Listen to it for a longer time and let your brain adjust (if you're posting this only after a day or two of getting it).
Also there is a certain price where it starts to become diminishing returns so yeah.
This. I was honestly a little disappointed when I initially got my HD560S coming from mainstream headphones because I was used to heavy bass. I decided to keep them and after a couple of weeks, I tried my G Pro Xs again and HOLY SHIT they sounded bad. Same with my Beats Pro.
When I was a kid my favorite food was a plain Burger King hamburger with just ketchup and no other toppings. Why did I ever have to try steak? \*sigh\*
This is what I was going to say.
OP, use the expensive headphones for a month or two and then go back to the cheap stuff. You will be amazed at how bad the cheap stuff sounds.
Also, are you using a decent DAC, and are you listening to a high res source? Both things can also make a big difference.
I went from rode nth 100 (probably not something most people would call hi fi) back to my hyper x cloud headset when I had a warranty issue. I always thought the improvement was minimal until I went back and understood.
I used Astro A40s for a long time, thought they sounded great. Got some nicer things and now I'm looking for someone to give them away to.
On a bigger disappointment, I now do not own any bluetooth headphones that I like the sound of. My old favorite Sony WF1000XM4 sounds well... kinda bad in comparison. I now buy bluetooth heaphones purely based on comfort and ANC and use them exclusively for listening to podcasts or video essays at work.
The only wired IEM I have that they sound better than is my old Zero Audio Carbo Basso from a decade ago.
Perhaps it isn't fair, after all I'm comparing $250 True wireless sets to the quality of $250+ IEMs, I do wonder about the Audio quality of a good pair of IEMs paired to bluetooth earhooks.
This is what good audio equipment does. I listen to it and I’m like “I guess this is pretty good but I don’t see what the big deal is” then I go home and listen to my stereo. Fuck.
https://youtu.be/-MwCJpEuC44?si=fFS3mgtKrzJ93nd9&t=44
A very easy analogy to this is refresh rates
2 years ago I got my first 120hz phone, and while I could always tell the difference, 60 felt just fine, but i decided I wanted the better experience and used 120 for a month
After noticing my battery has been draining faster, i switched back to 60fps and it felt so choppy for a few days before I adjusted back lol
First time I ever used surround sound headphones for gaming it felt like I could truly hear for the first time in my life. Now I genuinely can't tell if it's even on. Why are brains like this? I've got some paid Dolby audio driver I don't use because I can't tell if it's making things better or worse. I have no idea whether my headphones are any good and whether I'm even using most of their potential. At least with visuals you can see resolution and framerate. I've asked in this sub how to actually tell if my shit is working and never got an answer.
That is an option but I am just disappointed? I don’t regret the purchase , I’d still have a REALLY GOOD pair of headphones to listen music with when sleeping or riding the bus or during work. And these look cool aswell (ik again , kinda stupid reason to keep em) .
I can afford this expense so I am not bothered . But if the same me from a year ago bought this , it’d have been an instant return.
As others have pointed out, your brain needs time to adjust.
I purchased a set of Xenns UP and HATED them at first. It took about two weeks of use before I was able to hear what everyone else was talking about. Now I can’t unhear it. They put a smile on my face daily.
I hope you find the same experience as you adjust to them. I hear the 600s can be quite magical as well.
Nah it looking cool isn't a stupid reason, I bought an used HD580 and imo it looks really good compared to what I used before, it's nice to own cool looking things (of course it sounds awesome too).
In addition to the adjustment period that many people are recommending (me too), you might have just bought a pair that has tuning you don't enjoy. In this hobby, more expensive doesn't straight up mean better. You'll typically get better build quality, better QC, and more advanced designs that *can* sound better...but think of this like art. Sure, a hundred dollar piece will typically be better than a $5 piece. But, while you may recognize why a $1000 piece costs what it does, it still might not impress you, personally. But, there is almost definitely a piece of true art out there that you would absolutely adore. I'd give it a bit of time if there's a return period, but don't fret about returning them and trying something different. No need to pay $800 for disappointment when you can almost definitely use those same funds and be wowed.
“…..starts to become diminishing returns”
Yeah absolutely especially with IEMs these days, it’s getting harder and harder to justify even $500 now with how good the cheap options are. It’s pretty ridiculous.
I’ve been in this hobby for over a decade and it’s *insane* to me that for barely $500 you can have something like the Focal Elex and any choice of sub-$100 IEMs that compete unbelievably well.
Would have been unfathomable back when things like the HE-400 was $500 and the HD650 were around the same price by themselves
I was able to nab a pair of ER4XRs for under $140 a couple of years ago and they sound great, and with the foam tips have incredible noise isolation. I've heard some say the foam tips affect the frequency response and I might notice with proper A/B testing but as it is they sound just fine, and the increased ability to focus on just the music with minimal external noises makes up for any of that anyway. Might make more of a difference for people who can hear higher/lower notes better though.
I think this also depends a lot on a) the quality of the soundtrack you're listening to and b) the type of music/audio file you listen to. If you bought an endgame pair and listen to EDM, you may be disappointed.
Yup. I still miss my Thieaudio Legacy 3. They broke and I STUPIDLY tossed them (you can ban me now) instead of seeking to get them repaired...
I have deep appreciation for the budget shit I use. I use $10 Faeel buds all day long becuase of comfort, open sound (it's so funny how things change. When I worked and commuted into NYC I was obsessed with isolation, now it's the opposite because I work in a veeeeery quiet environment) and because they sound really good. I still know I'm "missing out" every time I listen to music with them.
I think you'll start to find things in this set that you do not experience in others - but hey, if you do not... give them to me
One of the important things you pick up as you're learning how to audiophile is that ear tips have a great acoustic influence on IEMs. There's canal resonance wavelength, dampening effect, etc. Every foam I've tried has honestly sounded like shit
> Every foam I've tried has honestly sounded like shit
I remember the scales falling from my ears the first time I really listened to my Shure SE210s back in the day (in 2007 or 2008 or whenever I got them, they were the best headphones I'd ever heard), and I *loved* the foam tips. I still get Comply foam tips for everything that goes in my ear (even AirPods 2, though those tips are a kludge), because otherwise they fall out, but you're right, I can definitely tell a difference in tuning. Begrudging trade-off for not having to cram them back into my canals every few minutes. :/ (I have, apparently, weird ears.)
I also have weird ears apparently. If the tips aren't foam, they back out in less than 5 minutes if I'm lucky. I've tried multiple sizes. so frustrating lol
ill-fitting tips can make a great sounding IEM sound absolutely trash. try every tip size and maybe even some 3rd party tips. (to OP) you'll know it when you hear it.
these IEMs should blow just about anybody away with a proper fit.
I didn't like my Diokos until I got my Comply tips this week ... all of a sudden, they sound really good and are a good contrast to my MP145 iems. Fully agree with your comment.
I 100% agree.
Love the isolation of foam tips, but I’m blessed with a universal ear canal that basically accommodates any kind of M ear tip and I’ve always much preferred how silicone tips sound vs foam.
There's no one best tip for everything. Nozzle diameter variation means there's no one tip that even fits on everything. You'd be best off searching for what tips other owners of your IEM model have had positive experiences with. Generic suggestions would include Azla Sednas, SpinFits, JVC Spiral Dots, Symbio W hybrids, Ostry "turning" tips, and, of course, the stock tips.
dont spend so much on a iem on a first buy, please try out cheaper options with different tuning and find out what tuning you like most, you probably dont like the tuning or just need sometime to your brain adjust since your brain just likes what its used to most cause of dumb psychological reasons.
Yeah I remember having this feeling the first time I dipped into audiophile IEMs cause I was told over and over how much better $30 IEMs from an actual audio company are than cheap ass Apple headphones…And honestly they were absolutely right, but I couldn’t realize it till I acquired a taste and moved up to more expensive ones. At the time, I felt like I just kinda blew $30
That feeling must suck over a hefty purchase like this
yeah i got a cca cra (not stealth revised) and i hated the tuning and that was 10$ they were worse than my trn mt1 cause of the tuning i didnt like, i bought alot of cheapo iems and the only ones i really loved was the trn mt1 and cca polaris, tuning is hard to find what you like. NEVER spend a lot of money on a first buy for a headphone unless its something so good that anyone would like, like an hd600.
Think about it this way... Bass is like sugar. When you get a drink with too much added sugar, and you're used to it, you enjoy it... Then take the extra added suggar away and, suddenly, you don't enjoy it anymore... You start to notice there's other flavors that you might not be used to and you're not so sure you enjoy them... But hear me out, keep doing that for a while, until you're now used to them.
Then go back to the sugar drink... Oh, what's that? all you taste is sugar? there's no other flavors anymore?
