[ericpalonen]

Just got my IE 200. First impressions, they sound a lot like my IE 100 Pro except they have a little more bass extension. Not a bad thing. I love my 100 Pros. I like the cable too.

Welcome to the #IE200Club!

 

[TIEM]

Just got my IE 200. First impressions, they sound a lot like my IE 100 Pro except they have a little more bass extension. Not a bad thing. I love my 100 Pros. I like the cable too.

Would love to hear your detailed impressions and the difference between the two. I want to pick up the IE200 but I am tempted to try the IE100 pro first.

 

[Dust by Monday]

Would love to hear your detailed impressions and the difference between the two. I want to pick up the IE200 but I am tempted to try the IE100 pro first.

I would get the 100 Pro in a heartbeat. I think they sound 90% the same, but the Pro has a better cable in my opinion, better connectors (more reliable) and the 100 Pro shape fits my ear a little better and the tips are a little thicker feeling and just feels higher quality to me.

As far as sound goes between them, I feel like the 200s bass is a tad thicker and extends more in the sub bass than the 100 Pro. The treble feels about the same to me. The mids sound the same to me on both.

It might be placebo, but I feel like maybe the vocal clarity is a tad better on the 200, but take that with a grain of salt because it’s really hard to swap IEMs fast enough to not forget what the other one sounded like.

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Would love to hear your detailed impressions and the difference between the two. I want to pick up the IE200 but I am tempted to try the IE100 pro first.

I would get the 100 Pro in a heartbeat. I think they sound 90% the same, but the Pro has a better cable in my opinion, better connectors (more reliable) and the 100 Pro shape fits my ear a little better and the tips are a little thicker feeling and just feels higher quality to me.

As far as sound goes between them, I feel like the 200s bass is a tad thicker and extends more in the sub bass than the 100 Pro. The treble feels about the same to me. The mids sound the same to me on both.

It might be placebo, but I feel like maybe the vocal clarity is a tad better on the 200, but take that with a grain of salt because it’s really hard to swap IEMs fast enough to not forget what the other one sounded like.

Great feedback and points! Thanks.

 

[kmmbd]

Sennheiser IE200​

First Impressions​

Received the Sennheiser IE200 a couple days back, and have been listening to them over the weekend.

This will probably be one of the most popular options under USD$200 this year. The driver inside is very capable (the same driver as IE300, IE600, and probably even IE900, though only the latter three got the Helmholtz resonator).

First impressions are good. Safe tuning with the "end of the nozzle" tip position. Bass has nice rumble, and mid-bass isn't devoid of body and slam (unlike certain "reference" tunings). Very safe throughout without sounding boring or lifeless.

The IE200 do not quite have the "engagement factor" of the IE300, however, which also has much better treble sparkle and definition. In turn, IE300 are more fatiguing in comparison.

Also, many are comparing this to the IE600 which seems odd to me. The IE600 are superior on every single aspect. So not sure if such a comparison does the IE200 any favor.

One negative I found so far: the stock cable. The ergonomics and sheathing are not to my liking at all, and it has this terrible smell out of the box that hasn't gone away yet.

Nonetheless, overall a very safe, natural tuning, and I can see myself recommending these. Full review in the works which should have more comparisons along with a deeper dive into sound.

 

[ericpalonen]

Sennheiser IE200​

First Impressions​

Received the Sennheiser IE200 a couple days back, and have been listening to them over the weekend.



This will probably be one of the most popular options under USD$200 this year. The driver inside is very capable (the same driver as IE300, IE600, and probably even IE900, though only the latter three got the Helmholtz resonator).



First impressions are good. Safe tuning with the "end of the nozzle" tip position. Bass has nice rumble, and mid-bass isn't devoid of body and slam (unlike certain "reference" tunings). Very safe throughout without sounding boring or lifeless.



The IE200 do not quite have the "engagement factor" of the IE300, however, which also has much better treble sparkle and definition. In turn, IE300 are more fatiguing in comparison.

