[eskimo]

Quote:

 
I think you should try the tape mod before sending them back, at first try with the tape mod, you might not appreciate them, but go through different genres, you will realise why some swear by it, in other words, by removing the bloat, you will find quality. Stop playing with the EQ or DSP and run through your music collection instead.

 
I've never modded a headphone/iem before, apart from my little mic external on my DT990s for gaming
 
I wouldn't want to mod them just in case i still didn't like them enough to not send them back. It's just £220 is allot and i'd like that to be used on something i would get the most use out of. 
 
I went through many genres, and as rock/ punk is the one genre i don't have a hi-end headphone/ iem for, i wanted it to prevail there. But since i was able to listen to the Momentum without purchasing, i immediately felt it prevailed in more genres than the IE80 could. And i know most headphones/ iems suffer with one thing or another, so yes i'm being picky   
As for the EQ, i didn't really have a proper play. I was going to use them for longer, and see if i got really 'into' them before playing with the EQ, but the Momentum came along. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed in the IE80. I personally never had any problems with the bass being not low enough. I also listen to some DnB, mainly Pendulum and i have to say to my ears they sound absolutely fine.  By the way how the Momentum compares to IE80 in terms of SQ.

 

Quote:

Hey Filleri, I own and enjoy both. I'd say in terms of SQ, the Momentum has a much more neutral sound signature than the IE80. It's not flat by any means, and it does pack some bass emphasis like most portable 'phones. Both of them have a slightly dull, non-fatiguing treble, which I happen to enjoy, so no comment there. The mids on the Momentum are wonderful, superior to the IE80s if you ask me. As you probably already know, the IE80 packs some seriously awesome bass, both quantity and (to my ears) quality - however, the Momentum is no slouch. They are not at all lacking in bass, and it's more precise and punchy than heavy. I think both headphones sound great, but I'd pick the IE80 for EDM, pop and orchestral, and the Momentum for jazz and acoustic listening on the go.

 
This i mainly agree with. Though i've only been using the Momentum's for less than 10 hours! Guitars are lovely, much more so than the IE80. The extra warmth is very nice for rock/punk, and for me i feel the warmth is extremely prevalent in many genres. Though i rate the Momentum for orchestral over the IE80, which is surprising i know. I would also say the IE80 may have a bigger soundstage. But time will tell when i've had a better listen to these. 
 
Also the case, well, now that is something to write home about. I never been a brown leather fan, but i've been converted! The cables on both are of similar and very respectable quality. The comfort so far, is also very good. But if you've got monster ears they may struggle to fit into these. Everything about the Momentum aesthetically is wonderful. 

 

[maniacal71]

The tape mod is an easy reversible mod, it just involves having a wide enough cellophane tape over the outer back covers, covering the whole surface and the bass dial.

 

[AznInvasion138]

Quote:

 
Hey Azn, if the pain is on the outer edge of your ears, it's probably the housing against your ears. However, if you get pain where the tips touch your ear, then perhaps the fit isn't optimal. Assuming it's the latter, I would tentatively recommend the Hippo foam tips from Jaben (mine are brand new, so take this with a pinch of salt):
 
I visited Jaben in Singapore and was quite impressed with the Hippo foam tips, Medium + size. The + allows a better fit on the IE80's nozzle. At SGD 12 for a pack of 5, they are much cheaper than Complys (although the material isn't as high-quality), so if you replace them monthly as I plan to, you could get by on these very comfortable tips with no problem at all. Twelve Singapore dollars for 5 months of comfort sounds too good to be true -  hopefully they last, as I just bought them.
 
Like all foams I've tried, they will change the sound a little bit, I find them to slightly dampen the highs, while increasing bass quantity and muddiness. As I'm travelling right now, and listen mostly to EDM, this is perfectly excusable and probably a good thing as they isolate much better. To me, they are also much more comfortable than any other tip I've tried - thus, I recommend you have a shot at these. Try searching - http://jaben.net/shopping2/home.php
 
I know you said 'silicone', so I'll add that at Jaben, I was able to ask about and audition many kinds of silicon tips which also fit the IE80s well and were comfortable for me. They're a bit hard to get your hands on, but the Beyerdynamic dual flanges isolate really well and are some fairly comfortable silicon tips for my ears. Fischer Audio tips work too (my sister bought the Fischer Consonance, and I like some of their silicon bundled tips, which are totally compatible with the IE80's nozzle). Good luck!
 

 
Yo StyleElements thanks so much for some of the recommendations. I think the discomfort first comes because of the seal im getting from my hybrids but over time i think the housing becomes a problem since it sits against the inner part of my ear. I'll definitely take a look at some of those Hippo Foam tips hopefully they help.
 
