy environment where my thoughts tend to be more optimistic. In total, I ended up spending about two hours listening to the IE900.

Spoiler: FR Graph

The IE900 has what I perceive as a V-shaped, perhaps more U-shaped sound signature. Right out the gate, I have to admit: the IE900 caught me off guard. The bass on the IE900....just might be some of the best that I have heard from an IEM. It trades blows with the venerable Sony IER-Z1R, a comparison that - trust me - I do not take lightly. While perhaps not as rotund and muscly as the IER-Z1R's bass, the dynamic range of the IE900's bass is clearly more organic to my ears in direct A/B. By comparison, the IER-Z1R's bass has some upwards-compression, like it's always on full-tilt. The IE900 also has more bass quantity which makes for one hell of a bass cannon.

The midrange of the IE900 is where things go south. I don't know if it's intentional, but none of Sennheiser's IEMs have proper pinna compensation. Surprisingly, I do not find the IE900's midrange particularly recessed despite the strong upper-midrange recession; indeed, it's more along the lines of slightly edgy. I would surmise this is due to the strong contrast to the more elevated treble response. But here, it's really on the front of imaging with which the IE900 suffers. The center image sounds almost inverted, and I find myself staring (somewhere) into the innards of my brain to pinpoint it. It's unnerving, and it's a shame that neither the IER-Z1R nor the IE900 seems to be able to nail a proper midrange. The IER-Z1R's midrange has a very noticeable dip to ~2.5kHz and more grit to its decay by comparison. Don't buy either of these IEMs for their midrange.

I had my reservations about the treble on the IE900, but it's not bad. It's very much mid-treble oriented, so for listeners desiring sparkle, well, the IE900 has it in spades. Extension, speed, and air are also of no issue; the IE900 has them all. Because I was in the store where there's a considerable amount of ambient noise, I did find myself jacking up the volume on the IE900. At this point, I found it somewhat fatiguing on some tracks I was using, but the bass response mostly serves to balance out the strong treble emphasis. I'll even go ahead and call this treble response decent, if only for it's impressive technical showing.

Like so, this might be the most technically competent single DD IEM that I have heard aside from the Dunu Luna (sheesh, I really need to give that a re-listen). For a sense of punch and macro-dynamics, the IE900 is a strong performer, likely besting the IER-Z1R which, in reality, does not have the best macro-dynamics, perhaps due to the slower speed of its transients and coherency issues. I want to give the IE900 a closer listen for micro-dynamics, but by no means did I find them wanting on initial listen. Now, staging is where there is a considerable gap between these two beasts. The IE900's staging is just average, and it lacks a lot of the height and width - by extension, ambiance - that the IER-Z1R displays. If one desires that elusive, speaker-like presentation, there is no question in my mind that the IER-Z1R remains top dog.

I also got to hear the previous Sennheiser flagship IEM, the IE800S. It's just okay. Tonally, while it shares a similar profile with the IE900, the IE800S is more reminiscent of the HD800S in the treble, where it does have more of a lower-treble emphasis and sounds quite thin. There's really no contest between these two IEM's treble responses on a technical level; the IE900 is quicker and more incisive. The IE800S's bass is also somewhat mediocre and it doesn't really have that "wow" factor to it that the IE900's does. It sounds more reminiscent of a DD you'd find in the sub-$200 range. The IE800S's dynamic range leans flatter, less impactful and, particularly for micro-dynamics, it lacks a lot of the vividness I hear on the IE900. Resolution on the IE800S is also clearly a couple steps behind. So, uh, yeah. To say the IE900 is an improvement would be a major understatement. It's leaps better than any of the Sennheiser IEMs I've heard in the past, and I can confidently say it's the only Sennheiser IEM that I would personally consider owning.

Scores: 4/10 for the IE800S, 7/10 for the IE900

Special thanks to Julius from Sennheiser SF for getting me set up and being very accommodating throughout the whole demo! He was totally down to let me measure it, and even opened up the HE1 room just so I could take the measurement in a more quiet environment. Once I got to listening, they just let me do my thing; I really like that there's no pressure to make a purchase at the Sennheiser store. Definitely a place I'd recommend hitting up if you have the opportunity.

 

[riverground]

Special thanks to Julius from Sennheiser SF for getting me set up and being very accommodating throughout the whole demo! He was totally down to let me measure it, and even opened up the HE1 room just so I could take the measurement in a more quiet environment. Once I got to listening, they just let me do my thing; I really like that there's no pressure to make a purchase at the Sennheiser store. Definitely a place I'd recommend hitting up if you have the opportunity.

So… did you get to listen to the HE-1???

Great first initial impressions buddy!

I hope you’d get a chance to fully review them, especially in a quieter and more controlled environment.

