Sennheiser IE7 Appreciation Thread ~~~
May 20, 2009 at 6:20 AM Post #271 of 817
Quote:

Originally Posted by cometofind /img/forum/go_quote.gif
ive read much of this thread, and other sources in regards to the ie7
Before my wallet empties … I'd like to know, are they for me?
Auditioning them would be the best way to go, but stores that have ie7's and allow auditioning are non existent here (melbourne).

So ill have to buy based on oppinions. i can get them for 260aud/200usd on minidisc.com, thats about as much money i can dish out at the moment.
Maybe someone can direct me better after knowing what ive come across, (my 'sound descriptions' are pretty layman, so please bear with me)

My earphone/headphone history, and opinions on them:
-Alessandro Ms1, nice and clear, didn’t have the soundstage or 'flavour' I was looking for, sold them eventually, I got the ksc75 for ~25aud$ and ms1's for $100aud, they didn’t turn out to be 4 times better. Which was when I realized that price and sound quality aren't really proportional
-senn hd555, along the same lines as ms1, just bloated in appearance and price ($200aud), but it was a short audition
-Creative ep-630, for $30 id say they do the job, but it is still 30$ sound.
-Senn cx300, really murky sound, similar to ep630's but muddier
-koss ksc75, best value of all time, worth having around, if you were looking for the best price to performace headphones in the 10-75 region, id say buy these
-Re2 - audition, clear and kinda neutral, if I had to a chance to start my search for decent sounding canalphones id start with these, similar to ksc75 but in canalphone form, and 3.5times the price
-Crossroads Mylerone x3i , died on me, probably 2nd best to the re2's in terms of price ratio, nice high's and mid's, build quality was shocking, but the jaben site helped me a lot with the dilema.
-Crossroads Bijou 2 (or 3, don’t know), a downgrade from the x3i, kinda dissapointing, very undetailed, doesn’t really perform very well in anything, they are just a tad bit better, if not then the same, as the ep630's

All unamped, I prefer portability =D, if I get ie7's they'll be going into an ipod touch 2g,

Ideally id like a pair of earphones that would wow me for once

The music I listen to is varied, but mainly rock.
Neutrality to me is ok, but I like a bit of flavour, I like detailed mids/highs and bass with a presence, but not too overpowering.

So are ie7's for me?

edit: oh yes, forgot to mention i like soundstage, the illusion of being in the presence of the instruments/voices is awesome.



I'm also in Melbourne, AU and there are a few places that sell them around here.
Sennheiser: IE7 | Headphonic: Australian Headphone Specialists: Buy Etymotic, Alessandro, Audio Technica, Ultimate Ears, Talisman, Meier Audio and more
Sennheiser IE7 Noise Isolating Earphones :: Audio Junkie - Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, Shure, Etymotic, Ultimate Ears, Klipsch Headphones, Earphones & Headsets
I am also looking at buying a pair so post up your impressions and try and get me to buy some!

-CaptHowie
 
May 20, 2009 at 9:41 AM Post #272 of 817
cool. i knew of headphonic but not of audio junkie. free shipping =D, might buy from there.

i still need some convincing before i buy them.


can someone give a general comparison as to how the overall sound quality of the ie7's compare to a full sized head phone, within the same price range.
ive read around and the general consensus is that for the same price, full sized headphones yield better sound.... but ive also read that the ie7's, or more specifically the ie8's come close to the HD600's etc
 
May 20, 2009 at 9:53 AM Post #273 of 817
Quote:

Originally Posted by mark2410 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
lots better than your pk1's?

just asking because been vaguely interested in the pk1 and ok1 the last littlw bit, not that planning to get just wondered about buds



In terms of SQ, I will leave it a few weeks before comparing as it's probably unfair to compare after only an hours use. Initial thoughts are the IE7s have a deeper sound stage, the width is there in both but the IE7s seem to reach further back in your head!

In terms of practicality, the IE7s win hands down (And I imagine all IEMs!). The PK1s were unusable outside without constant re-adjustment and dangerous listening volumes.

The first thing I've noticed is that I've lowered the volume on my touch to below half as opposed to almost full with the PK1s (Admittedly I was using them unamped!).

The bass on the Ie7s is not as prominent as I had thought after reading reviews and the highs are not as recessed as I was expecting, the sound is extremely balanced. The mids are as expected...SWEET.