But yeah I was just looking into getting some silicone tips since they don't alter the sound signature as much as the foam tips do. So I'll definitely take a look at the Fischer Audio tops and Beyerdynamic ones. Hopefully I find something that gives a good seal and comfort because as much as I love the sound the discomfort and pain isn't quite worth it at this point haha.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
I've never modded a headphone/iem before, apart from my little mic external on my DT990s for gaming
 
I wouldn't want to mod them just in case i still didn't like them enough to not send them back. It's just £220 is allot and i'd like that to be used on something i would get the most use out of. 
 
I went through many genres, and as rock/ punk is the one genre i don't have a hi-end headphone/ iem for, i wanted it to prevail there. But since i was able to listen to the Momentum without purchasing, i immediately felt it prevailed in more genres than the IE80 could. And i know most headphones/ iems suffer with one thing or another, so yes i'm being picky   
As for the EQ, i didn't really have a proper play. I was going to use them for longer, and see if i got really 'into' them before playing with the EQ, but the Momentum came along. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
This i mainly agree with. Though i've only been using the Momentum's for less than 10 hours! Guitars are lovely, much more so than the IE80. The extra warmth is very nice for rock/punk, and for me i feel the warmth is extremely prevalent in many genres. Though i rate the Momentum for orchestral over the IE80, which is surprising i know. I would also say the IE80 may have a bigger soundstage. But time will tell when i've had a better listen to these. 
 
Also the case, well, now that is something to write home about. I never been a brown leather fan, but i've been converted! The cables on both are of similar and very respectable quality. The comfort so far, is also very good. But if you've got monster ears they may struggle to fit into these. Everything about the Momentum aesthetically is wonderful. 

 
The tape mod is easily reversed. Just remove a piece of tape from the bass screw ports and if you put silver cable on them just switch it back to stock lol. What is so hard about that or damaging?

 

[eskimo]

I wasn't aware of that mod. Thought it was going to be a non reversable.

 

[betula]

Quote:

Hey guys, recently purchased a pair of IE80s from a fellow head fier not too long ago and have been listening to them for some time now and I am throughly impressed by them. I was upgrading from the Miles Davis Tributes which were great for me but thought it was time for an upgrade. The IE80s have great bass that is both strong and impactful without bleeding into the mids and highs. Also the IE80s soundstage is crazy good compared to the Tributes so that is a definite plus. The only problem I really have with the IE80 is comfort. I don't know whether its the tips I'm using or the actual housing but I can't wear them longer than an hour before my ears start to feel discomfort. None of the stock tips that came with the IE80 really gave me great isolation and comfort so I used the medium sony hybrids that I have been using on the Tributes for the past year or so and they provide the best seal and isolation but again doesn't help with the comfort aspect. So I was just wondering what kind of tips fit best with you guys. I've tried the Shure Olives before and they provided really great comfort and isolation but were really difficult trying to take off and on. I've tried Complys but they are expensive and they wear out too quickly. Are there any silicon tips that will provide the best isolation and comfort for me? Thanks again for the help.

I also experienced some comfort problem at the beginning. (I am coming after IE7).  On the outer part of my ear, so it was the housing. I noticed, much depends on the tips. Different tips allow the housing to be more in or out of your ear. And another thing, when I push it in my ear, I make a slight clokwise twist (on the right, opposite the left) this also makes the wearing more comfortable. With the right tips and some practice I made it absolutely comfortable after 2-3 weeks. Even 4-5-6 hours of listening it is comfortable.
(Unfortunatelly I couldn't find silicon tips, that work for me. Comply is the best. But too expensive, and worn out in 2-3 weeks... So I am gonna go for custom sleeves... If u use these IEMs for more than a year, it worth...)
 

 

[AznInvasion138]

Quote:

I also experienced some comfort problem at the beginning. (I am coming after IE7).  On the outer part of my ear, so it was the housing. I noticed, much depends on the tips. Different tips allow the housing to be more in or out of your ear. And another thing, when I push it in my ear, I make a slight clokwise twist (on the right, opposite the left) this also makes the wearing more comfortable. With the right tips and some practice I made it absolutely comfortable after 2-3 weeks. Even 4-5-6 hours of listening it is comfortable.
(Unfortunatelly I couldn't find silicon tips, that work for me. Comply is the best. But too expensive, and worn out in 2-3 weeks... So I am gonna go for custom sleeves... If u use these IEMs for more than a year, it worth...)
 

 
Thanks bestula for the response, yeah I plan on buying some Comply tips to see how they change the comfort before I plan on doing anything else with the IE80s haha. Think just as of right now with the sony hybrids the housing sits too far inside my ear so it puts too much pressure against my ears. 
 
