[Marat Sar]

  Purchased a pair of cheap (250 €) IE800 from eBay.
 
Externally are perfect, exactly as shown in photos here on head fi forums and as advertised on the Internet.
 
Unfortunately, when listened through my Hugo, there were big surprises: piercing highs, extra-wide soundstage (with hole in the middle) and most importantly, imbalance over 3 dB between the two drivers!
 
They will be sent back to the seller for a full refund.
 
You were all right for the "genuiness" of cheap IE800 IEMs on eBay....

 
Now I'm getting paranoid, since I also got them cheap and off ebay. Can I maybe search the serial number or something?

 

[myemaildw]

Purchased a pair of cheap (250 €) IE800 from eBay.

Externally are perfect, exactly as shown in photos here on head fi forums and as advertised on the Internet.

Unfortunately, when listened through my Hugo, there were big surprises: piercing highs, extra-wide soundstage (with hole in the middle) and most importantly, imbalance over 3 dB between the two drivers!

They will be sent back to the seller for a full refund.

You were all right for the "genuiness" of cheap IE800 IEMs on eBay....

even aliexpress sells them for 10 euro new
http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32436986444.html?productSubject=Ceramic-DIY-IE800-IE80-IE8-HiFi-Headphone-Headset-in-ear-earphone-earbuds-with-microphone-remote-for&productId=32436986444&tracelog=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail

 

[Caruryn]

  Purchased a pair of cheap (250 €) IE800 from eBay.
 
Externally are perfect, exactly as shown in photos here on head fi forums and as advertised on the Internet.
 
Unfortunately, when listened through my Hugo, there were big surprises: piercing highs, extra-wide soundstage (with hole in the middle) and most importantly, imbalance over 3 dB between the two drivers!
 
They will be sent back to the seller for a full refund.
 
You were all right for the "genuiness" of cheap IE800 IEMs on eBay....

That bumps hard

.It seems lately there is a flood of fake ie800 as there was with ie80 before them.What is it with the sennheisers that attract counterfeiters so much?There are so many other brands out there that they can try their hand with(i kid

).
Always check if the serial is genuine at sennheiser authentication page to all those of you who have a mind to buy a ''cheap'' ie800 http://qr-sennheiser.com/index.php?id=5
It's been told many times but apparently it bears repeating.Only buy from authorised sennheiser sellers and have your mind at ease.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  I'm happy to report that a Fiio E12A amp does indeed solve all IE800 treble issues. Sibilance, harshness - all gone. When people tell you the E12A is a good budget amp for the IE800, believe them. The downside is less detail and soundstage, compared to the Cayin C5.
 
An unrelated queston, however - when I look at the little metal webs or nets on the tips Sennheiser ships these with - the wax guards of the tips? - some of the plastic of the tip has molten into the little holes in the side of the net. Every tip I got has this issue, some more, some less. I'm thinking of using a fine needle to clean them up to see if the molten plastic is obstructing the way, maybe changing the sound in some way.
 
Anyone else notice this? 

...
 
I guess that it depends on what you are searching for. 
 
I have E12A with me, and X5II alone. 
 
x5II has larger soundstage, more treble, faster bass. Cleaner sound. more detailed. Easier to understand. 
 
E12A is more analog, musical, tube-like, I guess. It sounds closer to what speakers sound like. 
 
As long as I do not listen loud, x5II is not harsh

 

[StryGR]

...provided you are willing to pay the requested amount of money.
 
The problem on eBay is that no boxes are given. So there is no chance to check "fakeness" using a S/N...

 

[Caruryn]

  ...provided you are willing to pay the requested amount of money.
 
The problem on eBay is that no boxes are given. So there is no chance to check "fakeness" using a S/N...

If you can't come up with the required amount and you must absolutely have them then it's better to buy a used one from a member here with good feedback than try your luck out there in the jungle.Otherwise the old adage still holds:you get what you pay for 

.

 

[0rangutan]

Yes, there was a trickle of fakes on eBay and it appears that the floodgates are now open.  All of those listed at ca. €250 / £150 are fakes.  Any without boxes will be fakes, but there are also some non-genuine pairs that also include a box - I was recently fooled by one of these when buying a second pair, but fortunately could compare with the the real item to identify this then returned them.
 
