WARNING: Fake IE8s! Comparison pictures included!!

[chrisssssssss2]

i have to disagree with you dweaver... i have an authentic pair with the invoice from an authentic seller. a lot of the pictures you posted seem very similar with just different lighting as someone else has said. It may be a psychological thing for you, thinking that it sounds better since it's from an authorized dealer now. Either that, or the crazy people that believe in burn in will tell you that it's burned in and sounds great. Either way, the original person who posted how to differentiate between fakes has done a great job in showing differences that are easy to spot out, such as the red wire and the case that it comes with. You have just made everyone else go crazy believing they too might have fakes. But good job getting them from an authorized dealer instead. Lesson learned: it's better to make sure they're authorized and feel that they're real than to have a real pair from an authorized dealer for less money and be paranoid about it because you don't believe the IE8's is what it's worth.

For me, I love my IE8's and never questioned it's authenticity because I know for a fact that they're real because they sound great, and I got an invoice. I also had a pair of IE7's to compare with and it's exactly what people have said: more pronounced treble and subwooferish bass. I actually have them on now and reading these posts on fake IE8's frustrates me because it makes people so reluctant to buy them. Those people do not know what they are missing. Cheers!

 

[dweaver]

hmmm, I thought my pictures were OK, but apparently not. I will take new pictures with as close to the same angle and distance as possible using the same light.

Just to be clear though, zeliuz22 was not happy with the original poster's pictures (unless I am completely mistaken) so that means those pictures are no good either according to what has been stated above.

My original IEM's also did not have the red chip in the right iem no matter what angle I looked at them and no matter what lighting I used. Also other posters were the ones who pointed out that my cover was not the same as their original equipment, I just used pictures of I had of the fake cover versus the real cover.

I will agree that there was a psychological factor though. Because I REALLY wanted to to believe the first pair was real. So much so I started to build them up in my mind sound wise. While I think my memory and psychology will play tricks with me on smaller nuances of sound. I don't think it's possible I would miss large differences in sound like the soundstage and much deeper bass I heard out of the 2nd IE8.

One last point. If burnin is all BS then the first pair was definitely fake because they didn't sound like canons on my head whereas the 2nd pair made my head hurt because the bass was so strong out of the box, LOL.

 

[dweaver]

Here are some pictures of the connectors, these are from the right side.

All pictures removed by me as I agree with Sennheiser about them helping counterfeiters. Read my post here if you would like my help.

 

[average_joe]

Glad some people received real IE8s from the get go, as did I (and I purchased before there were fakes, er, uh, the possible fakes were produced)

Let's ask some logical questions:
1) Are fakes of headphones ever made?
2) If there are fakes, which products do they go after, the high end or low end?
3) Would a manufacturer with a reputation such as Sennheiser have their trademark symbol look as different as the two from the first post? (However, looking at my other Senn products the symbol isn't done quite as nicely as the IE8. But there is nearly no space between the S and the surrounding bars on all my other Senn products, and the fake in post 1 has a large space)
4) Why isn't Sennheiser making a statement to clear this up, either way?

I still think someone (preferably in the US or Europe) that has a suspect fake take it up with Sennheiser and get them to make an statement either way. I would think this would be important to them, but I could be wrong.

Plus, to me dweavers pic's just didn't look right. Especially the Y split.

 

[dweaver]

OK unlike some who comment but won't post anything to back their comments up, I have just spent another 2+ hours of my life taking new pictures and trying my best to get them as close to the same for angle, lighting, and distance as my original fake pictures I had from the first set of IE8. I have uploaded them into my original post with the pictures. I have also removed all comments from all pictures leaving them to speak for themselves. I did leave my sonic descriptions intact.

If using the new pictures you can not see serious differences between each photo I guess I and other posters who originally questioned the authenticity of my first IE8 are all from another planet and painted blue because I can easily spot at least 5-10 differences in almost every picture set.

OK I'm done with this thread now. I have had enough attacks on my logic, ability to discern variations between photos, ability to discern musical differences between IEM's, etc to last me a good long while. Hopefully my photos will help those who have eyes to see and my sonic descriptions will help those who have ears to listen.

Thanks for some backup comments average_joe, the way it's been made out, I just decided on my own that I had fakes and I somehow have deluded myself about this whole process. Because other people have somehow telepathically linked themselves to me and JUST KNOW I HAD REAL IE8 the first time by golly! God I can't believe I have wasted my time doing all of this twice!

