[VendettaRiich]

Where can you buy these?

At least here in germany you can buy a set with all sizes for 30€ or 5 pairs of one size for 10€ directely from Beyerdynamics replacement part shop.

Seems odd on first sight but boy just in terms of eartip comfort these are the best ive had

 

[discord]

Been listening to the IE 900 since early September as my everyday IEM. Some thoughts:

Eartips:

The stock silicone eartips are terrible for achieving a proper fit. I can only imagine that the silicone tips will work well if you never breathe or never move your jaw, I guess. The stock foam tips I found to be a good improvement over the silicone tips and have been using them in the size L for all the time of owning them until a few days ago where I changed to Final Type E in size LL, which I prefer for a deeper fit. The stock foam tips are a somewhat shallow but still secure fit for me.

Cable:

Memory cable can get a bit annoying at times, mostly on walks where I pull my phone out of my pocket to change to a different song while then be greeted with a somewhat messy cable appearance. No messy cable issues when plugged in on my PC though. Cable is a bit microphonic as well, but not the worst I’ve experienced.

Comfort:

These IEMs are small and so comfort is super good. No problems wearing these for long listening sessions.

Sound:

I’ll talk about sound relative my previous everyday IEM, the Campfire Audio Vega (original version). The IE 900 offers a big sound presentation in that they are wider than what I’m used to horizontally speaking and has great depth. I’ve found myself plenty of times being surrounded by my music in that it sounds like it’s coming from outside my head. Although I primarily listen to electronic music (see playlist below for examples with Techno specifically), when listening to bands (mainly indie stuff with female vocals), the instruments including vocals sound very much life-like to me. The midrange is not pushed back far, I’d say it’s just about where I’d want it to be relative to bass and treble frequency spectrums. I prefer the upper midrange and treble on the IE 900 to the Vega, as it sounds livelier and more engaging to me. Underpinning all this is an exceptional bass in terms of quality and quantity which helps give the music a large presentation to my ears. The sub bass quantity and quality are especially nice as is the slam and control of the overall bass spectrum. No mid bass bleeding into the lower midrange to my ears (something the Vega suffers from). Very musical and engaging IEM all-around and found myself going through my music collection a lot and picking up on details in songs that I hadn’t noticed before.

I don’t have extensive experience with owning other IEMs in the kilobuck arena, except for the Campfire Vega when it came out which was my first kilobuck IEM (prior to that I mostly owned stuff in 100 – 300 dollar range), but I must say that I absolutely love the IE 900. A few weeks after first receiving the IE 900 I went to the SoCal CanJam and the only IEMs that really caught my attention compared to the IE 900 were the Empire Ears Odin, Legend EVO, and Legend X. I ended up placing an order for the Odin that day.

Some of my favorite Techno tracks with the IE 900 where the bass really shines:

 

[gLer]

Been listening to the IE 900 since early September as my everyday IEM. Some thoughts:

Eartips:

The stock silicone eartips are terrible for achieving a proper fit. I can only imagine that the silicone tips will work well if you never breathe or never move your jaw, I guess. The stock foam tips I found to be a good improvement over the silicone tips and have been using them in the size L for all the time of owning them until a few days ago where I changed to Final Type E in size LL, which I prefer for a deeper fit. The stock foam tips are a somewhat shallow but still secure fit for me.

Cable:

Memory cable can get a bit annoying at times, mostly on walks where I pull my phone out of my pocket to change to a different song while then be greeted with a somewhat messy cable appearance. No messy cable issues when plugged in on my PC though. Cable is a bit microphonic as well, but not the worst I’ve experienced.

Comfort:

These IEMs are small and so comfort is super good. No problems wearing these for long listening sessions.

