[dkun7944]

I recently saw a mint condition IE800 for sale for $499USD. Isn't the retail price over $1000USD? That's quite a lot of depreciation..

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

  I recently saw a mint condition IE800 for sale for $499USD. Isn't the retail price over $1000USD? That's quite a lot of depreciation..

That was launch price. It retails for $799 now.

 

[privilege15]

  That was launch price. It retails for $799 now.

I heard from a retailer about currently undergoing price increase for IE800 from $799 to $849 as far as Australia is concerned.

 

[johnwamp55]

$600 US Dollars in Hong Kong.

 

[privilege15]

$600 US Dollars in Hong Kong.

Fake or real?

 

[johnwamp55]

  Fake or real?

The Real deal at the real shops.

 

[titousky]

Hello,
I post my question here since I can't find how to create a new post,
 
I'm awaiting the delivery of my Sennheizer HD 598; will be my first open headphone.
I'm currently using the Sennheizer HD 380 PRO:
-I dislike the sound coming from inside my head,
-They make my ear too hot.
-The headband isn't very comfortable, and the cushioned cans press my head a little (use them for more than 12 hours/day sometimes)
 
I watch YouTube videos, series, movies, play games, listen to various styles of music.
 
But I just learned that some IEM like the IE800 have a great soundstage,
I personally never liked earbuds, but could be because I never had an expensive one,
Can 300€ pairs compete in comfort and soundstage to the HD598 for very long sessions?
 
Thanks for your attention,

 

[james444]

  Ah, thank you. Those are some interesting samples.
 
To me, I would say you're right that the Stacey Kent sample is borderline. I think it pushes right up to the edge, but the sibilance isn't distracting.
 
The Al Stewart song, on the other hand is incredibly sibilant to my ears via the IE800. I don't have any of my other typical headphones with me. Although, I do have an ass-old pair of Sony MDR-E828. While it's nowhere near the IE800 in terms of, well, ANYTHING, I can still tell the sibilance is there—it just sounds more muffled and subdued.
 
And thanks for the clarification on the fabric type.
 
I wonder if a used laundry fabric sheet might also work?
 

 
The Al Stewart recording is indeed slightly more sibilant than the Stacy Kent one, but you shouldn't hear an huge difference. Though, maybe you're just extremely sensitive around 6kHz where male sibilance occurs.
 
I've never tried laundry sheet fabric, but I don't think that will work. Looks too wide-meshed imo.

 

[HiFiChris]

 
But I just learned that some IEM like the IE800 have a great soundstage,
I personally never liked earbuds, but could be because I never had an expensive one,
Can 300€ pairs compete in comfort and soundstage to the HD598 for very long sessions?

 
From what I perceive, both the IE 800 and HD 598 have got a very wide yet not-so-deep soundstage, but the IE 800's soundstage (and sound in general, despite the very different sounding) is more precise.
I know some people have got problems perceiving a soundstage when listening to IEMs, but as far as I can tell from my own experience it won't take that long once your brain has gotten used to it.
Though speakers deliver a different type of soundstage (in front of you), IMO headphones don't give you a worse ppresentation, but it will be kind of located in your head and definitely not be in front of you, but all of it will depend on one's imagination.
At least that's my experience and due to the (in my ears) quite wide soundstage of the IE 800 it may be easier for you to like IEMs, soundstage-wise.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Hello,
I post my question here since I can't find how to create a new post,
 
I'm awaiting the delivery of my Sennheizer HD 598; will be my first open headphone.
I'm currently using the Sennheizer HD 380 PRO:
-I dislike the sound coming from inside my head,
-They make my ear too hot.
-The headband isn't very comfortable, and the cushioned cans press my head a little (use them for more than 12 hours/day sometimes)
 
I watch YouTube videos, series, movies, play games, listen to various styles of music.
 
But I just learned that some IEM like the IE800 have a great soundstage,
I personally never liked earbuds, but could be because I never had an expensive one,
Can 300€ pairs compete in comfort and soundstage to the HD598 for very long sessions?
 
Thanks for your attention,

I do not understand your question. Please clarify. 
 
Ie800 is not 300 EUR but around 600 EUR.
 
Other than that, the soundstage is much deeper, and wider than hd598. The entire sound is better, but with much more treble. You should buy them if you like treble, both hd380pro and hd598 are smooth, and have a smoothened treble. Ie800 certainly sounds very natural and neutral.
 
Also, the bass is rounder, more complete, better. 
 
