[SashimiWu]

Hey guys,
 
I recently had a chance to demo the SE846 and it really interested me!  One of the major things I loved about it was the strong bass.  Overall it seemed to have more much impact than my K10's (customs) while still sound very clear.  I also really enjoyed the forward mids of the 846 which made music with vocals really pop and stand out.  The treble was definitely as not as extended which is fine since I am a big.
 
Overall I thought that the K10 sounded slightly clearer overall.  Notice I say clearer instead of better since I really enjoyed the Shure!  I will mention one thing is that the level of detail and dynamics of the K10 is amazing and not even the SE846 can stand up to it.  The K10's just seem to pick up every microdetail and play it back effortlessly and elegantly.  The 846 definitely had a more lively sound signature however.
 
I was also really impressed with the fit and isolation of the 846.  It is probably the best fitting universal that I have tried.  Very isolating as well and much more than the acrylic housing of my K10's.  The build quality also seems very solid and something that I can take around with me without worrying about it breaking on my commute or in the office.
 
I just had a couple of questions regarding the 846:
 
1. If you guys have the AK100II/120II/240, how well do they work together?  I only had a limited time demoing them in a noisy environment so I could not say for sure whether the sources matched up well.
2. Do you guys find the bass to be fatiguing after long listening sessions?
3. Overall, it sounded less clear than the K10's.  I have been reading about the foam mod that you guys have been doing.  Does this help THAT much in this department?
 
I was very surprised by how much I liked the SE846 since I thought for sure that my K10's would completely smash them.  Glad that this wasn't the case!

 

[Caruryn]

  Hey guys,
 
I recently had a chance to demo the SE846 and it really interested me!  One of the major things I loved about it was the strong bass.  Overall it seemed to have more much impact than my K10's (customs) while still sound very clear.  I also really enjoyed the forward mids of the 846 which made music with vocals really pop and stand out.  The treble was definitely as not as extended which is fine since I am a big.
 
Overall I thought that the K10 sounded slightly clearer overall.  Notice I say clearer instead of better since I really enjoyed the Shure!  I will mention one thing is that the level of detail and dynamics of the K10 is amazing and not even the SE846 can stand up to it.  The K10's just seem to pick up every microdetail and play it back effortlessly and elegantly.  The 846 definitely had a more lively sound signature however.
 
I was also really impressed with the fit and isolation of the 846.  It is probably the best fitting universal that I have tried.  Very isolating as well and much more than the acrylic housing of my K10's.  The build quality also seems very solid and something that I can take around with me without worrying about it breaking on my commute or in the office.
 
I just had a couple of questions regarding the 846:
 
1. If you guys have the AK100II/120II/240, how well do they work together?  I only had a limited time demoing them in a noisy environment so I could not say for sure whether the sources matched up well.
2. Do you guys find the bass to be fatiguing after long listening sessions?
3. Overall, it sounded less clear than the K10's.  I have been reading about the foam mod that you guys have been doing.  Does this help THAT much in this department?
 
I was very surprised by how much I liked the SE846 since I thought for sure that my K10's would completely smash them.  Glad that this wasn't the case!

1.Don't know

2.No
3.Yes!After mod i found it about on par with my  ie800 as far as clarity goes.Treble gets a boost too.

 

[bflat]

  Hey guys,
 
I recently had a chance to demo the SE846 and it really interested me!  One of the major things I loved about it was the strong bass.  Overall it seemed to have more much impact than my K10's (customs) while still sound very clear.  I also really enjoyed the forward mids of the 846 which made music with vocals really pop and stand out.  The treble was definitely as not as extended which is fine since I am a big.
 
Overall I thought that the K10 sounded slightly clearer overall.  Notice I say clearer instead of better since I really enjoyed the Shure!  I will mention one thing is that the level of detail and dynamics of the K10 is amazing and not even the SE846 can stand up to it.  The K10's just seem to pick up every microdetail and play it back effortlessly and elegantly.  The 846 definitely had a more lively sound signature however.
 
I was also really impressed with the fit and isolation of the 846.  It is probably the best fitting universal that I have tried.  Very isolating as well and much more than the acrylic housing of my K10's.  The build quality also seems very solid and something that I can take around with me without worrying about it breaking on my commute or in the office.
 
I just had a couple of questions regarding the 846:
 
1. If you guys have the AK100II/120II/240, how well do they work together?  I only had a limited time demoing them in a noisy environment so I could not say for sure whether the sources matched up well.
2. Do you guys find the bass to be fatiguing after long listening sessions?
3. Overall, it sounded less clear than the K10's.  I have been reading about the foam mod that you guys have been doing.  Does this help THAT much in this department?
 
I was very surprised by how much I liked the SE846 since I thought for sure that my K10's would completely smash them.  Glad that this wasn't the case!

Thanks for the comparison to K10 as I was thinking about those as well.
 