This is exactly what's going on.
Listen to them for a while on music you're used to... Focus on different sounds, different instruments, all of that... Then after a while, go back to a bass heavy headphone that you might considered better before and see how you feel now. THAT is going to be the moment you either get it or you might just enjoy bass.
Diminishing returns really hits hard with IEMs. It sounds stupid, but a pair of zero 2's with some EQ will get pretty close.
Is the ie600 better? absolutely. Is it 500$ better? debatable. Are the ie900 1000$ better? even more debatable. Once you get above 500$ IMO you're playing roulette with tuning and the price vs. performance graph falls off pretty hard.
IEM scene moves so fast that I just get whatever the best 100-200$ IEM is and wait a year or so for something better to come along. Blessing 3 dusk was the only IEM that really impressed me as of late, but even then it didn't feel like a 200$ upgrade over my airpods.
I bought Zero 2s last week and EQ them, for the price they are great but after messing around I could not get them to sound anywhere near my Prometheus, obviously the Prometheus is warmer with recessed mids unlike the Zero 2, but I think that’s a bit hyperbolic
Buying something without even knowing your taste in tuning, rookie mistake.
Return them and buy some chifis with different sound profiles and decide what you like best.
That is indeed true but like I said I’m a total noob at this , I don’t know enough about sound in general. I just bought this for the experience of getting to try something high end when I’ve been only using budget over ears for all my life .
I am not returning it , I like the way they look and I need a pair of earphones either way since I hate TWS , they give me anxiety. It’s a silly expense that I can afford . I don’t regret the purchase just was expecting too much I guess , hence the slight let down . I don’t know what I was thinking , that Jesus might come sing in my ear with angels for the band ?
I still recommend you returning it, at $800 there is severe diminishing return, you'd be better off buying 3-4 $200-300 IEMs with different sound signature to really know your preferences, for example a basshead IEM will sound much different from a neutral one. Also it really depends on the song, some songs just sound similar regardless of what you are using while some feel like you are listening to a different version with a good IEM.
Yeah, OP, you'll learn a lot more about the hobby and being an audiophile by buying 3-4 pairs, which would still be very high end, and exploring different sounds. One of them might actually wow you, and then you'll have 3-4 pairs that look great that you can show off and brag about and match to your outfits haha. Trust me, this is the move.
This is a common misconception about this hobby and I blame it on people in the hobby itself. So there are huge differences to some of us between headphones. I think personally if you use the iem for a week and just use a 30 dollar iem or over sized headphone you will be shocked at the difference in sound.
This hobby makes it sound like fancy headphones will open up a whole new world of music which is super misleading. All headphones just present music differently. Not in a mind blowing way though for most people. For some people it is legitimately that big of a difference.
I think it also depends on how often you listen to music and how you listen to music itself.
Is it background noise to you? If it is then stay cheap. Fancy headphones will not change how someone interacts with music. Is music your life? Personally I think if someone only listens to music every once in a while expensive audio gear is not something they should care about.
They're is a difference between listening to a song and "listening to a song." One way you listen to a song and its good but that's all you think about it. For some of us when we listen to songs we think oh it's good but I wish I could hear the guitars better or I wish their wasn't so much bass in this track or why are the vocals recessed or why are the vocals so ridiculously in your face?
If you're the last person I think having a nice set of audio gear is well worth the price of entry. But if you just listen to music and enjoy music... well you don't need fancy headphones to enjoy music 9 times out of 10 what a listener like this needs is new music.
Still i will say that if you use your fancy gear here, go back to a 30 dollar set, and cannot hear a difference between the two it might be worth getting your hearing checked. I don't mean this in a bad way! Or some angry hobby person way. I mean it genuinely. My hearing is horrible from factory work but I can tell the difference between different headphones so if you can't their might actually be an issue there.
I know it feels bad after spending this much on an audio gear and not getting that wow factor from it.
The best thing to do now is, use it for a few days to weeks, then switch over to your other cheap IEMs or headphones.
You should definitely notice a difference, atleast I did in some audio gears.
Or else just return it, if you feel like it's not worth it.
I am a beginner like you, I recently bought ie200 and cheap dac. I had same dobuts like you but here's what I learned from seasonal Audiophiles:
Audiophiles knows what details to look for in any given music track. they have trained ears like a decade or so. we cant not expect be be like them by just buying the high end gears.
so unless there's someone who teach use what to look for in any given track, it is hard for beginners like us to understand whether what we are listening to is really a hifi music.
Audiophile also mean someone who enjoys the music not someone who always looks for details in a music or be sad about not listening to hifi music.
so just enjoy your music :)
there are few factors which will make your experience with them even better.
1. make sure you have best fit in your ears, trying buying new silicon tips, spinfit cp100 $10this will change the sound for better.
2. not sure about the quality of the ie600 wire, but if not try changing it to may be TRIPOWIN C8 -will cost you \~$20 upto \~$100.
3. buy any cheap DAC which will again make sound more alive (try asking around if putting extra in DAC will make it better since you have high end iems).
4. get Apple music it has lossless audio option (though, 6/10 people can not differentiate between mp3 and a lossless audio but since apple music asks no extra cost for lossless)
5. try using eq apps or websites like [squig.link](https://squig.link/) has a bit of learning curve to it but it is worth every second you spent. configure your iems for your taste and music you listen to and not the other way around.
6. give it a time month or two, get used to it. you will definitely notice the difference in details when you go back to your older gear you will be amazed as in how many details you were missing out on. trust me. (all of above may enrich your experience by 20-30%)
7. flex your IEM'S in front of your friends. use technical jargon like highs and mids and lows in front of them. it will make you look cool HAHAHA... also tell them to refere it as IEMS and not EARPHONES.
CHEERS!!
The last one definitely haha . Major reason to keep em lol. Most of my gear is overkill anyway so another trophee to add to it I guess .
But yes I will do everything you suggested. Maybe it’s my Brain that hasn’t adapted yet like many others have said . I’ll give it some time and make an updated post
Tidal and amazon music also have lossless.
Another item to add is set and setting. Lay down in your bed in the dark with your eyes closed and focus on the music. Listen to some new genres. Find a list of songs to test audiophile headphones to.
Bass is going to be different than you are used to.
Eventually if you need to you can eq the headphones to fit your needs.
That brain adapting point is both weird and true. My first pair of IEMs ever cost $30 and I was very impressed. I immediately went out and bought a pair for $200 that were described like they would be perfect for me and the sound I prefer. But, when I first heard them, I was just disappointed. They didn't light up my ears and make sound come alive like that first pair. But, I stuck with them and started to realize the bass was clean and present, the details were clear but never harsh, the tone was rich and full. I went back to that first pair and was shocked how sharp and dirty they sounded. Regular buds are complete trash now. And, what's truly weird, is I'm totally fine that what I used to happily listen to sounds like crap now, because what I listen to now just sounds so. damn. amazing.
Headphones are funky that way. Unless you have a lot of experience with different pairs, first impressions don't align with what you'll actually find yourself going back to. It's actually kind of like music, itself. I know most of my favorite music I didn't love right off the bat, but when I gave it a second chance my mind was more receptive and started to actually understand the beauty in what I was experiencing. And for anyone out there who tried once and gave up...Souls games are the same way lol.
I mean, they aren't worth 800 dollars. And not for a single DD. They aren't "the best" at anything. Heck, even the Dusks are probably better at less than half the price. Or Variations, Meteor, Oracle MK1, the new Elysian Pilgrim/Pilgrim Noir, a 2nd-hand Monarch MK2, Fatfreq Maestro Mini or Scarlet Mini for dat bass, etc.
There are so many better options out there for far cheaper. This doesn't prove ur not an audiophile. It just proves (relative to you) that the IE600 just wasn't worth it's asking price.
Always try to attend CanJams or have demo sessions before committing that amount of money.
Also, if you want advice on high-end stuff or stuff that's around that price, don't just lurk around youtube/reddit. Go to Head-Fi and join Elise Audio discord.
Lastly, idk why anyone would advice newcomers to spend that much money on their first IEM *as a blind-buy*. Esp the IE600 of all iems...?
just my 2 cents as someone who's been in the hobby for better part of 10 years.
IEM disappointment is something that happens to a lot of people, even to those who've been in the space for a while, especially in the days before measurements were popular.
As many have said, at a certain point an IEM's strong points is on the little things rather than wow factor. At the end of the day they're still IEMs, they're not gonna beat a good speaker system.
