[ericpalonen]

Texas, USA

The webstore is undergoing some adjustments under the hood, so a direct purchase is not possible yet via the webstore. If desired you could call in an order.

I've linked to the Head Gear page, which has a more comprehensive list of part numbers:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/sennheiser-ie-900.25145/

Apologies for the inconvenience of the parts blackout!

 

[Vladimir_F1]

I want to thank @ericpalonen and especially Jermo for this experience that truly gave me a unique connection to the company that i yet to have found in any other hobby or interest of mine.

lucky lucker

 

[VendettaRiich]

So i guess i owe you at least a short comparison between the IE600 and IE900 by now.
I tested the IE600 for two days exclusively to get a good feeling for the IEM before i started any back and forth comparisons.
Let me start with the most important part:
No the IE600 isnt a better IEM then the IE900. It is however slightly different so let me get a little more precise.
Bass: I feel the Bass on the IE600 is slightly stronger. The IE900 however is more precise and tactile. Its something i instantly noticed with the first track that had a strong midbass where the IE600 couldnt give me the kick in the same way the IE900 does.
Midrange: Similar to the Bass. The IE600 gives me a little more presence but loses in fidelity. While voices are a little more forward they sometimes lack a bit of definition and texture. Its not bad whatsoever but it just isnt the IE900. This was especially noticable with acoustic track where the vocals stood out more on the 600 but couldnt present me the same feeling as the 900.
Treble: Yeah here the IE600 gets beaten quite badly. The IE900 is more forward on that front but also more balanced. Neither of the IEMs introduce harshness but the IE900 is just too sparkly, detailed and airy to leave any chance to the 600. The IE600 in direct comparison sounds slightly dull even. The way the IE900 controls treble with its resonator chambers instead of some filter is truly unique and i feel like thats what makes it sound so surreal and brilliant.
Technicalities: Already said before. The IE900 just is one league above in technicalities. The fidelity at any given frequency feels better. The soundstage as well feels slightly wider and the imaging is more holographic.
Conclusion so far: let me get this straight. The IE600 is a brilliant IEM and especially for the huge price gap probably the smarter choice. But if we talk about quality the IE900 just remains on top. No matter what i look for the IE900 seems like it is made to be at least one step ahead. Maybe if you like a lot of presence in the vocals you could slightly prefer the IE600 from time to time but tuning preferences aside from a technical point of view the IE900 is the superior alternative and will for sure remain in my hands. Definitely gonna do more testing to see where the IE600 goes with more use but thats my current point of view

 

[111MilesToGo]

So i guess i owe you at least a short comparison between the IE600 and IE900 by now.
I tested the IE600 for two days exclusively to get a good feeling for the IEM before i started any back and forth comparisons.
Let me start with the most important part:
No the IE600 isnt a better IEM then the IE900. It is however slightly different so let me get a little more precise.
Bass: I feel the Bass on the IE600 is slightly stronger. The IE900 however is more precise and tactile. Its something i instantly noticed with the first track that had a strong midbass where the IE600 couldnt give me the kick in the same way the IE900 does.
Midrange: Similar to the Bass. The IE600 gives me a little more presence but loses in fidelity. While voices are a little more forward they sometimes lack a bit of definition and texture. Its not bad whatsoever but it just isnt the IE900. This was especially noticable with acoustic track where the vocals stood out more on the 600 but couldnt present me the same feeling as the 900.
Treble: Yeah here the IE600 gets beaten quite badly. The IE900 is more forward on that front but also more balanced. Neither of the IEMs introduce harshness but the IE900 is just too sparkly, detailed and airy to leave any chance to the 600. The IE600 in direct comparison sounds slightly dull even. The way the IE900 controls treble with its resonator chambers instead of some filter is truly unique and i feel like thats what makes it sound so surreal and brilliant.
Technicalities: Already said before. The IE900 just is one league above in technicalities. The fidelity at any given frequency feels better. The soundstage as well feels slightly wider and the imaging is more holographic.
Conclusion so far: let me get this straight. The IE600 is a brilliant IEM and especially for the huge price gap probably the smarter choice. But if we talk about quality the IE900 just remains on top. No matter what i look for the IE900 seems like it is made to be at least one step ahead. Maybe if you like a lot of presence in the vocals you could slightly prefer the IE600 from time to time but tuning preferences aside from a technical point of view the IE900 is the superior alternative and will for sure remain in my hands. Definitely gonna do more testing to see where the IE600 goes with more use but thats my current point of view

Great summary. What equipment did you use, in particular amp and connection (SE/Bal)? Which eartips? Thanks.

 

[VendettaRiich]

Great summary. What equipment did you use, in particular amp and connection (SE/Bal)? Which eartips? Thanks.

