Sennheiser IE900 Review, Measurements, & Harman Target Talk

[gLer]

Which ones work for you?

Acoustune AET07.

 

[davidmolliere]

So I received the IE900 this morning... even the biggest stock tip are way too small to get a seal for my big ear canals...

I found some universal tips that did OK but even my usal Flare tips that work with short insertion IEMs failed. After toying with tips with very different results I quickly went on to one of my 3 pair of silicon custom tips, picked the right sized for the bore... and there we go it's a much much better experience. Depending on how I like them, I'll definitely get the ADV tips done. Tips immensely alter the signature with those, more so than other IEMs and that might explain some contradicting feedback on how they sound.

I have only had a few moments with them, I'll check with @chortya how much they're burnt in too (edit : Only 20 hours / I'll run them 24/7 for a week).

IE900 certainly sound different than any other IEM in a way that I haven't been able to pinpoint yet. There is an overall combination of clarity and smoothness but they're way more lively than IE800S from memory and I checked they don't suffer from the ugly peaks of the IE800 that made me sell them back then. This driver is quite special and unique for sure and it doesn't sound like any other DD. Bass is one of the highlights as mentioned by many but not so much in the power and slam, or speed but just how right and rich they sound. Percussions just sound so natural and lifelike and textures are impressive.

I need to "rince my ears" from all the VE EXT and Elysium listening and get into this pair before I post any meaningful impressions... let's dive in!

 

[davidmolliere]

So I plugged the IE900 to the Go Blu as I needed to move around... and my my compared to the neutral M17 I like the pairing better, looks like it's really a good idea to pair IE900 to a warmer source... Nice groove!

 

[gLer]

So I plugged the IE900 to the Go Blu as I needed to move around... and my my compared to the neutral M17 I like the pairing better, looks like it's really a good idea to pair IE900 to a warmer source... Nice groove!

IE 900 + GO blu is my go-to portable setup now. One of the great combinations and probably the best high-end ultramobile pairings I've heard to date.

So you reckon GO Blu is warmer than M17? I find GO Blu fairly balanced, maybe a slight warm hint, but mostly neutral. M17 must be very neutral then/bright-neutral then.

 

[davidmolliere]

IE 900 + GO blu is my go-to portable setup now. One of the great combinations and probably the best high-end ultramobile pairings I've heard to date.
So you reckon GO Blu is warmer than M17? I find GO Blu fairly balanced, maybe a slight warm hint, but mostly neutral. M17 must be very neutral then/bright-neutral then.

To my ears, Go Blu is a tad warm...and I sure can recognize the CS43131 organic touch.
M17 is not bright, it's dead neutral and linear to my ears and it reveals an IEM and recording underlying nature.
I am back on M17 listening to Mark Murphy Sconsolato it's nothing but smooth and musical with the appropriate warmth but that's the recording.
Go Blu gives that warm hue that is very nice and not too colored either.

My unit is not burnt in yet, second hand with 20h on it, so take than with a grain of salt...
IE900 is a keeper, ordered the ADV Eartune Fidelity tip in mineral grey like the pic I posted earlier...

 

[chortya]

So I plugged the IE900 to the Go Blu as I needed to move around... and my my compared to the neutral M17 I like the pairing better, looks like it's really a good idea to pair IE900 to a warmer source... Nice groove!

I also have Ifi Go Blue but I did not like it in combination with IE900, too noisy compared to Fiio M11 Pro and even Sony Xperia 1iii phone. But I agree that IE900 shines with warmer source. One of the reasons I sold IE900 was a challenging fit with a lot of tip rolling. I left only Thieaudio Monarch now which fits so good. IE900 was more resolving but even with Xelastic tips I had fitting issues after some time.

 

[gLer]

To my ears, Go Blu is a tad warm...and I sure can recognize the CS43131 organic touch.
M17 is not bright, it's dead neutral and linear to my ears and it reveals an IEM and recording underlying nature.
I am back on M17 listening to Mark Murphy Sconsolato it's nothing but smooth and musical with the appropriate warmth but that's the recording.
Go Blu gives that warm hue that is very nice and not to colored either.

My unit is not burnt in yet, second hand with 20h on it, so take than with a grain of salt...
IE900 is a keeper, ordered the ADV Eartune Fidelity tip in mineral grey like the pic I posted earlier...

I think I'm partial to slightly warm-tilted (but not overly warm) sources with the IE 900. Go blu, Gryphon (similarly tuned to GB but using ifi's excellent BB DAC), and the RS6. For me the IE 900 has better synergy with the warm-tilted RS6 than the more neutral/revealing/airy R8, which is why my R8 is on the classifieds.

 

[gLer]

I also have Ifi Go Blue but I did not like it in combination with IE900, too noisy compared to Fiio M11 Pro and even Sony Xperia 1iii phone. But I agree that IE900 shines with warmer source. One of the reasons I sold IE900 was a challenging fit with a lot of tip rolling. I left only Thieaudio Monarch now which fits so good. IE900 was more resolving but even with Xelastic tips I had fitting issues after some time.

