[Vitaly2017]

Pitch Black and Tipper - both full of sonic delights!

Fact checked: there is more quantifiable information on the IE 900 at launch than any hi-fi product in Sennheiser history. There's an interactive chart on the IE 900 product page at sennheiser.com, Jude's measurements and video (in this thread lol), crinacle's measurements, dozens of 3rd party video reviews (for those who aren't into graphs) spec sheets, and impressions from community members rolling in. All in 8 days since the announcement. All public and free to explore.

[Edited] ...and a Q&A with the product manager that is live in the forums

Yes that is true all you need to do is bring the PopCorn! And enjoy the show!

 

[Mini0510]

I'm hoping these have more treble than Z1R but matching the bass as well

 

[Timurchik]

Not sure what you mean by 'no options for tips.' Granted, the included tips may not fit you well, there are plethora of aftermarket tips that will fit these just fine. Azla, spinfit, final, just to name a few. Anything with a nozzle width of around 4.5mm should fit just fine. It's a pretty standard width. Now, finding a recessed MMCX cable may be a bit more challenging, but not impossible.

Look at the original tips. The way Sennheiser designed them makes them proprietary. If you will change them for something else it will change the tonality. But if there will be originals available for sale there will be no problem, but there is non available. At list for now. Of coarse you can play around with aftermarket tips. But it will take time to figure out which ones sounds the same.

Graphs can actually help you if you have enough experience with them. Granted we all do have different ears, but once you’ve seen enough graphs of headphones you’ve heard, you can kind of determine what they’ll sound like (totally) based on how it looks. You won’t be 100% right, but it isn’t a blind dive either. On top of that, you also do get return periods with most things generally. I actually bought my Euclid without knowing what they sounded like. But they measured kind of ideally for what I wanted in a headphone, so it worked out very well for me.

Yes graphs are useful to the certain point. But how many times it was you expect one thing when looking at the graph, but after listening things are different. Here is one example. BGGAR was reviewing Thieaudio Monarch and Clairvoyance. When he was looking at the graphs he liked Monarchs, but after listening he preferred Clairvoyance.

 

[InvisibleInk]

Yes graphs are useful to the certain point. But how many times it was you expect one thing when looking at the graph, but after listening things are different. Here is one example. BGGAR was reviewing Thieaudio Monarch and Clairvoyance. When he was looking at the graphs he liked Monarchs, but after listening he preferred Clairvoyance.

You are just going to be patient until you find a dealer and have a chance to audition them. Make sure to bring your favorite tips when you do.

 

[ericpalonen]

Look at the original tips. The way Sennheiser designed them makes them proprietary. If you will change them for something else it will change the tonality. But if there will be originals available for sale there will be no problem, but there is non available. At list for now. Of coarse you can play around with aftermarket tips. But it will take time to figure out which ones sounds the same.

There is nothing proprietary about the stock tips. There is no protected or shielded intellectual property that is built into them that prevents anyone from making their own version. The nozzle receptacle is a very simple specification: a cylinder-shaped cavity with a defined diameter and length.

 

[KPzypher]

There is nothing proprietary about the stock tips. There is no protected or shielded intellectual property that is built into them that prevents anyone from making their own version. The nozzle receptacle is a very simple specification: a cylinder-shaped cavity with a defined diameter and length.

Exactly. There's nothing special about the supplied tips. You tip roll every IEM to your liking, and this one is no different.

 

[misteral201103]

Look at the original tips. If you will change them for something else it will change the tonality.

That's the whole point of tip-rolling. You try everything until you have the sound and comfort you are looking for. It's exactly the same with any other IEM and it's a benefit, not a problem.
I'd add that changing cables can also change the tonality of the IEM - yet you are very keen to do that....

Nobody is asking or expecting you or anyone else to buy an item of audio gear without auditioning it. Most people on this forum will recommend a demo before purchase, even on lower priced gear.

Some people are confident in their expectations, confident in their ability to return to vendor and have enough disposable money to buy these without listening first. That's their prerogative and is a great help to the rest of us, since they provide the very valuable "early adopter" feedback.

 

[Timurchik]

Some people are confident in their expectations, confident in their ability to return to vendor and have enough disposable money to buy these without listening first. That's their prerogative and is a great help to the rest of us, since they provide the very valuable "early adopter" feedback.

You have a good point there. It was just my thoughts.

 

[KPzypher]

My only concern is that I like the IE300 so much, not sure how it can get any better?

Well, at least I know it'll be just as comfortable.

In all seriousness, I'm sure it'll be an incremental improvement. And I'm ok with that. I've been doing this long enough and have messed around with enough gear to know that nothing is earth shattering. I have realistic expectations these days. There's no single best and it's all a tradeoff to varying degrees.

 

[tinyman392]

Yes graphs are useful to the certain point. But how many times it was you expect one thing when looking at the graph, but after listening things are different. Here is one example. BGGAR was reviewing Thieaudio Monarch and Clairvoyance. When he was looking at the graphs he liked Monarchs, but after listening he preferred Clairvoyance.

