[Solrighal]

Hi folks, mugged my wallet again.

Background

I've been using a pair of Sony MDR-EX70LP's with my D2 quite happily for almost 2 years now. Sure, the bass was overblown and consequently the lower mids were AWOL but the sound was not bad when commuting, where bass can be sucked away sometimes. I broke the cable on them and I needed a replacement. I wanted IE8's but I can afford IE6's. The only other cans I own are HD595's and so these first impressions can only be based on a comparison with those and what I remember of the Sony's. I've kept the EQ settings as I had them for my other cans so as to keep it as fair as possible.

Comfort & Fit

I fundamentally don't like in-ear cans, let's get that out of the way at the start. My Sony's weren't bad for comfort really. The only real problem I had with them was that anything more vigorous than strolling tended to make them come adrift, with dire consequences to the sound. When I first put the IE6's on I thought the fit was pretty good...until I hit Play and I realized there was absolutely no bass. I fiddled about with the various pads that come in the box and found the large soft ones gave the best sound and most secure fit. God knows what the ones made from the harder plastic (bi-flange?) are for but they don't work in my ears that's for sure. I'm using the ear-hooks for the moment and they seem to make the phones seem almost invisible if you know what I mean.

Sound

Let me stress this is with only four hours on the clock!

Al Stewart - Year of the Cat (MP3)

Smooth. This song isn't recorded spectacularly but it's faithful. There's no tricks here. This track sounds pretty dull & lifeless through the 595's but with the IE6's there's a hint of drama. Certainly more dynamic range is showing. I'd already read that the IE's would have a sound balanced towards more bass and there's certainly more here. Overall the sound is good. Enough!

Yann Thiersen - Comtine d'un Autre Ete:L'apres de Midi (FLAC)

You'll all know this track, it comes from the fantastic soundtrack to the movie Amelie. I love this tune on anything, anywhere. These IE6's are fantastic! There's so much more life and air around the instruments, more than my 595's by a long way. They're subtle too. I can still hear the feet on the pedals but now those feet are in their own space. I don't have to listen for them, they're there and so the music can be focused on better. Moving on...

Bishop Allen - Like Castanets (MP3)

This is a great sounding album and this is my favourite track. The IE6's have way more attack when required. There's a meatiness to this song that simply wasn't there before. I'm beginning to get an impression of these IE's...

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Bad Card (FLAC)

Luvverly! I put this on expecting to catch out the IE's. I fully expected the bass to overpower everything else and that has not happened. In fact the precise nature of the bass is actually allowing the other instruments to come to the fore. There's a proper soundstage here. My Sony's were poor at width and depth, these IE's are far, far better in this respect. In fact there a lot better than the 595's. Think I'll listen a bit more to this album (Uprising) actually....

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - At Break of Day (FLAC)

This is a treacly sounding song on everything else. There's definitely a bit more seperation in the instrumentation but the treacle is still there. Having said that, musically this is a superb song. You can't always have it all. Next...

Jennifer Warnes - Somewhere, Somebody (FLAC)

I've always loved the sound on this album (The Hunter) but the songs themselves are a tad forgettable. Still, Jenny has a stunning voice and a fair test. The IE6's are superb. The song has two voices, not often singing the same thing and I've found that all stereos seem to favour one voice or the other. Not here! Both voices are allowed room to breathe - Damn, I swore I wouldn't say breathe yet! - the lyrics are allowed to become crystal. Very nice.

Jennifer Warnes - Way Down Deep (FLAC)

The name of the song is a hint. Some lovely percussion on this track which can sometimes get muffled on some sources. Here it remains very clear. I'm beginning to realize I've been listeneing to crap for the last two years, lol. If Jenny Sings Lenny was produced to this level I'd be in Nirvana.

John Martyn - Solid Air (FLAC)

John died a couple of weeks ago and we should all shed a tear. I love his music. Solid is his most famous and also, for me, unmatched. The vocals here demand good playback equipment and I can honestly say it's sounding better than I think I've ever heard before. At least on cans. (I was at a house once and heard this album on a Luxman vacuum turntable feeding a pair of Mission monoblocks and then through Quad electrostatics! Awesome is NOT the word. Anyway, I digress...time for something a little more left field.

