[159650]

  That's what I was looking for (since IE8 = IE80 soundwise)!
 
Could you give me brief comparison please?
I'm interested in how sub bass behave, does it extend well with Fidue A83 (in comparison with IE8 that has decently low extension, that feel more so than punch) ?
Mid bass veil, IE8 has somewhat bloated mid bass, it bleeds into midrange at around ~150 Hz approx. Is it clear with Fidue? Does bass interfere with mids as much as IE80?
Also about hihgs, I've read that Fidue can be a bit fatiguing and harsh, is that the case? How is it in comparison with IE80? 
 
Thanks a lot in advance, really struggled to find someone with both, my thread in help and recommendation was completely ignored even after 2 bumps... 

Let me do some A-B comparisons and get back to you. 

 

[159650]

It Gonna Come 
Bad News
 
Melody Gardot, Currency of Man 
Quality 24/44.1K
iBasso DX90
 
Both using JVC Spiral Dot M
 
Sub Bass: IE8's sub-bass is definitely more prominent, as you already know, it's got quite a presence. The feel is similar to having a subwoofer dish the lows for you instead of 2 dynamic drivers. The Fidue's sub-bass is smoother and less prominent than the IE8's. The Fidue is definitely more natural sounding and neutral of the the two. The IE8's sub-bass has more impact however, and is the more enjoyable bass at the expense of fidelity. But the Fidue can get down low if they need to. Both are talented. Just different. 
 
Bass: Both earphones are capable in bass, but the Fidue is largely described as accurate. It's there when it's there, and not when it's not. The IE8 is able to exaggerate bass greatly especially with the knob dialed to what must be 9000. No scratch that, it's definitely more like 9001. There is definitely no bleed in the case of the Fidue, and the sound is quite clean.
 
Upper-bass: Fidue's is clean, punchy, while the IE8's is somewhat looser but isn't bad in it's own way. It's got depth and... how can I put it... emotion? German - with emotion. It's baffling but it's there. But the Fidue has more on fidelity and speed I think...
 
Mids: Definitely a Fidue forte. If anything, that laid back sound of the Senns, coupled with the somewhat recessed mids and veiled signature detracts from an otherwise extremely detailed pair of earphones. The IE8s are actually nicely detailed, but lack the overall brightness of the Fidue. The Fidue are more textured, like it's using more of the spectrum. It's not as wide as the IE8, but it's got good overall resonance and tone. Both earphones are great however, but if you want something more textured, the Fidues are the better choice. 
 
Upper Mids: Oddly, the IE8's UM is quite prominent in my opinion. Not really as bad as you might expect given the earphone's bassy tendencies. I would bet that the Fidue is more accurate and extend better however.
 
Highs: This is where Fidue might let you down. Not because it's got too little, but rather too much. I've had a few other people audition the Fidues before and got the exact same reaction - too much treble. They're definitely bright sounding, with good resolution and overall detail - something that comes with a pair of treble biased earphones. With stock tips they are definitely too hot. The JVC Spiral Dots work well with the Fidues to tame the hot treble. The IE8's is non-fatiguing and easier to listen to with the overall sound being quite flush. It's just laid back sounding. If treble is not your thing, then look elsewhere cause they will be harsh. I've gotten used to the Fidue's more or less and also own the Q701 and Superlux HD668b so I think you might know what my tolerance is for treble. 
 
The Fidues however depend a lot on good eartips to sound their best. I can't use the stock tips. Too much treble. The JVCs though clean up the sound greatly. But the hot treble can still be an issue with certain tracks. I would say that with JVC tips, you might get used to them eventually and it won't be such a big deal. But that's just my opinion.
 
To make things simple, if you like the IE80 and like the sound signature, it's gonna be vastly different with the Fidues. The Fidues are more accurate and neutral (it sounds very clean), but does have treble happy tendencies. The treble can be tamed with the use of good quality eartips but your mileage will vary. As for the IE8, I can't describe the pull. When I first use them, I feel like they're completely out of wack. There is too much mid-bass. BUT, after a few tracks, my brain quickly adapts to the IE8's signature and they become the most fun sounding earphones on the planet. They sound like full-size cans with remarkable sense of space. Nothing matters once I get to that state. I don't care if they're not accurate or neutral. I just love the sound. That's why I can never sell the IE8. 
 
Hope this helps. 

 

[Tail]

   
Hope this helps. 

You don't have an idea how much you've helped me! Exactly the description I was looking for and even more... Thank you so much! 
 