Used both a Qudelix 5K in Balanced as well as a RME ADI-2 on the SE IEM Port. Eartips were a mix between Stock, Sennheiser Pro Tips and Spiral Dots++

 

[VendettaRiich]

So i guess i owe you at least a short comparison between the IE600 and IE900 by now.
I tested the IE600 for two days exclusively to get a good feeling for the IEM before i started any back and forth comparisons.
Let me start with the most important part:
No the IE600 isnt a better IEM then the IE900. It is however slightly different so let me get a little more precise.
Bass: I feel the Bass on the IE600 is slightly stronger. The IE900 however is more precise and tactile. Its something i instantly noticed with the first track that had a strong midbass where the IE600 couldnt give me the kick in the same way the IE900 does.
Midrange: Similar to the Bass. The IE600 gives me a little more presence but loses in fidelity. While voices are a little more forward they sometimes lack a bit of definition and texture. Its not bad whatsoever but it just isnt the IE900. This was especially noticable with acoustic track where the vocals stood out more on the 600 but couldnt present me the same feeling as the 900.
Treble: Yeah here the IE600 gets beaten quite badly. The IE900 is more forward on that front but also more balanced. Neither of the IEMs introduce harshness but the IE900 is just too sparkly, detailed and airy to leave any chance to the 600. The IE600 in direct comparison sounds slightly dull even. The way the IE900 controls treble with its resonator chambers instead of some filter is truly unique and i feel like thats what makes it sound so surreal and brilliant.
Technicalities: Already said before. The IE900 just is one league above in technicalities. The fidelity at any given frequency feels better. The soundstage as well feels slightly wider and the imaging is more holographic.
Conclusion so far: let me get this straight. The IE600 is a brilliant IEM and especially for the huge price gap probably the smarter choice. But if we talk about quality the IE900 just remains on top. No matter what i look for the IE900 seems like it is made to be at least one step ahead. Maybe if you like a lot of presence in the vocals you could slightly prefer the IE600 from time to time but tuning preferences aside from a technical point of view the IE900 is the superior alternative and will for sure remain in my hands. Definitely gonna do more testing to see where the IE600 goes with more use but thats my current point of view

Just wanted to add that the added presence with vocals on the IE600 is less obvious then the advantage in the bass and especially treble area on the IE900. Just played a new track that i only heard on the IE600 before for the first time on the IE900 and instantly noticed the added detail and punch. No matter how my final verdict for the IE600 gonna be it definitely gave me even more appreciation for what Sennheiser has achieved with the IE900.

 

[rwelles]

Now that I have 100+ hours of burn-in completed, I spent a day listening to them on my H2Go. Here are a few random thoughts,,,

1. The IE900s are a great deal for the money, even after the price increase.
2. Yes, burn-in is essential! I realize burn-in is pooh-poohed by many members. If you are one of those disbelievers, humor me and do yourself a favor. The sub-bass calmed down after about 30 hours. It took at least 80 hours before the treble came to life and the soundstage opened up.
3. The 900s share my favorite part of my 300s: aerodynamics! I live on the Oregon Coast where it is always windy. I mean always. Going for a walk with most iems, the turbulence drowns out the music. Not so with the Senny's.
4. The 900s share my least favorite part of my 300s: the cable. It's as microphonic as all get-out. I have a Plussound X6 on order.
5. The 900s have an amazing soundstage considering it is a single driver. It's not just the width which many have noted. I perceive it to have a sizable height to it and a fair amount of depth.
6. The come very close to being a great all-rounder. The heighten sub-bass does the change the mix on some of my favorite jazz albums. It doesn't have quite "air" for my favorite classical albums. Not terrible, but not ideal. This could change with more use, but I'm not betting in it. It's pretty dang perfect for pop, rock, rap, reggae, dance, etc.
7. These really do have a great amount of detail. Not as much as some of my other TOTL, but they're are right up there.
8. They are a very comfortable listen. Nothing glares or feels left out. It's the audio equivalent of putting on your favorite old, ratty sweater. You know, the one your SO keeps trying to throw away and frowns when you put it on. But the world feels better whenever you have it on. Yeah, that one...
9. These are a Keeper!!!!

 

[ericpalonen]

Now that I have 100+ hours of burn-in completed, I spent a day listening to them on my H2Go. Here are a few random thoughts,,,

1. The IE900s are a great deal for the money, even after the price increase.
2. Yes, burn-in is essential! I realize burn-in is pooh-poohed by many members. If you are one of those disbelievers, humor me and do yourself a favor. The sub-bass calmed down after about 30 hours. It took at least 80 hours before the treble came to life and the soundstage opened up.
3. The 900s share my favorite part of my 300s: aerodynamics! I live on the Oregon Coast where it is always windy. I mean always. Going for a walk with most iems, the turbulence drowns out the music. Not so with the Senny's.
4. The 900s share my least favorite part of my 300s: the cable. It's as microphonic as all get-out. I have a Plussound X6 on order.
5. The 900s have an amazing soundstage considering it is a single driver. It's not just the width which many have noted. I perceive it to have a sizable height to it and a fair amount of depth.
6. The come very close to being a great all-rounder. The heighten sub-bass does the change the mix on some of my favorite jazz albums. It doesn't have quite "air" for my favorite classical albums. Not terrible, but not ideal. This could change with more use, but I'm not betting in it. It's pretty dang perfect for pop, rock, rap, reggae, dance, etc.
7. These really do have a great amount of detail. Not as much as some of my other TOTL, but they're are right up there.
8. They are a very comfortable listen. Nothing glares or feels left out. It's the audio equivalent of putting on your favorite old, ratty sweater. You know, the one your SO keeps trying to throw away and frowns when you put it on. But the world feels better whenever you have it on. Yeah, that one...
9. These are a Keeper!!!!

