[burtomr]

well i am confused now because sennheiser the only difference is the mic option.

 
Adel,
 
I too called Sennheiser a while ago asking about the difference and was told the same thing they said to you....but that's not the fact according to myself and many, many IE8 and IE80 users here at HeadFi. We all hear (quite) a difference between the IE8 and IE80. They are not the same sound wise. (Maybe this is because of the Stainless Steel trim plate on the IE80?)
 
If you are 'only' concerned with massive mid-bass then you will probably like the IE8. If you want less bass and clearer mids and highs then the IE80 is better.

 

[Adel]

We

Adel,

I too called Sennheiser a while ago asking about the difference and was told the same thing they said to you....but that's not the fact according to myself and many, many IE8 and IE80 users here at HeadFi. We all hear (quite) a difference between the IE8 and IE80. They are not the same sound wise. (Maybe this is because of the Stainless Steel trim plate on the IE80?)

If you are 'only' concerned with massive mid-bass then you will probably like the IE8. If you want less bass and clearer mids and highs then the IE80 is better.

well i like a deep bass but without conprimising the sound. I am not an audiophile so i cannot tell how i like the lows,mids an highs so i dont know what to choose for music genres. The sennheiser ie8i i have ordeded is going to arrive this monday so i need to deside soon if i am going to keep it or exchange it with the ie80

 

[fluidz]

Blimey..
 
After all this time owning the ie8's, I never bothered trying the tape mod, and always struggled to find a perfectly balanced Eq.
 
And today I tried adding two layers of electrical tape over the bass dial, everything sounded trebly, and harsh at first, but once i removed the tape, i was like What! All the sounds were muffled, how could this be?
 
So now I've become used to the tape mod sound, I don't see myself going back.  It does lack a slight thud to the bass, but arguably better than before.  
 
If you find yourself fighting the mid-bass eq and treble control, just stick some tape over the dial, and remove the EQ so it's flat.  
 
To be honest, without the tape mod these iem's sound awful! I can't achieve the same effect with the equalizer alone.  
 
Is my mind playing tricks on me?
 
LOL 

 

[burtomr]

  Blimey..
 
So now I'm actually attenuated acclimated to the tape mod sound.
 
LOL 

 
Yeah, it takes a minute to get used to it but then you become addicted. 

​

 

[PCWar]

unsubscribe

 

[fluidz]

I had a look on Youtube to see if there was any reference to the tape mod on there, none! 

 
 
So..
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGkvH_w1TFw

 

[jailhouselounge]

Hello there,
 
At what point in "burning in" will I notice a difference in my ie8i's sound signature? There's good quality in terms of sound stage, some details, and separation of instruments but am I to expect more? The reason I ask is because I couldn't really justify the price of this compared to my audeo pfe's with gray filters and my previous gr07mk2... Thanks

 

[james444]

To be honest, without the tape mod these iem's sound awful! I can't achieve the same effect with the equalizer alone.  

Is my mind playing tricks on me?

No, it isn't. With an equalizer, you can merely change the frequency response. But the tape mod does more, it changes the dampening of the driver and consequently not only bass amplitude, but also the time domain (attack/decay transients).

 

[krismusic]

I am amazed that anyone thinks that they can correct the "flaws" in a Sennheiser design with a bit of tape. To my ears it screws with the sound completely.

 

[james444]

I am amazed that anyone thinks that they can correct the "flaws" in a Sennheiser design with a bit of tape. To my ears it screws with the sound completely.

 
Did you poke a small hole through the tape where it covers the vent? If you don't, you're sealing the vent completely and bass will sound overdamped and muffled as a result.
 
FWIW, I didn't try the tape mod on my IE8 before now, but I've experienced great results with the same mod on the new Sony XBA-H3, where it turns a loose bass cannon into a more reasonably bassy top tier phone. The change on the IE8 is less pronounced, but it still makes their bass slightly less boomy and more controlled.

 

[krismusic]

I am happy with my IE8's the way they are.
I trust Senheisser's designers.

 

[classicjazz]

I've found the IE8s to be muffled and have a wooly midrange and an unacceptable thickness. Maybe I will try the tape mod. After using full size Sennheiser cans, I had high hopes for these. I was an early adopter and they've been sitting unused in a drawer for the last few years. Definitely not in the same league as my Shure SE5/535 series. 

 

[HONEYBOY]

  I've found the IE8s to be muffled and have a wooly midrange and an unacceptable thickness. Maybe I will try the tape mod. After using full size Sennheiser cans, I had high hopes for these. I was an early adopter and they've been sitting unused in a drawer for the last few years. Definitely not in the same league as my Shure SE5/535 series. 

I get this "unacceptable thickness" when I try to push them too far into my ears. I've always thought, and championed a shallower insert as the way to go with the IE8s, but I suspect not everyone feels that way. Even though I never really liked the Shure  series, I cannot say that they were not in the same league as the IE8s. As usual on head-fi, one earphone must absolutely stomp, destroy, and walk all over another before they can be our avowed preference. 
 
I tried the tape mod briefly, (no holes poked), and although there is a sensation of increased clarity, something seemed off. I'll give it another shot  for a fairer assessment sometime in the future, but I enjoy the IE8s as is, right now...

 

[james444]

I am happy with my IE8's the way they are.
I trust Senheisser's designers.

 
Has nothing to do with trusting Sennheiser imo, people just have different preferences and the IE8's mid bass hump isn't everyone's cup of tea. Why not try to tame it when there's a lot to like about these phones apart from that single "flaw"?
 
Anyone who has an Android device might also want to try Neutron Player with the following EQ settings (that's how I use my IE8 on the go these days):
 

 

[BadBoySimran]

   
Did you poke a small hole through the tape where it covers the vent? If you don't, you're sealing the vent completely and bass will sound overdamped and muffled as a result.
 
FWIW, I didn't try the tape mod on my IE8 before now, but I've experienced great results with the same mod on the new Sony XBA-H3, where it turns a loose bass cannon into a more reasonably bassy top tier phone. The change on the IE8 is less pronounced, but it still makes their bass slightly less boomy and more controlled.

Thank you for this awesome suggestion!
 
I had tried the tape mod on my IE8 in the past - resulting in increased clarity, but less defined bass impact with somewhat "incomplete" bass notes, which decayed before getting to the end point- as in, the top of a cone had been cut off, resulting in a frustum!
 
Today, I tried the tape mod again, but poked a hole above the vent (after reading your post) and voila! everything sounded crystal clear, and more importantly - the bass was fulfilling and impactful as before, but more controlled and tight.
I think I'm never going back to the stock IE8 now...
 
This is why I love Head-fi !!