[ryanjsoo]

You can try looking on aliexpress, they have a handful of good looking options. I haven't bought an ie800 cable from the site so i can't guarantee quality but some other iem cables i have purchased in the past have been top notch.

 

[Conext]

Curse you Sennheiser!
 
So, I decided to use the ie800s exclusively for a couple of weeks. I wanted to get a good feel for how it would handle my various genres of music, different encode methods, etc. Honestly, I waffled quite a bit during that time. I would hear a track with sibilant highs and think to myself, "I shouldn't have to put up with this for a flagship UIEM". And then the next track would start, and it would end up being the most beautiful rendering of the track that I've ever heard—thus I'd waffle back to keeping them.
 
I was almost at a point where I decided to get rid of them. But then I switched back to my MDR-7550s. Now I can't unhear what the ie800s deliver. Essentially it seems like no matter what, the 7550s have this sort of "haze" over the high end. Like someone stuffed cotton balls in my ears. It's not that the highs are bad, but they're just...really subdued compared to the ie800s. It even seems to extend down to the upper mids. And even EQing, I can't really get them up to the ie800s.
 
So yeah...ultimately, the super, hyper, mega, uber, ultra clarity and detail of the ie800s have won out. Looks like I'm keeping them.
 
On the plus side, I had a spare "telephone cable holder" that I use to keep the cable from flapping around:


The part that clamps onto the cable is meant for a larger diameter cable. So basically, the spot where the two halves of the cable junction together rest right there. I just clip it to my shirt collar and I can actually move around without any cable noise. And, with the way the cables sit, it looks like this would prevent even hardend cables from slapping around—not that I want to test that theory.

 

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

IE800 is really special, loving it with my Hugo. I was awake until 4 AM last night, listening to these.

I have no problems with the wires (s/n 33xxx) or fit. But, the seams on the tips are really starting to annoy me. Can't wear these for more than 30 mins, without getting a itchy feeling, because of ragged seam.

Any advice for tips with smoother silicone (ala, westone star tips)?

 

[chawya22]

IE800 is really special, loving it with my Hugo. I was awake until 4 AM last night, listening to these.

I have no problems with the wires (s/n 33xxx) or fit. But, the seams on the tips are really starting to annoy me. Can't wear these for more than 30 mins, without getting a itchy feeling, because of ragged seam.

Any advice for tips with smoother silicone (ala, westone star tips)?

Just curious, was that a typo for the serial # 33xxx? If so Sennheiser has made a huge jump as most users I've seen are still in the 2xxxx.

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Just curious, was that a typo for the serial # 33xxx? If so Sennheiser has made a huge jump as most users I've seen are still in the 2xxxx.

It is 33K, I got it 2 weeks back. I was able to register with sennheiser without any issues.

 

[chawya22]

It is 33K, I got it 2 weeks back. I was able to register with sennheiser without any issues.

 
 
I didn't doubt that they were authentic, it's just the number surprised me. If you've been following the threads for the IE800, 2xxxx was supposed to have fixed the cable issue but for some, not so much. I will be curious what your experience will be with 3xxxx's.

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Yes, I have seen only upto 24K here. I was also surprised to see 33K, when I received mine. But authenticity check and registration went fine. Cable looks like the newer one people were talking about. Sheath is more plasticky vs the rubber coating that was prone to stiffness.

 

[ryanjsoo]

Actually the cable texture seems to depends on temperature, ie, if you put it in your pocket and warm it up a bit, it will feel more rubbery, but if it`s cold it will feel plasticy and will be less malleable.  

 

[Dobrescu George]

I was wondering if sennheiser would eventually develop a cable that hardens, but can be reversed. I mean, chemistry of the cable, i understand that sweat makes it harden, so adding sodium, water, and what sweat is made off hardens the cable. This should be reversible to an extent with carbon, at least for trace elements, such as potassium, and magnesium, i think?
 
Sweat is made out of water, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, cooper, iron, chromium, nickel and lead. Sweat is also particulary acidic to neutral, from 4.5 to 7 ph values.
 
I think that most compoints besides sodium are too little found in sweat for them to affect the cables, so i think that either sodium, acidic nature or water affects the cables.
 
Acidic nature, if it does not become a part of the composition of the material, should be cleaned off with soap. Also cleaning with soap could harden the cables, by the acid - base neutralization theory.
 
Against sodium and water i have no ideea what could work.
 