For what they are, I really enjoyed them throughout the time I had with them. It just sucked that none of stock tips worked well enough for me. I had to use my dad’s Momentum TWS’ medium tips along with the “foam filters” (in fear that earwax might go in the bore) that came with the stock tips just to get a proper seal and fit.

 

[Precogvision]

So… did you get to listen to the HE-1???

Great first initial impressions buddy!

I hope you’d get a chance to fully review them, especially in a quieter and more controlled environment.

For what they are, I really enjoyed them throughout the time I had with them. It just sucked that none of stock tips worked well enough for me. I had to use my dad’s Momentum TWS’ medium tips along with the “foam filters” (in fear that earwax might go in the bore) that came with the stock tips just to get a proper seal and fit.

Nah, they told me they're still not doing appointments for it which is too bad. I really wanted to hear it again, though! It's probably the one headphone I've heard that I think has tonality within the realm of the ideal.

I also had some fit issues in my right ear with the IE900's stock ear tips. It fit no problem, but I couldn't get a seal. I had to size down to a smaller tip which seemed to do the trick. That was surprising given how small the IEM actually is in-person.

 

[Damz87]

I also had some fit issues in my right ear with the IE900's stock ear tips. It fit no problem, but I couldn't get a seal. I had to size down to a smaller tip which seemed to do the trick. That was surprising given how small the IEM actually is in-person.

I have that problem too. I use slightly smaller tips than I usually would to get a seal. The larger tip didn’t seal at all. The fit is a bit strange but they’re damn comfy

 

[xenithon]

I have that problem too. I use slightly smaller tips than I usually would to get a seal. The larger tip didn’t seal at all. The fit is a bit strange but they’re damn comfy

My right side is also the troublesome one. Interestingly I found I had to upsize the tip for a good seal with good comfort. Going down a size or sticking to the size I use with other IEMs and it would go too deep and become uncomfortable. The larger size forms an earlier, shallower seal.

 

[MRSallee]

Nah, they told me they're still not doing appointments for it which is too bad. I really wanted to hear it again, though! It's probably the one headphone I've heard that I think has tonality within the realm of the ideal.

I also had some fit issues in my right ear with the IE900's stock ear tips. It fit no problem, but I couldn't get a seal. I had to size down to a smaller tip which seemed to do the trick. That was surprising given how small the IEM actually is in-person.

I think Sennheiser’s stock silicone tips have really thin walls and, I found, collapse instead of seal against the ear canal. I got really inconsistent seal with them until I figured out what was going on. Then I switched to Etype

 

[Tiax]

7/10 for the IE900

Oh wow, didn't expect it to be so high
I really like it myself, expect for the midrange, which is just ok, especially when you directly compare against iems that can actually reproduce well separated, detailed and not recessed mids.

 

[gLer]

Can you suggest an iem under $1000 with such a midrange where the air and stage isn't compromised much?

Sennheiser IE900 Impressions

Phew. I finally got around to hitting up the Sennheiser SF store to hear the IE900, their latest DD flagship IEM. Admittedly, I've been avoiding this for a while just because the parking situation and general flow of traffic around that area are terrible. But of course, curiosity got the better of me. I brought along the Sony IER-Z1R for comparison, so that's what I'll be using to frame a lot of my thoughts on the IE900. As usual, please take these impressions with a grain of salt as they were done in a more noisy environment where my thoughts tend to be more optimistic. In total, I ended up spending about two hours listening to the IE900.

Spoiler: FR Graph

The IE900 has what I perceive as a V-shaped, perhaps more U-shaped sound signature. Right out the gate, I have to admit: the IE900 caught me off guard. The bass on the IE900....just might be some of the best that I have heard from an IEM. It trades blows with the venerable Sony IER-Z1R, a comparison that - trust me - I do not take lightly. While perhaps not as rotund and muscly as the IER-Z1R's bass, the dynamic range of the IE900's bass is clearly more organic to my ears in direct A/B. By comparison, the IER-Z1R's bass has some upwards-compression, like it's always on full-tilt. The IE900 also has more bass quantity which makes for one hell of a bass cannon.

The midrange of the IE900 is where things go south. I don't know if it's intentional, but none of Sennheiser's IEMs have proper pinna compensation. Surprisingly, I do not find the IE900's midrange particularly recessed despite the strong upper-midrange recession; indeed, it's more along the lines of slightly edgy. I would surmise this is due to the strong contrast to the more elevated treble response. But here, it's really on the front of imaging with which the IE900 suffers. The center image sounds almost inverted, and I find myself staring (somewhere) into the innards of my brain to pinpoint it. It's unnerving, and it's a shame that neither the IER-Z1R nor the IE900 seems to be able to nail a proper midrange. The IER-Z1R's midrange has a very noticeable dip to ~2.5kHz and more grit to its decay by comparison. Don't buy either of these IEMs for their midrange.

