[Death_Block]

Maybe you're one who likes a thicker signature better then?

Maybe, i dont know. I also didnt really know what to expect from high end gear as i havent tried any. I dont have any high end experience. Only the ie's, the ANC's, a low end set of shure head cans, thats about it really.

 

[Deftone]

I just recieved my set of ie800's a few days ago after reading extensively about them. For a few weeks prior i had been using audio technica ANCbt40's and was happy (and impressed) with their sound. In anticipation for this upgrade i was expecting to be WOW'ed. I was not. While not to say they dont sound better, they do, i was felt underwhelmed considering the jump from AUS $160 set $750 top end.
I constantly heard 'these iem's are bass cannons' eg eg. After the weekend of listening i was always wanting more.
So i fiddled with the sennheiser 'Captune' i can use with my tidal app and the bass boost on that i thought sounded awful. Ive settled that no equaliser adjustments sounds best so i was inclined to forget about using captune altogether.
My next thought was the obvious: maybe an HA2 or mojo would be the next step but also i hear while they do improve sound, they are not necessarily important for the power requirements of the ie's.
I feel diflated and that maybe im missing something. Not what i expected coming from bluetooth budget jobbies to the ie's.
Ive tried all supplied ear tips as the seal is very important for these. They were bought brand new from a hifi store and confirmed as a dealer by sennheiser themselves 'i called them to confirm'
If i had been given the oportunity to try before buy, unfortunately i would not have shelled out the dollerydoo's.

Experiencing some of the best headphones and earphones money can buy to only feel underwhelmed can be quite depressing, thats how i felt after Canjam.

 

[Death_Block]

Experiencing some of the best headphones and earphones money can buy to only feel underwhelmed can be quite depressing, thats how i felt after Canjam.

Sorry to hear mate!
The 'wow' comments must have been from people coming from stock earbuds with their phones.

 

[SilverEars]

Sorry to hear mate!
The 'wow' comments must have been from people coming from stock earbuds with their phones.

Haha. I have thought about this as well. I don't think too many are jumping that high so hastily, but this will happen when they reach the zone of diminishing returns from zone of basics. Too much of a hump to have much of a background to know well what levels the gears should be at. Look at Joker's massive reviews, that's somebody you know has taken the journey to have more resolution in the levels of differences in quality of gear. That jump is pretty binary. LOL.

It's like black and white vs fine gray scales.

 

[joshnor713]

I usually feel the same way with a new pair of headphones. I learned that with time you'll gradually appreciate what they can do.

 

[chi-fi mel]

I bought a pair of Swing IE800 and they are excellent and cost only $12.

 

[Death_Block]

Haha. I have thought about this as well. I don't think too many are jumping that high so hastily, but this will happen when they reach the zone of diminishing returns from zone of basics. Too much of a hump to have much of a background to know well what levels the gears should be at. Look at Joker's massive reviews, that's somebody you know has taken the journey to have more resolution in the levels of differences in quality of gear. That jump is pretty binary. LOL.

It's like black and white vs fine gray scales.

I did pass that thought through my cranium. I guess the quality of the sound the ie's are producing goes over my head without myself having the learning curve and knowledge to dissect the sound and properly appreciate it.
If that is the case i guess i can only be expecting to appreciate them more and more as time goes on. Well, im hoping that will be the case thanks to the quantity and quality of the fakes around i see no point in losing a wad of cash and selling them.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Sorry to hear mate!
The 'wow' comments must have been from people coming from stock earbuds with their phones.

Actually, without a lot of experience with headphones and such, it can be hard to understand the value of high end headphones and IEMs.

I reached ie800 after hearing tons of ultra high end stuff, ie800 being my top choice at that moment.

Have you tried going back to a lesser IEM and see if it still satisfies you?

 

[Death_Block]

Actually, without a lot of experience with headphones and such, it can be hard to understand the value of high end headphones and IEMs.

I reached ie800 after hearing tons of ultra high end stuff, ie800 being my top choice at that moment.

Have you tried going back to a lesser IEM and see if it still satisfies you?

Im not complaining about the lack of clarity and how everything sounds. They sound great and all, i was expecting more bass from after everything ive read about them.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Im not complaining about the lack of clarity and how everything sounds. They sound great and all, i was expecting more bass from after everything ive read about them.

They don't have a thick 100Hz bass, they haver an evisceral sub-bass.

Exceptional for metal.

The bass is boosted by quite a lot if I'm not mistaken, the only difference is that most IEMs / headphones have a boosted whole bass area, while ie800 has a boosted sub-bass.

