[ryanjsoo]

Hi!, First off I`m a big fan of the ie800, love the sound, the looks and the build. However I`m looking into selling my ie800`s, I really want to like them, and they are undoubtedly the best sounding earphones I`ve heard by far, bounds ahead of the se535ltd, better than the ATH CK100 and PFE 232 probably the best I had heard before the ie800.  However they are becoming impractical for day to day use, the treble is a bit overdone for my liking and the cloth mod doesn`t sit well with me, the fit is ok, I have no issues but its definitely not as solid as my sealed and over ear iems, microphonics are ever present even with a shirt clip, again they`re not awful but they ruin the experience a bit and constantly having to use a shirt clip is inconvenient and still doesn`t rid the problem, plus the heavy y-split connectors weigh them down so they constantly want to rub and bang against my face. I`m looking into the se846 as they seem to be a better overall package, but comparisons are quite scarce and usually brief, what I gather is that the 846 has similar sub-bass, more mid-bass, more forward mids and less prominent treble but south of neutral sounding recessed at times. I prefer slightly boosted treble to recessed treble, is the 846 treble that bad and does the bright filter fix the issues?, is clarity difference that much different because probably my favourite part of the ie800`s is their lean, uncoloured mids and hyper detailed sound sig. I know I will probably prefer the ie800 sound but how much different is it?, I am completely satisfied with the sound of the ie800`s and comfort is superb but I also fit shure`s iems well and size is not a big factor for me. I prefer a slightly bassy signature, is the bass on the 846`s very boosted? I`ve heard they can get intrusive. Thanks in advance for any clarification it would really be appreciated. 

 

[dsincere]

Hi!, First off I`m a big fan of the ie800, love the sound, the looks and the build. However I`m looking into selling my ie800`s, I really want to like them, and they are undoubtedly the best sounding earphones I`ve heard by far, bounds ahead of the se535ltd, better than the ATH CK100 and PFE 232 probably the best I had heard before the ie800.  However they are becoming impractical for day to day use, the treble is a bit overdone for my liking and the cloth mod doesn`t sit well with me, the fit is ok, I have no issues but its definitely not as solid as my sealed and over ear iems, microphonics are ever present even with a shirt clip, again they`re not awful but they ruin the experience a bit and constantly having to use a shirt clip is inconvenient and still doesn`t rid the problem, plus the heavy y-split connectors weigh them down so they constantly want to rub and bang against my face. I`m looking into the se846 as they seem to be a better overall package, but comparisons are quite scarce and usually brief, what I gather is that the 846 has similar sub-bass, more mid-bass, more forward mids and less prominent treble but south of neutral sounding recessed at times. I prefer slightly boosted treble to recessed treble, is the 846 treble that bad and does the bright filter fix the issues?, is clarity difference that much different because probably my favourite part of the ie800`s is their lean, uncoloured mids and hyper detailed sound sig. I know I will probably prefer the ie800 sound but how much different is it?, I am completely satisfied with the sound of the ie800`s and comfort is superb but I also fit shure`s iems well and size is not a big factor for me. I prefer a slightly bassy signature, is the bass on the 846`s very boosted? I`ve heard they can get intrusive. Thanks in advance for any clarification it would really be appreciated. 

Ok as I have had both and still own the SE846 ....I feel if you go the Shure route just do the black filter mod...,and you'll be fine think you'll really love the sound and gain the nice treble you're looking for without the harshness ......most people who try the Shures try them with the blue filter or balanced filter I think they call it ......and coming from the 800s you'll be a little disappointed with the treble ....which if you're a treble head then switch to the white filters and get extended treble .....for me they were like whoaaaa but a little too much for my liking and I like highs too along with the Bass.....so if you get them just take the black filter and a safety pin look inside and pull the black foam out them put the small piece of foam up for later use if needed because it's simple to put back...insert the black filter and enjoy....you'll have the treble I think you'll like plus the hard hitting bass where it's called for on the track...,,I really like the Y connect on the 8s and even more so with over ear phones I'm having my Shure cable modded now to have a Y connect in it so I can switch between balanced and regular cables I like this much better and it was because of the 8s.....this mod is good with over ear as it's not heavy and feel fine I can understand what you were talking about with this being the way it is with the 8s but you probably were wearing a shallow fit ...I found that going up one size than usual with the tips solved some issues with fit as I had no problems ......The 8s are great ....,but I ranked them just a tad under the Shures as I feel Shure got this phone right and I love them very much .....I had two pair of 8s as I loved them a lot and actually feel the treble wasn't a problem for me ....I did feel that the older model was a little brighter than the current ones out ..,,,but I was told I was wrong and they were the same so I was like ok ...just seemed a little less so to my ears but either way they're great.....The Shure SE846 just seemed to nudge the 8s out in bass or rather sub bass and if you've heard JLs home subs you'd know what I mean....the very low notes that you can't really hear but feel...it's there with the Shures......so good luck on your next phones ........you're leaving behind one of my top two picks in phones .....

