I first learned about the Sennheiser IE800 at the private listening event held last year. Back then, all we knew about it, aside from the way it looks, was that it comes with a hefty $1000 price tag. The price alone is should be enough to raise a few eyebrows. Unless your eyebrows are shaved, of course. Well if that’s news to you then listen up: it’s a well known fact that in the audio world, things are supposed to sound better the more money you put in it. Take for example, a certain pair of cans named after a certain hip hop artist who does not go by the name Dr Dre. Friends, peers, colleagues, even my lola and my dog swear by it. But when I tried a pair, it sounded like my head was being pounded by a jackhammer with Sadako screaming at my face. Which should be about right if I were listening to a Lady Gaga track instead of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Yes, Vivaldi. Just like a true (wannabe) music snob.
So when I received an invitation to attend the Sennheiser IE800 and Sennheiser Momentum launch, I just could not let the opportunity pass. So despite having a crazy day (I needed to bring my brother to the hospital earlier), I did my best to make habol to the event. Thankfully there was another event for the audiophiles right after, so they were still able to accommodate latecomers like me. Rock and roll.
After showing Vincent and Alex some really gross photos of herpes zoster (I dare you to do a Google image search), I went straight to the testing booth. For the audition I prepared my centuries old but super trusty iPod Nano and Fiio E5 amplifier. In my playlist I always had high fidelity (320kbps) copies of “Wishing Well” by Michael Ruff, “Spanish Harlem” by Rebecca Pidgeon, and “Rock You Gently” by Jennifer Warnes. Apparently I forgot to bring Vivaldi along.
Aside from my tinnitus I also brought along my Sennheiser IE80 for comparison. For those who do not know, the IE80 was Sennheiser’s flagship in-ear earphone prior to the IE800. I have owned two of these which I bought online two years ago. Back then that was the only way I could get one, since the local stores only carried the Sennheiser IE60. Because of this I could only trust on reviews from Amazon, Ebay and audiophile forums. One pair costs $450 but being a wannabe music snob and feeling audiophile, I sacrificed my hard earned moolah for one. Wow, I was amazed. I was so satisfied that I eventually got another pair.
So there I was with my amped up iPod listening to Micahel Ruff and a pair of Sennheiser IE800 (woohoo). Vincent was with me during the test, in case I decided to run away with a $1000 earphone. I could see his lips moving, but I could barely hear him unless I turn off the music. I thought the IE80 does a good job of isolating ambient noise, but the IE800 did even better.
Apparently Vincent was asking me what I thought of it, and I immediately responded “warm”. How do you describe eargasm, anyway? Imagine relaxing on a sunny day sipping your favorite drink, or rolling around in a pool made of warm chocolate. Or tumbling on a bed made of cash. Sumkindalikedat.
Like other phones in Sennheiser’s IE series this one comes with a premium leather bound carry case and five different silicone tips. It also comes with an instruction manual and a “cleaning tool”, which suspiciously looks just like the bass knob adjuster of the IE80. The IE800 does not, however, come with an adjustable bass knob (why?!??). Also unlike the IE80, the IE800 does not come with a shirt clip or an over-the-ear adapter. Apparently the cable is fixed. I spent 5 minutes trying to find a way to detach the cable from the main assembly, but no. The only way to separate the two is to cut the cable off. I found this quite disappointing. Not sure if due to a technical limitation, but a high end phone should have a replaceable chord. It’s freaking mandatory that it should be the law. No phones over $200 with a non-detachable cord. Ever.
If this were an audio video blog (oh wait we are …), I would say that the bass is strong without being boomy or muddy. It can be fatiguing at times though, and it’s too bad that the IE800 does not come with an adjustable bass knob. Might be done on purpose to appeal to a younger audience. The mids were clear, distinct, and natural. I like my mids to be as natural sounding and detailed as possible (yeah who doesn’t right?), which to me is one of the strongest points of Sennheisers over its competitors. The highs were sharp and crisp without getting too hot or ringy (which would hurt my tinnitus).
When I switched from the IE80 to the IE800, it sounded like a veil was being lifted off. Panic attack. Was my IE80 was broken? What if it was just an imitation? I searched for another pair of earphones to do another comparison. I was relieved when I tried a pair of CX985. Okay so IE80 was not broken. Whew. The IE800 was just that good.
Ok time to throw in some big words, because we like to think that we’re serious about our audio.
The sound stage for the IE800 was huge. I say this relatively compared to other earphones. This is usually the problem with earphones because unlike headphones they do not have a big chamber for sound to vibrate upon. There was so much depth and the resolution was so good, I could easily pick out individual instruments and voicings in a large set recording like Michael Ruff’s “Wishing Well”. Even in a noisy hall there is a lot of presence in the sound reproduction, something which I really like about in-ear earphones. Visceral impact was very noticeable even in the lowest ranges, and what’s interesting is that the bass is loud and deep without overwhelming the higher frequencies.
This concludes the Sennheiser IE800 review.
Or not.
Sennheiser claims that the 7mm driver can reproduce a frequency response ranging from 5-46,500Hz (-10dB) / 8-41,000Hz (-3dB). That isn’t too far from the HD800 at 6-51,000Hz (-10dB) / 14-44,100Hz (-3dB). Of course, the audible range for humans is from 20-20,000Hz. I have tinnitus, so my audible range is much smaller, but that doesn’t prevent me from being able to distinguish quality sound reproduction. I wish I could take a pair home and try the IE800 at night when ambient noise is much lower. The best thing about the IE800 is that all of this is with a single driver. Just imagine what can be accomplished with two or three drivers!
When the event ended I was so impressed by the IE800 that I offered to pay spot cash for a discounted unit. I maintain that offer, and would gladly trade my beloved IE80s for one IE800.
In conclusion, the Sennheiser IE800 is the best non-custom, commercial grade in-ear monitor that you can fetch for $1000, bar none. It is like having a portable HD800, offering a clearly defined mid range and deep bass. Locally it retails for a paltry PHP45900, so if I were you I’d hurry and grab five of these before supplies run out!
Special thanks to Sennheiser, Vincent Haoson, and the folks at First Tier Brands for the support.
Features
- Dynamic linear-phase driver with extremely wide bandwidth (XWB)
- Very low overall harmonic distortion
- Ergonomic, oval-shaped ear adaptors for maximum comfort
- Two protective meshes – one situated in the ear cushion and one in the cone, effectively protects against dirt contamination and for easy cleaning
- Attenuated dual-chamber absorber (D2CA)
- Extremely deep, distortion-free bass
- Premium leather carrying case
- 2 year warranty
Technical Specifications
- Impedance: 16 Ohms
- Frequency response: 8-41000Hz (-3 dB) / 5-46500 Hz (-10 dB)
- Sound pressure level (SPL): 125 dB at 1V 1kHz
- THD, total harmonic distortion: < 0.06 %
- Ear coupling: Intraaural
- Jack plug: 3.5 mm stereo plug
- Cable length: 1.1 m symmetrical, oxygen-free (OFC) copper cable
- Transducer principle: Dynamic, vented closed
- Weight (without cable): 8 grams
- Attenuation: – 26 dB
- Operating temperature: -10 °C – +55 °C
- Frequency: Diffuse field equalized
What’s in the box?
- IE 800 ear-canal phones
- Ear adaptor sets (5 pairs of different sizes)
- Premium leather carrying case
- Cleaning tool
- Instruction manual
Price: PHP45,900