If anyone happens to have hardened cables, could try some soap to wash them of sweat, but it could do further damage. 

 

[JaZZ]

  If i can call for help in here, i am trying to build a software for music playback. I do not have money to start the thing up, but i guess that i can get some sponsorship (it basically means that i get some money, i have to pay much more back, but i can start). I need to demonstrate that people would be interested in a software that is able to do high resolution resampling for all platforms (windows, mac, android, linux, iphone). If anyone has heared Hqplayer, it changes the SQ a lot. My application, too will sound different from how the original sounded, but it also does bit perfect playback, so you can choose what you like better.
 
I am designing right now a great UI to put in. I had learned from using all apps out there a lot about what users fiind nice in a interface and not.
 
Thanks a lot, and sorry for interrupting the ie800 thread.

 
For those interested in George's (AKA Skerry2006ai) audio software project, see his signature – or this link.
 
Apparently the forum rules don't allow him to discuss it any further.

 

[audiobot]

Just bought these in like new condition on amazon warehouse deals ($570). They may replace my Aurisonic Rockets if the sound is even remotely close to what I heard from the Shure SE846. Especially on the low end. Bass is what I've been missing from my in-ears. Tried to go the over-ear and on-ear route, but despite incredible sound from the Oppo PM-3 and Beyerdynamic T51i, I just couldn't find portable use with them. So I've been trying to find similar bass from iems after being spoiled by the Oppo PM-3. The 846 bass was even better. The texture was out of this world. So if the ie800's have a similar or better bass reproduction, I think I am set....until they release a follow up (worn cable down) with a better cable.

 

[Scorpion667]

For any Canadians looking to RMA, they told me IE800 is out of stock and new shipment is coming in two weeks. Hoping for 33XXX batch, hopefully no more hardened cables.

 

[Eutility]

I bought a used ie800 on ebay from a seller I researched fairly thoroughly. The box has a hologram, QR code and seems legit, though it was opened and the headphones could have been switched out.  When I first got it 5 days ago or so I thought it was excellent, really sounded great!.  Compared to my HD650 it seemed to be better at some things, not as good at others... at times though I thought it was superior overall.
 
Now, and this seems crazy, I am not seeing a huge difference between it and my cheap Sony IEMs I got on Amazon for like $15.  There is better seperation and soundstage but it doesn't seem clearly better. I first felt this yesterday and I think that there are some relevant points:
 
--I feel that some days I just don't perceive music to be nearly as moving or as good.  The quality just doesn't impress me as much.  Yesterday and today are two of those days.  I am under some stress right now, that may have something to do with it and I have been listening to my HD6560's for a month or so and now these for 5 days. I may be burnt out or fatigued somewhat.
 
--I can't find one of the medium ear tips (ordered more)  right now I am using larges or some DIY ones I made with earplugs and the cylinder from a pair of the small tips
 
In any case I am a bit distressed as I'm wondering if I was just experiencing a placebo effect before and these headphones are not authentic. Like I said i was impressed and really liking them when I first got them.  The cheap Sony's sounded clearly inferior at that time.  Now the IE800s sound a little better but  I don't think they sound significantly different. I'm just not wowed like I was last week. The HD650s don't sound as good as usual but they  sound better than them both right now.  It may be that they are just different being open ear and clearly warmer and just different sounding, it may be that the change just sounds nice.
 
 
Has anyone experienced this where great IEMs don't sound nearly as special as they did previously and not that much better than inferior models.  The brain is so powerful and it is possible I am desensitized to the IE800s now or the earplug sizes makes a huge difference for me just based on how far they are in my ears (I do think they are sealed though).
 
I have tried to open the ie800 to see what is inside but I can't seem to be able to do that.
 
Are my ears\brain just in a frump or what?  Anyone have similar experiences? Thanks!

 

[bobby12]

http://qr-sennheiser.com/index.php

There are fakes with a QR code and everything else. Check your code and tell me what it says. If it's been checked too many times then it's probably a fake.

 

[Eutility]

Yes, it say it is authentic.
 
--   I just switched tips to the small ovals and it seems like there is a larger difference now.  I had tried them yesterday, not sure if they are oriented different but now it sounds better than the Sony's or my DIY ones (apparently there is not a good seal unless I really got them in good).
 
This makes me hopeful, but I'm not 100% convinced yet.  There was no question in my mind before.  Maybe I just need those properly fitting tips and I'm fatigued/ having a bad sound day.