[james444]

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The best explanation I can give you is that the IE800 is VERY difficult to measure.  For whatever reason, they just don't like being inserted into my measurement head. 
 
Sorry, bums me out.  Just don't know what to think.

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So, there is a remote chance the IE800s are not 'officially' sibilant? Hurray!

 
Thanks Tyll, I thought it wouldn't be easy to explain. What draws my attention is that both channels are actually very well matched from deepest bass up until 7kHz, so the cause can't be leakage, because that would show in differing bass levels. "Incidentally" 7kHz is exactly the frequency where the IE800's dual chamber absorbers (D2CA) kick in, and now we suddenly see a difference of up to 20dB between left and right channel, extending upwards until past 10kHz.
 
My humble guess is that D2CA failed to work properly in the left earpiece, either due to a manufacturing defect or a fit related (probably insertion depth) issue. The right earpiece, however, is in my understanding quite linear in said frequency range and not sibilant at all.

 

[music_4321]

^^  What's also interesting is that in that graph the right earpiece seems to show a somewhat subdued/rolled-off treble, particularly in the raw data, which is closer to how I hear the IE800s (though I certainly don't find them treble-happy nor recessed in the upper registers).

 

[vrln]

I´ve never heard the IE800 treble to be anywhere near spiky either. The EX-1000 for example is clearly more treble happy and not just due to the spike it has. To my ears the IE800 isn´t a particularly airy IEM, but I wouldn´t classify it as dark either. The upper midrange can be somewhat hot sometimes though. The IE800 shines at lower volume levels (it doesn´t distort, but the bass drive will be tiring eventually) and used outside in an at least somewhat noisy environment.

 

[hedphonz]

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So, there is a remote chance the IE800s are not 'officially' sibilant? Hurray!

I can honestly say that I have never found mine to be sibilant - when i listen to that classic reference track of Im so lonesome by the cowboy junkies her voice is smooth as silk whereas on my HD800's it is sibilant.
 
I actually feel like mine are too smooth and rounded at times and feel as if i want more sharpness or more of a cutting edge to the sound ( thats the best i can describe it in my limited hifi vocabulary)
 
Overall though I do love my IE800's - they are so enjoyable to listen to and fantastic for out on the street. 

 

[soullinker20]

Funny,

I can honestly say that I have never found mine to be sibilant - when i listen to that classic reference track of Im so lonesome by the cowboy junkies her voice is smooth as silk whereas on my HD800's it is sibilant.

I actually feel like mine are too smooth and rounded at times and feel as if i want more sharpness or more of a cutting edge to the sound ( thats the best i can describe it in my limited hifi vocabulary)

Overall though I do love my IE800's - they are so enjoyable to listen to and fantastic for out on the street. 

funny, coz i do find my ie800 painful and my hd800 isn't

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

Quote:

So, there is a remote chance the IE800s are not 'officially' sibilant? Hurray!

I can honestly say that I have never found mine to be sibilant - when i listen to that classic reference track of Im so lonesome by the cowboy junkies her voice is smooth as silk whereas on my HD800's it is sibilant.
 
I actually feel like mine are too smooth and rounded at times and feel as if i want more sharpness or more of a cutting edge to the sound ( thats the best i can describe it in my limited hifi vocabulary)
 
Overall though I do love my IE800's - they are so enjoyable to listen to and fantastic for out on the street. 

 
OK, let me put it another way: that was music_4321's particular brand of humour. Expressed alternatively, and already mentioned elsewhere, I don't find the treble hot or sibilant AT ALL. In fact, the IE800's treble is one of the best I've ever heard in any earphone/headphone, and quite impressive for a dynamic driver, and a tiny one, at that.

I've been reluctant to post on both IE800 threads for a number of reasons, but after reading your post, I think I'll share what I wrote to someone who sent me a PM and asked me, a week ago, to briefly compare the HD800s & IE800s:

"The HD800 is more linear; the IE800 has boosted bass, sub-bass specifically, so the midrange, in this case (unlike the older IE8/IE80) is virtually unaffected — don't forget these are meant to be used outdoors, so the bass in such cases is more 'palpable' and better suited, in my view  — unfortunately I do all my music listening at home. For home use, the bass, depending on your source (DAP) can be a bit much (for example they're much more linear/balanced with the Tera Player—a unique and brilliant pairing, actually—as the latter has rolled-off bass.

The IE800s have excellent dynamics and very good extension at both ends of the spectrum, and lovely, very lifelike timbre. For those who may find the HD800's treble a bit hot (not my case, at least not with the Violectric V200), the IE800's treble may be a little more forgiving/polite, though most certainly not recessed. I suppose you could say I'm a mids-head and the IE800s have some of the very best midrange I've heard in any ear/headphone.

