[yangian]

  The IE8/IE80 are a highly colored pair of earphones. They're really less about reference grade listening and much more about enjoyment. As such, they can seem off at the first listen. In fact, even now, when I put them in my ears, they sound completely off and even off-putting. But once I get over the initial impressions, they sound sublime and wonderful. This isn't the driver's fault, but your brain. You've probably been listening to something else and your brain got used to it. The difference can be even more pronounced with brighter sounding IEMs such as the TF10Pro which I also own. I also own the Westone 3, which are dark sounding and remarkably warm for BA UIEMs. But the IE8 still manages to sound off at the first listen, then gradually get better as my brain adjusts to the sound. 
 
The IE8/80 are not for everyone. For one thing, they're expensive and to certain listeners, polarized to say the least. They need an extremely long burn-in period followed by actual listening sessions to sound their best. I don't know if it's just a coincidence that the IE8/80 sound the say they do. Either that or the German engineers behind the design were so freakishly brilliant that they decided among themselves that they would tune the driver to sound their best once "burned into the brain". Either way, the first 20 minutes or so will either make people go "wow", or "What". 

En.. Might be brain burn in effects. Anyway, Totally agree. I never have such enjoyment from IE80/800 to listen to classical/symphonies. IE80 truly is veiled compared to, maybe many recently released good reputed IEMs. But I cannot get such enjoyment from recent hyped like Puro and LZ A2. One reason is its huge and "perfect" shaped soundstage. No matched! Really pecial, very special product!

 

[OwOOwO]

En.. Might be brain burn in effects. Anyway, Totally agree.

From my experience, the IE80 is muddy but all the little nuisance on the track are actually there.

So after you get to know your music better on a more reference sounding source and have memorised what all the detail should sound, the IE80 feeds you enough cue to reproduce the music nicely on your mind.

OwO that's my little theory anyway.

 

[willyvlyminck]

Someone think IE80 has no need of long time burn-in. Recently, I notice such phenomenon.
I used to listen to IE80 several hours a day. To now, mine may have been listened more than 600 hours. But recently, I didn't listen to it for few days. When I graped it and listen, it sound muffle! And I compared with Puro, It's so veiled than Puro. But I want to keep listening to IE80 since it's still in warranty and I do like its unmatched huge soundstage. After few hours listening, I'm surprised its sound became much clear. And I compared with Puro again. Yes, it does become much clear!!
What does this mean? IE80 hasn't been fully burn out after >600 hours!! That may explain why so many people complain and don't like IE80!
Any similar experience?

No but it is normal your ears and brain have to adapt again to "new" sound, after listening to other with a different soundsignature

 

[159650]

From my experience, the IE80 is muddy but all the little nuisance on the track are actually there.

So after you get to know your music better on a more reference sounding source and have memorised what all the detail should sound, the IE80 feeds you enough cue to reproduce the music nicely on your mind.

OwO that's my little theory anyway.

Actually you are quite right about the IE80. The reason why Sennheiser was able to bill the IE8/80 as both audiophile and Professional grade was because if you listen carefully, the highs, despite being a bit weak in extension, isn't actually all that lacking. The lows are strong, but doesn't bleed into the mids or the highs. You think that the IE8 would lose it somewhere with the highly colored sound, but actually once you get used to the sound, you realize that there is quite a lot of detail in the sound. Perhaps a bit less compared to multi-BA UIEMs, but then the IE8 will blow most of them away when it comes to stage imaging and dimensions.

 

[willyvlyminck]

Actually you are quite right about the IE80. The reason why Sennheiser was able to bill the IE8/80 as both audiophile and Professional grade was because if you listen carefully, the highs, despite being a bit weak in extension, isn't actually all that lacking. The lows are strong, but doesn't bleed into the mids or the highs. You think that the IE8 would lose it somewhere with the highly colored sound, but actually once you get used to the sound, you realize that there is quite a lot of detail in the sound. Perhaps a bit less compared to multi-BA UIEMs, but then the IE8 will blow most of them away when it comes to stage imaging and dimensions.

There is s reason for their ongoing succes even four year after their release

 

[Riche]

Today when I changed tips on my IE80s, I can't find the right word for it, but the earphone sort of came apart (see picture in link). I know you can remove the cable, but I am not sure if this is supposed to be like this or not?
 
http://i.imgur.com/EIfQVak.jpg

 

[holden4th]

At the moment I am going between my IE80s and the Flare R2As
 
The other night I started off with the IE80s and encountered what Yangian was talking about - these iems improved the more I played them. It took about 20 minutes and they were sounding as good as when I first heard them and went WOW! I hadn't heard bass like this ever in a pair of headphones.
 
After about 90 minutes I switched to the Flares and the difference between the two was like night and day. The one point where the IE80s won out was in the treble which just seemed to have more body/presence.
 
But the soundstage that Yangian mentioned for the IE80s was well and truly surpassed. The best way I can describe it was that the IE80 soundstage was wide and deep but felt like it was attached to the inside of my skull. The Flares were also wide and deep but the soundstage seemed to exist outside of my skull making it far more spacious.... and clear. I can understand what they mean when they talk about 'veil' the Flares don't have it. The Sennheisers, well......
 
Yet I'm still happy to listen to my IE80s with a lot musical genres. But for classical the Flares are just superb.