Sound:

I’ll talk about sound relative my previous everyday IEM, the Campfire Audio Vega (original version). The IE 900 offers a big sound presentation in that they are wider than what I’m used to horizontally speaking and has great depth. I’ve found myself plenty of times being surrounded by my music in that it sounds like it’s coming from outside my head. Although I primarily listen to electronic music (see playlist below for examples with Techno specifically), when listening to bands (mainly indie stuff with female vocals), the instruments including vocals sound very much life-like to me. The midrange is not pushed back far, I’d say it’s just about where I’d want it to be relative to bass and treble frequency spectrums. I prefer the upper midrange and treble on the IE 900 to the Vega, as it sounds livelier and more engaging to me. Underpinning all this is an exceptional bass in terms of quality and quantity which helps give the music a large presentation to my ears. The sub bass quantity and quality are especially nice as is the slam and control of the overall bass spectrum. No mid bass bleeding into the lower midrange to my ears (something the Vega suffers from). Very musical and engaging IEM all-around and found myself going through my music collection a lot and picking up on details in songs that I hadn’t noticed before.

I don’t have extensive experience with owning other IEMs in the kilobuck arena, except for the Campfire Vega when it came out which was my first kilobuck IEM (prior to that I mostly owned stuff in 100 – 300 dollar range), but I must say that I absolutely love the IE 900. A few weeks after first receiving the IE 900 I went to the SoCal CanJam and the only IEMs that really caught my attention compared to the IE 900 were the Empire Ears Odin, Legend EVO, and Legend X. I ended up placing an order for the Odin that day.

Some of my favorite Techno tracks with the IE 900 where the bass really shines:

Great impressions, thank you. What did you like about Odin over EVO and LX relative to the IE 900?

 

[fabio19]

Can anyone make a comparison between ie 900 and Dark Sky?
It would be interesting.....

 

[discord]

Great impressions, thank you. What did you like about Odin over EVO and LX relative to the IE 900?

Legend X vs IE 900:

The overall bass region of the Legend X is up one notch in terms of quantity when compared to IE 900. The bass on the Legend X has more rumble and is more visceral as well. I don’t usually compare headphones to speakers, but it kind of reminds of speaker bass. The bass fits in well with the rest of the overall spectrum on the Legend X and doesn’t protrude all that much into the mid-range, and so I’d say the bass is well controlled for the most part. Although I’d say better controlled on the IE 900 somewhat but we’re talking different bass levels as well so yeah. I detected more mid-bass presence on the Legend X compared to the IE 900, which seems a bit leaner in that region. Also, the mid-bass presence on the Legend X is such that it makes the bass feel like it’s “on” more often when compared to the IE 900. Treble wise, the Legend X was not as bright as the IE 900, although I don’t have a problem with the treble presentation with either of them, I’d say I prefer the IE 900 as it just seems livelier in that region. The left-right presentation of the music is wider on the Legend X and with a depth where I felt closer to the instruments including the vocalist. The music did not feel congested, although I don’t have that problem with that on the IE 900 either and so I think they both do good at separation of instruments in the mix.

Legend EVO vs IE 900:

Again, starting with the overall bass region quantity, I’d put the EVO at 1.5 notches higher than IE 900, and so a touch higher than the Legend X and I think this is likely due to the bone conduction which was my first time experiencing this; it’s very nice and provides a level of visceral feeling that the IE 900 cannot match. The bass control is also outstanding for the level of bass. For the left-right presentation of the music, the EVO is certainly wider and the midrange more pushed forward versus IE 900, giving a closer presentation that surrounds me quite well. Resolution is better overall on the EVO compared to IE 900 too, especially in the midrange. The EVO is brighter than Legend X, but not as bright as IE 900.

The first song I played on the EVO was the song below. The finger-picking pattern played on the acoustic guitar had some real weight to it that I could feel whereas the IE 900 certainly can’t match that. It’s like I was able to actually feel the plucking of each string in the pattern. This also brought to my attention that the bone conduction isn’t something just for the bass region alone but also higher up in the frequency range, as some of those weighty notes would be up higher than the bass range, particularly since the guitar has a capo at the 2nd fret.