These are very, very comfortable IEMs, with tiny housings and top notch workmanship. It's quite a feat the SQ Sennheiser managed to get out of these very small in-ears — you can tell quite a bit of R&D went on here."

 

[hedphonz]

Quote:

 
OK, let me put it another way: that was music_4321's particular brand of humour. Expressed alternatively, and already mentioned elsewhere, I don't find the treble hot or sibilant AT ALL. In fact, the IE800's treble is one of the best I've ever heard in any earphone/headphone, and quite impressive for a dynamic driver, and a tiny one, at that.

I've been reluctant to post on both IE800 threads for a number of reasons, but after reading your post, I think I'll share what I wrote to someone who sent me a PM and asked me, a week ago, to briefly compare the HD800s & IE800s:

"The HD800 is more linear; the IE800 has boosted bass, sub-bass specifically, so the midrange, in this case (unlike the older IE8/IE80) is virtually unaffected — don't forget these are meant to be used outdoors, so the bass in such cases is more 'palpable' and better suited, in my view  — unfortunately I do all my music listening at home. For home use, the bass, depending on your source (DAP) can be a bit much (for example they're much more linear/balanced with the Tera Player—a unique and brilliant pairing, actually—as the latter has rolled-off bass.

The IE800s have excellent dynamics and very good extension at both ends of the spectrum, and lovely, very lifelike timbre. For those who may find the HD800's treble a bit hot (not my case, at least not with the Violectric V200), the IE800's treble may be a little more forgiving/polite, though most certainly not recessed. I suppose you could say I'm a mids-head and the IE800s have some of the very best midrange I've heard in any ear/headphone.

These are very, very comfortable IEMs, with tiny housings and top notch workmanship. It's quite a feat the SQ Sennheiser managed to get out of these very small in-ears — you can tell quite a bit of R&D went on here."

thanks for sharing that - was very informative to me
 
Apologies for digressing away from the IE800 topic for a sec,  my HD800's are a early 2009 serial # and with a W4S DAC2 and Lehmann BCL it is a little sibilant - the source chain is good enough and I read that the early ones may have more of a treble peak so maybe thats mine too. Im keeping an eye on the HDVD800 thread to see if that is a better combo and also interested in the Woo fireflies to run both my HD and IE 800's.
 
But back to the IE800's - i think I can get more out of them by upgrading the DAP so I am following the X3/X5 and now the DX50 threads very closely as I am hoping that a cleaner more detailed source will give me more of that clarity or cut (sounds like im talking about a diamond) that I am looking for

 

[Inks]

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I'd love to have someone explain Tyll's IE800 graph to me. From my experience, the IE800 sounded quite sharp / sibilant when I first tried them with deeper insertion, but actually less so than a lot of my other IEMs (TWFKs, FAD BAs, ...) with a shallow insertion. Rin's analysis seems to suggest that the D2CA thing is designed for shallow insertion, so I wonder whether fit / seal was different between the left and right channel on Tyll's measurement. In this case, the left channel would sound decidedly sibilant for sure.
 

 
(source: link)

One side was inserted in too deeply somehow, causing the sibilance. I do think the EX1000's are more sibilant, the IE800 while sibilant isn't that bothersome IME. I only wore it with a very shallow fit, to tame it's harshness, not only that, I damped mine. IMO, Rin's graph is spot on as I know very well how IEMs sound to his graph. The minimum tolerance mask of the diffuse-field is actually a maximum tolerance mask IME, the IE800 hits twice. IMO not that bad, it's still better treble than say a K3003 

 

[CantScareMe]

I've had this phone for two days now - Burning it in whilst I'm not using it. The problem is that I'm not using it much at all because I don't know how...
 
It is a stunning heaphone when you only consider the iem body. Remarkable by a few measures in fact but unfortunately not as remarkable as the oversight when it comes to the cable. How can they have installed such a cable that purposefully makes a large effort to negatively affect the listening experience. I actually demoed the headphone before I bought it but these issues didn't appear evident at the time. 
 
Obviously, this is a headphone I bought to only use for commuting. When I'm in a silent room at home or something I've got plenty of other full size headphones that this isn't going to replace. Plus, sennheiser of course intend this to be used in louder environments as that's where it sounds better. 
So when commuting there are three ways that I could possibly wear a headphone:
 
1) Under ear
This doesn't lend itself well at all to this way - a largely microphonic cable with small angles iem bodies means that it basically is designed to be used over ear. In all the time/money i've spent on IEM's over the years, I've never wore anything ear down.
 
