Sennheiser IE 80 EAST In-Ear Headphones (Discontinued by manufacturer)

By no means is this a recommendation to not consider these ear buds. You absolutely SHOULD at least check them out as everyone has different preferences. These could be exactly what you want or need.I was super super stoked about getting these headphones. But if I'm not lying I find myself some what disappointed. Perhaps I over hyped them in my head and set the expectation far to high for sub $300 headphones. imo you can probably find a pair for cheaper that aren't that far off in quality. Just depends on what type of premium for more optimum sound quality you are willing to pay. If you are here, probably means you are willing to spend the extra $.If you can get a good fit, the sound is pretty decent. Despite coming with a plethora of ear pieces to choose from, I find myself not being able to get good fit in my ears. Could just be that I have freakish ears lol or more time is need to work the ear pieces in some....But if I am honest at this time, I am having issues wearing them comfortably so far which affecting the experience negatively. Not sure I like all the auto tuning stuff. I am tending to like the more raw sound i get from some other devices I have. That is just my personal preference. But for sub 300. Kind of in a sweet and sour spot.The included cable is very short. Obviously there is an easy fix for this. Plus I think the spare cables you can buy come in different lengths. I am sure most people interested in these type earbuds already have plenty of extra extension cables etc...I was hoping to get some utility out of these for mobile music production purposes (I dunno why lol, again I over hyped), but clearly these are meant for connecting to your smart phone and casual listening. At least that is what their purpose will be for me.If you aren't short on cash and want decent pair of ear buds with good sound, jump on these. Probably the best for under $300. If possible I would try them out first to see if you can get them to fit snug before purchasing.