 

[Caruryn]

  For a very very very early impression. The C5 improves the bass quality, the bass feels more in control.  Also calms the high's off a bit and gives the mid's more punch.  I haven't heard too much difference in the sound stage though, gonna have to listen more later (and also more when its burnt in)

Listen to it for an hour or so and then immediately switch to dx90 alone.It will sound noticeably smaller and less in scale.If you feel overly adventurous turn the bass boost on and connect the c5 to the HO of dx90(double amping for the win

).Now that's what i call fun!

 

[Spyro]

  Hi!, First off I`m a big fan of the ie800, love the sound, the looks and the build. However I`m looking into selling my ie800`s, I really want to like them, and they are undoubtedly the best sounding earphones I`ve heard by far, bounds ahead of the se535ltd, better than the ATH CK100 and PFE 232 probably the best I had heard before the ie800.  However they are becoming impractical for day to day use, the treble is a bit overdone for my liking and the cloth mod doesn`t sit well with me, the fit is ok, I have no issues but its definitely not as solid as my sealed and over ear iems, microphonics are ever present even with a shirt clip, again they`re not awful but they ruin the experience a bit and constantly having to use a shirt clip is inconvenient and still doesn`t rid the problem, plus the heavy y-split connectors weigh them down so they constantly want to rub and bang against my face. I`m looking into the se846 as they seem to be a better overall package, but comparisons are quite scarce and usually brief, what I gather is that the 846 has similar sub-bass, more mid-bass, more forward mids and less prominent treble but south of neutral sounding recessed at times. I prefer slightly boosted treble to recessed treble, is the 846 treble that bad and does the bright filter fix the issues?, is clarity difference that much different because probably my favourite part of the ie800`s is their lean, uncoloured mids and hyper detailed sound sig. I know I will probably prefer the ie800 sound but how much different is it?, I am completely satisfied with the sound of the ie800`s and comfort is superb but I also fit shure`s iems well and size is not a big factor for me. I prefer a slightly bassy signature, is the bass on the 846`s very boosted? I`ve heard they can get intrusive. Thanks in advance for any clarification it would really be appreciated. 

Sell the IE800 and buy the W60 for a much more comfy fit.  W60 also has the big full enveloping bass like SE846.  They (bass) are pretty much the same as far as I am concerned.  Owned them back to back.
 
Surely ergonomics are important but SE846 is a downgrade in SQ next to IE800.  Yes SE846 may have a better underlying enveloping fullness-sub bass effect....but after that I think IE800 beats it everywhere else.  Having said that I find myself a pretty easy fit but I found SE846 very uncomfortable after about 20 minutes.  The housing is larger than SE535 and it just doesn't do my ear canal very good.
 
It's an individual thing but my biggest issue with the Shure IEM's is a really bad peak in the upper midrange/lower treble combined with a forward midrange.  I find it fatiguing.   Not shrill or anything like that but more like someone blowing a very high note trumpet into your ears close up.

 

[jelt2359]

  Hi!, First off I`m a big fan of the ie800, love the sound, the looks and the build. However I`m looking into selling my ie800`s, I really want to like them, and they are undoubtedly the best sounding earphones I`ve heard by far, bounds ahead of the se535ltd, better than the ATH CK100 and PFE 232 probably the best I had heard before the ie800.  However they are becoming impractical for day to day use, the treble is a bit overdone for my liking and the cloth mod doesn`t sit well with me, the fit is ok, I have no issues but its definitely not as solid as my sealed and over ear iems, microphonics are ever present even with a shirt clip, again they`re not awful but they ruin the experience a bit and constantly having to use a shirt clip is inconvenient and still doesn`t rid the problem, plus the heavy y-split connectors weigh them down so they constantly want to rub and bang against my face. I`m looking into the se846 as they seem to be a better overall package, but comparisons are quite scarce and usually brief, what I gather is that the 846 has similar sub-bass, more mid-bass, more forward mids and less prominent treble but south of neutral sounding recessed at times. I prefer slightly boosted treble to recessed treble, is the 846 treble that bad and does the bright filter fix the issues?, is clarity difference that much different because probably my favourite part of the ie800`s is their lean, uncoloured mids and hyper detailed sound sig. I know I will probably prefer the ie800 sound but how much different is it?, I am completely satisfied with the sound of the ie800`s and comfort is superb but I also fit shure`s iems well and size is not a big factor for me. I prefer a slightly bassy signature, is the bass on the 846`s very boosted? I`ve heard they can get intrusive. Thanks in advance for any clarification it would really be appreciated. 

