[lee730]

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@Lee I like your new avatar

lol thanks. It put a big smile on my face when I first saw it and figured it would do the same here .

 

[ninogui]

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Hi Guys
 
I am happy with the IE80 bought from a member here to add to my collection. Opposite to many people I am able to get a good fit with the provided mid size regular tips but also added in medium Ts500 complies and these are very comfortable and improved fit.
This pair was originally intended for my wife but I also end up using it a lot. Last time I wore them for about 6 hours in a row with no problem whatsoever on the Ts500 tips
 
Although I think they are originally overpriced sincerely I cannot see single dynamics being better than this. Maybe the sony´s ex1000/7550 but those are way pricier
I am not too much in love with the default cable much because I find it not flexible enough and in cold weather it gets worse. Maybe later down the road I end up ordering a default IE8 cable or a cheap option from sunricky cables at
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/suncableaudio
 
On the rockboxed clip+ my personal settings for eq adjustment are
-1db or -2db at 100Hz at Q 1.5
+6db at 12000Hz at Q 1.5
+8db at 16000Hz at Q 1
First to solve some mid low bass spill, other two for sound brilliance and high treble resolution improvement
On the sony (unfortunately) there´s not much I can do but just ad in 2 or 3 notches up on the 16000Hz range (of course for a fact sony sound quality is an improvement over the samsa´s regardless of the clip much superior programmable flexibility)
As I said this is my personal liking, others might prefer other settings
 
Have one question though, has anyone tried to take out the grills (with a needle or similar) to clean them out on h2o2 solution and insert them back in, is it even possible to take them out and insert them again to no loss ?
 
If not possible I can just touch the grills with a h2o2 filled cotton swab (aligned vertically top to bottom to avoid entering the chamber) for a while and then some roll paper to absorb but first method would be better of course

 
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As I know no one as removed the grills, I think after that you can't put it in place again. This IEM have a very good ratio price sound and they are easy to drive, they are well build and in one year no problem, compared to the TF10 is just day and night, you will enjoy it

 
Is it really the case no one tried removing the grills?
 
Well if that´s the case I guess over time I´ll have to resort to method 2 to keep it moist free

 

[betula]

2 things.
 
1, I tried Bowers and Wilkins P5 headphone, as I really wanted to figure out, if there is any difference between headphones and IEMs in the same price range. P5 sounds nice, enjoyable... But IE80 has much more detail, better clarity and sound stage... So its no question for me anymore: for the same price you have the best quality if u buy the smallest. IEMs\|Ä€Í$Łłí][Đ

 

[betula]

sorry... I dont know what happened....
so, I go on...

IEMs, headphones, speakers... for 2-300 quids you got really good IEMs, middle range headphones and quite low range speakers... Fact...

2, I tried few different silicon tips for IE80. It made me realise, even if u think, u have a good fit/seal, u might be wrong. A perfect seal can improve sound quality 100%...
 Me, personally couldnt find better fit and seal than comply foam. The only disadvantage is, I have to change tips every 2-3 weeks, and its overpriced... 
 But I like IE80 with silver cable, tape mod and perfect seal that much, I might gonna get custom sleeves... If I use them for 2 years, it worth...

 

[snappyaxolotl]

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sorry... I dont know what happened....
so, I go on...

IEMs, headphones, speakers... for 2-300 quids you got really good IEMs, middle range headphones and quite low range speakers... Fact...

2, I tried few different silicon tips for IE80. It made me realise, even if u think, u have a good fit/seal, u might be wrong. A perfect seal can improve sound quality 100%...
 Me, personally couldnt find better fit and seal than comply foam. The only disadvantage is, I have to change tips every 2-3 weeks, and its overpriced... 
 But I like IE80 with silver cable, tape mod and perfect seal that much, I might gonna get custom sleeves... If I use them for 2 years, it worth...

 
You might also want to consider reshelling the IE80 at Unique Melody. Unique Melody offers reshelling for the IE8/IE80 (3 driver upgrade) at $369, so it might be worth checking out. UM has a great reputation for custom services.

 

[lee730]

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sorry... I dont know what happened....
so, I go on...

IEMs, headphones, speakers... for 2-300 quids you got really good IEMs, middle range headphones and quite low range speakers... Fact...

2, I tried few different silicon tips for IE80. It made me realise, even if u think, u have a good fit/seal, u might be wrong. A perfect seal can improve sound quality 100%...
 Me, personally couldnt find better fit and seal than comply foam. The only disadvantage is, I have to change tips every 2-3 weeks, and its overpriced... 
 But I like IE80 with silver cable, tape mod and perfect seal that much, I might gonna get custom sleeves... If I use them for 2 years, it worth...