You will never use anything else, until you buy a more exepnsive headphone, like HD800. At least, this is how it played out for me..

 

[HiFiChris]

 
Ie800 certainly sounds very natural and neutral.

 
Though I agree with the rest you said, I personally can't agree with this. Sure, the IE 800's sound quality is good, but it is imo quite far from neutral and also away from being naturally sounding. That's also sort of what I wrote as a reaction to HiFiman's CEO's comment on the IE 800 translated from an Asian website somewhere around in this thread - though the IE 800's sound signature is kind of gimmicky and lacks naturalness, it is technically on a pretty good level with a (for a dynamic transducer) fast and clean bass, good resolution and extension (both ways) and so on.
 
Despite having written that above, I don't regret having it in my collection and sometimes use it outside in rather less noisy environment with classic rock, radio (shame on me

) when I desire a less neutral and natural sound with a wide soundstage with precise instrument separation.
 
Furthermore, as always, peoples' perceptions differ. 

 

 

[JaZZ]

As I understand it, titousky wants to know if there's a $300 IEM that can compete with the HD 598 in terms of soundstage and comfort. Right, titousky?
 
I don't know the HD 598, just the HD 595 – from the FR graphs and the pictures I think it sounds and looks quite similar. I wasn't entirely satisfied with its sound, but that may have been influenced by the fact that I already owned the HD 600 at that time, and the HD 595 has disappointed my expectations in an interesting new sonic approach from Sennheiser. The HD 600 was and is the better headphone for me. So why not get a (used!) HD 580 or 600 instead?
 
It's hard to predict if you would like a similarly priced IEM more or less. From the technical abilities, particularly transient response and low-frequency extension, the IEM will be superior, but soundstage will definitely be more natural with the headphone. That's not to say it will be more pleasing or musical, though, it depends very much on how well you can adapt yourself to the spatial presentation of IEMs generally and the one in question in particular. I don't know enough about IEMs in the $300 range to give a recommendation. My favorite IEM of the $500 class is the Shure SE535. I prefer it to the Sennheiser IE 8, e.g.
 
With respect to comfort I prefer IEMs to the above headphones. I'm spoiled by the HD 800 and my electrostats and can't go back to the older Sennheisers. Again it depends if you feel comfortable with in-ears; they're not for everybody.
 
 

  Though I agree with the rest you said, I personally can't agree with this. Sure, the IE 800's sound quality is good, but it is imo quite far from neutral and also away from being naturally sounding. That's also sort of what I wrote as a reaction to HiFiman's CEO's comment on the IE 800 translated from an Asian website somewhere around in this thread - though the IE 800's sound signature is kind of gimmicky and lacks naturalness, it is technically on a pretty good level with a (for a dynamic transducer) fast and clean bass, good resolution and extension (both ways) and so on.
 
Despite having written that above, I don't regret having it in my collection and sometimes use it outside in rather less noisy environment with classic rock, radio (shame on me

) when I desire a less neutral and natural sound with a wide soundstage with precise instrument separation.
 
Furthermore, as always, peoples' perceptions differ. 

 

 
That's pretty much my own sentiments as well.

 

[tumburu]

When one listens exclusively to one pair of headphones/IEMs, after a while, their brains tunes in ('burns in') to those, to the point that this kind of perception appears. The 'ear' learns that frequency response and adapts to it. It's a pretty fundamental particularity of the human brain.
 
Audio engineers often 'learned' the sound of their speakers which made them able to make good records on things like the Yamaha NS10's.

 

[vnmslsrbms]

Agree, and that's basically what makes people want to upgrade, because what was once awesome is just normal.  And you just want something better (different).

 

[titousky]

Thanks

 

  I do not understand your question. Please clarify. 
 
Ie800 is not 300 EUR but around 600 EUR.
 
Other than that, the soundstage is much deeper, and wider than hd598. The entire sound is better, but with much more treble. You should buy them if you like treble, both hd380pro and hd598 are smooth, and have a smoothened treble. Ie800 certainly sounds very natural and neutral.
 
Also, the bass is rounder, more complete, better. 
 
You will never use anything else, until you buy a more exepnsive headphone, like HD800. At least, this is how it played out for me..

For the 300 EUR, I was refering the something like the IE80 for exemple.
I'm very surprised to hear that IEM can be better than opened headphone; I thought the size was at the cost of the quality!
So is there any reason to use headphones over IEM? because it's quality + portability!