 

[Death_Block]

They don't have a thick 100Hz bass, they haver an evisceral sub-bass.

Exceptional for metal.

The bass is boosted by quite a lot if I'm not mistaken, the only difference is that most IEMs / headphones have a boosted whole bass area, while ie800 has a boosted sub-bass.

Im not familiar with the jargon but i think i might have an idea in what you were saying. The 100hz bass, is that the doof doof type? Because when i read the ie's had alot of bass i assumed it was that.
This sub base you mentioned, can you elaborate or like an ELI5 of something? If its what im thinking, which is say for eg. The bass guitar in a song, than yes i have found they are great for heavy rock. Or i could be completely wrong. I especially bought the ie's over the se846 because i felt they would bring heavy rock more to life.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Im not familiar with the jargon but i think i might have an idea in what you were saying. The 100hz bass, is that the doof doof type? Because when i read the ie's had alot of bass i assumed it was that.
This sub base you mentioned, can you elaborate or like an ELI5 of something? If its what im thinking, which is say for eg. The bass guitar in a song, than yes i have found they are great for heavy rock. Or i could be completely wrong. I especially bought the ie's over the se846 because i felt they would bring heavy rock more to life.

With SE846 you'd have way less treble, way less cymbals and such.

With ie800 you get really good bass guitar textures, you don't get to feel like you're hit with the bass, you get to hear it deep and strong

 

[Death_Block]

With SE846 you'd have way less treble, way less cymbals and such.

With ie800 you get really good bass guitar textures, you don't get to feel like you're hit with the bass, you get to hear it deep and strong

Yeah thats what i was feeling. Not so much bass drum doof brain curdling, but a molodeic bassy drive

 

[Rob80b]

Yeah thats what i was feeling. Not so much bass drum doof brain curdling, but a molodeic bassy drive

Not to repeat the above comments but I’d give you’re ears and mind a week or so to acclimatize to the ie800s and then go back to the ATs….high end gear is not made to impress at first and more often than not the uninitiated will actually find it a little too flat sounding (boring) having been fed overly extended highs and bloated base with a forward midrange.

In the end the majority may still prefer the lower end stuff and nothing wrong with that as it can be more entertaining…..it’s just not reference level which really is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Now having said that….the ie800s do add a bit of flair IMHO and I’m surprised you find yours base deficient as the quantity and quality of the bass is one character that has been more or less unanimously agreed upon.

Thing to always bear in mind though is that a lot of entry level gear today is already very good sounding and initial “high” expectations at first listen can be a bit disappointing with that pricier investment….buyers remorse???

I’m actually in a very similar situation as I’m finding my Nuforce ne800m I got off Massdrop for $60 do a fairly decent job when I’m out and about and the ie800s are almost overkill, especially $$$ wise, and not being fully appreciated competing with environmental noise pollution.

If they were my main listening devices at home instead of the HD800S or for traveling then yes I’d feel the slightly better sound and cost would be justifiable as they are better… but as it is now they’re almost solely for a special occasion like cherished jewelry… “pride of ownership”….....lol

 

[jwbrent]

I just recieved my set of ie800's a few days ago after reading extensively about them. For a few weeks prior i had been using audio technica ANCbt40's and was happy (and impressed) with their sound. In anticipation for this upgrade i was expecting to be WOW'ed. I was not. While not to say they dont sound better, they do, i was felt underwhelmed considering the jump from AUS $160 set $750 top end.
I constantly heard 'these iem's are bass cannons' eg eg. After the weekend of listening i was always wanting more.
So i fiddled with the sennheiser 'Captune' i can use with my tidal app and the bass boost on that i thought sounded awful. Ive settled that no equaliser adjustments sounds best so i was inclined to forget about using captune altogether.
My next thought was the obvious: maybe an HA2 or mojo would be the next step but also i hear while they do improve sound, they are not necessarily important for the power requirements of the ie's.
I feel diflated and that maybe im missing something. Not what i expected coming from bluetooth budget jobbies to the ie's.
Ive tried all supplied ear tips as the seal is very important for these. They were bought brand new from a hifi store and confirmed as a dealer by sennheiser themselves 'i called them to confirm'
If i had been given the oportunity to try before buy, unfortunately i would not have shelled out the dollerydoo's.

A couple things ... being a dynamic driver design, you may find the sound improves as you get more time on your new purchase--I certainly did. Second, as I spend more money on upgrades, the return on investment gets smaller, however, these small differences (unless there are significant tonal changes) become more meaningful as my listening experience matures.

Hope you find sometime the IE800 is worthy of the praise it receives by the majority of its owners.