I hear absolutely no noise with IE 900/GO blu, and I only use the 4.4mm balanced out. It's dead silent in fact.

 

[chortya]

Strange. Let me check it again with Monarchs against Fiio DAPs.

 

[newworld666]

I also have Ifi Go Blue but I did not like it in combination with IE900, too noisy compared to Fiio M11 Pro and even Sony Xperia 1iii phone. But I agree that IE900 shines with warmer source. One of the reasons I sold IE900 was a challenging fit with a lot of tip rolling. I left only Thieaudio Monarch now which fits so good. IE900 was more resolving but even with Xelastic tips I had fitting issues after some time.

I bought loads of after markets tips for IE 900, almost none could really help (at least when comfort was there, the tube was far too narrow and changed the sound quality of the IE900)... until I could find tips with extra long and large tubes like the SednaEarfitLight L size..
Those tips made the IE900 a real keeper for me as the most versatile IEMs i could buy these last years, though I really loved the sound quality of the IER-Z1R and the comfort of the Xelento=>The IE900 can manage to be the synthesis of these two nice IEM for me.

I am just wondering if I shouldn't give a try to the 64audio U12T, which seems to be small, compact and comfortable enough to compete with the IE900 and have a sound quality even nearer to my reference IER-Z1R, though the IE900 is very near too.

 

[davidmolliere]

I bought loads of after markets tips for IE 900, almost none could really help (at least when comfort was there, the tube was far too narrow and changed the sound quality of the IE900)... until I could find tips with extra long and large tubes like the SednaEarfitLight L size..
Those tips made the IE900 a real keeper for me as the most versatile IEMs i could buy these last years, though I really loved the sound quality of the IER-Z1R and the comfort of the Xelento=>The IE900 can manage to be the synthesis of these two nice IEM for me. I am just wondering if I shouldn't give a try to the 64audio U12T, which seems to be small, compact and comfortable enough to compete with the IE900 and have a sound quality even nearer to my reference IER-Z1R, though the IE900 is very near too.

I think it's worth it for me so going custom tips from ADV is going to be a niceeee upgrade.
The IE900 is growing on me big time... this is going to be a very interesting review as well as I am not as quick as usual to grab a big picture take on them out of the bat...

My U12t days are so far away... they're great but it's too far away to remember precisely enough to IE900 one thing for sure, the U12t has less energy and excitement and I would say a more relaxed profile. Something like the Volt is much more along the lines of U12T with a quad EST refinement on top.

 

[davidmolliere]

Now I do know what you guys were talking about... this shows how it takes more than a few minutes to grasp an IEM... especially this one.

The bass on that track on IE900 the richness of the nuances in the drums is just jaw dropping... I feel like I can touch the textures of the drum... and the double bass... eerie realism and feeling of sharing deeply with the artist... wow! This is the best portrayal of that track I have ever heard... and I just spent days with the EXT which is no slouch. It's not as fast punchy bass but a more textured and realistic bass than the EXT, heck it's a more textured bass than anything I have heard, period.

Anyone who didn't loose their jaw at IE900 bass performance had the wrong tips, the wrong source or something.
This is elite bass level.

Not a basshead IEM that slams in your face, but the IEM with bass that will just sound right and real and nuanced like the interpretation was lost on other gear...
This is a special special IEM for sure... there is no distorsion whatsoever...

I left this one burning in all afternoon and now this... I suspect this will only get better.
It only has 24hours or so on it. I am leaving it 24/7 for a week and we'll see.

 

[Scubadevils]

Now I do know what you guys were talking about... this shows how it takes more than a few minutes to grasp an IEM... especially this one.

The bass on that track on IE900 the richness of the nuances in the drums is just jaw dropping... I feel like I can touch the textures of the drum... and the double bass... eerie realism and feeling of sharing deeply with the artist... wow! This is the best portrayal of that track I have ever heard... and I just spent days with the EXT which is no slouch.



Anyone who didn't loose their jaw at IE900 bass performance had the wrong tips, the wrong source or something.
This is elite bass level.

Maybe because I left the IE900 burn in all afternoon... the first hour was nowhere near this so I'd be wary of shows or in shop listens...
This is a special special IEM for sure...

I just tried that last night on Dark Sky following a recommendation from @ian91 - incredible. I must a/b with IE900.

 

[davidmolliere]

I just tried that last night on Dark Sky following a recommendation from @ian91 - incredible. I must a/b with IE900.

This track is among my bass test playlist among other stuff

 

[Scubadevils]

This track is among my bass test playlist among other stuff

Certainly one to dig deep and really test capability. Any others that jump out be it for bass or otherwise, that really zoom in on specific areas of the frequency ranges?