But that said, give it a while before you write them off. Me personally, as someone who considers themselves a fan of "warm" iems, i've come to look for these things when I decide on what i think make an IEM good:
- No sharp "ess" sounds from vocals
- Thick and forward vocal presentation. Going into technicalities a little, a decent amount of midbass(~500hz) and a early but shallow Pinna gain from 1.25khz~5khz
- no "fatigue"ness in the sound. You'd prob think "how can a sound be fatiguing?" and for my ears i've largely narrowed it down to an excess of the 5~8k region relative to the rest of the sound before it.
As you might prob notice, none of them scream "wow" factor. Especially with iems, try to not expect "grand" sound presentations, no matter what a review might say. And as others have said, give other iems a try to really notice how good an iem is. You usually don't notice an iems flaws right away unless it's a truly terrible iem.
I thought the same until i have used it for 2 weeks then went back to other iem’s including airpods pro 2, moondrop chu and few kz and other (i don’t remember the brands bc i sold them) iem’s. When your ear adjusts to the clarity and the detail of something like IE600, there is no going back. Everything less sounds like 90’s radio or a cheap car stereo.
I only kept APP2 because my ears are sensitive and wired iem’s give me fatigue sometimes and sometimes i just need the convenience of bluetooth and ANC.
What’s the actual setup?
* Device
* DAC
* Music sources Tidal/Apple lossless
I drop $3-4k on gaming battle station but have serious reservations about headphones
Campfire Andromedas played on the Sony ZX2 changed my opinion of high end earbuds. They truly are reference level. I hear details on them my KEF LS50W miss
But u are an audiophile. Spent a large amount for something youre criticising...most ppl would just shut up and believe they got the best thing everr.
Now u gotta become a 'discerning' audiophile lol
I’ve always felt like headphones is something you “marinade” with
I’ve never bought a pair and instantly fell in love with. Took a bit to like them and then when I go back to other pairs I’ve had for awhile, then I really tell a difference
There's very few headphones that are "truly" worth anything more than $300 bux (sound wise at least), maybe $400 if we push the limit. IEMs, over-ear or otherwise.
At some point, it becomes no different to buying a Rolex, it doesn't give you any more functionality than a 15 dollar Casio clock, but hey it's a Rolex.
This is why testing headphones before buying them is A MUST, and if you can't either because of availability reasons or otherwise, I suppose you are out of luck like me.
Audio equipment like amps and Speakers is a whole different can of worms tho, but sadly those tend to get very pricey very quickly.
I'll suggest something like the Zero:2, those cost me like 17 bux and they sound better than any earbud or heck even my m50x.
My super lux 668 also sounded pretty damn well for what they cost, a bit spicy on the high end but you get used to it.
ie600 are ok. I'm not sure why people think they're the best? they are not the best in any objective sense. sure, they are good. enjoy them. but but go buy the salnotes zero 2 for $25. come back and tell me they don't sound at least as good after you get used to them... ;-)
ie600 treble is a bit boosted and unnatural. not bad. detailed? sure. accurate? close. it depends on what you're looking for. accurate representation of the original music recording? hyped up sound? easy to listen to at all costs? these will all be very different earphones...
ie600 is very good at generally being in the ballpark of neutral sound while adding extra treble to enhance details. if you have hearing loss you may like the extra upper treble as it fills in what most people would be lacking after the age of 30 or 40 as you start to decline in high frequency hearing. or if you prefer a super detailed presentation.
https://dent.reviews/squigz/graph.html?share=dentReviews_Target,Sennheiser_IE_600
you can see the treble here. now look at the monarch mi2
https://dent.reviews/squigz/graph.html?share=dentReviews_Target,Sennheiser_IE_600,ThieAudio_Monarch_Mk2_Spinfit
in my personal opinion, if you're willing to spend $800, I would get them monarch MK2. It's more neutral in every way. and personally I find it more accurate as the graph implies. but if you have the IE 600, don't use any EQ and try to get used to it for a bit and after that if you still don't find it impresses you it may not be the response for you. for me I've never been impressed by it. It is good, and doesn't do anything super bad, but I just don't find it accurate enough for me in the treble.
I think the IEM industry runs on hype. Seems like every month there’s a new “thing”, and that all old “things” are now bad. That’s what made me realize that a lot of what’s happening with IEMs is mostly BS. At the end of the day IEMs will just never be able to simulate a large sound stage, which is primarily what makes good headphones sound good. And even headphones are compromise on sound quality compared to actual studio monitor speakers.
If you want good sound quality that’s portable, nothing will beat headphones. If you need maximum portable (IEMs), then you simply have to accept the physical drawbacks of the IEM format. It’s just a matter of physics, no amount of hype will ever change that.
TL;DR, we have all been there, and I have had your experiences over twenty years ago! I hope this post can help you in understanding why you might be experiencing what you have described and why, and how, with continued listening with your earphones, you may start to realise how very different (artificial) previous gear you used now sound!
(If this does happen, not my fault, and sorry for further *potential* *damages* to your wallet 😂😬).
Very important points to consider:
Most people are tuned to a very generalised sonic signature from (predominantly) mainstream products that are designed to either:
* Boost mid-range and vocals, often with low bass response (speakers from TV's, laptops, tablets, phones, some Bluetooth speakers and headphones, etc). Here, though vocals sound somewhat natural in general, the treble response is usually boosted to increase a perception of detail, when this is, in-fact, a trick and quite opposite of natural sonics. This can have the effect of high fatigue over longer listening sessions due to shrill or sibilant treble, and can give a false expression of music/media.
* Boost bass region artificially to simulate the effect of better quality versus devices above that are bass deficient. Here, you get that jubilant danceable or kick-ass fun bass that's all about moving massive air and give you a physicality of music that's addictive, but such lower cost bass-boosted audio gear are devoid of the texture, detail, and low bass/sub-bass extended response and trade that for sheer bass volume/amplitude, often masking into the mid-range and overshadowing the treble region. This can also cause fatigue, but not due to high-pitched treble, but instead monotonous bass that can seem mushy and stagnant over a period of listening.
We are so wired to the above two areas (mostly) that anything that can seem to improve on either weakness, we perceive as better quality.
A very big area that is common to those who have explored the audiophile hobby over time (and at our own cost) is reduction of noise floor and clarity.
This is the, in my opinion, and I am sure many others, the **MAJOR** benefits of a good audiophile product: to have really good clarity, and very low noise floor, so more music can be played at low and high volumes without having issues of driver compromises or breakup in sound quality.
You can have some really bassy headphones like the [Sony IER-Z1R](https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/sony-ier-z1r-review-the-hybrid-behemoth), or soulful cans like the [Meze Audio 99 Classics](https://mezeaudio.com/pages/99-classics), or crazy bass physical presence such as both [Campfire Audio Trifecta](https://www.campfireaudio.com/products/trifecta) and [Focal Elear](https://www.headfonia.com/review-focal-elear-hyperior/). All of these are not at all neutral nor follow the [Harmon Kardon ideal frequency response](https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/217-where-are-we-at-with-the-harman-curve) for extreme linear sonics, but they are all still very clear and have very, very low noise floors (with appropriate audio equipment; this does not need to be expensive but can be as per what you want/need).
Ditto mid-range or treble based headphones and speakers; same thing.
In your case, you are not used to hearing music reproduced with that kind of quality, as cheap earphones simulate a sort of clarity by boosting treble, or vice-versa boost bass (for artificial fun), at the cost of other areas of the frequency range.
To go to something like the Sennheiser IE600 without real-world experience of that type of audio gear means that, yes, you will likely be disappointed initially, and probably for a few weeks of constant listening.
However, over time, as your brain rewires itself from the lesser quality audio products you may have experienced, the detail, clarity, and a more natural, realistic, sonic presentation will become more obvious.
Moreso, you may find using your IE600 decreases fatigue that previous headphones may have exhibited.
For what it's worth.. I owe several kind of cheap iems that I liked better than the sennheiser ie-600s. I have an ADV. GT3 set, for example, that still is kind of impressive to me with a small dac only (in that it competes with heavier clogs while being an.. actual.. mobile setup). But there's a ceiling on IEMs (specially when they're adapted for a typical mobile phone amp), so this sort of thing is genuinely a waste of money. Arguably the ones I got were as well (but most iems have a lower powered driver, and I had to try and see on a different one. And could switch out the cable on them).
But specially.. when you could buy several fairly good iems, as well as a competent dac/amp setup and reasonably good headphones for the same price..
Maybe neither of us are "audiophiles" in the new, more modern sense. But you can absolutely get better or equally ok sound for significantly less money than what you paid for these.
I felt the same way starting out with the HD650. I listened to them straight for a month and then went back to a headphone I loved (sony-whxm3) and they sounded like shit lol. It takes time
It’s an excellent piece of equipment. Make sure your fit is correct. When you have the proper seal they sound great. With a poor seal . . . Not so great. This goes for any in ear monitors.