I really don't quite get you.. To sum up:
 
1) IE800 treble is overdone
2) but you prefer slightly boosted treble
3) you also prefer slightly bassy
 
The 846 (esp. white filter) has boosted lower treble but rolls off on the highs. So some will find the treble edgy, others find it lacking. Bass wise the 846 and IE800 are both pretty similar I think, although more than just quantity, the defining quality of the 846 bass is in being extremely clean and fast.
 
Mids-wise, the 846 is definitely forward. Given that it sounds like you prefer a V-shape signature, I'm not sure this is what you'll like. Perhaps the Westone instead?

 

[Spyro]

Yes, jelt, good observation.
I think the SE846 has a larger canvas of overall bass but IE800 is much more distinct, pinpoint and textured (less midbass, more sub bass).  Yes, more that SE846. 

 

[jelt2359]

  Yes, jelt, good observation.
I think the SE846 has a larger canvas of overall bass but IE800 is much more distinct, pinpoint and textured (less midbass, more sub bass).  Yes, more that SE846. 

Just checking- did you mean 'more than'?

 

[Spyro]

I think IE800 portrays bass much better than SE846....particularly sub bass.  Overall quantity might be a hair less that SE846 but I think the texture, tones and overall quality of IE800 is the best bass ever done in an IEM at any price. 

 

[ryanjsoo]

Thanks for all the helpful responses, whilst I do like a slight treble emphasis, I think the ie800s have simply too much and are over my threshold of comfort, everything else is really top notch though. I I should also note that I`ve heard only good comments about the ie800`s sound but many negative comments about the sound of the se846, ie. treble, peaky mids, bass bloat, so is extension good on the 846? I`m a sucker for extended bass and I would prefer extended highs too even if they are a little less present than neutral. Also how is soundstaging, I know both are good but some say the se846 is more three dimensional, I thought my se535`s had a great soundstage but the ie800`s are definitely better. I also liked the punchy, if not poorly extended bass on the se535, but I also much prefer the sub bass impact on the ie800, the ie800 has very very good bass response and I can agree with what everyone is saying here, perfect quantity for me and the quality never ceases to amaze, but again I don`t mind a slight compromise but I`d prefer more sub-bass than mid-bass or atleast have both equally emphasized. I`m also a fan of many Audio-Technica products, I personally own the CK100 which has very forward mids but absolutely perfect treble and high frequency response, probably the best I`ve heard at any price point, and I quite like the sound signature, just a little less than the ie800 so I think the mids on the se846 will be fine. Thanks very much again, really great and helpful community we have here on this forum 

 

 

[jelt2359]

Thanks for all the helpful responses, whilst I do like a slight treble emphasis, I think the ie800s have simply too much and are over my threshold of comfort, everything else is really top notch though. I I should also note that I`ve heard only good comments about the ie800`s sound but many negative comments about the sound of the se846, ie. treble, peaky mids, bass bloat, so is extension good on the 846? I`m a sucker for extended bass and I would prefer extended highs too even if they are a little less present than neutral. Also how is soundstaging, I know both are good but some say the se846 is more three dimensional, I thought my se535`s had a great soundstage but the ie800`s are definitely better. I also liked the punchy, if not poorly extended bass on the se535, but I also much prefer the sub bass impact on the ie800, the ie800 has very very good bass response and I can agree with what everyone is saying here, perfect quantity for me and the quality never ceases to amaze, but again I don`t mind a slight compromise but I`d prefer more sub-bass than mid-bass or atleast have both equally emphasized. I`m also a fan of many Audio-Technica products, I personally own the CK100 which has very forward mids but absolutely perfect treble and high frequency response, probably the best I`ve heard at any price point, and I quite like the sound signature, just a little less than the ie800 so I think the mids on the se846 will be fine. Thanks very much again, really great and helpful community we have here on this forum :etysmile:  

I haven't heard the CK100. Soundstaging is average on the 846. The bass extension is good, but treble extension is not. I definitely do not hear any bass bloat on the 846- quite the opposite, really. As for the mids, if you already heard the 535 then you already have a good idea of how forward the 846 mids are.