On a AK240, it a great technical match - no noise, no additional coloration, pretty much the exact frequency response you expect from the graphs. The sound is very neutral (meaning stock 8 sound signature) imho and highly detailed. Although I haven't tried modded blue filters, I too think the best balance is somewhere between the stock blue and stock white. It's a great starting point and if this is what you want then you will be all set. If you want a different sound then look into a RWA mod or use an amp of your choice. the AK240 will give you very accurate sound out so if you already have an amp that you like, it will sound the same sourced from the AK240. If there is one limitation of the 8s combo with the AK240, then I would say that the AK240 can out resolve the highs that the 8s are capable of playing back. So to your point it does come down to personal preference - take the impressive low end and good highs of the 8s or go with another IEM with better highs/details, but sacrifice some low end bass.

 

[SashimiWu]

 
 
Quote:

 
Thanks for the comparison to K10 as I was thinking about those as well.
 
On a AK240, it a great technical match - no noise, no additional coloration, pretty much the exact frequency response you expect from the graphs. The sound is very neutral (meaning stock 8 sound signature) imho and highly detailed. Although I haven't tried modded blue filters, I too think the best balance is somewhere between the stock blue and stock white. It's a great starting point and if this is what you want then you will be all set. If you want a different sound then look into a RWA mod or use an amp of your choice. the AK240 will give you very accurate sound out so if you already have an amp that you like, it will sound the same sourced from the AK240. If there is one limitation of the 8s combo with the AK240, then I would say that the AK240 can out resolve the highs that the 8s are capable of playing back. So to your point it does come down to personal preference - take the impressive low end and good highs of the 8s or go with another IEM with better highs/details, but sacrifice some low end bass.

 
Thanks for the info.  I already have an AK100II so sadly the beautiful AK240 is out of the question as this point in time.  I definitely agree with you in that there are more appealing options if I am going for a more detailed sound with more treble but because I already have the K10 which accomplishes this, I should be fine!
 
My main reason for wanting the SE846 is to have something different and more suited for "harder" use perhaps going to the climbing gym or on walks/commute.  While customs fit very nicely, they also move around quite a lot during movement which is kind of a turnoff.
 
If you have any more questions about the K10, let me know and I'll try to answer them!  I also had a chance to demo the universal version as well very briefly (1 hour).
 

  1.Don't know

2.No
3.Yes!After mod i found it about on par with my  ie800 as far as clarity goes.Treble gets a boost too.

 
That's very exciting since through reading comparisons, it seems that the IE800 beat the SE846 in terms of overall resolution/treble!

 

[Caruryn]

The ie800 still has more detail on the top end but se846 is less veiled and less dark after mod.No one buys the se846 for the treble which is still detailed just not as extended.

 

[HiFiChris]

The ie800 still has more detail on the top end but se846 is less veiled and less dark after mod.No one buys the se846 for the treble which is still detailed just not as extended.

Imo the SE846 has got the better treble resolution, but as the IE 800 has got the better treble extension (imo the SE846 rolls off too early regarding the price) and a treble extension in general, it may appear as if it had the better treble resulution at first glance, but if you listen closer, you might notice that the SE846 is better in picking out fine details, especially when the music is fast and contains many instruments.

 

[Caruryn]

.I'm talking about resolution in the upper frequencies(which because se846 rolls off too early doesn't have same clarity after a certain point),not resolution in general.The se846 is a transparent and detailed iem especially in the upper mids and the  vocals.Instrument separation is top notch and instrument placement (imaging) is ahead of ie800 which  itself is very very good.What suffered pre mod was clarity and a sense of veil which i noticed immediately coming from ie800 and said so in this thread when i got the se846.Others who also had both iems at that time agreed.

 

[HiFiChris]

  .I'm talking about resolution in the upper frequencies(which because se846 rolls off too early doesn't have same clarity after a certain point),not resolution in general.The se846 is a transparent and detailed iem especially in the upper mids and the  vocals.Instrument separation is top notch and instrument placement (imaging) is ahead of ie800 which  itself is very very good.What suffered pre mod was clarity and a sense of veil which i noticed immediately coming from ie800 and said so in this thread when i got the se846.Others who also had both iems at that time agreed.

I agree as you definitely are talking about the area above 10 kHz where the Sennheiser beats the Shure (I own both, too, btw). I also agree to the rest you said.

 
 
I guess that veil you are talking about is the area at about 2-5 kHz where I perceive a dip that is a little too big.
Yep, the SE846 for sure has got the better (more precise) instrument placing and deptht but what I like about the IE 800 is that it has got the wider soundstage which also seems to be further away. Nonetheless, the stage the SE846 builds up is more realistic but not as big as e.G. the UERMs' stage.

 

[Caruryn]

No problem.They are entirely different presentations and very good purchases both.The se846 with blue filter mod gets the nod though

.

 

[fzr100098]

   
My main reason for wanting the SE846 is to have something different and more suited for "harder" use perhaps going to the climbing gym or on walks/commute.  While customs fit very nicely, they also move around quite a lot during movement which is kind of a turnoff.
 