I listened to the new Ben Kweller album, the vocal recording is right on the back of your skull, it really sounds like the guy is stood next to you. Magnificent.

Sennheiser, I applaud you.

EDIT: High and Dry, Radiohead.......WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
 
May 22, 2009 at 12:37 AM Post #274 of 817
Quote:

Originally Posted by imackler /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Just got these bi-flange tips you rave about from ebay! Awesome! I've never had such an easy time getting a quality seal. Very sweet! Thanks for the advice! I can't believe how cheap they are too. I wish I had bought more as a back up to the back up!


Ok, so after listening more w/ these bi-flange on, I don't think I like them as much as the bi-flange that come w/ the ie7. Yes, they are very comfortable, but I think they kind of suck the life of out of the highs, an area the ie7 are not excellent to begin with. My biggest example is saxophones. I listen to a lot of jazz and these ebay bi-flanges made everything sound really muffled and the bass much more pronounced. (Seriously, I thought that the recording was messed up (new purchased) until I listened on the ie7 bi-flange tips. I have found that the ie7 bi-flanges have become more comfortable w/ use, but still aren't as comfortable as these ebay bi-flanges; the ebay bi-flanges are much easier to get a quality seal w/ as well. But, my opinion is that you are missing a lot of clarity if you're using these bi0flanges w/ the ie7. Sad to say, because they are comfy and snug!
 
May 22, 2009 at 2:43 AM Post #275 of 817
Yes I also agree the ie7's high is not as food as some armature drivers like the image x10, but the unbeatable soundstage and emotional vocal overcomes it's weakness. I had about 150 hour of burn in and now it sounds less bassy and more airness to the sound. Sound a lot like my hd555 with more bass. One more thing, is very strange that sennheiser did not put gold plugs on their ie earphones. I wonder why, sennheiser low on gold ore? LOL
 
May 23, 2009 at 4:03 AM Post #277 of 817
does the ie7 sound better with an amp like the fiio e5
 
May 23, 2009 at 7:10 AM Post #278 of 817
I don't have the E5 but from what I hear, it's has a dark/warm signature. If you already think the IE7 are too warm or bassy, I wouldn't recommend the E5. Look for a lighter, brighter amp - such as the NuForce Icon Mobile (which I have).
 
May 23, 2009 at 3:51 PM Post #279 of 817
Wow I have been using my ie7 on my iPhone for the few weeks, I wasn't really wowed by the soundstage, however now I plugged it into a ceative zen vision m, the sound quality is like night and day! The soundstage now sounds much much better and the bass is low and punchy, the high is also improved and no more harshes. On my iPhone, I could still hear some harshes in some of the female vocal when they are singing "t" and "s". Apple should really improve their sound hardware.
 
May 23, 2009 at 4:24 PM Post #280 of 817
Quote:

One more thing, is very strange that sennheiser did not put gold plugs on their ie earphones. I wonder why, sennheiser low on gold ore? LOL


Haha I was wondering the very same - just got my pair today.

I can already tell that I'm going to like these - can here details that I couldn't hear with my old pair. Having said that, my old pair were a good-deal cheaper. A good-deal cheaper... I'm really looking forward to the bass 'settling down' a bit though. Finding I have to set the volume higher than usual just so as I can hear the highs over the dominating lows. Guess I'll try burning them in - first time I've really done this but you all seem to have had success doing it.

Cheers for putting me onto these Mark.

Cam
 
May 24, 2009 at 4:29 AM Post #282 of 817
The more I use the IE7 the less bass it has, I guess is a good thing a bad thing. The sound stage is still improving which is amazing
 
May 24, 2009 at 5:06 AM Post #283 of 817
Yeah, you are right Butter, I have noticed that too...the bass has refined and toned down a lot compared to what it was before a "full burn in". However, as much as I appreciate good bass quantity, I love that the IE7 gets more and more detailed as I listen to it more. Good stuff.
 
May 24, 2009 at 5:35 AM Post #284 of 817
Thank you, deus, the detail is amazing and is really well blended with the main music. Unlike the image x10, which sounds as if all the music and detail was at the same level, layerless sound. However the sennheiser ie7 sounded very natural with many layers.
 
May 24, 2009 at 5:56 AM Post #285 of 817
Yeah, that is what the IE7 and 8 do so well, the separation of instruments, and the enormous soundstage. It's gonna be hard to find a suitable upgrade to these, maybe customs are gonna be the only road to go.
tongue.gif
 

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