 

[obsidyen]

  Thanks for all the helpful responses, whilst I do like a slight treble emphasis, I think the ie800s have simply too much and are over my threshold of comfort, everything else is really top notch though. I I should also note that I`ve heard only good comments about the ie800`s sound but many negative comments about the sound of the se846, ie. treble, peaky mids, bass bloat, so is extension good on the 846? I`m a sucker for extended bass and I would prefer extended highs too even if they are a little less present than neutral. Also how is soundstaging, I know both are good but some say the se846 is more three dimensional, I thought my se535`s had a great soundstage but the ie800`s are definitely better. I also liked the punchy, if not poorly extended bass on the se535, but I also much prefer the sub bass impact on the ie800, the ie800 has very very good bass response and I can agree with what everyone is saying here, perfect quantity for me and the quality never ceases to amaze, but again I don`t mind a slight compromise but I`d prefer more sub-bass than mid-bass or atleast have both equally emphasized. I`m also a fan of many Audio-Technica products, I personally own the CK100 which has very forward mids but absolutely perfect treble and high frequency response, probably the best I`ve heard at any price point, and I quite like the sound signature, just a little less than the ie800 so I think the mids on the se846 will be fine. Thanks very much again, really great and helpful community we have here on this forum 

 

I also disliked the treble emphasis of IE800, searched for a more fatigue free IEM. I've got Earsonics SM64 and I'm extremely happy with it, just amazing.

 

[AndrewH13]

I also disliked the treble emphasis of IE800, searched for a more fatigue free IEM. I've got Earsonics SM64 and I'm extremely happy with it, just amazing.

Is there a treble emphasis with 800s. Coming from HiFi into portables, I found most gear seems to have rolled-off treble or boosted bloated bass! I feel I have now found a couple of true more accurate producers. Maybe its my ears but I don't hear any treble boost, only in comparison maybe with dull IEMs that I kept rejecting when demoing.

 

[obsidyen]

Is there a treble emphasis with 800s. Coming from HiFi into portables, I found most gear seems to have rolled-off treble or boosted bloated bass! I feel I have now found a couple of true more accurate producers. Maybe its my ears but I don't hear any treble boost, only in comparison maybe with dull IEMs that I kept rejecting when demoing.

I've also had lots of Hifi gear. Sound depends on the house sound and speakers mostly. Amps affect the sound to a degree. If you're used to Monitor Audio speakers which are bright, Sennheiser HD 650 is going to sound dark to you. If you're used to Dali and KEF which are more neutral, Beyerdynamic T90 is going to sound extremely bright to you. It's all relative to what you're used to. I find balanced, neutral sound with good bass more like real music (you can feel the bass, not only hear it, in live gigs) so I prefer that kind of sound signature. HD800 and IE800 have a treble emphasis in my opinion which I couldn't stand after some time when I had IE800s.  I had IE800, they're awesome in many ways but treble was fatiguing to me.
 
I'm just saying, in my opinion, Earsonics SM64 sounds better. It all comes down to preferences.

 

[jehugo]

I don't hear a treble emphasis on the IE800s. I run them direct out of an AK100II and they are fantastic. They don't have the dark veil I've come to associate with many of Sennheiser's offerings, which is a very good thing. To my ears they are very neutral with a dash of bass emphasis. How much bass depends how far you shove them in your earholes. The treble is certainly there, adding excitement, but I don't feel there is emphasis dialed in. They sound as good as the music with a great soundstage and 3d extension.

 

[Spyro]

  I don't hear a treble emphasis on the IE800s. I run them direct out of an AK100II and they are fantastic. They don't have the dark veil I've come to associate with many of Sennheiser's offerings, which is a very good thing. To my ears they are very neutral with a dash of bass emphasis. How much bass depends how far you shove them in your earholes. The treble is certainly there, adding excitement, but I don't feel there is emphasis dialed in. They sound as good as the music with a great soundstage and 3d extension.

Yea, well said.  Totally agree.  My ears can't handle  hot treble.  These seem like it's suppose to be with no veil.