[Spyro]

Someone a few pages up said I would like this IEM more and more the longer I have it or after 30 days and I would have to say that is true.  Hard to take them out of my ears  As far as quality of the sound, from memory, it is just as good as the W60 I had but the IE800 has much better clarity.  The left to right panning of instruments and overall stereo effect is like nothing I don't think I have ever heard.  Then you look at how small these things are and the deepness of the bass and the largeness of the overall sound.....it's an engineering marvel.
 
Been using the Topping NX1 amp exclusively the past 8 months for all my IEM's.  Decided to dust off the Ibasso T3 analog and it has great synergy with the Ipod and the IE800's.  A little more lushness and a slightly fuller sound.  Audio bliss.  Trying to find anything to complain about or anything I would want changed by I am having a hard time.  Senn really nailed it with this one.  Worth every penny IMHO.  It's what I have been searching for for a long time.  Big bass, big soundstage, exceptional clarity and detail but no harshness, still balanced and exciting.  Hard to compare it to anything else because JH13 is the only thing that sounded close but IE800 sounds better  (more cohesive, more natural, longer note decay)

 

[Kunlun]

Yeah, it's really something.

 

[Caruryn]

The only problem is the splashy treble with cymbals.Everything else is near perfect as far as sound goes.

 

[EddieE]

  The only problem is the splashy treble with cymbals.Everything else is near perfect as far as sound goes.

 
Interestingly (I was saying a few posts ago) the replacement set I received from Sennheiser last week did not have the treble issue. Treble is very smooth and well extended.
 
The previous pair I had required the filter mod to take the hardness in the treble, that was a replacement for a very early set I had which not only had even harder treble, but also lacked bass extension...
 
I don't know if they've been stealth improving them, or if I've just hit gold with a "golden pair" with this latest set but I am loving them without any filter modding at all!

 

[Caruryn]

   
Interestingly (I was saying a few posts ago) the replacement set I received from Sennheiser last week did not have the treble issue. Treble is very smooth and well extended.
 
The previous pair I had required the filter mod to take the hardness in the treble, that was a replacement for a very early set I had which not only had even harder treble, but also lacked bass extension...
 
I don't know if they've been stealth improving them, or if I've just hit gold with a "golden pair" with this latest set but I am loving them without any filter modding at all!

Damnit,I'm trying to save money for the new sony  Zx2 here

.You're saying the new batch of ie800s has no treble issues?

 

[EddieE]

  Damnit,I'm trying to save money for the new sony  Zx2 here

.You're saying the new batch of ie800s has no treble issues?

 
The latest IE800 I received has no treble issues compared to the other two I have owned.
 
I don't want to irresponsibly suggest this is definitely a deliberate improvement when I might just have been lucky enough to get one with a perfect driver.

 

[Caruryn]

Fair enough.I guess it would be difficult to do a side to side comparison unless someone has a 2013 and a 2014 model.

 

[Kunlun]

I basically played put my new set on a playlist of very, very loud music as an audio-engineer-suggested method to settle any dynamic driver and there's no cymbal splashiness, all is good.
 
As for the zx2, a person who heard it at CES reports it's underpowered compared to the AK120ii/240 (which is already underpowered in my experience), so I'm avoiding it.

 

[dsincere]

Fair enough.I guess it would be difficult to do a side to side comparison unless someone has a 2013 and a 2014 model.

I had a pair of first gen. And a new set from 2014 "which I still have balanced out now" I had both set at the same time I noticed a slight difference yes but nothing major as I never really had a problem with the treble and I have sensitive hearing ..... I feel that yes when they were brand new they had a slight sizzle but nothing major as others reported.... Once they broke in they did settle down.....they're nice phones even though I've stated that I put my SE846 Shures just a tad above them .....I do rate them as a close second....balancing them does seem to bring out even ever so more goodness from them .....I haven't heard them through the Hugo "yet" looking to get one though...I've already stated my opinions of what Sennheiser could have done a little differently but it's already been posted .....just wish they hit a little lower in the sub bass region as the SE846 which is hard to believe from B/A ....but they seem to have gotten it just right....and Senns always have had great bass and with the 800s they got it pretty close with the highs "maybe a little too close for some" but every thing else is good too....you guys "and girls" who have them just enjoy the music ......

 

[andromeda1954]

Having just received my second set of replacement IE800, I wanted to ask others on this replacement merry go round - does anyone else notice differences between the models sound signature?

My first set were very early. They had the same crystal clear, smooth mids all IE800 have. However, they had neutral verging on lean bass and quite hard treble, even when tamed with the filter mod.

My second set were late 2014. Mids the same, these had full, textured and deep bass and the treble, while still a little edgy, was smoother. I used the non woven fabric mod and they sounded perfect.

The set I received today S/N 25408 aren't going to need that mod at all. The treble is smooth, clear and fast, while the bass and mids sound identical to my old pair. 

Maybe this is just a case of the standard differences between sets of a model, or is Sennheiser slowly improving these over the years?

Either way, this is without a doubt the best set I've had yet. Shame I will likely need to replace them again this time next year... :rolleyes:  

. I think it's a matter of imagination .According to Sennheiser, nothing has changed and the later series are identical to the first series.

 

[dsincere]

I basically played put my new set on a playlist of very, very loud music as an audio-engineer-suggested method to settle any dynamic driver and there's no cymbal splashiness, all is good.

As for the zx2, a person who heard it at CES reports it's underpowered compared to the AK120ii/240 (which is already underpowered in my experience), so I'm avoiding it.

Yes and this is from a modded set of full size phones they were using so let's just wait until more people get to hear it first before burning it down ..,,,this from someone who owns a AK240 ...,,

 

[EddieE]

. I think it's a matter of imagination .According to Sennheiser, nothing has changed and the later series are identical to the first series.

 
It's definitely not imagination. The other two pairs I didn't enjoy the treble until I got them home and did the filter mod, these ones I have had no compulsion to mod at all. The bass of the first version was also absolutely reduced in energy compared to the two later ones. 
 
I do most of my music listening on my speakers so I have that reference that is unchanging. 
 
I accept (and have pointed out) that it could well be down to usual variations between phones of the same line, and my getting lucky. 

 

[Spyro]

My pair was shipped to me directly from Sennheiser so they must be very recent production.  I think I sensitive to splashy steely treble but I am having no problem with it even though it is about the most revealing treble I have heard (next to ER4, JH13 and RE272).
 
But our ears tend to adjust too.

 

[Ole Alstrup]

Question from a newbie; Any who compared these to the AKG K3003's? I A/B compared the AKG's to the IE80's and there was no comparison, it was a totally different world. However, for all the qualities of the AKG's, I found them to be somewhat dry,but they were new and not burned in. I can get the AKG's discounted for $600.

 

[james444]

Question from a newbie; Any who compared these to the AKG K3003's?

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/642528/review-sennheiser-ie800-impressions-frustration-and-a-bunch-of-what-ifs#post_8984558
 
Scroll down to post #2 for comparative listening notes vs. the K3003.