I like the sound signature of IE8 / 80 so I guess I won't be upgrading, at least not to Fidue. If I could only find something very similar but with less mid bass veil, it's the only con in my opinion... I don't even mind slightly V shaped sound and somewhat recessed mids, it sounds fun, especially with live recordings and rock music, tho with pretty much everything except jazz with too much bass guitar and too deep vocals... 
I was considering Fidue as an option because it meets physical requirements (over the ear cable, replaceable in case it dies, decent design and vastly praised as great value at it's price which isn't the lowest to be true) but I guess I'll skip it and cross it for good. 
 
Thanks again a lot ! 
 
 
And if anyone have an idea what might be similar but improved earphone from IE8 / 80 it would be nice to suggest, for all the owners of IE8 / 80... it's really hard to find similar in a way earphone but better... usually different sound sigs and some new cons. If there was only some option that sound like IE80 with less mid bass would be perfect! 

 

[Dobrescu George]

  You don't have an idea how much you've helped me! Exactly the description I was looking for and even more... Thank you so much! 
 
I like the sound signature of IE8 / 80 so I guess I won't be upgrading, at least not to Fidue. If I could only find something very similar but with less mid bass veil, it's the only con in my opinion... I don't even mind slightly V shaped sound and somewhat recessed mids, it sounds fun, especially with live recordings and rock music, tho with pretty much everything except jazz with too much bass guitar and too deep vocals... 
I was considering Fidue as an option because it meets physical requirements (over the ear cable, replaceable in case it dies, decent design and vastly praised as great value at it's price which isn't the lowest to be true) but I guess I'll skip it and cross it for good. 
 
Thanks again a lot ! 
 
 
And if anyone have an idea what might be similar but improved earphone from IE8 / 80 it would be nice to suggest, for all the owners of IE8 / 80... it's really hard to find similar in a way earphone but better... usually different sound sigs and some new cons. If there was only some option that sound like IE80 with less mid bass would be perfect! 

Ie800 is the most of an upgrade, as I upgraded from ie8 to ie800. To be truthfull, ie800 has much more than just a perfect bass, it has perfect mids and perfect treble (though, coming from ie8, the treble is much more proeminent, thish which is even more awesome as it brings out every detail.

 

[159650]

  You don't have an idea how much you've helped me! Exactly the description I was looking for and even more... Thank you so much! 
 
I like the sound signature of IE8 / 80 so I guess I won't be upgrading, at least not to Fidue. If I could only find something very similar but with less mid bass veil, it's the only con in my opinion... I don't even mind slightly V shaped sound and somewhat recessed mids, it sounds fun, especially with live recordings and rock music, tho with pretty much everything except jazz with too much bass guitar and too deep vocals... 
I was considering Fidue as an option because it meets physical requirements (over the ear cable, replaceable in case it dies, decent design and vastly praised as great value at it's price which isn't the lowest to be true) but I guess I'll skip it and cross it for good. 
 
Thanks again a lot ! 
 
 
And if anyone have an idea what might be similar but improved earphone from IE8 / 80 it would be nice to suggest, for all the owners of IE8 / 80... it's really hard to find similar in a way earphone but better... usually different sound sigs and some new cons. If there was only some option that sound like IE80 with less mid bass would be perfect! 

Happy to help! 
 
As for an alternative... I found the KEF M200 to be a good alternative. It's also bassy but definitely a tad less on mid bass. I'll have to have another listen to be sure, but they've been highly praised as well. The only thing you might not like - comfort could be better. The nozzle is much bigger on the M200 than most. It's a dual dynamic setup but it's unique compared to most others in that it has 2 dissimilar drivers, one large and one small. The micro driver handles the high frequencies and mids, while the large driver is the woofer. It has a slightly airy and wide spacious sound, good bass response but has a cleaner sound signature with good high extensions. Definitely worth a look but they do look odd and comfort isn't the absolute best. But there are those who have tried them and love them. It's pretty much the only alternative I can think of at this point. Another big pro would be price. I picked mine up for 90 but I've heard of others out there finding them for under 60. 
 
BUT no replaceable cables on these and not quite over ears. But they're cheap when you find them at the right price so maybe worth a shot. 

 

[Kagerou]

Thanks for the review! It was very helpful

 

[willyvlyminck]

Ie800 is the most of an upgrade, as I upgraded from ie8 to ie800. To be truthfull, ie800 has much more than just a perfect bass, it has perfect mids and perfect treble (though, coming from ie8, the treble is much more proeminent, thish which is even more awesome as it brings out every detail.