I never ever considered #3 until you mentioned it, but now that you did, I can't stop thinking about it! It wasn't an intentional design feature but pretty cool nonetheless. I experienced the same "lack" of wind noise but it didn't click until now. Cool!!! Thx for sharing your impressions!

 

[audiobot]

Good dac/amp to pair these with? Would the Hifiman HM800 be good with these?

 

[rwelles]

Good dac/amp to pair these with? Would the Hifiman HM800 be good with these?

I can't comment on that dongle. I do have the LP W2, and that combo absolutely rocks. You should check it out. If you want to go with R2R, consider the Cayin R6. It's got tons more power over the HM800, as does the W2. I've only had the IE900s for just a short while but I haven't found a pairing that's bad. Sounds good even with my Violectric Chronos.

 

[111MilesToGo]

Good dac/amp to pair these with? Would the Hifiman HM800 be good with these?

I can't comment on that dongle. I do have the LP W2, and that combo absolutely rocks. You should check it out. If you want to go with R2R, consider the Cayin R6. It's got tons more power over the HM800, as does the W2. I've only had the IE900s for just a short while but I haven't found a pairing that's bad. Sounds good even with my Violectric Chronos.

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Cayin RU6 (R2R) with the IE 900, if it‘s a dongle you are looking for. Sound quality and power are great.

 

[fertb1978]

yes, without a doubt the fh7 sound better (at least it is a broader and cleaner sound)
I also think that the btr5 may not be the most appropriate to power the ie900, I only get them to get a wide sound full of detail at a very high volume

Hello, I comment that in the end the distortion came from the audio configuration of my smartphone, which was set to something like improvement for people over 60 years old, silly, but the sound had me very confused.
Now it sounds great.

 

[justanut]

Hello, I comment that in the end the distortion came from the audio configuration of my smartphone, which was set to something like improvement for people over 60 years old, silly, but the sound had me very confused.
Now it sounds great.

Glad to hear that it's been sorted out!

 

[ericpalonen]

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Cayin RU6 (R2R) with the IE 900, if it‘s a dongle you are looking for. Sound quality and power are great.

This is a combo I want to try at a CanJam at some point. Have heard a lot of good impressions about this synergy. I've always done well with stock M silicone tips since the CX 300 days—what tips are you using with this combo @111MilesToGo ?

 

[111MilesToGo]

This is a combo I want to try at a CanJam at some point. Have heard a lot of good impressions about this synergy. I've always done well with stock M silicone tips since the CX 300 days—what tips are you using with this combo @111MilesToGo ?

Hi @ericpalonen, I am using the Sennheiser IE-Pro eartips (M size) with my IE 900, for all sources and all genres. Position is the outer one, and I have a little rubber O-ring (4.5 mm ID x 2 mm) on the nozzle to keep the tips from jumping into the inner position.

My rationale with these IE-Pro tips is threefold:
(1) Best sound quality until now, they are well to my liking
(2) Good comfort and good seal, very reproducible every time
(3) Logically, they are most similar to the IE 900 stock tips including the debris mesh, but except for the stock tips‘ material. Thus I figure they come closest to what Sennheiser wanted the IE 900 to sound like.

I can‘t use the IE 900 stock tips at all. When inserting them into my ears, four out of five times they don‘t seal, don‘t stay in place, kill all bass.

For third-party tips, I have the Final Type E Black and the Sony XE-XP11. I do not have the Acoustune AET07 (yet?).
- Final E were my first tips after the stock failure. While I was happy with their fit and insertion, sound quality was okay to so-so, but didn‘t grab me.
- So I quickly moved on and purchased the Sennheiser IE-Pro‘s. An instant hit!
- The Sony XE-XP11 came last. To my ears, they generate too much bass. Abandoned them for the time being, but I keep them within reach as number 2 behind the IE-Pro‘s.

All the eartip recommendations came from the kind folks here on this thread - thanks again to all.

Additional remark on the IS-Pro‘s: When I use them in size L instead of M, the earpieces move a bit back out of the ear canal, and the image becomes more spacious. But comfort is lost after a while. And maybe the wow effect in space would get lost, too. So the M‘s remain ideal for me.

==========

In your case, I think a move from the AudioQuest DragonFly Red to the Cayin RU6 really is worth your effort. In fact, my journey was just that for ”the quick and simple listen“ on my laptop or iPhone.

Personally, I also got a Chord Hugo 2 DAC/Amp (almost exclusively in desktop use) and a Cayin N6ii DAP (portable use). My desktop also has a Violectric V281 amp driving my HD 800 S, while the N6ii with most notably its R01 and A02 modules eventually goes to a Cayin C9 amp and the IE 900 or the HD 800 S.

Of course, the Cayin RU6 is ”behind“ the Hugo 2 and N6ii. But its purpose is being a dongle, and it succeeds as such.