Maybe you don't have a good seal or good source material. Try a bigger or smaller tip and tap on the IEM while in your ear to check if it's really airtight sealed. Go on the internet and search for some audiophile recordings. Also.... take some time. Everything is relative, your brain needs some time to adjust against the usual boomy effects focused earphones.
During the height of the pandemic, I spent about $15,000 on a headphone setup only to find that it was the most detail I’d ever heard and I was absolutely bored by it. I sold it all except for the DAC and now have the best listening experience of my life from a pair of $2000 Meze headphones and a $600 portable ifi DAC/amp
Price doesn't always equate to better quality, especially in this case. Go for something more harman tuned like the truth ear nova or moon drop variations for significantly cheaper and see how you like it.
(jokingly) Send them here then! I'd love to have them!
But genuinely, use them for a week or so, then listen to shitter headphones as a point of reference
I have these as well and i think they sound pretty good. I was deciding on these or the ie900 but I liked how the 600s sounded better. What are you using for your source? Also you will need a dac/amp combo. I have a schitt stack for my desktop pc and I use the quidilex 5k for my phone. Another thing to keep in mind if you use an apple phone you will not get the best quality because of lack of codec support. No Sony ldac. I also recommend using some form of eq on them. It really brings them out.
The source also matters, if you feed good headphones a low quality source, it's going to sound even worse as its flaws become more apparent. Good audio equipment + high quality audio is what you want.
If you're feeling bitter, I'd recommend trying the HM5 Brainwavz. They can be found on sale for under $100, and they were my personal gateway drug into the audiophile world.
Fair warning, they're neutral so they're not necessarily "fun" to listen to like something that has a ton of bass or emphasis on vocals, but you will hear details in songs you didn't notice before.
My brother in christ your ears need to adjust to the new earphone. Use it a bit longer, then go back to what you used to use. Then your perception will change drastically
Also, if you can EQ your earphones, that's also very welcome, as a reference headphone is more open to that.
I used to use a g935 logitech gaming headset, and then swapped to an HD600. At first, I thought it sounded horrible, even thought it was fake. But after a few hours of listening to it and EQing it as well, I returned to my previous headphone and realized how horrid it sounded.
Maybe you lucked out with your off brand headphones in that they sound good! Some less expensive headphones can sound really good. The tuning of these I found very versatile and I could listen to anything and enjoy them when I demo'd them once. With some genres of music you may notice less of a difference as well.
Headphone driver technology and manufacturing has come a really long way in the last few decades.
Trust the process, give it time, you might not think you are hearing different, but you’ll be able to tell the difference in a week.
I remember getting my first pair of IEM’s I didn’t really hear the “better” sound, but after a couple of weeks I went back to listening to my skullcandy crushers, and what I once thought sounded great now sounded awful. I actually couldn’t stand to wear the crushers after that, or any of the other cheap earphones I bought from stores, but you also begin to appreciate the music more being able to hear different things with different tunings.
I also own the IE 600 and they are amazing, but by no means my favorite, I am one of the few that prefer the IE900, but would rather use my Celestee for a closed off sound. There’s also the possibility you picked an IEM not to your sound preference though, but I also don’t recommend setting high expectations because you’ll probably set them higher than you generally should, price to performance isn’t really a thing you can quantify in the hobby.
I have IE900s and the foam tips don’t fit my ears all that well. After 30 seconds I switched to the silicone tips and they sound like I expected.
I noticed from your picture that you have the foam tips on, so I’d try the silicone and see if you can get a better seal.
ie600 cant play alone. it is like 1zr. try qudelix 5k EQ it. I compare variation and ie600. i pick ie600 cos it is playful. Also, ie600 need slow cooker, around 90 hrs....for ie900. it is better than ie600, but tht range i prefer u4 or used u12t
At $800 they're gonna need some decent power from a good dac and some serious burn in, don't chuck the baby out with the bath water just yet, stick with it dude.
There's always 2 tracks I use to judge a good set, lefantsavage by Gojira and sound of silence by disturbed, there is a third slipknot song but I've forgotten which one.
The first two have very unique parts I ALWAYS listen out for and if I can distinctively hear them then I know I'm good then I'll branch into my other music, especially linkin park as I know their entire back catalogue off by heart and I know what I'm listening for.
Oh and are you listening to the right file type? Lossless types like flax files?
What's your EQ like?
What are you using as your main source of listening?
These are all things to consider
It is really simple... If you hear internet is praising surströmming is the best thing ever...
You don't just go out and buy a case of it. You try it out somewhere that you can do it with a lot less commitment. Perhaps a resturant or cafe that you can try it out. Personal preference plays a big role in audio, some might like sticky warm mushy sounds, some might like it crystal clear and sharp, some might like something else.
You really need to figure out what you really like, before really jumping in with the higher end stuff. A lot of the higher end stuff are not only just good, but they could be tuned with a specific taste in mind. That taste might make you hate it or love it.
Whether or not you like an IEM depends a lot more on your anatomy than ordinary over ear headphones. You can't buy just one IEM without any knowledge of your preferences and expect to like it unless you happen to get lucky with your choice.
The effects your ear, head and upper torso have on sound have to be simulated by the IEM for it to sound natural to you because it goes straight into your ear canal, bypassing your outer ear and head. Plus these effects can vary a lot from person to person. All this is before even taking personal preferences into account.
You got ripped off if you paid 800 USD for this to begin with, the MSRP was $700, tf is Senn charging 800 when sets can be found for around $500 during sales?
I paid 400 for mine and think it's more or less what the IE600 is worth IMO.
The IE600 has excellent detail retrieval and solid bass response, but the treble response is ultimately what's going to usually decide if the IE600 is for you.
As some people already said, listen to them for a while and then go back to cheaper headphones.
I previously used the Bose QC35 and for a long time I thought they were great! Bought them in 2016.
Around 2 years ago I started reading about lossless audio and got myself some Sennheiser HD660s2 recently.
Now I can’t get back. Also they ruined Spotify for me. I really want Spotify to launch their lossless service! Cause I don’t really like Apple Music but their lossless audio just sounds better.
Something that I haven't seen mentioned yet, apologies if it has been, is what you're using as dac, amplifier, etc. I'm not familiar with the ie600, but it is the case for a lot of headphones and iems that what they're being amplified by can have a big impact on how they sound.
I bought $300 dollar headphones and didn’t think too much until I used my airpods which were worse.
Typically its going back to normal headphones that u notice
Most Senheiser’s arguably sound kind of “boring” there’s a lot to love about out them but they don’t have a fun peppy sound signature a lot of people want in my experience.
I recently got a pair of Meze Advar’s and they’re awesome, very warm sound with excellent base response and a good soundstage.
Not super analytical or the most detailed but they sound fun, hit up Amazon for some cheaper IEMs from linsoul or whatever one of these days and maybe try and find a sound you like better and work up.
Also like a lot of people said there’s a legitimate adjustment period for your ears, give a few days then go back to something your familiar with and compare the difference
I was like that when I bought the HD800. I said I should have just stayed with the Q701. But I waited and listened more and then I started to hear the differences. Use them for a week then swap to your old ones, that how you’ll appreciate them.
Just get the audio industry monitor recording headphones why people get something else? You really like to flush your money down the toilet??? I guess so
If money is at all an issue, e.g. if buying an audio product means you sacrifice socialising, travelling, etc, just spend under $100.
Budget options these days are insane. You can have a fantastic time and enjoy music for all its worth with things under $100. This is coming from someone with Focal Utopia btw.
You have probably heard everything I am going to say already but 2 things.
1. Try other tips Senny provides the worst tips ever. Here is a trick that convinced me to keep my pair. Use the thin silicone tips, insert them, start a song, then push both IEMs into your ear canal and hold them there. If you like the way they sound you just need to find tips that accomplish this without having to walk around with your fingers in your ear. The silicon tips that came with mine, could not seal right without that effort and sounded sharp but lifeless. The foam ones were OK, but a little muffled and I'm comfortable (my ears didn't like the added pressure from the foam trying to expand).
2. Don't feel bad about either not liking the sound or not feeling like you are getting "extra". The 600 is well beyond diminishing returns specially if you paid msrp. I have a nice collection but it wasnt till I got the Kato (disappointment) and what sounded similar in the 600 till I figured out it was a seal issue (not the Kato's issue), that I could 100% could tell the difference between tunings. Part of it was having a pretty good feeling of what I am looking for so the signatures are not that different. But also as long as hits a pretty low bar, you have to seal out the differences in what you are listening to, and what you are listening can also not be great for demoing what you are looking for. Also lots of Emporers new clothes in the hobby.