I had my reservations about the treble on the IE900, but it's not bad. It's very much mid-treble oriented, so for listeners desiring sparkle, well, the IE900 has it in spades. Extension, speed, and air are also of no issue; the IE900 has them all. Because I was in the store where there's a considerable amount of ambient noise, I did find myself jacking up the volume on the IE900. At this point, I found it somewhat fatiguing on some tracks I was using, but the bass response mostly serves to balance out the strong treble emphasis. I'll even go ahead and call this treble response decent, if only for it's impressive technical showing.

Like so, this might be the most technically competent single DD IEM that I have heard aside from the Dunu Luna (sheesh, I really need to give that a re-listen). For a sense of punch and macro-dynamics, the IE900 is a strong performer, likely besting the IER-Z1R which, in reality, does not have the best macro-dynamics, perhaps due to the slower speed of its transients and coherency issues. I want to give the IE900 a closer listen for micro-dynamics, but by no means did I find them wanting on initial listen. Now, staging is where there is a considerable gap between these two beasts. The IE900's staging is just average, and it lacks a lot of the height and width - by extension, ambiance - that the IER-Z1R displays. If one desires that elusive, speaker-like presentation, there is no question in my mind that the IER-Z1R remains top dog.

I also got to hear the previous Sennheiser flagship IEM, the IE800S. It's just okay. Tonally, while it shares a similar profile with the IE900, the IE800S is more reminiscent of the HD800S in the treble, where it does have more of a lower-treble emphasis and sounds quite thin. There's really no contest between these two IEM's treble responses on a technical level; the IE900 is quicker and more incisive. The IE800S's bass is also somewhat mediocre and it doesn't really have that "wow" factor to it that the IE900's does. It sounds more reminiscent of a DD you'd find in the sub-$200 range. The IE800S's dynamic range leans flatter, less impactful and, particularly for micro-dynamics, it lacks a lot of the vividness I hear on the IE900. Resolution on the IE800S is also clearly a couple steps behind. So, uh, yeah. To say the IE900 is an improvement would be a major understatement. It's leaps better than any of the Sennheiser IEMs I've heard in the past, and I can confidently say it's the only Sennheiser IEM that I would personally consider owning.

Scores: 4/10 for the IE800S, 7/10 for the IE900

Special thanks to Julius from Sennheiser SF for getting me set up and being very accommodating throughout the whole demo! He was totally down to let me measure it, and even opened up the HE1 room just so I could take the measurement in a more quiet environment. Once I got to listening, they just let me do my thing; I really like that there's no pressure to make a purchase at the Sennheiser store. Definitely a place I'd recommend hitting up if you have the opportunity.

Excellent review, thanks for these impressions. I almost predicted how you'd hear the mids, given your preference for more forward upper mids. For me the more recessed upper mids are just right - I don't hear vocals as recessed, but they're not forward either. Thankfully the clarity and detail the drivers manage to squeeze out of them while keeping instruments (and bass) almost cocooned away from the vocals makes them super clear even at lower volumes. But then I also don't listen to ultra energetic music with tons of instruments competing with the vocals, so music choice plays a big part here. Also, once I heard the bass on these I was sold. That's always been my metric for a great IEM, and short of the LX I haven't heard an IEM at any price with better bass than these. Put this bass in a Trailli and I'm outta the hobby.

My right side is also the troublesome one. Interestingly I found I had to upsize the tip for a good seal with good comfort. Going down a size or sticking to the size I use with other IEMs and it would go too deep and become uncomfortable. The larger size forms an earlier, shallower seal.

Same, had to upsize my tips for a better seal. Otherwise they go too deep, and deep insert IEMs just aren't my thing.

 

[Heo00911]

Sennheiser IE900 Impressions

Phew. I finally got around to hitting up the Sennheiser SF store to hear the IE900, their latest DD flagship IEM. Admittedly, I've been avoiding this for a while just because the parking situation and general flow of traffic around that area are terrible. But of course, curiosity got the better of me. I brought along the Sony IER-Z1R for comparison, so that's what I'll be using to frame a lot of my thoughts on the IE900. As usual, please take these impressions with a grain of salt as they were done in a more noisy environment where my thoughts tend to be more optimistic. In total, I ended up spending about two hours listening to the IE900.

Spoiler: FR Graph

The IE900 has what I perceive as a V-shaped, perhaps more U-shaped sound signature. Right out the gate, I have to admit: the IE900 caught me off guard. The bass on the IE900....just might be some of the best that I have heard from an IEM. It trades blows with the venerable Sony IER-Z1R, a comparison that - trust me - I do not take lightly. While perhaps not as rotund and muscly as the IER-Z1R's bass, the dynamic range of the IE900's bass is clearly more organic to my ears in direct A/B. By comparison, the IER-Z1R's bass has some upwards-compression, like it's always on full-tilt. The IE900 also has more bass quantity which makes for one hell of a bass cannon.

