[ubikutz]

Just got my IE80 delivered! Fun fun fun!
 
Onto first impressions now... nice box, pretty fun to open and find everything out.
Lotsa stuff in the box, the IEMs themselves are quite good looking.
There are like 20 tips in the box, most are absolutely rubbish from material and shape point of view. Coming from the Shure olives, these are a downgrade.
Found a decent fit using the medium double flanged ones. I think the fit was good because i had plenty of bass, but isolation is poor. I don't think it's anywhere near the advertised 26db and certainly nowhere near the sensory deprivation one gets with the shures. 
 
Onto the sound... well these are known to require burn in so i left them running over night at medium volume from my iphone running a random playlist.
The sound is nice indeed, but can't say i'm as amazed as i was when i put my shure 535s first time on. The sound is very smooth as compared to the shures that felt like they were attacking you on every frequency. I don't think these will be fatigueing over long listening periods. 
They came set default at the lowest bass setting and even like this they deliver one helluva bass, much more than the shures... being used to that analytical sound they seem to me like they're overpowering the mids / highs. On certain bass heavy songs my brain is getting thumped around I'll have to see if i get used to this signature but these are indeed bass heavy IEMs.
 
The background hiss is there, but failry small. Less than the Shures but a bit more I'm getting out of a Klipsch S4i. All this driven from my iPhone4s.
 
So so far no surprises. Can't wait for them to burn in and give them a try a day at the office.
 
PS; Can someone recommend some decent tips? I am looking for as much noise isolation i can get from these puppies.
Thanks !

 

[ubikutz]

And what a change after 8hrs of burnin!
The overpowering bass stepped down and the mids are finally getting trough and the sound is definitively more balanced. Lots of detail.
The soundstage seems a bit wider but i don't yet have the right music to test that.
Fun ahead!

 

[Sennheiser]

Congrats on your purchase of the IE 80, ubikutz!
Glad you're enjoying them! 

 

[maniacal71]

Try the Dark Knight soundtrack or Armin Van Buuren, soundstage is large in the recordings.

edit, oh yes please try Just a dream by Nelly.

 

[Normy]

Lost my ie80s after only a week of usage. Very disappointed, those were the best iems i've listened to.

 

[lee730]

Wow sorry to hear that.
 
Did you leave them on a bus?

 

[Migou67]

You won't be disappointed, I use it all days since more than two month at my office

 
For the isolation you can add some foam underneath the silicone tips. You can also search on this thread for some recommendations about tips.
Quote:

... So so far no surprises. Can't wait for them to burn in and give them a try a day at the office.
 
PS; Can someone recommend some decent tips? I am looking for as much noise isolation i can get from these puppies.
Thanks !

 

 

[Wolu]

If one usually listen to EDM, and I think I'm a real basshead (don't really know, because i have never owned a pair of good IEMs, only Klipsch S4). Would you recommend these over a pair of Atrio MG7? I know there is quite a big difference in price, but i listen to ALOT of music and considering if it's worth it. From my speaks at home I'm used to high quantity of base with boomy sound!

 

[lostid]

Quote:

And what a change after 8hrs of burnin!
The overpowering bass stepped down and the mids are finally getting trough and the sound is definitively more balanced. Lots of detail.
The soundstage seems a bit wider but i don't yet have the right music to test that.
Fun ahead!

Try the one below (the audio quality may not be that good tho). If you don't have the patience to listen to the whole 40+ minutes, just listen to a few minutes of the very beginning. Don't blame me if you hate this kind of music.

 
I have one of this pianist's concerts recorded live from concert hall and it's absolutely brilliant when I listen to it with the IE80.
 

 


Quote:

Lost my ie80s after only a week of usage. Very disappointed, those were the best iems i've listened to.

Sorry to hear the loss. But it could be worse had you spent $1000 on it.
 
 

 

[AntonIvehed]

Just got a pair of IE 80 on warranty because of "broken cables", that replaced my IE 8. I'm just wondering what price you could set on these brand new IEM's (new 2 year warranty), if I sell them on head-fi?

 

[martyn73]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I've just went trough a pair of Shure's 535s myself and I'm receving my IE80s tonite.
I will try to make a comparisson
But from what you've written so far, you'd get in the same kind of trouble i got with the 535s - you cannot drive those from an ipod... they are so sensitive they hiss and they are very loud. Cheap amps are also not good as they are even noisier, i would have needed a 400$ pico slim or a ray shadow to properly drive them on top of the purchase price.
They did sound godly to my ears when connected to a proper source, very analytical, with rich bass, if not a little fatigueing for longer listening periods (but maybe that's just me).
Also, with the Shures on and the music turned off, if i had a a proper fit, i would have trouble talking to someone next to me. The isolation is that good. Walking on the street with them on it's a little creepy  
Looking forward to compare how "bad" the IE80 isolation is compared to them. If the isolation is lacking i'm fearing i'll have to turn the volume up to compensate for background noise.

