Sennheiser has won our hearts once again with its new range of noise-isolating earphones. The IE range claims to deliver ‘pure professional performance with perfect stage sound’ and is part of its professional portable line.

The IE 8 is a set of high-end, in-ear earphones that come with a unique ‘bass response tuning’ screw that gives a user they the ability to let the ‘phones sound how they want it.

Out of the box, the IE 8’s come with three pairs of standard plugs, three pairs of double-flanged plugs, two pairs of foam plugs, two pairs of mushroom form plugs, a cable clip, a pair of ear hooks, a cleaning and adjustment tool, a dry salt pad, and a storage box.

The earphones can be worn in two ways: over the top of the ears with the use of the ear hook or traditionally. The medium-sized silicon plug is perfect for most people, but to achieve that perfect fit we advise users to take some time to exchange and test the plugs for themselves. Having the perfect fit will not only result to better noise-isolation, but will also deliver better bass response.

 

The 1.2 metre cable makes it possible to carry the unit in your pocket, while the detachable earphone enclosure allows for the replacement of the cable if any problems occur.

As previously mentioned, the enclosures come with a ‘bass response tuning’ screw that can be adjusted. By using the cleaning and adjustment tool, users can increase or decrease bass intensity. If you love your dance music, then we recommend you set the response level to maximum to hear that hard-pumping bass.

The Sennheiser drivers deliver a frequency response between 10 Hz to 20 kHz, an the aforementioned bass response. As soon as we pressed play, we immediately heard (and to a certain extent, felt) the deep thumping bass. Setting the response to maximum takes it even further, although it may not suit everybody.

 

Besides dance music, the IE 8 is also able to handle R&B, heavy metal, rock, and rap. Tracks from artists like Mary J. Blige, Slipknot, Metallica, and Dr. Dre sounded powerful, with the bass once again giving us a full-on experience. Mids were also rich, strong and detailed, with vocals being warm and full all-throughout.

The earphone was also able to produce crisp and detailed highs, although it won’t be as noticeable if the bass response is set to maximum. If you like it ‘balanced’, then we recommend users to just keep the bass response level at the lowest setting.

Overall, the Sennheiser IE 8 is a great set of earphones that will not disappoint. It sounds great, has a wide soundstage, and can handle just about any track you throw at it. If deep, rumbling bass is your kind of thing, then this set of ‘phones will most certainly not disappoint. The IE 8 is available now with an RRP of $539.95.

See page over for product specifications and pricing.

 

Sennheiser IE 8 Specifications:

Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 20 kHz
Cable length: 1.2 m, symmetrical (earphone to separator: 0.4 m; separator to plug: 0.8 m)
Impedance: 16 ohm
THD, total harmonic distortion: < 0.1%
Sound pressure level: 125 dB (1 kHz, 1 Vrms)
Attenuation (Passive): Up to 26 dB (95%)
Connector: 3.5 mm, angled
Ear coupling: Intra-aural (Ear-canal fit)
Transducer principle: Dynamic
Weight: 5g

Sennheiser IE 8 |$539.95 |  | www.syntec.com.au

For: Design; Noise-isolation; Comfortable for hours on end; Detachable earphone enclosure; Bass Response control; Great lows and mids; Wide soundstage
Against: Setting the bass response on maximum ‘drowns’ the highs; Not for users who like their treble
Conclusion: The perfect earphones for those who like their music with oomph.