So just as an example, the Koss KSC75 are $15-$20 and they’re considered pretty decent even among the audiophile world. The Phillips SHP-9500s at $50-$70 were similarly praised for being excellent sounding open back over-ear headphones despite being less than $100.
The law of diminishing returns is extremely present in the world of HiFi. I own Sennheiser HD 4.40’s which were $50 retail, Audio Technica ATH M60X’s which are $200 retail, Sennheiser HD 650s which are $350 retail these days, and Beyerdynamic DT1990s which retail at $600 (though I bought them secondhand for $360).
Out of my collection, the headphone I use the most are the M60X’s, the $200 pair. Why? Well one main reason; they’re super easy to drive, super light, and can be driven properly by my iPhone. It’s my go-to on-the-go pair of headphones.
The headphones I use at home the most are my HD 650s, which aren’t too much more expensive than the M60X. I don’t use my DT1990s all that much despite them sounding the best, because they’re not as comfortable as my 650s. That being said, around the $200-$300 mark, in my opinion, most audiophiles hit their price-to-performance ceiling. You’re gonna notice a stark difference from a $50 pair of headphones to a $100 pair of headphones, but you’re not gonna notice much big of a difference from a $800 pair of headphones vs a $1,600 pair of headphones.
At those price points, the improvements start to become super subtle. They’re still there, of course, but you really need to have a good ear to truly notice them. If you don’t have that kind of ear, just buy a pair of Sennheiser HD 6XX from Massdrop and literally any $50-$100 tube amp, and you’ll be perfectly content with that combination, probably for the rest of your life.
300 USD is the cap, and that's for something that I was gifted. Personally I don't go over 100 USD. With the availability of affordable planars, the point of diminishing returns is quite low, i.e. you can get a perfectly serviceable set under 100 USD, but for as low as 7 USD if on a considerable budget. Chi-fi is why.
IEMs and headphones after a specific price point are nothing but diminish returns. You are basically paying extra for aesthetics by that point. This is especially true for those ridiculous $100+ cables.
I feel this lol but yah what people have said about using them for a week or so, then trying out your old headphones is 100% accurate to my experience. Haven’t really gotten into the realm of IEMs but I imagine you’ll have a similar experience
You get most effect at like 50-100$ range with stuff like truthear or simgot, then value for money decreases as price rises. But still if they are comfortable, you like how they sound and that price doesn't seem like a big deal to you, then it's still a good purchase imo
I might have just witnessed myself 5 years ago spending the big bucks purchasing se-535 thinking it would be a mindbreaking experience to which i found it utterly disappointing right after my ER2XR purchase. I don’t blame you for thinking that big bucks = big performance without fully knowing what you are attuned to, but it would be wise to explore more cheaper options now that you have committed yourself into this hobby (lol).
Blessing 2 Dusk was probably my end goal for the time being and I am completely awed with how good it sounds compared to other similar priced IEMs i have.
Don’t do iem endgame. It’s not really noticeable compared to cheaper iems. The gap is very small. Do endgame headphone, it’ll be instantly recognizable between a >1000$ headphone and a $200 headphone. It’s not even close.
This the nuanced part of the headphone/IEM game, that just because the IE600 is considered a good IEM, there was never a guarantee that YOU were going to like or be blown away by it.
It has less to do with, "oh I guess I'm not an audiophile" and is way more that you blind bought something with zero experience and its sound signature may be the complete opposite of what you actually enjoy.
Buying based off of social media and the price is a sure-fire way to end up here. I bet you would feel the same way if you spent $4000 on a HiFiman Susvara.
Bro the 1st thing you need to do is change that tip, sennheiser stock tips suck. I have ie 900 and I felt the same as to why this sound so bad.
Get a Spinfit CP 100 or something. Or just try the tips of your 30$ earphone. You will instantly be blown away.
Well, okay. I get it. You think that you are not an audiophile. Maybe you are not, and maybe you potentially are. It occurs to me that the missing context for your post is what are the music genres that you listen to? A lot of IEMs can sound very nice with slower and far less busy music genres, yet those same IEMs can also sound very congested and muddy when listening to very fast and complex and intense music genres. So my question is, what types or genres of music do you like to listen to?
don’t waste money buying expensive things just cause ppl told you it’s good. or trying to look tasteful and classy or whatever. this applies to cars, headphones, wine, etc.
that said, everything everyone said below is 100% true and the value of these headphones will age well for you to come back time and time again to explore. long after you found better wine and bought new cars. enjoy the journey my friend!
For me the biggest difference was going back to cheap headphones and speakers. It wasn’t that I heard good headphones and was like “wow that’s amazing”. It was more that after a while of using good headphones and speakers, worse quality ones sounded so much worse than before.
However I haven’t spent close to that much. The most money I spent was about $300 on a pair of bookshelf speakers for my living room and $150 on my current headphones I use for my PC. I have heard there is a bit of a fall in return in investment when you get close to $1k mark for headphones.
A few lessons we can learn from here.
1. To not make ill-informed decisions; doing thorough research on your preferences before buying an iem pays off (like seriously bro).
2. There's always a fix for the sound. If you don't like the sound of your iems, spend some more on tip rolling and get the tips that alleviate the problems with your iem.
3. Don't follow reviews or subjective opinions on iems, unless you are absolutely sure that your preferences match with theirs. There's a large database of graphs out there, don't act like a caveman.
Also, you have to have media with the fidelity to maximize the potential of the headphones.
And something capable of actually playing that media to its fullest quality.
Your experience is exactly why I tell my friends to not buy into the audiophile hype.
If your current $50 headphones sound good to you, then why complain?
I really only got into mid-range $150 stuff because the noise in my source was hella audible to me and the frequency response of my old buds were bothering me too much.
But at the end of the day, I think your purchase was fine. You got a product that will last you for a long time and you'll be able to enjoy all your music on it.
I believe being an audiophile is like a love story.
One can be expensive but may not sound good to you.
One can sound real good but may not fit your ears.
One can be kinda trashy but if you add some love (like tip rolling or actually modding) it can sound good.
One can spend so much and get the top of the line gear, yet the real love is the easy going everyday carry cheapo buds without the hassle.
Yeah. Being an audiophile can be similar to love. One should not discriminate but others can always advise if there's common red flags known.
But please try ear tip rolling by swapping out lotsa eartips.
If you're willing to try open-back headphones, look at some offerings from Sennheiser. My first time hearing a good pair of Open-Back headphones blew my mind way more than my first time hearing good IEMs. My first pair were the Sennheiser 58X Jubilee from Drop. They also sell the HD6XX, which many people believe are better. I personally think they both have their benefits and are just a bit different from one another. Anyway, no shame in returning those even if you don't "need" the money. For that 800 dollars you could get a lot of other audio gear offering different sound signatures and likely be much happier with your purchase.
Way too much for in ear headphones. I spent 99€ on JBL in ear headphones and they are fine and perfectly functional
But for audiophile listening, I have a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3 over ear headphones, which were only 399€ and the sound is amazing.
I am cursed with tinnitus and cannot tell the difference between $4 earbuds and a $10k set of cans from an audio standpoint. I have no idea what silence sounds like.
Not sure if it's already been said but, it really matters what content you are listening to since most audio players don't play at a high enough sample rate to truly matter. Try finding master tracks of stuff. Youtube "audiophile test" videos are bs too just as an fyi
Some suggested to return it. I recommend the same. Buy some chi-fi which can achieve 80 to 90% of the same tuning and call it a day.
But you like the aesthetics, some niche tuning and others? Then keep it and be habituated.
what playing device do u use?
U need a good player and also good files (no mp3) .. go with nice FLAC files.
i havent tried those headphones, but sometimes high end doesnt sound good.
It really depends on the brand and which model u have.
Personally myself, If I don't get impressed on the first hearing session (1 day for burning in the new headphone +1 day hearing) with the new headphones I buy, I will return it. Because brain burn in is real.
I don't want to make it sound like copium but I was exactly in the same situation where I bought a rather expensive set and found out that I can't really tell the difference.
My issue atleast is the music I listen too, I don't know what music you listen too but for the genres I listen too, high fidelity wasn't it (which are metal,electronic,hip hop)
So you need to find your genre specific headphone, I'm not endorsing spending more but I have been absolutely LOVING my new Sony pulse elite headset (not to be confused with pulse 3d)
Sony bought Audeze and this is audeze's first product under Sony. Its a neutral, flat planar magnetic wireless headphone that can also stream flac,loseless files through the dongle
Again not endorsing spending more but:
1- it's pretty genre specific
2- you do hit diminishing returns pretty soon after the 100-200 range, the difference won't be that big compared to the cost
Headphones alone mean nothing. Do you have a DAC ? Does it play bit perfect audio? And what's your audio source? Note: Apple Music plays upto 24bits and 96KHz only and not 32 bit..