Btw which comply tips did you put on the IE80 since I've never really used Comply tips before haha. Thanks again.

 

[StyleElements]

Quote:

Btw which comply tips did you put on the IE80 since I've never really used Comply tips before haha. Thanks again.

 
I was at a headphone store just yesterday, looking at Comply tips for my IE80s - they are 21 SGD for a pack of 3. The foam tips I'm using right now are 12 SGD for a pack of 5, and they're perfectly fine (a bit more like Shure olives than Complys). Comply tips are of much higher quality and are probably (I say this as I've never tried them) more comfortable and isolating, and for the premium price, I'd hope they would affect the sound much less.
 
In answer to your question, Azn, the Comply Tx500 (the 'x' tends to be different depending on the model) series should fit the IE80 - I looked at the packaging and it said that it would fit Senn's IE8 on the back. The IE8 has the same or similar nozzle to the IE80s, if I remember right. I intend to buy one pack of Complys to give them a try when I visit the US in January - for now, I like my Hippo Foam + tips.

 

[AznInvasion138]

Quote:

 
I was at a headphone store just yesterday, looking at Comply tips for my IE80s - they are 21 SGD for a pack of 3. The foam tips I'm using right now are 12 SGD for a pack of 5, and they're perfectly fine (a bit more like Shure olives than Complys). Comply tips are of much higher quality and are probably (I say this as I've never tried them) more comfortable and isolating, and for the premium price, I'd hope they would affect the sound much less.
 
In answer to your question, Azn, the Comply Tx500 (the 'x' tends to be different depending on the model) series should fit the IE80 - I looked at the packaging and it said that it would fit Senn's IE8 on the back. The IE8 has the same or similar nozzle to the IE80s, if I remember right. I intend to buy one pack of Complys to give them a try when I visit the US in January - for now, I like my Hippo Foam + tips.

 
Thanks for the recommendation Style, greatly appreciated. I was also looking into your Hippo Foam tips on the Jaben website but the only ones that I could find were these
 
http://jaben.net/shopping2/Hippo-FoamTips-Half-Year.html
 
Even though if they are good I don't think I can spend $88 on some ear tips lol. It says I can go in the store to get them in individual packs but unfortunately i live in the states and not Sinapore lol

 

[StyleElements]

Yeah, I was going to mention the half-year supply thing. I would try emailing them asking to buy one or a few packs. From what I hear, Jaben has good customer service, and I'm sure you could work out a deal.
 
How large are your ears? For me, M + seems to do it (the + denotes the size of the eartip base, not the tip itself, so for wider nozzles like the IE80 you need the +).
 
I'm just passing through Singapore on my way to the States, but I read about Jaben and couldn't resist dropping in. I'm actually glad I did, since I like my foams a lot now.

 

[jrwong28]

Help...... can somebody tell me is this IE80 real/fake staying in singapore normal Retail Price is around 490-590 But this guy is selling at 220 Link Here http://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/Sennheiser-IE80-Audiophile-Series-IEM-/321044610589?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item4abfbffe1d

 

[AznInvasion138]

Quote:

Help...... can somebody tell me is this IE80 real/fake staying in singapore normal Retail Price is around 490-590 But this guy is selling at 220 Link Here http://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/Sennheiser-IE80-Audiophile-Series-IEM-/321044610589?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item4abfbffe1d

 
I would definitely ask the seller for actual photos of the IE80 instead of generic pictures of them and ask for the serial number so you can contact Sennheiser and see if they are legitimate or not.
 
Quote:

Yeah, I was going to mention the half-year supply thing. I would try emailing them asking to buy one or a few packs. From what I hear, Jaben has good customer service, and I'm sure you could work out a deal.
 
How large are your ears? For me, M + seems to do it (the + denotes the size of the eartip base, not the tip itself, so for wider nozzles like the IE80 you need the +).
 
I'm just passing through Singapore on my way to the States, but I read about Jaben and couldn't resist dropping in. I'm actually glad I did, since I like my foams a lot now.

 
I think my ears are probably medium as well. I have been using the medium teal-colored Sony Hybrids in my Miles Davis Tributes for the past year or so since they gave me the best comfort and seal. So would the M+ be good enough for me? I'll probably email them to see if I can just pick up a pack or two. Thanks again for the help Style.

 

[iztis]

Guys after many weeks of using this, I turned up the bass knob on the ear pieces and the increased bass is amazing an I love it. Gives some real punch. It is currently on the maximum setting.

The problem is with the bass knob at maximum I get driver flex when I put the ear pieces in my ear and adjust them vi pushing it in. This does not happen with the bass knob in its lowest setting/original position.