Hi,
 
Thanks for the input. Would the SE535 or similar balanced armature IEM cause hissing with a mobile phone such as a Samsung SII? The hissing problem is surprising as Shure does not mention this in their website - indeed, they state that the SE535 is intended for 'mobile listening devices'. Having to spend $400 on an amp is a tall order given the high cost of the SE535s so I'm grateful for your comments. 
 
Regarding the IE80 and isolation I would recommend a custom sleeve. I'd like to learn how you're getting on with the IE80s and how they compare to the SE535s. I imagine that the bass would be more visceral on the IE80s. Hope you enjoy them!
 
 

 

[bust0ne]

Quote:

If one usually listen to EDM, and I think I'm a real basshead (don't really know, because i have never owned a pair of good IEMs, only Klipsch S4). Would you recommend these over a pair of Atrio MG7? I know there is quite a big difference in price, but i listen to ALOT of music and considering if it's worth it. From my speaks at home I'm used to high quantity of base with boomy sound!

heh, it's funny that you mentioned those iems because those are my last 3 purchases. klipsch s4, futuresonics atrios, and ie80... and i listen to a lot of EDM
 
i can say with certainty that the atrios are an AMAZING deal. you can find them on amazon for 160-170. they sound like they should cost way more than this. thunderous bass, super clean highs, and slightly recessed (but good sounding) mids. soundstage is so so.
 
the ie80's are just in another class. spectacular soundstage, even better bass, the mids are more prominent and the highs are phenomenal.
 
really just comes down to cost. the atrios sound way better than what they cost and the ie80's are worth every penny. good luck!

 

[ubikutz]

Hi,
 
It's because they where made for something else - they are primary monitors for onstage performers; they are also very good personal listening IEMs but their design goals where for nr. 1. It's not that they are bad because they hiss, they hiss because they are very demanding of their source/amp and they do not tolerate lower noise to signal ratio. With the kind of equipment they're usually connected to (maybe a shure onstage wireless received/amp) that wouldn't be a problem.
Although i was an Android fan, keep in mind that a lof of producers cut a lot of costs in order to be the next/best thing (biggest screen, fastest cpu, etc.). Usually the audio part gets the axe because most of the customers couldn't care less. I haven't heard the Samsung SII, but lots of Androids (i had several HTCs) have really bad audio circuits (the internal DAC/headphone AMP). The iPhone and than the iPods have some of the more decent ones in the mobile market.
 
So maybe this is the lessons i've learned - the IE80s are primary consumer devices with little ambition to perform as onstage monitors (they have to little noise isolation for that). They have a shorter cable, lower volume output (you're listening in a relatively quiet room, not trying to cover the crowd and sound systems screaming) and their sleeves, although of poor isolation can be worn for hours. The shures black olives give you ear aches/iches after 2-3 hours of continuous use.
 
And actually the bass tamed down after the infamous burn in period (on lowest setting). They are actually well balanced now and in no way bass heavy anymore.
 
How did you get your custom sleeves? Did you get an ear impression done? What is the process?
 
Quote:

Hi,
 
Thanks for the input. Would the SE535 or similar balanced armature IEM cause hissing with a mobile phone such as a Samsung SII? The hissing problem is surprising as Shure does not mention this in their website - indeed, they state that the SE535 is intended for 'mobile listening devices'. Having to spend $400 on an amp is a tall order given the high cost of the SE535s so I'm grateful for your comments. 
 
Regarding the IE80 and isolation I would recommend a custom sleeve. I'd like to learn how you're getting on with the IE80s and how they compare to the SE535s. I imagine that the bass would be more visceral on the IE80s. Hope you enjoy them!
 
 

 

 

[cravenz]

Quote:

Just got a pair of IE 80 on warranty because of "broken cables", that replaced my IE 8. I'm just wondering what price you could set on these brand new IEM's (new 2 year warranty), if I sell them on head-fi?

Jealous. I'm still on my IE8s! 

 

[ubikutz]

Are you also having a hard time changing tips on the ie80? I had to change one yesterday and i was pulling like it like a crazy man to get it out. I'm so afraid i'll loosen/brake the nozzle ((( and i dont think thats covered by warranty....