 

[yangian]

  At the moment I am going between my IE80s and the Flare R2As
 
The other night I started off with the IE80s and encountered what Yangian was talking about - these iems improved the more I played them. It took about 20 minutes and they were sounding as good as when I first heard them and went WOW! I hadn't heard bass like this ever in a pair of headphones.
 
After about 90 minutes I switched to the Flares and the difference between the two was like night and day. The one point where the IE80s won out was in the treble which just seemed to have more body/presence.
 
But the soundstage that Yangian mentioned for the IE80s was well and truly surpassed. The best way I can describe it was that the IE80 soundstage was wide and deep but felt like it was attached to the inside of my skull. The Flares were also wide and deep but the soundstage seemed to exist outside of my skull making it far more spacious.... and clear. I can understand what they mean when they talk about 'veil' the Flares don't have it. The Sennheisers, well......
 
Yet I'm still happy to listen to my IE80s with a lot musical genres. But for classical the Flares are just superb.

 
Oh, Holden, I recalled I saw before that R2A has huge soundstage. But I also found that for IE80, when you put the bass knob to minium, the soundstage does seem to be inside skull and nothing impressive. But when you put to maxium, inside skull? hehe, try it! Moreover, you'd better use large bore tips for 80. Then insertion is shallow, it helps to expand the soundstage.

 

[yangian]

From my experience, the IE80 is muddy but all the little nuisance on the track are actually there.

So after you get to know your music better on a more reference sounding source and have memorised what all the detail should sound, the IE80 feeds you enough cue to reproduce the music nicely on your mind.

OwO that's my little theory anyway.

Yes. 80 is detailed enough. But that's true its pixel is lower than those new hyped products, so imaging and separation fall back a little bit, but not far. But no perfect phones. Since I mainly listen to large work classical, I still prefer 80 for it's unmatched soundstage size and shape! Just as a Chinese proverb says, you cannot get fish and bear's paw simutaniously. If you want to get both, go for IE800.

But still defects of design!

 

[RedJohn456]

 
Yes. 80 is detailed enough. But that's true its pixel is lower than those new hyped products, so imaging and separation fall back a little bit, but not far. But no perfect phones. Since I mainly listen to large work classical, I still prefer 80 for it's unmatched soundstage size and shape! Just as a Chinese proverb says, you cannot get fish and bear's paw simutaniously. If you want to get both, go for IE800.

But still defects of design!

Would using the IE80 with a pure silver cable cable brighten up the signature? I am curious to see what effect it would have on it

 

[yangian]

 
Would using the IE80 with a pure silver cable cable brighten up the signature? I am curious to see what effect it would have on it

I'm using a silver coated cable. Improved sound quality, but not very much. From my experience and from some others' comments, 8/80 might need >1000 hours burn-in. I know that seems not make sense to someone, but what Holden and I experienced seems to me to have only one explanation - it has not been fully burned.

 

[Hinomotocho]

1000 hours! I'm still chasing the 400 hour unicorn someone estimated. @ approx. 150 hours I've perceived a positive improvement to that mid-bass area. I'm sure my old Denon c710 still gradually improved after 500 + hours of use.

 

[castleofargh]

  Would using the IE80 with a pure silver cable cable brighten up the signature? I am curious to see what effect it would have on it

all measures are done from a less than 1ohm O2 amp and with what I cleverly called the weird sennheiser tip(not only it's not comfy, but it also has a signature that sucks). you can see how much impact I got from adding even100ohm to the cable

, it gives you a little idea of what you should expect when going from copper to silver and saving maybe 0.1ohm? if we're super lucky. I can't claim anything, but it doesn't suggest you will get much "improvement".
and for the record, going silver of the same diameter, or going copper of a different diameter can very much give the same final impedance. same with going with a shorter cable. there is more to cables than just the name of the metal.
 
 
 
 
for others: I don't have a silver cable, but if someone wants to send me one, I'll be glad to make all the measurements I possibly can(FR, impedance, phase, distortions, or why not record the sound with both for those who trust their ears more than graphs). I'll do that with my not so pro gears and then send it back. I'm even willing to pay for sending it back to share the cost of the all "operation". 
I certainly have my opinion on cables, but I've been fooled enough in my life not to be mad curious about seeing the difference with my own "eyes".

 

[trancedout]

  Today when I changed tips on my IE80s, I can't find the right word for it, but the earphone sort of came apart (see picture in link). I know you can remove the cable, but I am not sure if this is supposed to be like this or not?
 
http://i.imgur.com/EIfQVak.jpg

Where was it purchased? Sennheiser is usually pretty good, ship it back to them.

 

[betula]

  Today when I changed tips on my IE80s, I can't find the right word for it, but the earphone sort of came apart (see picture in link). I know you can remove the cable, but I am not sure if this is supposed to be like this or not?
 
http://i.imgur.com/EIfQVak.jpg

This happened to mine as well, after 3 years of frequent use. It is not broken, just the glue has given up. The little plastic part actually clicks back. I repaired mine with a tiny amount of super glue. Looks as new. Used it for another year and finally sold it for a great price. (After a short brake I bought my second pair brand new for the same money I sold the old, 4 years old pair.)

(It is important, if you try to glue, never let the glue leak into the driver. Always keep it upside down, so the glue can only drop down.)