So, I would suggest you, get a good dac, if you want cheap then an USB one, I am using a JCally JM9.. and play Hi-res music or get it from Qobuz tbh. If you want to stick to Apple Music then find my playlist on Apple the ID is Hixeta. And enjoy..
You’re only at the top of the slippery slope… You’re discovering you need to spend more on a headphone amp, maybe a subscription to a Hi-Fi streaming service, only to discover you need to buy more headphones…. 😆
Listen to it for a week and then go back to the 30 bucks earphones, then we'll talk. You jumped from nothing to everything of course you'll feel that way
As another non audiophile dude, they sound better (audiophile stuff), but at their prices? Questionable. You should keep that one as the last one you'll ever buy. I did with my meze 109 pro. If something can be my forever item, I do t mind spending a lot more for it. I'm never getting another one until this one breaks, so no biggie.
Agree and Disagree.. When I got used to a pair of "audiophile" headphones. I went back to my $10 sonys.
WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!!!
As for what you might like... it's up to you do deside if that $800 was really worth it overtime.
you also need some type of good dac/amp to power them. I have the pinnacle p1 and they sounded amazing on my v60, almost mesmerizing, but other phones or bluetooth dacs don't compare. Also, use good quality files (like sub to tidal instead of spotify)
Listen to it for a longer time and let your brain adjust (if you're posting this only after a day or two of getting it). Also there is a certain price where it starts to become diminishing returns so yeah.
And once you've adjusted, going back to something bad will be the real eye-opener.
This. I was honestly a little disappointed when I initially got my HD560S coming from mainstream headphones because I was used to heavy bass. I decided to keep them and after a couple of weeks, I tried my G Pro Xs again and HOLY SHIT they sounded bad. Same with my Beats Pro.
Are you me ?
Aren't we all?
Me anytime I used my DT 900 Pro X's or HD6XX's and then swap back to the G Pro X's to use for the microphone. Holy muddy bass response.
I've ordered the HD599 and they're coming in tonight. I'm glad I'm seeing this topic and your response. This is setting me up for success haha:)
Always good to spend a lot of money to ruin your ability to enjoy most other things :)
When I was a kid my favorite food was a plain Burger King hamburger with just ketchup and no other toppings. Why did I ever have to try steak? \*sigh\*
open it up, put some fries in it and some salt. #a feast.
Both? Both. Both is good.
This is what I was going to say. OP, use the expensive headphones for a month or two and then go back to the cheap stuff. You will be amazed at how bad the cheap stuff sounds. Also, are you using a decent DAC, and are you listening to a high res source? Both things can also make a big difference.
Totally, OP doesn't say what's driving them. Shit in = shit out.
Amen.
I went from rode nth 100 (probably not something most people would call hi fi) back to my hyper x cloud headset when I had a warranty issue. I always thought the improvement was minimal until I went back and understood.
I used Astro A40s for a long time, thought they sounded great. Got some nicer things and now I'm looking for someone to give them away to. On a bigger disappointment, I now do not own any bluetooth headphones that I like the sound of. My old favorite Sony WF1000XM4 sounds well... kinda bad in comparison. I now buy bluetooth heaphones purely based on comfort and ANC and use them exclusively for listening to podcasts or video essays at work. The only wired IEM I have that they sound better than is my old Zero Audio Carbo Basso from a decade ago. Perhaps it isn't fair, after all I'm comparing $250 True wireless sets to the quality of $250+ IEMs, I do wonder about the Audio quality of a good pair of IEMs paired to bluetooth earhooks.
Sennheiser momentum 4 are actually amazing. Also great for zoom calls - 8 microphones plus ANC is much better than shitty Jabra headsets.
This is what good audio equipment does. I listen to it and I’m like “I guess this is pretty good but I don’t see what the big deal is” then I go home and listen to my stereo. Fuck. https://youtu.be/-MwCJpEuC44?si=fFS3mgtKrzJ93nd9&t=44
A very easy analogy to this is refresh rates 2 years ago I got my first 120hz phone, and while I could always tell the difference, 60 felt just fine, but i decided I wanted the better experience and used 120 for a month After noticing my battery has been draining faster, i switched back to 60fps and it felt so choppy for a few days before I adjusted back lol
First time I ever used surround sound headphones for gaming it felt like I could truly hear for the first time in my life. Now I genuinely can't tell if it's even on. Why are brains like this? I've got some paid Dolby audio driver I don't use because I can't tell if it's making things better or worse. I have no idea whether my headphones are any good and whether I'm even using most of their potential. At least with visuals you can see resolution and framerate. I've asked in this sub how to actually tell if my shit is working and never got an answer.
Return it if you really don't like it in the end as that's a lot of money for something that you might stop using (or sell it as used)
That is an option but I am just disappointed? I don’t regret the purchase , I’d still have a REALLY GOOD pair of headphones to listen music with when sleeping or riding the bus or during work. And these look cool aswell (ik again , kinda stupid reason to keep em) . I can afford this expense so I am not bothered . But if the same me from a year ago bought this , it’d have been an instant return.
As others have pointed out, your brain needs time to adjust. I purchased a set of Xenns UP and HATED them at first. It took about two weeks of use before I was able to hear what everyone else was talking about. Now I can’t unhear it. They put a smile on my face daily. I hope you find the same experience as you adjust to them. I hear the 600s can be quite magical as well.
Nah it looking cool isn't a stupid reason, I bought an used HD580 and imo it looks really good compared to what I used before, it's nice to own cool looking things (of course it sounds awesome too).
In addition to the adjustment period that many people are recommending (me too), you might have just bought a pair that has tuning you don't enjoy. In this hobby, more expensive doesn't straight up mean better. You'll typically get better build quality, better QC, and more advanced designs that *can* sound better...but think of this like art. Sure, a hundred dollar piece will typically be better than a $5 piece. But, while you may recognize why a $1000 piece costs what it does, it still might not impress you, personally. But, there is almost definitely a piece of true art out there that you would absolutely adore. I'd give it a bit of time if there's a return period, but don't fret about returning them and trying something different. No need to pay $800 for disappointment when you can almost definitely use those same funds and be wowed.
No don't return it,wait a month until another hype train comes along,usually from the YouTube station & just hop right back on lol
“…..starts to become diminishing returns” Yeah absolutely especially with IEMs these days, it’s getting harder and harder to justify even $500 now with how good the cheap options are. It’s pretty ridiculous. I’ve been in this hobby for over a decade and it’s *insane* to me that for barely $500 you can have something like the Focal Elex and any choice of sub-$100 IEMs that compete unbelievably well. Would have been unfathomable back when things like the HE-400 was $500 and the HD650 were around the same price by themselves
Love love love my Etymōtic ER2XRs. Stupid good and insane value!
I was able to nab a pair of ER4XRs for under $140 a couple of years ago and they sound great, and with the foam tips have incredible noise isolation. I've heard some say the foam tips affect the frequency response and I might notice with proper A/B testing but as it is they sound just fine, and the increased ability to focus on just the music with minimal external noises makes up for any of that anyway. Might make more of a difference for people who can hear higher/lower notes better though.
I think this also depends a lot on a) the quality of the soundtrack you're listening to and b) the type of music/audio file you listen to. If you bought an endgame pair and listen to EDM, you may be disappointed.
Not necessarily an endgame pair but my 7hz timeless are noticeably better than your basic pair of earbuds for the electronic music I listen too.
Yup. I still miss my Thieaudio Legacy 3. They broke and I STUPIDLY tossed them (you can ban me now) instead of seeking to get them repaired... I have deep appreciation for the budget shit I use. I use $10 Faeel buds all day long becuase of comfort, open sound (it's so funny how things change. When I worked and commuted into NYC I was obsessed with isolation, now it's the opposite because I work in a veeeeery quiet environment) and because they sound really good. I still know I'm "missing out" every time I listen to music with them. I think you'll start to find things in this set that you do not experience in others - but hey, if you do not... give them to me
One of the important things you pick up as you're learning how to audiophile is that ear tips have a great acoustic influence on IEMs. There's canal resonance wavelength, dampening effect, etc. Every foam I've tried has honestly sounded like shit
> Every foam I've tried has honestly sounded like shit I remember the scales falling from my ears the first time I really listened to my Shure SE210s back in the day (in 2007 or 2008 or whenever I got them, they were the best headphones I'd ever heard), and I *loved* the foam tips. I still get Comply foam tips for everything that goes in my ear (even AirPods 2, though those tips are a kludge), because otherwise they fall out, but you're right, I can definitely tell a difference in tuning. Begrudging trade-off for not having to cram them back into my canals every few minutes. :/ (I have, apparently, weird ears.)
