[Nocturnal310]

Which types of eartips u guys prefer?

i got my IE7 today.....and noticed Bass greatly gets affected by type of eartips..

with bi-flange large..its too heavy.

with large foam..its just perfect.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Just- finally!- recieved mine today and having a little listen and experiment with them and their different tips out the box they sound pretty dam good! Certainly up their for SQ qith my other top-tir IEMs! Obviously need more listening time (and, possibly, burn-in) before I can make any sound jusgements on it's performance and sonic character, and also, to get a grip on achieving a good fit with them, but very initial impressions are that they are a top product

 

[Hal Incandenza]

I ended up ordering from Amazon UK last week, and hope to receive them by this Friday. If I had known they were on sale in the States, I would have purchased them here. Doesn't cost much more at HeadRoom than ordering from the UK.

Sennheiser IE-8 ECH @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

Can't wait to compare them to my Shure E500pth.

 

[Cecala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by toffeefan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just did a quick search on this thread and seems that minidisc.com.au might be the best place to get a good deal . AUD379. Anyone brought from this site before? Are they covered by international warranty?

Yes, this is where I'm getting mine from. I don't think they can ship to country's with an established Sennheiser distribution point. However....email is your friend.
For once, here in Australia I'm not getting screwed buying locally.....

 

[Saintkeat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cecala /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, this is where I'm getting mine from. I don't think they can ship to country's with an established Sennheiser distribution point. However....email is your friend. For once, here in Australia I'm not getting screwed buying locally.....

they don't ship international, a lot of brit sites don't as well..

 

[vrln]

Long story short:

I listen to a lot of music (everything from classical to Guns & Roses), mostly on my widescreen iPod nano. My previous IEM´s were AKG 324P´s, which were a big step up from the included ones. I used them for around 8 months, until they got crushed in an accident at the gym

So I´m nowhere near an audiophile and all this is all new to me, but since I think there´s a lot of people out there in a similar situation I thought I´d post my story...

So I found myself in need of new IEM´s. I had been lurking these forums for a while already, at least every now and then. This time I decided to try IEM´s that would be a step up from the previous ones. To be honest I was satisfied with the way the AKG´s sounded, and I was a bit sceptical about how much the sound quality would improve in the 150+ euros range. I still decided to take the leap and originally settled on the Q-Jays, which cost around 130 euros here (Finland). As I was ready to place my order I found out that the Sennheiser IE8´s were sold for 205 euros at a nearby store, which was a big suprise to me. I had read this thread and some reviews online, but since I was expecting a 350 euro price tag I didn´t see them as option. So I was, to say the least, pleasantly suprised to see that they costed only around 50 (if you count in the need to buy exchange filters for the Q-Jays) euros more here. And that´s how I decided to get the IE8´s instead.

I got finally got them yesturday, so these are only very brief and early experiences:

- Solid build quality and no microphonics at all here.

- They fit very well, but only if worn the cable behind the ears (ie, they way they are used in the official pictures). What I like especially is that they don´t stick out of my ear at all. I´m using the hard foam tips, which give me a good seal and so far haven´t made my ears hurt at all (the previous AKG´s always made my ears hurt if I used them for several hours straight).

- Isolation is good, but not outstanding. I could imagine that other IEM´s provide better isolation. I think this is because of the shape of the drivers, the wide tube. Perhaps it´s a price one has to pay for the soundstage? I´m looking into getting some Comply T400 tips to see if the isolation improves. That said, I´m satisfied with the current level of isolation too, but I can imagine that this is seen by some as a problem.

- Out of box the sound was very punchy and to me it sounded very sharp. It made me a bit tired easily if I listened for an hour straight. It was good, but a bit too punchy. The soundstage and detail was very impressive though. All in all, I was suprised how good they sounded compared to my previous IEM´s. All in all even at this point I was completely happy though. My scepticism seemed misguided and it felt like my music came to life in a completely new way. After the initial test I´ve burned them in (following the advice of some people from these forums) with the 20 minute pink noise/2 minute silence .wav sample for around 20 hours. To be honest this is the first time I´ve tried to burn in headphones and I wasn´t expecting a major change. But there was one! The bass is still as detailed as before, but it´s more in line with the other levels of the sound. They also no longer have the tendency to make me tired and fatigued. It still sounds sharp, but somehow it feels like it´s cleaner and more sophisticated. It could be that I´m just getting used to the sound signature, but I at least feel that the burn in did change something...