That sure is right but at what price? I think the Stagediver SD 2 could be an alternative and even upgrade at a simliair ( depending where you live) price. The IE800 is great but has to many hassles not acceptable for the price.

 

[Tail]

  Ie800 is the most of an upgrade, as I upgraded from ie8 to ie800. To be truthfull, ie800 has much more than just a perfect bass, it has perfect mids and perfect treble (though, coming from ie8, the treble is much more proeminent, thish which is even more awesome as it brings out every detail.

Thanks for suggestion but it's not earphone for me:
No way I would buy product like that. Not only because of the price but it's very bad in my opinion on so many levels, friend has IE800. Cable is a disaster, cable noise is so bad they are to me useless outside, whenever cable touch my clothes/body i get hits inside my ears... Isolation is possibly even worse than IE8 / 80 and it's down the ear cable, not over the ear - which is not problem only because of extreme cable noise (cables are stiff also so noise is even more emphasized) but also problem because of fit, every now and then you need to adjust earphone inside ear, while over the ear cable design assure a lot more secure fit for a longer period of time. 
Also I'm also 184 cm high (6 feet) and that silly cable lenght is so bad it barely reaches my pocket, so whenever I turn around earphones wanna fall out of my ears, let alone hold the cable under the shirt - then it's impossible to take out player/smartphone and change song without pulling earphones from your ear. 
 
Overall IE800 is very huge disaster of an earphone in my honest opinion, while sound is good (bit too high treble imo but everything else is very good) physical aspects are so bad that it's completely useless product. My friend that got it was so frustrated he kept using his IE8 instead and IE800 only at home. I just can't believe how someone can live day to day with them and use them outside, more cable noise and earpiece adjusting inside ears then music. But everything has it's happy customers... Too bad because it really does sound good (better then IE80 imo)!
 
 

  Happy to help! 
 
As for an alternative... I found the KEF M200 to be a good alternative.

Thanks for suggestion! Thing is experience taught me that cable over the ear and comfort are first to come, also replaceable cables are great bonus (not because other sound better, but because it's the first thing that stops working with earphones in most cases). So physical requirements come first to me, over the ear design, replaceable cable is huge bonus, comfort, durability... because no matter how good it sounds if it's not convenient and comfortable, and if it will not be a good value (long lasting) it's not worth the trouble and money. 
 
Still IE80 will do till I save up enough money for some top of the line earphone (even tho from what I've experienced it doesn't go much better than IE80, more different then better, depends on taste) or till I find some <500 $ upgrade if such exist...  

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Thanks for suggestion but it's not earphone for me:
No way I would buy product like that. Not only because of the price but it's very bad in my opinion on so many levels, friend has IE800. Cable is a disaster, cable noise is so bad they are to me useless outside, whenever cable touch my clothes/body i get hits inside my ears... Isolation is possibly even worse than IE8 / 80 and it's down the ear cable, not over the ear - which is not problem only because of extreme cable noise (cables are stiff also so noise is even more emphasized) but also problem because of fit, every now and then you need to adjust earphone inside ear, while over the ear cable design assure a lot more secure fit for a longer period of time. 
Also I'm also 184 cm high (6 feet) and that silly cable lenght is so bad it barely reaches my pocket, so whenever I turn around earphones wanna fall out of my ears, let alone hold the cable under the shirt - then it's impossible to take out player/smartphone and change song without pulling earphones from your ear. 
 
Overall IE800 is very huge disaster of an earphone in my honest opinion, while sound is good (bit too high treble imo but everything else is very good) physical aspects are so bad that it's completely useless product. My friend that got it was so frustrated he kept using his IE8 instead and IE800 only at home. I just can't believe how someone can live day to day with them and use them outside, more cable noise and earpiece adjusting inside ears then music. But everything has it's happy customers... Too bad because it really does sound good (better then IE80 imo)!
 
 
Thanks for suggestion! Thing is experience taught me that cable over the ear and comfort are first to come, also replaceable cables are great bonus (not because other sound better, but because it's the first thing that stops working with earphones in most cases). So physical requirements come first to me, over the ear design, replaceable cable is huge bonus, comfort, durability... because no matter how good it sounds if it's not convenient and comfortable, and if it will not be a good value (long lasting) it's not worth the trouble and money. 
 
Still IE80 will do till I save up enough money for some top of the line earphone (even tho from what I've experienced it doesn't go much better than IE80, more different then better, depends on taste) or till I find some <500 $ upgrade if such exist...  

Very easy solution. Wear them over the ear. 
 