Odin vs IE 900:

The Odin has a lot of the great qualities of the Legend X and EVO so this will be a bit shorter description. Overall bass quantity on the Odin sounds about the same or maybe a tad lower than IE 900 with a superb quality of course, and really the whole spectrum is just the most detailed I’ve heard so far and very easy to pinpoint where things are in the mix. There is still a lot of impact from the bass as well, but not as bombastic as Legend EVO and Legend X. The left-right presentation is certainly wider and with more depth than the IE 900, and slightly less wide than EVO which I found to be the widest of all four IEMs here. I really like how forward the midrange is, especially the upper half of it. The midrange is certainly an attractive quality of the Odin for me. The treble is quite smooth and with more air than the 3 others IEMs here. The Odin is a very all-enveloping kind of sound and probably the best example of an all-a rounder I’ve heard. It's such a detail monster and prefer vocals on it compared to all the Legend X, Legend EVO, and IE 900.

Last thoughts:

Although I got the Odin, the EVO is nearly tied with it and I will end up getting it at some point, although it just might not be the launch edition. Plus, I couldn't pass up on the show discount for the Odin given that it has a higher MSRP than EVO.

EVO > LX for me for big bass with technical chops and life-like presentation. I think EVO and Odin can compliment each other well depending on my listening mood and music selection.

 

[discord]

@gLer Will be looking forward to your thoughts on EVO if you post a review. I hope the IE 900 is included in comparisons.

 

[gLer]

@gLer Will be looking forward to your thoughts on EVO if you post a review. I hope the IE 900 is included in comparisons.

Yes my EVO review should be ready in the next week or two, with full comparisons to IE 900 (and LX).

Legend X vs IE 900:

The overall bass region of the Legend X is up one notch in terms of quantity when compared to IE 900. The bass on the Legend X has more rumble and is more visceral as well. I don’t usually compare headphones to speakers, but it kind of reminds of speaker bass. The bass fits in well with the rest of the overall spectrum on the Legend X and doesn’t protrude all that much into the mid-range, and so I’d say the bass is well controlled for the most part. Although I’d say better controlled on the IE 900 somewhat but we’re talking different bass levels as well so yeah. I detected more mid-bass presence on the Legend X compared to the IE 900, which seems a bit leaner in that region. Also, the mid-bass presence on the Legend X is such that it makes the bass feel like it’s “on” more often when compared to the IE 900. Treble wise, the Legend X was not as bright as the IE 900, although I don’t have a problem with the treble presentation with either of them, I’d say I prefer the IE 900 as it just seems livelier in that region. The left-right presentation of the music is wider on the Legend X and with a depth where I felt closer to the instruments including the vocalist. The music did not feel congested, although I don’t have that problem with that on the IE 900 either and so I think they both do good at separation of instruments in the mix.

Legend EVO vs IE 900:

Again, starting with the overall bass region quantity, I’d put the EVO at 1.5 notches higher than IE 900, and so a touch higher than the Legend X and I think this is likely due to the bone conduction which was my first time experiencing this; it’s very nice and provides a level of visceral feeling that the IE 900 cannot match. The bass control is also outstanding for the level of bass. For the left-right presentation of the music, the EVO is certainly wider and the midrange more pushed forward versus IE 900, giving a closer presentation that surrounds me quite well. Resolution is better overall on the EVO compared to IE 900 too, especially in the midrange. The EVO is brighter than Legend X, but not as bright as IE 900.

The first song I played on the EVO was the song below. The finger-picking pattern played on the acoustic guitar had some real weight to it that I could feel whereas the IE 900 certainly can’t match that. It’s like I was able to actually feel the plucking of each string in the pattern. This also brought to my attention that the bone conduction isn’t something just for the bass region alone but also higher up in the frequency range, as some of those weighty notes would be up higher than the bass range, particularly since the guitar has a capo at the 2nd fret.



Odin vs IE 900:

The Odin has a lot of the great qualities of the Legend X and EVO so this will be a bit shorter description. Overall bass quantity on the Odin sounds about the same or maybe a tad lower than IE 900 with a superb quality of course, and really the whole spectrum is just the most detailed I’ve heard so far and very easy to pinpoint where things are in the mix. There is still a lot of impact from the bass as well, but not as bombastic as Legend EVO and Legend X. The left-right presentation is certainly wider and with more depth than the IE 900, and slightly less wide than EVO which I found to be the widest of all four IEMs here. I really like how forward the midrange is, especially the upper half of it. The midrange is certainly an attractive quality of the Odin for me. The treble is quite smooth and with more air than the 3 others IEMs here. The Odin is a very all-enveloping kind of sound and probably the best example of an all-a rounder I’ve heard. It's such a detail monster and prefer vocals on it compared to all the Legend X, Legend EVO, and IE 900.