Honestly, that only happens to me once in a blue moon. Typically if a graph looks like something I’d like I tend to like it. The examples of this being false are pretty scarce. However, there have been graphs I looked at that looked like I’d hate the sound that turned out to be very good still for my liking. I’ll admit those are still pretty rare, but occur more often than a graph of something I’d like that turns out to not be the case.

Note, comparing two headphones based on a graph won’t turn out well as the graph typically only will tell you about tonality. Different areas of tonality can translate over to technicalities, but generally it’s not always the case. I do have a tonal preference and will tend towards getting IEMs in said tonal preference.

 

[rantng]

Headphones.com review of the IE900 - https://www.headphones.com/communit...ser-ie-900-review-flagship-dynamic-driver-iem

 

[Vitaly2017]

Headphones.com review of the IE900 - https://www.headphones.com/communit...ser-ie-900-review-flagship-dynamic-driver-iem

Interesting review and it felt like the exact same way as I thought it be when I looked at the graph
The reviewer had problems with siblance but I compared the graph vs my tia Fourté and the peaks are equal and instead being at 8k its at 7k I think. So for me its all good!

The bass though has more lift by a few db in the sub to 200hz range. Again I like sub bass more then mid bass hopefully here to it will be all good.

Interesting point he mentioned about the expansive sound stage that ie900 has very good spacious spatial sound reproduction. I am very impatient to compare it vs my tia Fourté as fourté has special acoustical air chambers per driver! This what makes it so unique and super big in sound stage expansion.

Looks like fourté has finally met a true contender here ! Someone who finally will make fourté sweat

 

[xenithon]

Interesting review and it felt like the exact same way as I thought it be when I looked at the graph
The reviewer had problems with siblance but I compared the graph vs my tia Fourté and the peaks are equal and instead being at 8k its at 7k I think. So for me its all good!

The bass though has more lift by a few db in the sub to 200hz range. Again I like sub bass more then mid bass hopefully here to it will be all good.

Interesting point he mentioned about the expansive sound stage that ie900 has very good spacious spatial sound reproduction. I am very impatient to compare it vs my tia Fourté as fourté has special acoustical air chambers per driver! This what makes it so unique and super big in sound stage expansion.

Looks like fourté has finally met a true contender here ! Someone who finally will make fourté sweat

I’m quite confident this will punch above it’s weight class, but would have reservations about going up against the Fourte or similar. I don’t think it’s the same target market either - time will tell though.

I’m looking forward to reviews that have some actual comparisons (and to relevant IEMs) - including high end IEMs and similar single DD designs.

 

[Evshrug]

My only concern is that I like the IE300 so much, not sure how it can get any better?

Well, at least I know it'll be just as comfortable.

In all seriousness, I'm sure it'll be an incremental improvement. And I'm ok with that. I've been doing this long enough and have messed around with enough gear to know that nothing is earth shattering. I have realistic expectations these days. There's no single best and it's all a tradeoff to varying degrees.

The interesting part about the comparison is that the IE 900 has a similar balance as the V-shaped IE 300... it’s just that every part of it is improved and refined.

I just watched Joshua Valour’s review (I know, I’m quite late in more ways than one), and he basically says this as well. Of course, the frequency plots don’t match up perfectly, but overall they’re close. What threw me for a loop when I listened was that the IE 900 did it’s bass more tightly and with less bloom, so I felt like the IE 300 was warmer, but really the IE 900 also has plenty of bass – it’s just much cleaner. One other thing I appreciated about Joshua’s review was that he prefaced different aspects by trying to describe the sound, giving people a chance to decide if it matched with their tastes, before stating if it matched with his own taste, and potential ways others might dislike it. Sure, the IE 900 reflects all the care that went into its design, and his review was overall positive, but I think he did a good job mentioning where people may disagree with him.

 

[newworld666]

I have one one simple question. How you can order an IEM's which cost $1300+tax without even knowing how does it sound like. There is almost no information on these. Graphs? They mean almost nothing. We all have different ears. Another question. Is there a way to return them if you do not like them after all? Probably not. Personally, I will wait until I will have more feedbacks from those who bought it and some more reviews on YouTube. For now i see $1300 IEM with SO SO cables and almost no options for tips. And i need to live with those cables till somebody going to manufacture aftermarket ones especially for these IEM's. Do they worth all those problems? I do not know. We will see.

That's the power of old serious experienced companies specialized in Headphones and IEM.. We can trust them more than any of Chi-fi companies or even Korean like A&K.
More over, in fact, there are really few ultra-compact and light with DD IEM available on the market sold by real pros of IEM and Headphones for decades.
I am looking for an IEM compatible with sitting and sleeping in planes or laying down on the side with a cushion under the head at home) => I would say the choice is very limited on the market to Beyerdynamic Xelento and Sennheiser IE 300/900 and that's all !!
Other IEM change sound/tonality if the head is moved on the cushion as they are too thick, though I am still need to confirm the vent holes won't be an issue in such case (I want to try by myself this point, but I already know that my actual Xelento don't change tonality nor sound when I move my head on a cushion..
Sennheiser is definitely not an overrated company like many others, so the real risk to pre-order is quite limited.
At least, there will still be a possibility to sell the item on eBay, if it doesn't suit well.