From my own experience, they are very impressive fakes and the differences are very subtle.  Sound quality was some way off the real IE800, but about right for the asking price.
 
The main differences that I could identify were that the cable was much more supple (almost flimsy) and that the housings were lighter and don't make the distinctive ceramic chink sound that the real ones do when they touch each other.  The plastic mount for the spare tips had a very faint cross hatch pattern on the fakes but was smooth on the originals (but too fine to photograph).  Other than that, there isn't much else to go on really and so there is going to be a lot more confusion in future about real vs fake IE800s.
 
I would avoid any used pair that doesn't come with a box and receipt.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Why ever buy in a risk situation like this one?
 
 
It is best to get a second hand one, faster, more reliable, and most come with some waranty still left. 

 

[Conext]

  The main differences that I could identify were that the cable was much more supple (almost flimsy) and that the housings were lighter and don't make the distinctive ceramic chink sound that the real ones do when they touch each other.

Ah, you noticed that too?
 
Actually, what I'm really struck by, in regards to the housings is how they don't bounce.
 
One would think such a tiny, light housing would bounce just a little bit when dropped onto a desk or a table. But in my experience, once they hit a surface, they remain there—almost as if they were made out of lead. I don't deal with ceramics on a daily basis, so I assume that's just part of their natural physical properties.
 
I have to wonder if fakes would do that, or if they would bounce/rebound a little bit.

 

[StryGR]

I think that the fakes found now on eBay are super-fakes.
 
Everything on the IEM looks so real.
 
Even the sound is very impressive. Provided that there is no imbalance between the two drivers (the real reason I sent them back for full refund).
 
I found that the bass hits really hard and mid-bass bloom seems to be absent, as mentioned elsewhere by owners of genuine IE800s.

 

[chawya22]

  Ah, you noticed that too?
 
Actually, what I'm really struck by, in regards to the housings is how they don't bounce.
 
One would think such a tiny, light housing would bounce just a little bit when dropped onto a desk or a table. But in my experience, once they hit a surface, they remain there—almost as if they were made out of lead. I don't deal with ceramics on a daily basis, so I assume that's just part of their natural physical properties.
 
I have to wonder if fakes would do that, or if they would bounce/rebound a little bit.

I wonder if that would make them more prone to cracking/shattering if you drop them just right (or wrong).

 

[JaZZ]

  In fact, after some more listening to Ie800, I seem to need to turn the treble down, it is too much, even for me. This or I did not get enough sleep. 

 
The X5 II's treble will get smoother after some break-in, no worries! But it's still slightly more prominent than on the original X5. And then there's james444's mod.

 

[mikey1964]

  Purchased a pair of cheap (250 €) IE800 from eBay.
 
Externally are perfect, exactly as shown in photos here on head fi forums and as advertised on the Internet.
 
Unfortunately, when listened through my Hugo, there were big surprises: piercing highs, extra-wide soundstage (with hole in the middle) and most importantly, imbalance over 3 dB between the two drivers!
 
They will be sent back to the seller for a full refund.
 
You were all right for the "genuiness" of cheap IE800 IEMs on eBay....

Didcha happen to take some pics of it? I'd gotten a pair of knock-offs as well, but had gotten a full refund, and I took some pics of it. The Sennheiser logo on the real McCoy is sharply 'etched' on the shell, with the logo itself matted unlike the rest of the shell which has a glossy finish. Surprisingly, it didn't sound half bad, though now having own and heard the real deal, I don't believe I'd be fooled by a fake one anymore. And yes, even if you have to pay the full price for one, buy it from an authorized Sennheiser dealer, the IE800 is worth every penny!

 

[StryGR]

Would you say that IE800 could compare sonically with a well-driven HD800 or Hifiman HE-6 (my reference headphones)? 

 

[Caruryn]

  Would you say that IE800 could compare sonically with a well-driven HD800 or Hifiman HE-6 (my reference headphones)? 

Not in the soundstage department no way