Last thoughts:

Although I got the Odin, the EVO is nearly tied with it and I will end up getting it at some point, although it just might not be the launch edition. Plus, I couldn't pass up on the show discount for the Odin given that it has a higher MSRP than EVO.

EVO > LX for me for big bass with technical chops and life-like presentation. I think EVO and Odin can compliment each other well depending on my listening mood and music selection.

Thank you so much for those detailed impressions. Really appreciate how you broke down the strengths and relative merits of each. IE 900 vs LX/EVO is very much how I hear them too.

Will you be keeping the IE 900? For me it's the ideal high-end EDC, with the likes of EVO/Odin being more luxury/special listens.

 

[discord]

Thank you so much for those detailed impressions. Really appreciate how you broke down the strengths and relative merits of each. IE 900 vs LX/EVO is very much how I hear them too.

Will you be keeping the IE 900? For me it's the ideal high-end EDC, with the likes of EVO/Odin being more luxury/special listens.

Yes, the IE 900 is staying with me.

 

[MATWIN94]

Thanks for such an awaited feedbacks.. as I’m quite curious about EVO .. the point is that coming From regular headphones I’m oftenly bother with too much frontal high mids or vocals with iems so IE900 is quite an unexpected surprise on that regard .. it’s alleged relative weakness for some Is a strength for me.. but EVO is stirring me.. for those listening also to jazz and classical did you notice any issue with coherency with EVO?

 

[Banbeucmas]

Thanks for such an awaited feedbacks.. as I’m quite curious about EVO .. the point is that coming From regular headphones I’m oftenly bother with too much frontal high mids or vocals with iems so IE900 is quite an unexpected surprise on that regard .. it’s alleged relative weakness for some Is a strength for me.. but EVO is stirring me.. for those listening also to jazz and classical did you notice any issue with coherency with EVO?

I got to experience the EVO few days ago
Feels like the bass is just too much, the original LX is better :'D

 

[gLer]

Thanks for such an awaited feedbacks.. as I’m quite curious about EVO .. the point is that coming From regular headphones I’m oftenly bother with too much frontal high mids or vocals with iems so IE900 is quite an unexpected surprise on that regard .. it’s alleged relative weakness for some Is a strength for me.. but EVO is stirring me.. for those listening also to jazz and classical did you notice any issue with coherency with EVO?

No issues with coherency, but the EVO's upper-mid response is almost the direct opposite the IE 900's (though not necessarily in a bad way).

I got to experience the EVO few days ago
Feels like the bass is just too much, the original LX is better :'D

Not for me. The IE 900 was the first IEM to exceed the bass quality of the LX for me, and EVO is better than both of them, for my preferences.

 

[MATWIN94]

Thank’s again @gLer!!

The FAUDIO DARK SKY could be the missing link between IE 900 and EVO -according to @twister6 review .. with more elevated but very articulated bass and a bit more forward mids.. let’s see

If anyone can translate...



There is a comment in English from the reviewer:



Also -

 

[Banbeucmas]

No issues with coherency, but the EVO's upper-mid response is almost the direct opposite the IE 900's (though not necessarily in a bad way).


Not for me. The IE 900 was the first IEM to exceed the bass quality of the LX for me, and EVO is better than both of them, for my preferences.

I think it's just the difference between both of us anyway
The EVO simply was just too much for me. IE900 is at least more manageable

 

[gLer]

I think it's just the difference between both of us anyway
The EVO simply was just too much for me. IE900 is at least more manageable

Oh for sure, I completely get how EVO's bass can be fatiguing to some people. I feel the same way about over-elevated treble. The thing with EVO's (and IE 900's) bass is that, despite the quantity, the quality is so exceptionally high, and the bass seems layered away from the mids, which means it never bleeds over. Would never have thought it possible in an IEM if I never heard it myself.

 

[Azanulimbar]

@gLer , how do you feel about the Cleopatra pairing? Worth it or too bright?