There are so many variables here, and you can adjust the sound through the tips, eq’s etc, to suit your taste. I’m new to this type of analysis (I’m not new by age unfortunately), and ultimately what people want to know really are these a good buy or not. The answer to this is ‘it depends what you are looking for’.If you want a crisp, sweet sound that is exceptionally detailed, then jump in with confidence.
They’re isn’t a 10khz spike as I said earlier, at least I don’t hear one. But I do turn up the treble on my eq for the ultimate crispness that I love.
I described my earlier experiences out of the box a couple of weeks ago. Have they got better since then? For me yes, I was advised in an earlier post that there is no such thing as “burn-in” on these - I disagree.
I really don’t know how you could improve on the sound here, and ultimately that’s what matters. I just wish the that Sennheiser had put a bit more effort into the accessories and packaging. Premium price should equal premium experience every time we pick these up.
Sound 10/10 - Amazing. Seriously. These are incredible. I was trying to think of the right words....versatile, flexible, airy, tight, delicate, powerful, spacious - so much headroom all round....you can adjust and play around to suit your tastes for each song, via tips, insertion depth and eq. How do they do this in such tiny buds?
Cables 7/10 - love the balanced connection, plugs all feel nice and solid. Cable itself feels thin, and has microphonic issues.
Case & Accessories - 6/10 - quality leather to the case, but it’s not practical, its fussy to use and I don’t like the ‘sponge’ interior (I like the look of their ‘Dior’ range, it should really be like this, or a nice quality soft leather pouch). Accessories & Packaging was a bit disappointing, I would have loved to have seen a special premium feel.
Edit: the ie800 was plagued by fradulent copies. The ie800s appear even easier to copy, matt grey housing, single coloured cable, thinner outer box. Recommend that you buy them from a reputable dealer / direct from Sennheiser.