 

[Hawaiiancerveza]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK unlike some who comment but won't post anything to back their comments up, I have just spent another 2+ hours of my life taking new pictures and trying my best to get them as close to the same for angle, lighting, and distance as my original fake pictures I had from the first set of IE8. I have uploaded them into my original post with the pictures. I have also removed all comments from all pictures leaving them to speak for themselves. I did leave my sonic descriptions intact. If using the new pictures you can not see serious differences between each photo I guess I and other posters who originally questioned the authenticity of my first IE8 are all from another planet and painted blue because I can easily spot at least 5-10 differences in almost every picture set. OK I'm done with this thread now. I have had enough attacks on my logic, ability to discern variations between photos, ability to discern musical differences between IEM's, etc to last me a good long while. Hopefully my photos will help those who have eyes to see and my sonic descriptions will help those who have ears to listen. Thanks for some backup comments average_joe, the way it's been made out, I just decided on my own that I had fakes and I somehow have deluded myself about this whole process. Because other people have somehow telepathically linked themselves to me and JUST KNOW I HAD REAL IE8 the first time by golly! God I can't believe I have wasted my time doing all of this twice!

Thank you for helping some of us out. You are doing your part by posting pics up and those who have objected you have not. Even if they just gave a pic of the receipt doesn't clarify that they are the real deal. Ya they might sound good but thats just going by what they are saying. Post evidence! It just like an art piece.. if its worth a lot and any person can get their hands on it to make copies will do so and sell it for a cheaper price because they didn't work hard making the art them self! I can say that because I have made many drawings when in high school and people would steal them erase my name and than modify it to make it like they did it. People will do anything to get your money! So like people keep mentioning they are curious about it and want to make sure they are buying the real deal. If you feel yours is the real deal than by all means good for you. But why are there so many other people who are preoccupied that there could be fakes?!
C'mon tell me honestly.. are there no fakes of anything in this world than??? Or are we all just nuts???

 

[SolidVictory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeluiz22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif To everyone else, just relax. There are manufacturing deviations in all products. The original post is incorrect. Both earphones depicted were authentic IE8's. Many of the distinctions depicted are attributable to variations in lighting and camera angle. The two "R"s for example appear to be set differently because the earpieces are depicted from different angles. This has been a silly exercise.

Sorry, both IE8s were not authentic. This I can confirm without thinking twice. The fake IE8s didn't even have the left IEM working properly, and it barely emitted any sound. There has also been another thread showing a fake IE8 disassembled and a real IE8 disassembled, and they are both completely different inside (the fake one having the driver glued on, instead of fitting seamlessly into a socket, among other details).

Please, there is no need to sound sophisticated or fancy in your argument for the sake of putting down everyone in this thread. I am sure that if you received fakes you would be appreciating this thread just as many others are.

Please stop arguing immaturely in here, it has gone off-topic enough.

 

[zeluiz22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolidVictory /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry, both IE8s were not authentic. This I can confirm without thinking twice. The fake IE8s didn't even have the left IEM working properly, and it barely emitted any sound. Please, there is no need to sound sophisticated or fancy in your argument for the sake of putting down everyone in this thread. I am sure that if you received fakes you would be appreciating this thread just as many others are. Please stop arguing immaturely in here, it has gone off-topic enough.

P

I'm sorry that you think that challengIng your findings is "off-topic."

and applying your "science," I did receive fakes. Fakes that sounded so good I sold my Westone 3's on the For Sale forum. My fake IE8's are the best IEM's I've ever owned, and I've been through most high end phones.

Personal attacks are a rhetorical device of people who don't trust themselves, or who know they're full of sheitsky.

 

[Photofan1986]

Oh boy! I will always be amazed to see such things!
To zeluiz22, you probably have hearing problems...
And why the hell spend so much money to get fakes: then just buy some JVC Marshmallows, and be a happy man.
And, oh, leave this thread if you're not a believer, and if you have nothing to bring to the others.

 

[zeluiz22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photofan1986 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh boy! I will always be amazed to see such things! To zeluiz22, you probably have hearing problems... And why the hell spend so much money to get fakes: then just buy some JVC Marshmallows, and be a happy man. And, oh, leave this thread if you're not a believer, and if you have nothing to bring to the others.

a "believer," huh?

 

[average_joe]

Hey, why don't we stay on track. I still don't know why people haven't done the logical thing (to me) and contacted Sennheiser about this when you have a suspect fake in hand. Let the manufacturer tell you if it is their product or not.

Anyone? Good idea, bad idea, too difficult to do? Not logical? Or would that stop the "discussion" going on in this thread and the fun of it? If Senn gave an official statement, I am pretty sure the mods would sticky the thread!

 

[zeluiz22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by average_joe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, why don't we stay on track. I still don't know why people haven't done the logical thing (to me) and contacted Sennheiser about this when you have a suspect fake in hand. Let the manufacturer tell you if it is their product or not. Anyone? Good idea, bad idea, too difficult to do? Not logical? Or would that stop the "discussion" going on in this thread and the fun of it? If Senn gave an official statement, I am pretty sure the mods would sticky the thread!

This is a good idea that has already been suggested, although I expect that Senn would respond with a canned corporate warning to buy only from authorized dealers without commenting any specific unit.