I used them outside today. No hassle at all. All the problems arise from wearing them straight down. But even then, the microphonics can be solved using their own attenuator.
 
them falling out of ear happens only if you wear them straight.
 
It was the only IEM that really satisfied me with it's SQ, so I think that all the problems people are getting can be solved.
 
Also, there is the option of buying them second hand from here, and getting them recabled. There are people who can do that, and then you can wear them all day around the ear, and you will be happy ever after.
 
I had not found anything that even came close to ie800 in the same price range, but there are a lot of IEMs I had not heared, so you might be able to fiind something, but I highly suggest them, the quircks of cables were a necessity for building the housing from ceramic, and obtaining that sound. I think that I am willing to accept the cables and all that comes with them, considering the SQ. 

 

[Tail]

  Very easy solution. Wear them over the ear. 
 

Cable Y split then comes to the end of my neck which is rather uncomfortable and then the cable cannot reach my pocket at all, I have tried my friends, useless. Also to custom recable it it still wouldn't be replaceable and it would cost even more than already very high price of earphones themselves. 
For that money I'd buy literally anything more convenient... they didn't even include foam tips with them, nothing... so poor accessories and overall usage. 
Sound can be the best in the world they are one of the worst products for the price imo.
Also I'd like to just order earphones, get them and enjoy them, IE800 are not nearly worth all the trouble to potentially fix most of the problems that are vast and unacceptable, especially at the price. Was even offered to buy them cheaper from that friend but really no point when they are only good for home. 
Ofc that's my opinion... and went off the topic of IE80 now a bit, so kinda sorry for this post to everyone! 
 
 
If anyone have some earphone on mind with similar sound sig as IE80 but bit improved (mostly in mid bass region) suggestions would be very welcome!

 

[betula]

I just never understood when fellows suggest a 'better' sounding pair of earphones for 3-4x more of the price.
IE80 plays in the £150-200 level, IE800 starts around £5-600...
Obviously it sounds better. Maybe 2-30% better. For triple price... Is that a fair comparison?
Decide by looking into your wallet.
 

 

[james444]

  Cable Y split then comes to the end of my neck which is rather uncomfortable and then the cable cannot reach my pocket at all, I have tried my friends, useless. Also to custom recable it it still wouldn't be replaceable and it would cost even more than already very high price of earphones themselves. 
For that money I'd buy literally anything more convenient... they didn't even include foam tips with them, nothing... so poor accessories and overall usage. 
Sound can be the best in the world they are one of the worst products for the price imo.
Also I'd like to just order earphones, get them and enjoy them, IE800 are not nearly worth all the trouble to potentially fix most of the problems that are vast and unacceptable, especially at the price. Was even offered to buy them cheaper from that friend but really no point when they are only good for home. 
Ofc that's my opinion... and went off the topic of IE80 now a bit, so kinda sorry for this post to everyone! 
 
 
If anyone have some earphone on mind with similar sound sig as IE80 but bit improved (mostly in mid bass region) suggestions would be very welcome!

 
Give the AKG Y23 a listen if you can. Compared to the IE80, they're budget IEMs, but have somewhat similar sound sig out of the box, perhaps a smidgen brighter. Bass is similarly bloated, but can be much improved by taping the vent (more so than the IE80's). Good build quality, fit and comfort. No glaring weaknesses. I like them.

 

[deadich]

  Wow, 
 
Sennheiser stuff are really cheap over here in SK for some reason. IE80 is 225USD and IE800 is 650USD. Both are sold by authorized sellers and ship with certificates of authenticity. 
 
HD800 is 1200, but for some reason HD700 is 630. 

Could it have to do with your currency? 
 
I remember when the dollar was down at 6 SEK per dollar (at 8.23 now), holy cow things from the us was so cheap, almost half the normal price as it is usually a little under x10 in value.

 

[159650]

  Could it have to do with your currency? 
 
I remember when the dollar was down at 6 SEK per dollar (at 8.23 now), holy cow things from the us was so cheap, almost half the normal price as it is usually a little under x10 in value.

Maybe! I'd imagine prices of stuff in Japan being very good right now. I was looking at a iBasso DX90j not long ago and it was just a little over 420 dollars, which makes it similar to the original DX90 but better. 
 
Maybe we should all just go on a spending spree in Japan.

 

[gilver]

Does anyone have problems with stock cables on their ie80 ?
 
have to give a slight push to the connector area of my left driver before sound comes back ( or goes away ).
 
have tried swapping the both the drivers, and it works perfectly fine. so is my left cable or connector of left driver faulty ?