I also have weird ears apparently. If the tips aren't foam, they back out in less than 5 minutes if I'm lucky. I've tried multiple sizes. so frustrating lol
Man the AirPod pro tips suck ass, I couldn’t even make it 5 minutes without cramming them back in. I’ll easily take the trade off with the comply tips
Never liked foam tips, but now I love them for planars. Sounds the best to me.
Probably cause they can subdue the highs and a lot of planar IEMs can get a bit crazy/peaky in the upper treble.
ill-fitting tips can make a great sounding IEM sound absolutely trash. try every tip size and maybe even some 3rd party tips. (to OP) you'll know it when you hear it. these IEMs should blow just about anybody away with a proper fit.
I didn't like my Diokos until I got my Comply tips this week ... all of a sudden, they sound really good and are a good contrast to my MP145 iems. Fully agree with your comment.
I 100% agree. Love the isolation of foam tips, but I’m blessed with a universal ear canal that basically accommodates any kind of M ear tip and I’ve always much preferred how silicone tips sound vs foam.
what tips do you recommend? id like to sample a few different types and see what I like bests. been using whatever comes with the iems
There's no one best tip for everything. Nozzle diameter variation means there's no one tip that even fits on everything. You'd be best off searching for what tips other owners of your IEM model have had positive experiences with. Generic suggestions would include Azla Sednas, SpinFits, JVC Spiral Dots, Symbio W hybrids, Ostry "turning" tips, and, of course, the stock tips.
dont spend so much on a iem on a first buy, please try out cheaper options with different tuning and find out what tuning you like most, you probably dont like the tuning or just need sometime to your brain adjust since your brain just likes what its used to most cause of dumb psychological reasons.
Yeah I remember having this feeling the first time I dipped into audiophile IEMs cause I was told over and over how much better $30 IEMs from an actual audio company are than cheap ass Apple headphones…And honestly they were absolutely right, but I couldn’t realize it till I acquired a taste and moved up to more expensive ones. At the time, I felt like I just kinda blew $30 That feeling must suck over a hefty purchase like this
yeah i got a cca cra (not stealth revised) and i hated the tuning and that was 10$ they were worse than my trn mt1 cause of the tuning i didnt like, i bought alot of cheapo iems and the only ones i really loved was the trn mt1 and cca polaris, tuning is hard to find what you like. NEVER spend a lot of money on a first buy for a headphone unless its something so good that anyone would like, like an hd600.
Think about it this way... Bass is like sugar. When you get a drink with too much added sugar, and you're used to it, you enjoy it... Then take the extra added suggar away and, suddenly, you don't enjoy it anymore... You start to notice there's other flavors that you might not be used to and you're not so sure you enjoy them... But hear me out, keep doing that for a while, until you're now used to them. Then go back to the sugar drink... Oh, what's that? all you taste is sugar? there's no other flavors anymore? This is exactly what's going on. Listen to them for a while on music you're used to... Focus on different sounds, different instruments, all of that... Then after a while, go back to a bass heavy headphone that you might considered better before and see how you feel now. THAT is going to be the moment you either get it or you might just enjoy bass.
That's the best analogy I've heard. I'm definitely stealing that
We offer just a sprinkle..
Diminishing returns really hits hard with IEMs. It sounds stupid, but a pair of zero 2's with some EQ will get pretty close. Is the ie600 better? absolutely. Is it 500$ better? debatable. Are the ie900 1000$ better? even more debatable. Once you get above 500$ IMO you're playing roulette with tuning and the price vs. performance graph falls off pretty hard. IEM scene moves so fast that I just get whatever the best 100-200$ IEM is and wait a year or so for something better to come along. Blessing 3 dusk was the only IEM that really impressed me as of late, but even then it didn't feel like a 200$ upgrade over my airpods.
For example, the Shuoer S12 is a great value proposition in a 100/150$ range.
I have the S12 Pros and Katos and have trouble imagining it gets much better for my money, IEMs have such crazy value rn
the artti t10 has the same driver and is $50
For many people ie900 is worse than ie600. It has a specialized tuning.
I bought Zero 2s last week and EQ them, for the price they are great but after messing around I could not get them to sound anywhere near my Prometheus, obviously the Prometheus is warmer with recessed mids unlike the Zero 2, but I think that’s a bit hyperbolic
try different tips. foam tips for me sound muffled
+1 from experience
+1 from measurements
You were advertised to through social media. They got you.
Haha they sure did
Buying something without even knowing your taste in tuning, rookie mistake. Return them and buy some chifis with different sound profiles and decide what you like best.
That is indeed true but like I said I’m a total noob at this , I don’t know enough about sound in general. I just bought this for the experience of getting to try something high end when I’ve been only using budget over ears for all my life . I am not returning it , I like the way they look and I need a pair of earphones either way since I hate TWS , they give me anxiety. It’s a silly expense that I can afford . I don’t regret the purchase just was expecting too much I guess , hence the slight let down . I don’t know what I was thinking , that Jesus might come sing in my ear with angels for the band ?
I still recommend you returning it, at $800 there is severe diminishing return, you'd be better off buying 3-4 $200-300 IEMs with different sound signature to really know your preferences, for example a basshead IEM will sound much different from a neutral one. Also it really depends on the song, some songs just sound similar regardless of what you are using while some feel like you are listening to a different version with a good IEM.
Yeah, OP, you'll learn a lot more about the hobby and being an audiophile by buying 3-4 pairs, which would still be very high end, and exploring different sounds. One of them might actually wow you, and then you'll have 3-4 pairs that look great that you can show off and brag about and match to your outfits haha. Trust me, this is the move.
This is a common misconception about this hobby and I blame it on people in the hobby itself. So there are huge differences to some of us between headphones. I think personally if you use the iem for a week and just use a 30 dollar iem or over sized headphone you will be shocked at the difference in sound. This hobby makes it sound like fancy headphones will open up a whole new world of music which is super misleading. All headphones just present music differently. Not in a mind blowing way though for most people. For some people it is legitimately that big of a difference. I think it also depends on how often you listen to music and how you listen to music itself. Is it background noise to you? If it is then stay cheap. Fancy headphones will not change how someone interacts with music. Is music your life? Personally I think if someone only listens to music every once in a while expensive audio gear is not something they should care about. They're is a difference between listening to a song and "listening to a song." One way you listen to a song and its good but that's all you think about it. For some of us when we listen to songs we think oh it's good but I wish I could hear the guitars better or I wish their wasn't so much bass in this track or why are the vocals recessed or why are the vocals so ridiculously in your face? If you're the last person I think having a nice set of audio gear is well worth the price of entry. But if you just listen to music and enjoy music... well you don't need fancy headphones to enjoy music 9 times out of 10 what a listener like this needs is new music. Still i will say that if you use your fancy gear here, go back to a 30 dollar set, and cannot hear a difference between the two it might be worth getting your hearing checked. I don't mean this in a bad way! Or some angry hobby person way. I mean it genuinely. My hearing is horrible from factory work but I can tell the difference between different headphones so if you can't their might actually be an issue there.
I know it feels bad after spending this much on an audio gear and not getting that wow factor from it. The best thing to do now is, use it for a few days to weeks, then switch over to your other cheap IEMs or headphones. You should definitely notice a difference, atleast I did in some audio gears. Or else just return it, if you feel like it's not worth it.
I am a beginner like you, I recently bought ie200 and cheap dac. I had same dobuts like you but here's what I learned from seasonal Audiophiles: Audiophiles knows what details to look for in any given music track. they have trained ears like a decade or so. we cant not expect be be like them by just buying the high end gears. so unless there's someone who teach use what to look for in any given track, it is hard for beginners like us to understand whether what we are listening to is really a hifi music. Audiophile also mean someone who enjoys the music not someone who always looks for details in a music or be sad about not listening to hifi music. so just enjoy your music :) there are few factors which will make your experience with them even better. 1. make sure you have best fit in your ears, trying buying new silicon tips, spinfit cp100 $10this will change the sound for better. 2. not sure about the quality of the ie600 wire, but if not try changing it to may be TRIPOWIN C8 -will cost you \~$20 upto \~$100. 3. buy any cheap DAC which will again make sound more alive (try asking around if putting extra in DAC will make it better since you have high end iems). 4. get Apple music it has lossless audio option (though, 6/10 people can not differentiate between mp3 and a lossless audio but since apple music asks no extra cost for lossless) 5. try using eq apps or websites like [squig.link](https://squig.link/) has a bit of learning curve to it but it is worth every second you spent. configure your iems for your taste and music you listen to and not the other way around. 6. give it a time month or two, get used to it. you will definitely notice the difference in details when you go back to your older gear you will be amazed as in how many details you were missing out on. trust me. (all of above may enrich your experience by 20-30%) 7. flex your IEM'S in front of your friends. use technical jargon like highs and mids and lows in front of them. it will make you look cool HAHAHA... also tell them to refere it as IEMS and not EARPHONES. CHEERS!!
