[myap2328]

Just some info, dunno if they provide this somewhere but I will just post It anyway.

There's 2 bass drivers and on the driver case it seems that it is for the 20hz-200hz frequency range.
There is a midrange one that is for the 200hz-2khz range.
Then the highs frequency driver that handles the 2khz-20khz range.

It took me awhile to see it from the earphones themselves. The FR are etched onto the drivers, for some reason.

 

[dleblanc343]

You would likely be floored at the Sennheiser engineering prowess. I'd eat my hat if they didn't tune the IE800 that way on purpose.

 
Yes, I am familiar with their engineering capabilities, definitely all the resources to be the leaders on the market. However, as a fan of Sennheiser, I feel they should not have focused so much on making the smallest drivers possible as a technological innovation, but rather focus on sound...
 
I'm sure the micro driver limited the potential of the final product...

 

[eke2k6]

   
Yes, I am familiar with their engineering capabilities, definitely all the resources to be the leaders on the market. However, as a fan of Sennheiser, I feel they should not have focused so much on making the smallest drivers possible as a technological innovation, but rather focus on sound...
 
I'm sure the micro driver limited the potential of the final product...

 
 
The IE800 sounded bloody amazing to me, especially the midrange. The sub-bass, though big, was very much contained below 60 Hz. 
 
It's one of the best phones I've heard.

 

[myap2328]

 

Yes, I am familiar with their engineering capabilities, definitely all the resources to be the leaders on the market. However, as a fan of Sennheiser, I feel they should not have focused so much on making the smallest drivers possible as a technological innovation, but rather focus on sound...

I'm sure the micro driver limited the potential of the final product...

The IE800 sounded bloody amazing to me, especially the midrange. The sub-bass, though big, was very much contained below 60 Hz. 

It's one of the best phones I've heard.

The sibliance and fit were the dealbreakers for me.

 

[dleblanc343]

   
 
The IE800 sounded bloody amazing to me, especially the midrange. The sub-bass, though big, was very much contained below 60 Hz. 
 
It's one of the best phones I've heard.

I agree the bass was fantastic although a bit more than neutral, I like more bass in an iem for on the go. The midrange is very transparent and free from any congestion in the midbass; probably the best mids I've heard in an iem.
 
However, as myap2328 mentions, the highs just sacrifice most of what's going right with the iem. I would only enjoy them thoroughly with high res audiophile music or anything well recorded for that matter. I'm lucky I get the IE800's at cost, but even at the price I paid them, it wasn't entirely worth it.
 
I guess it seems like I'm bashing the IE800's, but I did enjoy them quite a bit. I just have to be honest with myself, and most people I've compared with, that the IE800 isn't quite in the same class as some other universals out there.

The sibliance and fit were the dealbreakers for me.

 

[Ultrazino]

  I guess it seems like I'm bashing the IE800's, but I did enjoy them quite a bit. I just have to be honest with myself, and most people I've compared with, that the IE800 isn't quite in the same class as some other universals out there.

 
Don't worry, there are more people that experience the IE800 as you do.
I thought the treble as a whole was faulty. It sounds thin, as you say 'hollow', harsh and - as a whole - unnatural. Impressive because of speed, but not likeable because it has a high quantity of peaks. Maybe because of fit issues, but I also noticed a strong imbalance.
 
Further, I will also disagree with the bass. The subbass is far too much and it really shows bass where there shouldn't be any. Plus, it slows down the lows by quite a bit.
 
I am really surprised to see many people consider the IE800 TOTL or even "the best". I wonder if some people lose focus of what music is supposed to sound like. The Sennheiser pulls the music apart. Great mids! Definitely very nice voices, but between a hammering and fatiguing subbass and a awkward sounding treble. Considering the asking price, it made it very difficult for me to enjoy any kind of genre.
Personal verdict: Not worth the price - bested by the the 500 € class! (Not in terms of technology and build, but simply as a tool to enjoy music.)
 
YMMV

 

[Mimouille]

Don't worry, there are more people that experience the IE800 as you do.
I thought the treble as a whole was faulty. It sounds thin, as you say 'hollow', harsh and - as a whole - unnatural. Impressive because of speed, but not likeable because it has a high quantity of peaks. Maybe because of fit issues, but I also noticed a strong imbalance.

Further, I will also disagree with the bass. The subbass is far too much and it really shows bass where there shouldn't be any. Plus, it slows down the lows by quite a bit.

I am really surprised to see many people consider the IE800 TOTL or even "the best". I wonder if some people lose focus of what music is supposed to sound like. The Sennheiser pulls the music apart. Great mids! Definitely very nice voices, but between a hammering and fatiguing subbass and a awkward sounding treble. Considering the asking price, it made it very difficult for me to enjoy any kind of genre.
Personal verdict: Not worth the price - bested by the the 500 € class! (Not in terms of technology and build, but simply as a tool to enjoy music.)

YMMV

If it is YOUR OPINION and that you finish with YMMV then this means your tolerate different opinions which is obvious neither by the tone nor by the sentence : I wonder if some people lose focus of what music is supposed to sound like. I thought the IE800 sounded great apart from the excessive bass. Several friends who are much more experimented than I am agree with this so this opinion seems as valid as any.

You are totally entitled to you opinion but a slightly less condescending tone would appreciated, by me at least. No offense meant.

 

[truckdriver]

I don't know when this thread became the IE800 complaint station. I'm certain the IE800 fully meets the intended sound of Sennheiser (a great head/earphone manufacturer). But anyway...

The 846 sounds better out of a Galaxy S4 than the iPhone 5 (using the Google Play Music app and no EQ).

 

[e30ernest]

Hello!  Been watching this thread since I am really interested in the SE846.
 
The Google Play Music app always seemed to have some sort of bass and treble boost built in even without EQ in my experience.  On a flat EQ setting, bass and treble are definitely more pronounced than Power Amp on the same device with EQ off/flat and tone settings off.
 
That said, I don't mind that all since it augments the weaknesses of my SE425.

 

[Ultrazino]

You are totally entitled to you opinion but a slightly less condescending tone would appreciated, by me at least. No offense meant.

 
Noted, thanks. I did also mention that I might have fit issues, although I tried all included tips.

 

[eke2k6]

   
Noted, thanks. I did also mention that I might have fit issues, although I tried all included tips.

 
 
Which really isn't saying much.
 
I found that stuffing the undersides of the tips with foam allowed them to be firmer and seal better.

 

[Ultrazino]

Yeah, did that. I thought that's what caused the imbalance issue, but no. The treble was totally off, no matter what I tried. But everybody says its a fit issue if you don't like the treble of IE800, so yeah.
They are simply not realistic sounding to me. Realism as in the term hifi.

 

[Mimouille]

Noted, thanks. I did also mention that I might have fit issues, although I tried all included tips.

Really happy you take it like this. Many people reported fit issues, but let us not derive further...anyways of the 846 is a continuation of the 535 than the IE800 and it are not even remotely close in terms of sig so no comparison needed IMO.

 

[truckdriver]

Hello!  Been watching this thread since I am really interested in the SE846.

The Google Play Music app always seemed to have some sort of bass and treble boost built in even without EQ in my experience.  On a flat EQ setting, bass and treble are definitely more pronounced than Power Amp on the same device with EQ off/flat and tone settings off.

That said, I don't mind that all since it augments the weaknesses of my SE425.

That would explain why I liked the Google Play Music app better than the iPhone 5's standard player. Both cellphones were store demos but next time I'll see if I can install Poweramp on the S4.

 

[veracocha]

For trance music which is better ie 800 or se 846 ?