Leftfield - Release the Pressure & Original (FLAC)

Did you see what I did there? Love this album (Leftism). I've got many great memories of listening to this album and I'm not disappointed. Unlike my better half, who is plotting to kill me right now, lol. The percussion sounds really good. I'm hearing sounds I have missed previously. Funny thing is that although there's more space around everything it's actually a more cohesive sound than the 595's can achieve. Sounds like a contradiction.

Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps (FLAC)

Oh Yes!

Fantastic sound. I can actually feel the low end. And wow, there's room for the vocal too! This is why I bought these IE6's. The timing of the sound is really very good. Dynamics are breathtaking and far superior to what I'm getting out of my 595's.

Supertramp - Hide in your Shell (FLAC)

Yup, this is fantastic too. There's so much bite to this sound, the transients really hit home. I used to own a pair of Tannoy E-11 LE loudspeakers which had this kind of attack. My then neighbours loved those! This song is really highlighting the subtlety these cans are capable of, compared with any other headphones I've owned. I'll have a listen to Rudy and get back on it...

Actually no, I won't. I suspect you've had enough by now. If you've even got this far.

Brief Early Summary

I suppose you've noticed already...I love these cans. You can temper my enthusiasm with the sure knowledge that my headphone background is limited, to say the least. These cans sound superb to me. I hope & expect they're going to improve over time too. I'm going to listen to Eye In The Sky by Alan Parsons in bed now. Psychobabble here I come!

 

[mark2410]

nice review and glad u liking them

 

[toughnut]

Nice early impression. I bet u will like IE8 more. Sorry for tempting u

 

[walkingman]

Brilliant impression. Hope to hear more of your thoughts once you have more time with it.

 

[thechungster]

They sound nice, but I think I'd enjoy my IE8's

 

[billybob_jcv]

C'mon guys! What's with the "Nice, but the IE8 are better" nonsense? I think it should be OK for someone put up a review of a nice pair of 'phones without the high-rollers bragging about how much they spent...

To the OP: Thank you!

 

[mp3]

OP

How do you find the isolation on them? And is the soundstage wide?

 

[Solrighal]

Thanks Billybob, you took the words right outta my mouth. Buying cheaper products isn't a lifestyle choice.

Anyway, I've been at work all day and just got in, the headphones are on and the volume is cranked. My D2 has been pushing them all last night and all today (remarkable how long the battery lasts on the D2).

When I put them on I got a good fit and seal right away, first try. I guess it's a matter of picking up the knack, it was so with my Sony's too. The isolation is certainly way better than the Sony's and as for the 595's? Well, they don't isolate you at all really. The TV was on in the background last night but I got so lost in the sounds I forgot all about it. How it compares with similarly priced alternatives I can't really say though.

Soundwise things have mellowed further. I think the bass has a little less bloom to it, though it wasn't really present to any great degree after the first couple of hours. What I find most impressive with these IE6's is that while I'm saying they're mellow with, say Mount Teide by Mike Oldfield, I'm presently listening to Los by Rammstein and by God they have real grunt when required. The attack is awesome, at least to these ears. Transients are crisp but full, they don't grate in the way some cheap hi-fi's can, the sound is very full.

As for soundstage, well that word bothers me. I'm never very sure what people actually mean when they use it. Most of the music I tend to listen to isn't actually trying to revreate the actual sound you'd get if you listened centre-stage so the word isn't really valid in that context. If what's meant is is there width, depth and height (my personal goal) to the sound then I'd have to say yes. Certainly they're a lot more impressive than either of my other two cans. On well recorded material I can place instruments in their own space. Strangely, although there's tremendous detail I wouldn't call them analytical or anything. I think they're pretty well balanced, all said & done.