I had this problem before with the first set but amazon sent me a replacement pair of IE80s but I realise now that the problem only arises when I turn the bass knob up.

Anyone else experience this problem and can share some insight?
Should I be worried that this flex might damage and or shorten the lifespan of the earphones?

Thanks for your help and also MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE HERE!!!!!

 

[StyleElements]

Quote:

Help...... can somebody tell me is this IE80 real/fake staying in singapore normal Retail Price is around 490-590 But this guy is selling at 220 Link Here http://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/Sennheiser-IE80-Audiophile-Series-IEM-/321044610589?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_216&hash=item4abfbffe1d

 
It might be real, for all you know, but a bunch of things concern me about the listing; for starters, the 'Item specifics' says: [size=small]Sennheiser, Monster, Sony:[/size][size=small]Beats. [/size]
 
Additionally, they don't do refunds (in case you learn they're fake), just 7 day returns. The warranty is pitiful at 6 months - a genuine IE80 is covered for two years. If I'm paying over $200 for earphones, I'd like them to last the warranty period. Would I touch them? Not ever. You could take the chance, I suppose. From the real pictures he showed via tinyurl, I don't see any glaring warning signs, but then again they're not very clear.
 
However, I can suggest an alternative - amazon.de has the IE80 on sale for just 199.90 Euro, or 33% off.[size=x-small] That's about $320 SGD, much less than $590! I bought mine from amazon.de and had them shipped to Australia, and I can reassure you that although your proof of purchase receipt will be in German, the product is totally genuine. I was even able to claim official warranty (2 years) when my cable split after a month of use. It was as simple as a cable swap from the Sennheiser dealer in Australia, and all I had to do was show them the fault and the receipt (German, but still shows the price, source and date of purchase).[/size]
 
[size=x-small]As Amazon is a Sennheiser authorised dealer, you should be fine buying them for about $100 SGD more from amazon.de. If you want an IE80 for cheap, I'd go there.[/size]
 
Quote:

 
I think my ears are probably medium as well. I have been using the medium teal-colored Sony Hybrids in my Miles Davis Tributes for the past year or so since they gave me the best comfort and seal. So would the M+ be good enough for me? I'll probably email them to see if I can just pick up a pack or two. Thanks again for the help Style.

 
Yup, go for the M+ and also perhaps buy a pack of Complys for comparison (no doubt it'd be valuable to the community, as I know I can't really afford to replace Comply tips too often). Whichever fits you better or you prefer, I'd keep using! Good luck.
 
 
 

Guys after many weeks of using this, I turned up the bass knob on the ear pieces and the increased bass is amazing an I love it. Gives some real punch. It is currently on the maximum setting.
The problem is with the bass knob at maximum I get driver flex when I put the ear pieces in my ear and adjust them vi pushing it in. This does not happen with the bass knob in its lowest setting/original position.
I had this problem before with the first set but amazon sent me a replacement pair of IE80s but I realise now that the problem only arises when I turn the bass knob up.
Anyone else experience this problem and can share some insight?
Should I be worried that this flex might damage and or shorten the lifespan of the earphones?
Thanks for your help and also MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE HERE!!!!!

 

Hey iztis, I have experienced exactly the same problem, when I was first testing the IE80 to see if the bass knob actually worked. The good news is that it does - at bass level 5 there's an incredible amount of rumble, and there's evidently lots of air being pushed around by the driver... The bad news is that it does cause the driver to flex annoyingly when I insert them.
 
I listen to my IE80s on bass 2/5 and love them on this setting, but I for one can say my experiences are similar to yours - the bass knob at max results in driver flex. To my knowledge, driver flex does not hurt the IEM at all (if it does, claim warranty asap, but I've never experienced it) - it's just annoying when you insert or remove them. My Monster Turbine Copper Pros do indeed suffer from flex, the MTPC is notorious for driver flex. To this day they sound excellent and are still working fine after six months.
 
To sort of mitigate the flex with my Coppers, I try to open my mouth slightly when I insert them (it might look silly but I read somewhere it helps reduce pressure, and even if it does nothing it's a bit of a habit now anyway 

), and also insert them by twisting. Rather than just pushing them in, I insert them with the strain relief pointing forward, and twist them gently counterclockwise towards the back of my ear as I insert them. Maybe try that? I haven't got many other suggestions for that... 

 

[macbug]

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=77106&vpn=IE80&manufacture=Sennheiser%20Electronics&promoid=1033
 
NCIX (authorized dealer in Canada)
 
is now selling the IE80 for $200 CND.  Just to give you an idea of the cheapest you can find these for (this is CHEAP) but still be genuine.