All in all, I haven´t used them that much yet to make any more comments, but so far I´m extremely pleased! The instruments are beautifully separated and the soundstage sounds a bit like my old Sennheiser 590-something series open air headphones. The bass is clear and it feels like I´ve found a new level of content in my old music. Never thought an IEM could sound like this

The only problem I have right now is that my old (luckily I´ve ripped most CD´s to higher quality) 128 quality mp3´s sound horrible... So I´ll need to rip them again.

Anyways, just thought I´d share my experiences... Thanks to all the insightful comments on these forums! Oh and one more thing... Just listened to Guns & Roses Chinese Democracy: it´s like a new album compared to the previous IEM´s I used! The high production values on this album really pay off when listening with these... The various walls of sound on this album really come to life on these.

Edit: One more thing... There is a very slight hiss using an iPod nano as a source. But it isn´t as loud as it was on the AKG 324P´s (perhaps 1/3). Once the music starts I can´t hear it anymore though.

 

[Cecala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrln /img/forum/go_quote.gif Long story short: I listen to a lot of music (everything from classical to Guns & Roses), mostly on my widescreen iPod nano. My previous IEM´s were AKG 324P´s, which were a big step up from the included ones. I used them for around 8 months, until they got crushed in an accident at the gym So I´m nowhere near an audiophile and all this is all new to me, but since I think there´s a lot of people out there in a similar situation I thought I´d post my story... So I found myself in need of new IEM´s. I had been lurking these forums for a while already, at least every now and then. This time I decided to try IEM´s that would be a step up from the previous ones. To be honest I was satisfied with the way the AKG´s sounded, and I was a bit sceptical about how much the sound quality would improve in the 150+ euros range. I still decided to take the leap and originally settled on the Q-Jays, which cost around 130 euros here (Finland). As I was ready to place my order I found out that the Sennheiser IE8´s were sold for 205 euros at a nearby store, which was a big suprise to me. I had read this thread and some reviews online, but since I was expecting a 350 euro price tag I didn´t see them as option. So I was, to say the least, pleasantly suprised to see that they costed only around 50 (if you count in the need to buy exchange filters for the Q-Jays) euros more here. And that´s how I decided to get the IE8´s instead. I got finally got them yesturday, so these are only very brief and early experiences: - Solid build quality and no microphonics at all here. - They fit very well, but only if worn the cable behind the ears (ie, they way they are used in the official pictures). What I like especially is that they don´t stick out of my ear at all. I´m using the hard foam tips, which give me a good seal and so far haven´t made my ears hurt at all (the previous AKG´s always made my ears hurt if I used them for several hours straight). - Isolation is good, but not outstanding. I could imagine that other IEM´s provide better isolation. I think this is because of the shape of the drivers, the wide tube. Perhaps it´s a price one has to pay for the soundstage? I´m looking into getting some Comply T400 tips to see if the isolation improves. That said, I´m satisfied with the current level of isolation too, but I can imagine that this is seen by some as a problem. - Out of box the sound was very punchy and to me it sounded very sharp. It made me a bit tired easily if I listened for an hour straight. It was good, but a bit too punchy. The soundstage and detail was very impressive though. All in all, I was suprised how good they sounded compared to my previous IEM´s. All in all even at this point I was completely happy though. My scepticism seemed misguided and it felt like my music came to life in a completely new way. After the initial test I´ve burned them in (following the advice of some people from these forums) with the 20 minute pink noise/2 minute silence .wav sample for around 20 hours. To be honest this is the first time I´ve tried to burn in headphones and I wasn´t expecting a major change. But there was one! The bass is still as detailed as before, but it´s more in line with the other levels of the sound. They also no longer have the tendency to make me tired and fatigued. It still sounds sharp, but somehow it feels like it´s cleaner and more sophisticated. It could be that I´m just getting used to the sound signature, but I at least feel that the burn in did change something... All in all, I haven´t used them that much yet to make any more comments, but so far I´m extremely pleased! The instruments are beautifully separated and the soundstage sounds a bit like my old Sennheiser 590-something series open air headphones. The bass is clear and it feels like I´ve found a new level of content in my old music. Never thought an IEM could sound like this The only problem I have right now is that my old (luckily I´ve ripped most CD´s to higher quality) 128 quality mp3´s sound horrible... So I´ll need to rip them again. Anyways, just thought I´d share my experiences... Thanks to all the insightful comments on these forums! Oh and one more thing... Just listened to Guns & Roses Chinese Democracy: it´s like a new album compared to the previous IEM´s I used! The high production values on this album really pay off when listening with these... The various walls of sound on this album really come to life on these. Edit: One more thing... There is a very slight hiss using an iPod nano as a source. But it isn´t as loud as it was on the AKG 324P´s (perhaps 1/3). Once the music starts I can´t hear it anymore though.

