TDK IE800 Dual High-Performance Dynamic Micro-Drivers IEM

[ericp10]

Quote:

Been listening for 4 days now. Still experimenting with tips and depth of insertion... but I think it's safe to say that I'm impressed. Very impressed. The soundstage is the immediate thing that stands out. I can see how some people might find it fatuiging. It takes depth, layering and multidimensionality to a level I've not yet heard in a universal.

Sparkle, treble exstension and very detailed mids are the next biggest attention grabbers. Will give more detailed impressions as I find better tip matches... but I know from the wow factor of the onset, that these are a pretty special set of phones.

Inks and Flysweep, you really ought to hear these.

 
 
X2 

 Sorry I'm late the party, Nulliverse, but you are hearing the IE800 exactly as I hear it. I've actually taken a break from the FXZs (still my favorites though) and for the last two days I have listened to the IE800. Something about this TDK sound signature that is so intoxicating. Yes, the space and and layering of instruments are spectacular! These are what the RE262 should have sounded like in my estimation. The RE262 is a great sounding IEM, but a bit anemic in the bass for my liking. the IE800 is just right. The mids are chalked full of details, and great extension and sparkle with the highs. I thought the BA200 had more bass, but that may not be the case. The BA200's bass is more visceral though. I would say the two complement each other. I love the sound of the IE800.

 

[Nulliverse]

I no longer own those sets, so my comparison wouldn't be the best thing to go by... But I owned both the FXD80s and IE800s for a few days before shipping tbe jvcs, and I can say with certainty that the TDKs impressed me significantly more. In every concievable way.

Tighter bass that reached lower, whilst being less emphasized, particularly mid bass. Mid focused signature contrasting the u-shaped jvcs, with said mids having greater detailing and transparency. The TDKs have better treble extension with tons more sparkle. Wish I had the FX-700 at hand, as the highs have impressed me as much. Transients in particular are very good.

Soundstage... soundstage. Like I say, I'm still rolling tips, playing with depth of insertion.. but they are in a different league to the jvcs. Noticably wider and depth is incredible. It feels like an amalgamation of the SM3s / ASG-1s 3dimentionality, with a very open and airy space, which equates to excellent seperation. Cues are coming from far and wide, and those comimg-from-behind you details impress me in a way that I can't recall having experienced in a universal before.

Note that my experience of iems is limited (see below), so my experience may differ from many others. I would say however, that the IE800s have impressed me more, on technical level, than any other universal I have owned.

 

[Nulliverse]

X2 

 Sorry I'm late the party, Nulliverse, but you are hearing the IE800 exactly as I hear it. I've actually taken a break from the FXZs (still my favorites though) and for the last two days I have listened to the IE800. Something about this TDK sound signature that is so intoxicating. Yes, the space and and layering of instruments are spectacular! These are what the RE262 should have sounded like in my estimation. The RE262 is a great sounding IEM, but a bit anemic in the bass for my liking. the IE800 is just right. The mids are chalked full of details, and great extension and sparkle with the highs. I thought the BA200 had more bass, but that may not be the case. The BA200's bass is more visceral though. I would say the two complement each other. I love the sound of the IE800.

Yes, the re-262 is an appropriate comparison - they share a similarly mid focused sig. The TDKs def extend better at both ends with greater depth of soundstage. The mids differ in that the re-262s excel in euphonic liquidity, with the IE800s excelling in a more detailed, drier, and upper-mid aggressive manner. I experience the tdks as far more exciting.

 

[Nulliverse]

Please advize on your tips / depth of insertion Eric10.

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

Please advize on your tips / depth of insertion Eric10.

 
I have settled on two double-flanges (both long). Now, one I don't know where it came from, but the one I've been using today are the long double-flanges from the brainwavz R1 dual dynamic. It gives me a perfect seal while locking the outside world out. the soundstage is a a bit wider since the earphone tip is a bit farther from the eardrums with these tips. If not these, I prefer the small and medium Monster foam-hybrids (black and blueish grey).

 

[Nulliverse]

I see. Like you, I'm using some randoms - not tried the monster foams yet, as I was put off by the smaller hole diameter. The stock tips sound great, but are intolerably uncomfortable. Why TDK made the stems so fat and hard, is beyond me.

Actually, the bass seems to have the same softness of note that I remember the RE-262 having, just with better body and extension. Wish I still had both to compare.

The soundstage is definetly the most 'out of your head' i've heard, though of course I've not heard sets such as the EX-1000.