The midrange of the IE900 is where things go south. I don't know if it's intentional, but none of Sennheiser's IEMs have proper pinna compensation. Surprisingly, I do not find the IE900's midrange particularly recessed despite the strong upper-midrange recession; indeed, it's more along the lines of slightly edgy. I would surmise this is due to the strong contrast to the more elevated treble response. But here, it's really on the front of imaging with which the IE900 suffers. The center image sounds almost inverted, and I find myself staring (somewhere) into the innards of my brain to pinpoint it. It's unnerving, and it's a shame that neither the IER-Z1R nor the IE900 seems to be able to nail a proper midrange. The IER-Z1R's midrange has a very noticeable dip to ~2.5kHz and more grit to its decay by comparison. Don't buy either of these IEMs for their midrange.

I had my reservations about the treble on the IE900, but it's not bad. It's very much mid-treble oriented, so for listeners desiring sparkle, well, the IE900 has it in spades. Extension, speed, and air are also of no issue; the IE900 has them all. Because I was in the store where there's a considerable amount of ambient noise, I did find myself jacking up the volume on the IE900. At this point, I found it somewhat fatiguing on some tracks I was using, but the bass response mostly serves to balance out the strong treble emphasis. I'll even go ahead and call this treble response decent, if only for it's impressive technical showing.

Like so, this might be the most technically competent single DD IEM that I have heard aside from the Dunu Luna (sheesh, I really need to give that a re-listen). For a sense of punch and macro-dynamics, the IE900 is a strong performer, likely besting the IER-Z1R which, in reality, does not have the best macro-dynamics, perhaps due to the slower speed of its transients and coherency issues. I want to give the IE900 a closer listen for micro-dynamics, but by no means did I find them wanting on initial listen. Now, staging is where there is a considerable gap between these two beasts. The IE900's staging is just average, and it lacks a lot of the height and width - by extension, ambiance - that the IER-Z1R displays. If one desires that elusive, speaker-like presentation, there is no question in my mind that the IER-Z1R remains top dog.

I also got to hear the previous Sennheiser flagship IEM, the IE800S. It's just okay. Tonally, while it shares a similar profile with the IE900, the IE800S is more reminiscent of the HD800S in the treble, where it does have more of a lower-treble emphasis and sounds quite thin. There's really no contest between these two IEM's treble responses on a technical level; the IE900 is quicker and more incisive. The IE800S's bass is also somewhat mediocre and it doesn't really have that "wow" factor to it that the IE900's does. It sounds more reminiscent of a DD you'd find in the sub-$200 range. The IE800S's dynamic range leans flatter, less impactful and, particularly for micro-dynamics, it lacks a lot of the vividness I hear on the IE900. Resolution on the IE800S is also clearly a couple steps behind. So, uh, yeah. To say the IE900 is an improvement would be a major understatement. It's leaps better than any of the Sennheiser IEMs I've heard in the past, and I can confidently say it's the only Sennheiser IEM that I would personally consider owning.

Scores: 4/10 for the IE800S, 7/10 for the IE900

Special thanks to Julius from Sennheiser SF for getting me set up and being very accommodating throughout the whole demo! He was totally down to let me measure it, and even opened up the HE1 room just so I could take the measurement in a more quiet environment. Once I got to listening, they just let me do my thing; I really like that there's no pressure to make a purchase at the Sennheiser store. Definitely a place I'd recommend hitting up if you have the

Well, I think you should also look at Sony MDR-EX1000, one of the more capable single DD out there, one can get it for 350$ at the moment. Don't expect good tuning tho, huge peak in the upper mid. Kind of like Luna.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Well, I think you should also look at Sony MDR-EX1000, one of the more capable single DD out there, one can get it for 350$ at the moment. Don't expect good tuning tho, huge peak in the upper mid. Kind of like Luna.

Not sure he would like it...(IMO the treble is quite bad and needs EQ).

But it is a legendary DD, so guess it is worth hearing it simply because of that.

 

[baskingshark]

Not sure he would like it...(IMO the treble is quite bad and needs EQ).




But it is a legendary DD, so guess it is worth hearing it simply because of that.

Can that 5ish area kHz giant middle finger be tamed by your foam mods?

Or maybe certain aftermarket ear tips?

 

[Heo00911]

Can that 5ish area kHz giant middle finger be tamed by your foam mods?

Or maybe certain aftermarket ear tips?

No, only EQ can handle that montrosity.

 

[RikudouGoku]

Can that 5ish area kHz giant middle finger be tamed by your foam mods?

Or maybe certain aftermarket ear tips?

Unfortunately it cant. EQ is needed.

 

[baskingshark]

Unfortunately it cant. EQ is needed.

In that case I wouldn't call it legendary or TOTL if EQ is needed to salvage the tuning? Is it still competitive against some modern day midfi-TOTL gear?