SennheiserIE 800 S In-Ear Audiophile Reference Headphones - Sound Isolating Ear-Canal Fit With XWB Transducers and D2CA Technology, Detachable Cable, Includes Balanced Cables, 2-Year Warranty (Black)

These are excellent high-end earbuds suitable for high-resolution music on the go. Transparent, detailed and neutral (reduced U-shape voicing compared with the original IE800), with fine focus and detailed staging. Also built well, with excellent ergonomics. As for VFM, it depends... full RRP is £800, which is steep. I bought them from Amazon at just over £500, however, which is excellent; no earbud in this price range can be said to be cheap, but £500 is good value for what these earbuds offer.Now for some points to note:1) Like any electromechanical transducer, these require a few hundred hours of run-in before sounding at their best.2) Really only appropriate for high-res sources; for MP3 or CD Res, you will not hear what these devices are truly capable of. Get something cheap and nasty to match source quality...3) These could not be called raunchy, exaggerated or rock-oriented; but they are great for acoustic jazz or classical. Suits me!4) Purist, with emphasis on SQ. So no electronic noise cancellation; needless to say, the digital-domain processing this requires screws with SQ, big-time. For decent passive isolation, use supplied Comply-type earpads. These are the best option and acoustically optimal, anyway.

These are absolutely amazing. A quick side note, look for comfortable ear tips. I pulled the trigger on these after reading a multitude of reviews on Hi-Fi Insider, YouTube, HeadPhone forums and can say that after roughly two weeks of trying ribcage them fit snug without hearing my ears they are an absolute win. Everything sounds extremely clear. I do suggest using these with a dedicated dac/amp combo or a hi res audio player such as the Fiio M15. I love just laying back in my chair with these on and sipping on a pour of Macallan 18 whilst listening to some tracks. If you are on the fence about these due to the price then look into the IE 500 from sennheiser.

High fidelity at its best. These are like tower speakers in such a tiny product footprint.Absolutely phenomenal reproduction on very different genres from Qawwali to Classical Instrumental.Not ideal for bass heads. This pair is for purists who want to hear the music as the artist intended.Build quality is exceptional also. Ceramic is a great choice of material.Best of all, no listening fatigue whatsoever. Magical soothing sound. Specially great for instrumental, classical, soft music.Although a bit pricey, I will definitely recommend these if you can afford them. Otherwise 1More has great economical options.

I almost gave up on trying them to fit at all until I tried the large memory foam adapters, which just barely worked and were still too loose and easy to dislodge. When they were seated perfectly, the sound was absolutely incredible for such small drivers. Unfortunately, the wires are too short and very easy to tug them out of proper interface with the ear, which requires you to compress the foam and hold them in place for about a minute (the 15 seconds they recommend is not enough) to get back to listening. It is a shame that the fit is such a problem because they sound amazing when they are fitted properly. From the lowest bass notes to the highest treble frequencies, the details are ridiculous. I am surprised that they can't find a solution to this problem. I have a pair of 10 year old Moto EH25 and they fit perfectly in my ears and I only wish that the IE-800-S had the same kind of of foam. Also, I don't know whose ears are going to work with the silicone tips, but they are not at all useful for me, from the small to the largest, they just don't make a good seal. I am going to have to get something else until I find something that works.

They sound very good with my Android cell phone, but if I listen to music on my computer with them, their sound quality doesn't come anywhere near my Sennheiser HD800s headphones when both are played through my Questyle CMA600i headphone amplifier (which replaces the computer sound card). And they don't even sound very good when connected to my computer's sound card compared to my Grado PS500 headphones. They're obviously intended to be used with cell phones.

Received with broken package and of course used and only one side work returned the next day