Aja sounds terrific! I'm beginning to see what others have spoken about re Steely Dan. Lovely smooth production. Nothing jars and yet all the instruments have a voice. Nothing's drowned out here like it has been on every other straight listen. I could fall asleep here listening to this album so that can't be bad. I feel some Al Green coming on, lol. Eddie's Ragga by Spoon sounds way cool. I hear detail in the low bass I definitely haven't noticed before. And I don't have to listen too hard for it either, which is nice.

I thought I could make it go away but it's bugging the hell out of me. I'm not made of money. Sad but true. I had a budget of £100 for new cans. Using Advanced MP3 Players price match I managed to sneak in under this limit. I'd have liked the IE8's of course. Just like I'd like a Porsche 997GT3RSR. My Ford Puma does me fine though, and so do these headphones. In ten days time I'll be listening to them on the balcony of my flat in Spain though. I'll be able to look at, and listen to The Reliable Meditteranean. I'll settle for that, lol. Rant over.

I can't say I'm in any way disappointed with this purchase. The case they come with looks cool but doesn't really work too well (do they ever?). Most of the earpads are useless but I guess that's the nature of them. One size doesn't fit all. One thing I really would have liked and a thing that pointed me to the IE8's iniially is the cable. I wish it was detachable on the IE6's too. In fact I see no real reason why they're not detachable on all headphones. I do like that the cable is not even slightly microphonic. My Sony's were terrible in this regard and even my 595's do it to an extent. I find that extremely annoying. It would be interesting to hear other IEM's but I'm more than happy with these for time-being. Besides, the IE8 can't be the ultimate Sennheiser IEM for long. We've still got 9 & 10 to come...I might buy the Senn Tens.

Anyone listened to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon? Excellent album imho.

 

[mark2410]

"The Reliable Mediterranean"

that the beautiful south song you mean, if so and you like them try your father and i and see what you think of that and its crazy bass line that kicks in about 22 seconds in, on the IE7 i just started grinning and giggling a little

 

[Jajo]

Senn 10's?

Tell me more!

 

[Solrighal]

"Your Father & I"? What album was that on? I thought I had the lot.

Jajo - it was just a throwaway comment. I have no insight into such things. Bet there will be though, lol.

 

[mark2410]

its the last song on quench which i think may have been their last album, it was the one with perfect 10 on it

 

[Solrighal]

Got it! Yes, that's a filthy bass-line. I can't say I've really paid attention to Quench much but it's good. Good call.

PS - My copy of that particular album turns out to be 192kbps mp3. I'll need to fix that. Shows how long it's been since I actually listened to the band, lol.

 

[mp3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorrofox /img/forum/go_quote.gif My D2. When I put them on I got a good fit and seal right away, first try. The isolation is certainly way better than the Sony's. The TV was on in the background last night but I got so lost in the sounds I forgot all about it. The attack is awesome, at least to these ears. Transients are crisp but full, they don't grate in the way some cheap hi-fi's can, the sound is very full. As for soundstage, if what's meant is is there width, depth and height (my personal goal) to the sound then I'd have to say yes. On well recorded material I can place instruments in their own space. Strangely, although there's tremendous detail I wouldn't call them analytical or anything. I think they're pretty well balanced, all said & done.

That does sound very promising indeed, thank you. D2 would be my source too, and it seems as they play fine together.
Now if only I could make my mind up, do I save myself some and go for the IE6, or do I go the full distance and splash out for the IE8?
Either will be a very nice improvment over my Shure SE110's, which are a little lacking in the bass. Neither will probably isolate as good, but both have more and better bass and soundstage.

Then of course there's the CX6 and Shure SE530...

Decisions, decisions

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorrofox /img/forum/go_quote.gif Got it! Yes, that's a filthy bass-line. I can't say I've really paid attention to Quench much but it's good. Good call. PS - My copy of that particular album turns out to be 192kbps mp3. I'll need to fix that. Shows how long it's been since I actually listened to the band, lol.

lol 192k tut tut tut

when i got my first really decent IEM's my 530's) i ended up having to re rip all my cd's that i could find anyway, oh so many boxes with no shiny disc's in them

i really do love the bass line in that song,lol it just feel soo wrong and naughty