Thank You for this honest and truthful appraisal. From many owners here, give them about 100 hrs and you will experience a 'new phone.' keep us updated and can you perhaps talk a little about Classical music on these compared to your Senn 590s.

 

[catchthefish]

I had preordered with Amp3 but managed to find a pair for £199 in the first shop I walked into on Tottenham Court Road last week (last pair of course!).

I must admit to struggling with all the suppplied tips. It was only yesterday after receiving T400s that I managed a proper seal for the first time and the base just jumped out at me. As a long time Ety owner you can picture the smile on my face.

The T400s did seem to muffle the sound a bit buy I think I have improved the inserting technique today. I like the slow release of the T400s as they allow one time to find a good fit.

1 Press the top of the tip down to flatten it and then press all the slides.

2 Insert in ear and adjust for most comfortable fit: I pull my earlobe down and slightly out I apply pressure with one finger and jiggle the earpiece into a position that feels most comfortable. I suspect this corresponds with correct alignment within the ear canal.

3 Hold for 10 to 15 seconds. The tip should feel firmly in place.

Isolation is very important to me as I commute. I tried the IE8s on the train and tube today. With no music playing ambient noise is not dulled quite as much as the Etys. With music playing one can hear loud annoucements and even speech during very quiet passages but then this true of the Etys. Overall I find them acceptable for commuting.

Anyway today with around 80 hours on the clock I am very pleased with the developing sound and will continue burning until the 200hr mark.

 

[soozieq]

I used my IE8 on a flight last week, and needed to increase the volume on my Sony from 16 to 20 for the same loudness. And that's barely pushing the Sony. I could still hear the familiar low rumble of engine noise, but I don't think I've ever totally blocked it out with any other earphones anyway. The IE8 did really well, I was impressed.

EDIT: I used the hard foam tips with them. They seem to be the best tip for me, re: isolation and sound quality. Also, since I don't have them shoved in so far anymore, the foam tips help keep the 'fullness', which is lost if I use the silicon tips. I need to push them right in with the silicon tips, and then I get the pressure on the ridges of my inner ears. So the foam tips are an absolute blessing for the way I wear them.

 

[average_joe]

Man, I wish my ear canals were smaller, only the T-400s fit, and I already went through one set in 2 weeks.

None of the stock tips fit me, none! I should shoot Sennheiser an email and see what they have to say.

I might have to shell out about $40 for the Sony LL EX700 tips to see if those work.

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by average_joe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Man, I wish my ear canals were smaller, only the T-400s fit, and I already went through one set in 2 weeks. None of the stock tips fit me, none! I should shoot Sennheiser an email and see what they have to say. I might have to shell out about $40 for the Sony LL EX700 tips to see if those work.

Yeah, they're the colour-coded ones which come in half sizes too. I seem to remember the silicon is quite a bit thicker than the regular Sony tips, so they might work. I do love the Senn foam tips, but they don't sell them separately, so it would be good to have some decent backup tips!

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif EDIT: I used the hard foam tips with them. They seem to be the best tip for me, re: isolation and sound quality.

Since I got my own pair that's what I've been using as well, they're quite comfy and I suspect will last ages. I got some Comply T-400's with my order as well because I knew they worked for me but I do think the Sennheiser hard foams sound better and are even more comfortable.

 

[elnero]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do love the Senn foam tips, but they don't sell them separately, so it would be good to have some decent backup tips!

Are you sure? It seems like they have foam tips listed in the accessories.

Sennheiser Worldwide - IE 8, noise isolating earphones

 

[SpudHarris]

I've been struggling with the Senn tips also, I even considered getting customs done at one point. Best result for me has been with the largest of the foam tips supplied, they're quite hard but are kind of sticky/tacky so they don't seal too bad at all. They don't isolate like some IEM's I've owned but they don't seem to rely on the seal being water tight to put out blissful sonics.

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnero /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you sure? It seems like they have foam tips listed in the accessories. Sennheiser Worldwide - IE 8, noise isolating earphones

Oh THANKS elnero!!!! A month or so ago, I checked and soundearphones had the regular silicon tip replacements for sale - but not the foam ones. Now I can buy a whole stash! And I've been using mine solidly for weeks, and there's not even a hint of deterioration at all. And since they're not compressable, there's no worries about loss of expansion either.