 
2) Over ear, cable along the front
The kench only goes down to 10 cm. As james444 says using it like this stragles you, especially as it's quite a tough and rough cable. Yea, the microphonics are reduced and the cable just about reaches my pocket, but it's just way too much in the way using it like this. I mean if I turn my head around the cable pulls on the iem body trying to yank it out.
 
 
3) Over ear, cable along the back
This is how I wear and have worn pretty much all my iems I have had. The problem here is two fold with the sennheiser - one of which is a particularly bad one. 
Firstly it's the 2.5mm male jack and the subsequent female socket which are placed at pretty much the worst place, the place where one would use a headphone clip to clip it to the collar. To make matters worse this jack and socket here is probably more heavy than the entire headphone and to put it into simple words, frankly, a terrible idea. 
Secondly it's the fact that the second cable (2.5mm socket cable to 3.5mm jack) is too short for the headphone to properly reach my trouser pocket (I'm quite tall btw), though this can be fixed with an aftermarket cable. I mean when I walk I can feel it pulling down the earphones from within my outer ear - down to both the short cable (10cm shorter than advertised) but most of all the weight, size and presence of the 2.5mm socket/jack just keeps on pulling down the iem's. I always feel a force pulling these downwards and as a result the continual pressure causes discomfort.
 
The only way I can wear them is by using a collar clip attached beneath the socket/jack and have this piece of metal constantly hitting my neck, getting stuck underneath my collar, causing a nusance. When I get a longer cable from somewhere (Searching the net for hours) it may be okay or something that I get used to.
 
 
4) Wireless
james444, your solution is good but I work and live close to central london - the busiest parts of central london which makes this mode of listening a bit off it. It's probably my phone that can't hack it (samsung sgs voodoo sound), not sure thats the cause of interferance and distortion that I pick up (tried it a year ago with a few headphones). Not one for me
 
 
 
I know that after reading this it sounds like a long moan. That's good. It is.
 
If I didn't rate the headphone's SQ much I wouldn't have said a word or searched for a solution as it isn't worth the time. But this one is. I love the fact that it only works with shallow insertion and sounds better in busy areas. The comfort of the iem body and tips are also very very good, as of course is the breathtaking sound. I only write this to express surprise at something that is really surprising considering the time and money that they spent engineering this headphone, considering how conspicuous the bad cable design is and how much it affects my portable experience. 
 
Maybe I'm too fussy - but it's such a simple thing to get right that it makes me think they got it wrong on purpose! I mean which IE800 owner won't buy a 1.5m (2.5mm socket to 3.5mm jack) cable when and if they release one to replace the short stock one. Charge whatever under £100, people still are going to pay up.
 
 

 

[music_4321]

^^   Very valid points and I see exactly where you're coming from. I'm not a fan of modular cables at all, but for people like james444, that really is a (big) plus — at least the modular part of the IE800s isn't nearly as bulky, heavy and very cheap looking as that of the old Shure SE530, which, in my view, was really dreadful. I have to say, too, that the cable length difference from the actual specs is absolutely unforgivable for a company like Sennheiser and a £600 / 700€ / $1.000 statement (flagship) product.

I'm 6' 2" tall (1.88m) and my solution for a cable-down fit, which I prefer (always used these Senns at home paired with my Tera Player (TP), which makes the IE800 a very linear IEM as the TP has rolled-off bass for <50-ohm phones), was to use a shirt-clip, which was not ideal, but it made a huge difference in cable noise (microphonics), thankfully making such noise literally disappear completely. (In quiet environments microphonics can be a much bigger issue even, specially for people like me who tend to listen at mid & low volume levels)

 

[CantScareMe]

Modular cables aren't that bad in principle- it's just the location of the module in this case that is ridiculous and makes it worse therefore IMO than the shure one. 5 or 10 cm lower and it would be perfect, because wearing it over ear with the cable down the front would be fine then. Also it'll allow a collar clip to be used as it should be used around the back. Problems Solved!
 
Such an oversight. The more I think of it the more remarkable it becomes. If I don't find a way of solving this problem and find a proper way of wearing this phone, I'll give it back - no other option really. 

 

[eke2k6]

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I'm 6' 2" tall

 
I think you need to change your avatar
 

 

[CantScareMe]

I should to then.
 
6' 2'' also! 

 

[music_4321]

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I think you need to change your avatar
 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 
       (brilliant!)

 

[eke2k6]

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I should to then.
 
6' 2'' also! 

 
6'4" here. Tall-fi.
 
I haven't encountered any problems with the IE800's cable length yet, though I haven't really used it much on the move. I hesitate to bring something this expensive outdoors when it's not mine.