 
Agree 100% - the SE846 and Sensaphonics custom silicone sleeves are the ultimate gym combination

 

[Whazzzup]

Just received my double helix True Hybrid Peptide 25.2awg Cryo Litz -- Pure OCC silver + Pure OCC copper
V2 Next-generation Model with Type 4 Litz cable. 8 braid with capsid y splitter.
Wow, I mean wow what a nice cable in sound and feel. Excellent craftmanship and makes these 846 sing both in clarity, seperation, but especially in low end gutterall sub space. This rumbles those sonic sub woofer and this is via blue filter, no foams, through hugo 384000 fr and 32 bit. very expensive and did take from jan 20 order to april 17 door delivery. Its worth the wait and every penny. The thing is im picking up any hiss that may be inherent in the recording. course i noticed this with the better equipment like hugo as well.
 
The bottom photo shows double helix versus ALO sxc8 their copper silver 8 braid. The dhc is soft and maliable while you can see the sxc8 is less soft, holds twists and shape and over time harder to manage. The helix cable produces way more sonic improvements especially in the low end, which is what i want. The 846 pushes the mids and highs enough for my liking, i really want that bass and sub bass extension with some 3d clarity in my tunes, given my genres. 
 
Double helix, winner if you have the doe and time. Thanks peter.

 

[x RELIC x]

Holy cable Batman!!

Nice setup!

 

[MadGTI]

  Hey guys,
 
I recently had a chance to demo the SE846 and it really interested me!  One of the major things I loved about it was the strong bass.  Overall it seemed to have more much impact than my K10's (customs) while still sound very clear.  I also really enjoyed the forward mids of the 846 which made music with vocals really pop and stand out.  The treble was definitely as not as extended which is fine since I am a big.
 
Overall I thought that the K10 sounded slightly clearer overall.  Notice I say clearer instead of better since I really enjoyed the Shure!  I will mention one thing is that the level of detail and dynamics of the K10 is amazing and not even the SE846 can stand up to it.  The K10's just seem to pick up every microdetail and play it back effortlessly and elegantly.  The 846 definitely had a more lively sound signature however.
 
I was also really impressed with the fit and isolation of the 846.  It is probably the best fitting universal that I have tried.  Very isolating as well and much more than the acrylic housing of my K10's.  The build quality also seems very solid and something that I can take around with me without worrying about it breaking on my commute or in the office.
 
I just had a couple of questions regarding the 846:
 
1. If you guys have the AK100II/120II/240, how well do they work together?  I only had a limited time demoing them in a noisy environment so I could not say for sure whether the sources matched up well.
2. Do you guys find the bass to be fatiguing after long listening sessions?
3. Overall, it sounded less clear than the K10's.  I have been reading about the foam mod that you guys have been doing.  Does this help THAT much in this department?
 
I was very surprised by how much I liked the SE846 since I thought for sure that my K10's would completely smash them.  Glad that this wasn't the case!

1. AK120II matched up well with the balanced output to SE846 (not too good with SE output). Very clear, and balanced neutral sound,  quiet background, good sound stage    and musically. But I find a lot of microphonic noise with the ALO Audio's copper balanced cable while biking. (If you use at the move, need to choose a lesser microphonic    noise cable). 
2. Bass not fatique even with the black (warm) filter. White (brighter)  filter might be more suitable for you.

 

[JaZZ]

  With high quality mastering equalizers, there are hardly issues. 

 
Not least because they work in the digital domain. I also have no issues with The X5's digital equalizer.
 
I guess those who are proud to renounce equalizing since they've got adult have been used to use EQs for making the sound more spectacular, not more neutral. It's a completely different approach to use an equalizer to care for the last bit of neutrality with the notoriously less than perfect head- and earphones, no matter how much you pay. I don't think anyone of the same people is proud to not try the different filters that come with the SE846. The difference to equalizing is that it's much easier and you can't do anything wrong. It's equalizing with factory presets, so to speak. But still it has the disadvantage of passive acoustic filters in that you kill some of the already produced sound waves. So you certainly can't tell it's the better solution – it's just more simple.

 

[JaZZ]

Imo the SE846 has got the better treble resolution, but as the IE 800 has got the better treble extension (imo the SE846 rolls off too early regarding the price) and a treble extension in general, it may appear as if it had the better treble resulution at first glance, but if you listen closer, you might notice that the SE846 is better in picking out fine details, especially when the music is fast and contains many instruments.

 
That's exactly my impression, too. Also, the IE 800 has an omnipresent tendency to sharpness, no matter how well I try to balance it out via EQ. Oftentimes I can get used to it, but sometimes I can't.
 
BTW, the SE846's treble roll-off can be passably compensated with a 16 kHz boost from the X5's equalizer. It's not that dramatic with the white filters anyway. (But I don't want to seduce any EQ opponents to the bright side.)