Also, many are comparing this to the IE600 which seems odd to me. The IE600 are superior on every single aspect. So not sure if such a comparison does the IE200 any favor.

One negative I found so far: the stock cable. The ergonomics and sheathing are not to my liking at all, and it has this terrible smell out of the box that hasn't gone away yet.



Nonetheless, overall a very safe, natural tuning, and I can see myself recommending these. Full review in the works which should have more comparisons along with a deeper dive into sound.

Thanks for the first impressions and comparisons! I've opened quite a few of these and not experienced the cable smell you referenced -- I don't think anything to be concerned about.

I agree that for most, the IE 600 is better, and in terms of a balanced and rounded tuning, you can see the DNA lineage in the IE series house sound. Note: The drivers are based on a scalable platform but are not the exact same driver. Yes they are all based on that 7mm TrueResponse dynamic technology we have been developing, however one cannot simply take the driver from an IE 900 and put it into an IE 200 shell and to get a homebrew IE 900 (an engine swap in the automotive world is a decent analogy).

Please don't forget to share some of your test tracks if you feel so inclined. Thanks for joining the #IE200Club and certainly for the thorough walkthrough...the community appreciates it!

 

[kmmbd]

Thanks for the first impressions and comparisons! I've opened quite a few of these and not experienced the cable smell you referenced -- I don't think anything to be concerned about.

It's good to know that it's not a widespread issue. I hope the smell subsides over time for me.

I agree that for most, the IE 600 is better, and in terms of a balanced and rounded tuning, you can see the DNA lineage in the IE series house sound. Note: The drivers are based on a scalable platform but are not the exact same driver. Yes they are all based on that 7mm TrueResponse dynamic technology we have been developing, however one cannot simply take the driver from an IE 900 and put it into an IE 200 shell and to get a homebrew IE 900 (an engine swap in the automotive world is a decent analogy).

The DNA is definitely there, but I think the treble sparkle sets the IE300, IE600, and IE900 apart from the rest of the competition, who tend to suppress that region more often than not. With the shallower fit, the treble is definitely more pronounced, so I guess the tunability is flexible enough to cater to different tastes.

Please don't forget to share some of your test tracks if you feel so inclined.

My go-to playlist for testing: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/04350ebe-1582-4785-9984-ff050d80d2b7

 

[TIEM]

I would get the 100 Pro in a heartbeat. I think they sound 90% the same, but the Pro has a better cable in my opinion, better connectors (more reliable) and the 100 Pro shape fits my ear a little better and the tips are a little thicker feeling and just feels higher quality to me.

As far as sound goes between them, I feel like the 200s bass is a tad thicker and extends more in the sub bass than the 100 Pro. The treble feels about the same to me. The mids sound the same to me on both.

It might be placebo, but I feel like maybe the vocal clarity is a tad better on the 200, but take that with a grain of salt because it’s really hard to swap IEMs fast enough to not forget what the other one sounded like.

Thank you, will help me in my purchase decision. Cheers!

 

[kairoo]

Sennheiser IE200​

First Impressions​

Received the Sennheiser IE200 a couple days back, and have been listening to them over the weekend.



This will probably be one of the most popular options under USD$200 this year. The driver inside is very capable (the same driver as IE300, IE600, and probably even IE900, though only the latter three got the Helmholtz resonator).



First impressions are good. Safe tuning with the "end of the nozzle" tip position. Bass has nice rumble, and mid-bass isn't devoid of body and slam (unlike certain "reference" tunings). Very safe throughout without sounding boring or lifeless.



The IE200 do not quite have the "engagement factor" of the IE300, however, which also has much better treble sparkle and definition. In turn, IE300 are more fatiguing in comparison.

Also, many are comparing this to the IE600 which seems odd to me. The IE600 are superior on every single aspect. So not sure if such a comparison does the IE200 any favor.

One negative I found so far: the stock cable. The ergonomics and sheathing are not to my liking at all, and it has this terrible smell out of the box that hasn't gone away yet.