When I first tried out the IE80, using an iPhone 4S with EQ turned off, I wasn't very impressed. I thought it was a little too warm sounding and event sibilant on some tracks. The sound was decent, but I wasn't wowed by any means. After a few days of experimenting with different music players (DAPs), eartips, and Equalizer apps, I discovered how to get the best sound from these earphones. If you follow my steps perfectly, you will get a phenomenal sound.The following is primarily intended for Apple iPhone users; however, some of the same principles may be applied. I tried the Sansa Clip+ and iBasso DX50 and the sound was inferior compared to what I was able to achieve with the iPhone 4S + EQ app for my tastes.I was able to achieve a visceral sound that makes you feel like you're literally in the studio, recording with the artist. Almost like a clean reference quality sound, but one that is less flat, and more engaging, with a realistic bass thump with extension that is not overbearing but prominent, along with a sparkle to cymbals and string instruments without being sibilant, along with clearly defined instrument separation and upfront vocals.First step: You need a good source music player that plays high res music files. If you have an iPhone 4 or higher, you're already there. 90% of music collection is in Apple lossless, but the iTunes purchased music sounds pretty good too.Second step: Physically turn the bass knobs on the IE80 to the lowest setting.Third Step: Ditch the iPhone's native music player. The native music app from iOS 8 is ok, but it will not take advantage of what the IE80 has to offer across the frequency spectrum. Also, don't even think about using the native music app's EQ presets; they are dreadful.Many purist will tell you not use EQ to modify the sound. Let's throw that mentality out the window. Those purist do have a point, as certain EQ apps or devices with lots of EQ adjustment filters do tend to color the sound, thus making it appear artificial. However, after trying a dozen free & paid EQ apps, I found one that synergized perfectly with the IE80. I was able to achieve the kind of sound that wows you, and puts a smile on your face that further reminds you that these expensive headphones were a worthwhile investment.Fourth Step: Download the Accudio Pro app by Golden Ears from the iOS App store. I will start off by saying this app has an ugly user interface and it's not very intuitive. That being said, I can also say it is the BEST app to use with the IE80, and it's worth every penny in sound. Accudio Pro has a bult-in profile specifically for the Sennheiser IE80 that you select from a drop-down menu, after you start the app. By selecting the IE80 profile from the App, it will essentially give you a flat sound signature, which is our point of reference. After you've selected the IE80 Profile, you will see a submenu that says Simulation mode: "Hi-Fi (FLAT, Recommend)" will be selected by default, which shows you EQ adjustment sliders. Match your EQ settings to mineSub Bass: 7Bass: 7Voice: 3Sibilance: 1Treble: 2The above settings will give you a clean sound with a little sparkle, yet the bass will be prominent and thick, without clouding the rest of the frequency spectrum. The soundstage will open up with excellent instrument separation. There will be a bit of a 3d feeling, but not the artificial kind that normally comes from EQ filters, more realism that surrounds you with instruments, but keeps the vocals front and center. You will actually start to feel the music. Listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium album will bring tears of joy to your eyes.If you feel the bass is too much, lower it along with the sub-bass together by a few notches. I've created three presets that are pretty much the same, the only difference being the varying degrees of decreased bass/sub-bass. The above setting is best for Rock/Classic Rock/Pop/80's/90's/Alternative/R&B.Fifth Step: Did you think that was it? No! But we're almost there. You have to follow all my steps, remember? The fourth step is choosing the right ear tips, while the music is playing from your source. I can't stress this enough, but you need to try ALL the included ear tips. We're not only concerned with the fit in your ear, but the acoustic characteristics brought on by each tip. The key is not to get a perfect seal, but to get a good seal with a little bit of sound leak. Therefore, it's important to have your favorite track playing, as you try every tip (yes, even jamming that twisty pasta looking flange tip in your ear).For example, if you purchase comply ear tips, it will make the seal too airtight, thus, muddying up the sound. After trying all the ear tips, I found the large grey silicon tips did not have the most secure fit, but gave me the best sound with clarity without sacrificing the bass detail. I made them fit good enough, because the sound was that good.If you follow all of these steps, you will get the best sound from your Sennheiser IE80.In summary, iPhone 4S (and up) + Accudio Pro + My specific EQ settings + proper ear tips = best sound as of my testing. I do have a Fiio X3, and Cowon M2 music player on the way, and I will update my findings with those sources, accordingly.If you followed my steps exactly, please leave a comment on what you think. It's all subjective, but I really think I found a match made in heaven, and thought I'd pass it on.Background Info: I consider myself an audiophile. I'm on headfi.org as "F00Fighters". I've owned many respectable headphones and headphone amps, ie. TripleFi 10, Grado SR325is, AKG702, etc. For this experiment, in addition to the iPhone 4S, I also tried pairing the IE80 with a Rock Boxed Sansa Clip+ and iBasso DX50 music player. Even with EQ settings, I was unsuccessful in matching the sound signature that I discovered with Accudio Pro with iPhone. As the Accudio app has simple EQ sliders which are labeled as Sub-Bass, Bass, Voice, Sibilance, and Treble, I have not been able to narrow down the exact frequency# in Hz for each slider, therefore I've been unsuccessful in matching the sound to any other device, including my Macbook Pro.

I loved these IEMs at first. The base tuning is an awesome feature, the sound is warm and for the most part balanced, and the sound stage is excellent. I am very disappointed that only two weeks into light use the left ear bud is beginning to malfunction. The volume is dramatically lower in the left ear bud than in the right. I really expected more quality assurance when buying a pair of headphones at this price point. Hopefully I can get this issue resolved ASAP and have them repaired or replaced quickly by Sennheiser.

The sound quality is great. I am very pleased with them with the exception that I am unable to keep the earbuds in my ears. I have tried different sizes, but I think the problem is with me and not the headphones. Otherwise I would have given this product five stars.

It is not common for me to write reviews. But I can't resist on letting everyone know how pristine the sound is in these buds. For the last year I have been using the Bose MEi2. They of course are great headphone. But when I put these on my whole perspective on life changed. :)I have been wearing them for 6 hours today at work with no ear soreness at all. Compared with the Bose MEi2, the Bose are still more comfortable of a fit. I am pretty sure there is no in-ear headphones on the market that are as comfortable as the Bose. Having said that, there is still nothing to complain about IE80's. They are comfortable, and the sound quality if above anything I have heard so far.

Just ok

Sound is detailed and clear. Apart from these, I also own the HD598. To my surprise, comparing them, the IE 80 were clearly better. I'm surprised because I didn't expect such small earphones to be superior over headphones that have a significant sound box, like the HD598. However, I didn't notice a very big difference when adjusting the bass.

I bought this for my son as his Christmas present. So far, he loves the performance, especially the feature where he can dial the bass.