I'm very please with my IE8's, though. I bought them on Amazon, but they have many of the characteristics that are alleged to be evidence of counterfeit.

I'm surprised that some here consider opposing views to be such a threat that they resort to classic tactics of personal attack to avoid a two-way discussion.

My point is simply to express my skepticism of the original post based on my anecdotal experience, just like the OP's opinion is based on his singular experience.

My method, like his, is purely unscientific and non-empirical. It could be that he received a defective pair and is now alleging that all phones that look like his are fakes. This is not fair to many buyers nor to the manufacturer.

The OP has invested a lot in his opinions, including a blog post online, and has become kind of a hero on this thread, so his response to and
reluctance to hear opposing views is not a surprise.

 

[Photofan1986]

Why don't you even consider that some fakes could be produced? It already happened many times before with several Sennheiser phones.
Also, there were pictures of real and fake IE8 taken apart on Head-Fi, and there was clearly a difference in the construction and the drivers. And how do you explain that so many (too many) people here who have had fakes, and then acquired the real ones heard such big differences? And how do you explain that IE8 that are commonly considered as real look the same, as opposed to the fakes ones, that differ from one model to the other?
I think your point is trying to convince yourself that there are not fakes out there, simply because you saw that your IE8 looks like the one here that are said to be fakes, and you'd rather not have to go through all the exchange process, that can be a real pain in the bu**.

Edit: here is the link: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/i...ke-ie8-464460/

 

[dweaver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeluiz22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm surprised that some here consider opposing views to be such a threat that they resort to classic tactics of personal attack to avoid a two-way discussion.

zeluiz22, you started posting in this thread by demeaning everyone here by likening us to a lynch mob and calling us gullible which from my experience is a "classic" tactic used by individuals trolling for a fight. So I suspect you knew exactly what kind of response you would get and looked forward to the "classic" personal attack tactics that came your way.

In fact I decided to take a peak at your past posts and here are a few "classic" examples of your posting style.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeluiz22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... the first myth at Head-Fi IS Head-Fi; in other words, that this is a place to go for useful audio advice.

Good attitude towards head-fi in general don't you think...

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeluiz22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... and the Clever Club is on the town... where would the world of scathing and deeply perceptive social comedy be without the math whiz-kids of HeadFi? Watch out, John Stewart-

Your acidic response here was over a couple people ribbing you over a typo in your header and you accuse the people in this thread of over responding...

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeluiz22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Could you two idiots possibly think there is anything at all clever or funny in these two responses?

again personal attacks over light hearted ribbing over a typo.

So it would seem that you have on occasion started or responded to posts in a less than positive reponse using the "personal attack" tactic yourself.

You know if you had simply made your original post along the lines of;

"Hey guys I have authentic IE8's I bought from Amazon which I know are real and they have some of the traits of the fakes your mentioning. I think there may be some mistakes in determining originals from fakes in this thread. Here are the things I have found (then list specific details, preferably with pictures, etc to help make clear your findings)."

I suspect there would have been positive discussion from your post forward instead of the last couple pages of off topic discussion.

 

[zeluiz22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver /img/forum/go_quote.gif zeluiz22, you started posting in this thread by demeaning everyone here by likening us to a lynch mob and calling us gullible which from my experience is a "classic" tactic used by individuals trolling for a fight. So I suspect you knew exactly what kind of response you would get and looked forward to the "classic" personal attack tactics that came your way. In fact I decided to take a peak at your past posts and here are a few "classic" examples of your posting style. Good attitude towards head-fi in general don't you think... Your acidic response here was over a couple people ribbing you over a typo in your header and you accuse the people in this thread of over responding... again personal attacks over light hearted ribbing over a typo. So it would seem that you have on occasion started or responded to posts in a less than positive reponse using the "personal attack" tactic yourself. You know if you had simply made your original post along the lines of; "Hey guys I have authentic IE8's I bought from Amazon which I know are real and they have some of the traits of the fakes your mentioning. I think there may be some mistakes in determining originals from fakes in this thread. Here are the things I have found (then list specific details, preferably with pictures, etc to help make clear your findings)." I suspect there would have been positive discussion from your post forward instead of the last couple pages of off topic discussion.

Well, at least I'm consistent in believing that there is so much bunk being spread around this forum... and this thread is no exception. This place is an echo chamber. And a fish bowl.

As for the allegation that I cant admit that my IE8s are fake, that's just more silly upon silly. I own a high end system, have been through most high end earphones, including Shure 5's and 530s, Westone 3's, etc. If mine were fake, I would have known it from day one. No confusion, like you had, Weaver.

Once again, my phones look like those depicted as fake and they are real. Once again, the PREMISE that those characteristics are proof positive of fakes is INCORRECT and should not be relied upon as you did, Weavs.