 
Glad you warmed up to the tape mod bestula . Took  me a few hours to grasp it myself but once going back to stock it was clear as day the flaw the IE80 had and what that mod brought to the overall sound. IMO these IEMs with the silver cable and tape mod are as good as you are gonna get for an all-arounder IEM that really doesn't do anything wrong in the $500.00+ range.

 

[Filleri]

So this is my opinion (review) of the IE80.
I`ve been using these for about two months now,and for the most part i found them to be absolutely perfect for my needs. I previously owned a IE6 but sadly my dog decided that he wanted to taste them and chewed the cable off. Anyway i found these from my local audio shop and since i had some money i decided to try these. Since i owned the IE6 i knew pretty much what to expect in terms of sound and fit. I haven`t heard the IE8 so i can`t comment on how these compare to those.
 
After pluging them in to my sony xperia i was greeted with a familiar sound signature with a enhanced soundstage and treble. Now i`d done some research on these and read about burn in so i left them to play music for couple of days giving them breaks sometimes. After the first week i noticed the soundstage had gotten much wider and the treble also was better. From my memory the IE6 had much narrower soundstage and the highs were not that great. The bass is also more refined in the IE80. Speaking of bass i first tried the bass setting at minimal, but after some fiddling i found the best setting to be max. I then EQ the excess bass off. This gives them IMO nice sound especially drums sound so good. Midrange is also silky smooth and relaxed.
 
I`m happy to say these seem to be built like a tank. After two months nothing has come apart. It basically looks like it just brand new. I were these when i go to work so when i`m not wearing these they are in my backpack with the rest of my stuff. I live in far north so temperatures get pretty cold here and these just stand whatever the heck comes down form the skies. Whether its rain, snow or little dwarfs

 these can take it.
 
Now onto negatives (which thankfully s a short list) 
The isolation isn`t that great to be honest. I ride the bus everyday and i find myself having to increase the volume to drown out the noises. Plus side of this is that when i`m walking in the town i`m able to hear if a car is coming behind me. 
If you wear these in cold the cables do get pretty stiff and the fit may become loose. This is my biggest gripe because sometimes the temperature drops to -15C here.
 
Overall i`m extremely happy that i bought these. They give me hours of pleasure while i`m on the move.

 

[stellar]

nice review ^
 
thanks filleri

 

[Ivabign]

I have the IE8's and think the cable is one of its best features - it is strong, supple and flexible. Is the IE80's cable the same? Does it use Kevlar like the IE8's? I love the soundstage on these IEM's!

 

[Filleri]

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I have the IE8's and think the cable is one of its best features - it is strong, supple and flexible. Is the IE80's cable the same? Does it use Kevlar like the IE8's? I love the soundstage on these IEM's!

At least when i bought the IE80 the salesman said that it has Kevlar coated cable. And when i had the IE6 it also had Kevlar so i don`t think the folks from Sennheiser would be so stupid to abandon the Kevlar coated cable.

 

[Ivabign]

It would be a mistake - great IEM cable.

 

[Filleri]

Yeah i also think it`s one of the best stock cables in a IEM. Very durable and zero cable noise.

 

[DMinor]

Just let you guys know my IE80 broke in the cable (at the joint between cable and housing) just after a few months of normal use. Yeah I thought the cable was pretty durable until that happened. The fatigue kicked in sooner than I thought. Good thing it was under warranty and Sennheiser send me a replacement of the whole thing not just the cable.
 
I believe there is another forum member here who also reported the failure in the cable.

 

[betula]

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You might also want to consider reshelling the IE80 at Unique Melody. Unique Melody offers reshelling for the IE8/IE80 (3 driver upgrade) at $369, so it might be worth checking out. UM has a great reputation for custom services.

U think, I can find sg like this in the UK too?

 

[3nenbgumi]

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U think, I can find sg like this in the UK too?

Theheadphonecompany is UM's agent in the UK, and yes they do provide the service at 380 pounds. To be honest if I were you I would not be pulling the trigger, doesn't look like anyone has tried it out and thus virtually no opinions about the outcome. In case you do want to give it a shot I think it'd be best to send it directly to UM global and let them handle the whole process instead of going through THC, they charge way too much. I might be wrong though, but I don't think you'd get charged custom duty for it in case you do it yourself, since it's essentially an upgrade and not exactly like buying a new product.