Nonetheless, overall a very safe, natural tuning, and I can see myself recommending these. Full review in the works which should have more comparisons along with a deeper dive into sound.

How would you compare the treble of the WF-1000XM4 to that of the IE200? Is the IE200's much more fatigueing?

 

[Steven Mc Towelie]

If you are from germany, you are welcome to join the tour of the Sennheiser IE200 in the Hifi Forum, I just started the tour. Just get in touch with me

 

[kmmbd]

How would you compare the treble of the WF-1000XM4 to that of the IE200? Is the IE200's much more fatigueing?

The WF-1000XM4 are rather dark in the treble region, and lack air and extension up top. E.g. this is how my unit graphs with ClearBass set to -1:

Compared to this, IE200 have more presence in the treble region, especially upper-treble. However, it is quite smooth and not fatiguing at all. So if you are worried about treble peakiness, IE200 are safe bets.

 

[RyanM]

I received the IE200 today. *PSA: don’t throw in the towel after trying all the stock tips. In my experience the stock tips would simply not work for my ears. For whatever reason, I could not get a seal and the bass extension was non-existent. Moreover, the treble was brittle and grainy. I thought for a minute I got an out of phase set or some other factory defect was at fault. But, after trying tips that came with the Raptgo Hook I quickly realized that the tips were at fault. It‘s extremely strange, initially I thought that it was just my ears, but, I’m also wondering if the snap effect for the multi-tuning - in terms of design - is the fault here. It’s almost as if air is passing through the default tips regardless of size or seal. Anyways, if you think they sound off, you may just need other tips. With the right tip and seal, these are great and sound fantastic. The fit otherwise is perfect.

 

[ericpalonen]

I received the IE200 today. *PSA: don’t throw in the towel after trying all the stock tips. In my experience the stock tips would simply not work for my ears. For whatever reason, I could not get a seal and the bass extension was non-existent. Moreover, the treble was brittle and grainy. I thought for a minute I got an out of phase set or some other factory defect was at fault. But, after trying tips that came with the Raptgo Hook I quickly realized that the tips were at fault. It‘s extremely strange, initially I thought that it was just my ears, but, I’m also wondering if the snap effect for the multi-tuning - in terms of design - is the fault here. It’s almost as if air is passing through the default tips regardless of size or seal. Anyways, if you think they sound off, you may just need other tips. With the right tip and seal, these are great and sound fantastic. The fit otherwise is perfect.

Welcome to the #IE200Club! Fit is essential, and am glad you found the right combo for you. Enjoy!

 

[Dust by Monday]

I received the IE200 today. *PSA: don’t throw in the towel after trying all the stock tips. In my experience the stock tips would simply not work for my ears. For whatever reason, I could not get a seal and the bass extension was non-existent. Moreover, the treble was brittle and grainy. I thought for a minute I got an out of phase set or some other factory defect was at fault. But, after trying tips that came with the Raptgo Hook I quickly realized that the tips were at fault. It‘s extremely strange, initially I thought that it was just my ears, but, I’m also wondering if the snap effect for the multi-tuning - in terms of design - is the fault here. It’s almost as if air is passing through the default tips regardless of size or seal. Anyways, if you think they sound off, you may just need other tips. With the right tip and seal, these are great and sound fantastic. The fit otherwise is perfect.

I’m actually using the IE Pro silicone tips that come with Sennheiser’s 100/400/500 pro models as I find them to be a tad thicker and seal in my ears better. Also, as a bonus, they too have the foam insert for tuning.

 

[kairoo]

The WF-1000XM4 are rather dark in the treble region, and lack air and extension up top. E.g. this is how my unit graphs with ClearBass set to -1:



Compared to this, IE200 have more presence in the treble region, especially upper-treble. However, it is quite smooth and not fatiguing at all. So if you are worried about treble peakiness, IE200 are safe bets.

Lately I've been listening with the following EQ settings. I would be interested to see the graph with this EQ setting.