Edit: it was nice to have a couple of pairs of comply included... though even the TS pair kill the sparkle. The less said about the cable the better... but other than that, ergonomics are fine.

 

[djvkool]

Do you guys say this IE800 is more sophisticated and refined than GR07?

 

[Nulliverse]

I'd have to own the GR07 again to answer that in a meaningful way. That said, I remember the GR07 being more refined and pleasing down low, whilst having a more balanced signature. The IE800 beats it in every other way - treble, mids, and soundstage positively leave it in the dust.

 

[FlySweep]

Originally Posted by djvkool /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Do you guys say this IE800 is more sophisticated and refined than GR07?

I'd have to own the GR07 again to answer that in a meaningful way. That said, I remember the GR07 being more refined and pleasing down low, whilst having a more balanced signature. The IE800 BA200 beats it in every other way - treble, mids, and soundstage positively leave it in the dust.

 
I'm in quasi-agreement with Nulliverse because:  I don't have the IE800 (yet), so I can't comment on how it stacks up to the GR07.. but I found the IE800's BA-driver sibling, the BA200, to best the GR07 in practically every other area besides the bass.  Many who've heard both the IE800 & BA200 say the IE800 is as good as, if not better than, the BA200.
 
The GR07 has a terrific bass presentation.. very clean, fast, tonally accurate, and possessing very natural decay & texturing to give a sense of realism to bass notes.  I'm listening to the HE-400 right now and I'm reminded of the GR07's bass response.. the VSonic's bass had an almost "ortho-like" quality in overall ability/presentation.  The BA200's bass presentation was excellent (especially its linearity & dynamic range), but the presentation felt more conventional in comparison to the MKII's bass.  As far as everything else goes.. the BA200's mids were more engaging and "special" to me than the GR07 MKII's mids.   If the GR07 MKII had a little too much treble energy for you, the BA200 would be an excellent choice with its more laid back (but still highly detailed) treble tuning.
 
I'm looking forward to hearing the IE800.. as well as evaluating just how similar/different it is from the BA200.  The GR07 MKII & BA200 have fairly different signatures, but I still found the BA200 more to my liking (from a tuning and technical aspect).  That's saying a lot cause I'm (still) a huge fan of the GR07 MKII.  Both are terrific phones.

 

[AstralStorm]

I've seen them compared to RE0 above. Given the signature, that seems likely. However, can someone say how they sound vs RE-ZERO?
 
Another question: what is the nozzle diameter on these?

 

[Nulliverse]

Looking forward to your impressions vs the BA200 Flysweep.

I don't think the IE800 has been compared to the RE0 yet, Astralstorm. I've not heard them, but understand them to possess a much more analytical signature. The Zero may be a bit closer in sig, but both are below in price bracket, which I imagine in this case would be reflected in technical ability. I personally hear the IE800s as being on par with top tiers, in the way that it's BA cousin has been described.

The nozzles are a good size actually - just wide enough to house UE tips, whilst all the usual favorites like MEElec, Jays, Senns and Monsters fit it like a glove.

 

[AstralStorm]

Quote:

The nozzles are a good size actually - just wide enough to house UE tips, whilst all the usual favorites like MEElec, Jays, Senns and Monsters fit it like a glove.

Ouch, that sounds like a 5.5mm nozzle. This is too large for me.

4mm is already pushing it.
 
EDIT: Also, that site with measurement sports some very evil-looking harmonic distortion figures, especially in bass, 2nd and 3rd harmonic at 1%. (!!!) Possibly THD of 3% there.
Of course it could be a measurement issue, but it might well be the IEM's flaw.
(EDIT2: I've missed the +40 dB note at the chart. So only bass has a high distortion figure, though upper midrange has somewhat audible 0.1% 2nd harmonic.)

 

[Nulliverse]

That means little, if anything to me... but I can see how such measurements could be of interest.

I just measured the nozzle to be around 5.1mm in diameter. I have relatively narrow canals, hence the stock tips proving too painful. Nothing a couple of softer aftermarket tips didn't remedy however. Will upload a comparison pic if I manage to prise the laptop from my wife.

 

[dweaver]

OK, the words, big sound stage, 3d presentation, excellent imaging, excellent midrange, nice bass just caught my attention and I decided to bite. Just ordered from Amazon JP/Tenso.I hope these live up to the hype. I am currently using the FXZ100 and while I enjoy them, find I have to turn them up a bit to much to hit their sweet spot and I do wish they had a better sound stage and imaging.

 

[djvkool]

Just receive mine, will post first impression in a bit