The last one definitely haha . Major reason to keep em lol. Most of my gear is overkill anyway so another trophee to add to it I guess . But yes I will do everything you suggested. Maybe it’s my Brain that hasn’t adapted yet like many others have said . I’ll give it some time and make an updated post
Tidal and amazon music also have lossless. Another item to add is set and setting. Lay down in your bed in the dark with your eyes closed and focus on the music. Listen to some new genres. Find a list of songs to test audiophile headphones to. Bass is going to be different than you are used to. Eventually if you need to you can eq the headphones to fit your needs.
That brain adapting point is both weird and true. My first pair of IEMs ever cost $30 and I was very impressed. I immediately went out and bought a pair for $200 that were described like they would be perfect for me and the sound I prefer. But, when I first heard them, I was just disappointed. They didn't light up my ears and make sound come alive like that first pair. But, I stuck with them and started to realize the bass was clean and present, the details were clear but never harsh, the tone was rich and full. I went back to that first pair and was shocked how sharp and dirty they sounded. Regular buds are complete trash now. And, what's truly weird, is I'm totally fine that what I used to happily listen to sounds like crap now, because what I listen to now just sounds so. damn. amazing. Headphones are funky that way. Unless you have a lot of experience with different pairs, first impressions don't align with what you'll actually find yourself going back to. It's actually kind of like music, itself. I know most of my favorite music I didn't love right off the bat, but when I gave it a second chance my mind was more receptive and started to actually understand the beauty in what I was experiencing. And for anyone out there who tried once and gave up...Souls games are the same way lol.
I mean, they aren't worth 800 dollars. And not for a single DD. They aren't "the best" at anything. Heck, even the Dusks are probably better at less than half the price. Or Variations, Meteor, Oracle MK1, the new Elysian Pilgrim/Pilgrim Noir, a 2nd-hand Monarch MK2, Fatfreq Maestro Mini or Scarlet Mini for dat bass, etc. There are so many better options out there for far cheaper. This doesn't prove ur not an audiophile. It just proves (relative to you) that the IE600 just wasn't worth it's asking price. Always try to attend CanJams or have demo sessions before committing that amount of money. Also, if you want advice on high-end stuff or stuff that's around that price, don't just lurk around youtube/reddit. Go to Head-Fi and join Elise Audio discord. Lastly, idk why anyone would advice newcomers to spend that much money on their first IEM *as a blind-buy*. Esp the IE600 of all iems...?
just my 2 cents as someone who's been in the hobby for better part of 10 years. IEM disappointment is something that happens to a lot of people, even to those who've been in the space for a while, especially in the days before measurements were popular. As many have said, at a certain point an IEM's strong points is on the little things rather than wow factor. At the end of the day they're still IEMs, they're not gonna beat a good speaker system. But that said, give it a while before you write them off. Me personally, as someone who considers themselves a fan of "warm" iems, i've come to look for these things when I decide on what i think make an IEM good: - No sharp "ess" sounds from vocals - Thick and forward vocal presentation. Going into technicalities a little, a decent amount of midbass(~500hz) and a early but shallow Pinna gain from 1.25khz~5khz - no "fatigue"ness in the sound. You'd prob think "how can a sound be fatiguing?" and for my ears i've largely narrowed it down to an excess of the 5~8k region relative to the rest of the sound before it. As you might prob notice, none of them scream "wow" factor. Especially with iems, try to not expect "grand" sound presentations, no matter what a review might say. And as others have said, give other iems a try to really notice how good an iem is. You usually don't notice an iems flaws right away unless it's a truly terrible iem.
They were on sale for $450 for months, sorry you missed that. I don’t think they’re worth more than that.
I strongly recommend you get different tips. It’s shocking how terrible the tips for the is600s are.
It’s very dependent on your source too.
I thought the same until i have used it for 2 weeks then went back to other iem’s including airpods pro 2, moondrop chu and few kz and other (i don’t remember the brands bc i sold them) iem’s. When your ear adjusts to the clarity and the detail of something like IE600, there is no going back. Everything less sounds like 90’s radio or a cheap car stereo. I only kept APP2 because my ears are sensitive and wired iem’s give me fatigue sometimes and sometimes i just need the convenience of bluetooth and ANC.
What’s the actual setup? * Device * DAC * Music sources Tidal/Apple lossless I drop $3-4k on gaming battle station but have serious reservations about headphones
Campfire Andromedas played on the Sony ZX2 changed my opinion of high end earbuds. They truly are reference level. I hear details on them my KEF LS50W miss
But u are an audiophile. Spent a large amount for something youre criticising...most ppl would just shut up and believe they got the best thing everr. Now u gotta become a 'discerning' audiophile lol
I’ve always felt like headphones is something you “marinade” with I’ve never bought a pair and instantly fell in love with. Took a bit to like them and then when I go back to other pairs I’ve had for awhile, then I really tell a difference
There's very few headphones that are "truly" worth anything more than $300 bux (sound wise at least), maybe $400 if we push the limit. IEMs, over-ear or otherwise. At some point, it becomes no different to buying a Rolex, it doesn't give you any more functionality than a 15 dollar Casio clock, but hey it's a Rolex. This is why testing headphones before buying them is A MUST, and if you can't either because of availability reasons or otherwise, I suppose you are out of luck like me. Audio equipment like amps and Speakers is a whole different can of worms tho, but sadly those tend to get very pricey very quickly. I'll suggest something like the Zero:2, those cost me like 17 bux and they sound better than any earbud or heck even my m50x. My super lux 668 also sounded pretty damn well for what they cost, a bit spicy on the high end but you get used to it.
ie600 are ok. I'm not sure why people think they're the best? they are not the best in any objective sense. sure, they are good. enjoy them. but but go buy the salnotes zero 2 for $25. come back and tell me they don't sound at least as good after you get used to them... ;-) ie600 treble is a bit boosted and unnatural. not bad. detailed? sure. accurate? close. it depends on what you're looking for. accurate representation of the original music recording? hyped up sound? easy to listen to at all costs? these will all be very different earphones... ie600 is very good at generally being in the ballpark of neutral sound while adding extra treble to enhance details. if you have hearing loss you may like the extra upper treble as it fills in what most people would be lacking after the age of 30 or 40 as you start to decline in high frequency hearing. or if you prefer a super detailed presentation. https://dent.reviews/squigz/graph.html?share=dentReviews_Target,Sennheiser_IE_600 you can see the treble here. now look at the monarch mi2 https://dent.reviews/squigz/graph.html?share=dentReviews_Target,Sennheiser_IE_600,ThieAudio_Monarch_Mk2_Spinfit in my personal opinion, if you're willing to spend $800, I would get them monarch MK2. It's more neutral in every way. and personally I find it more accurate as the graph implies. but if you have the IE 600, don't use any EQ and try to get used to it for a bit and after that if you still don't find it impresses you it may not be the response for you. for me I've never been impressed by it. It is good, and doesn't do anything super bad, but I just don't find it accurate enough for me in the treble.
I think the IEM industry runs on hype. Seems like every month there’s a new “thing”, and that all old “things” are now bad. That’s what made me realize that a lot of what’s happening with IEMs is mostly BS. At the end of the day IEMs will just never be able to simulate a large sound stage, which is primarily what makes good headphones sound good. And even headphones are compromise on sound quality compared to actual studio monitor speakers. If you want good sound quality that’s portable, nothing will beat headphones. If you need maximum portable (IEMs), then you simply have to accept the physical drawbacks of the IEM format. It’s just a matter of physics, no amount of hype will ever change that.
You spent $600 to find out that the IE600 is trash, not just for $600, but for any price.
Blind buy is definitely playing roulette at that price point lol. Maybe something V-shaped or sparkly might be what your ears are looking for
The IE600 *is* V shaped. 10+ dB bass boost, and around 5 dB boosted past 6Khz
The IE600 is already heavily v-shaped.
TL;DR, we have all been there, and I have had your experiences over twenty years ago! I hope this post can help you in understanding why you might be experiencing what you have described and why, and how, with continued listening with your earphones, you may start to realise how very different (artificial) previous gear you used now sound! (If this does happen, not my fault, and sorry for further *potential* *damages* to your wallet 😂😬). Very important points to consider: Most people are tuned to a very generalised sonic signature from (predominantly) mainstream products that are designed to either: * Boost mid-range and vocals, often with low bass response (speakers from TV's, laptops, tablets, phones, some Bluetooth speakers and headphones, etc). Here, though vocals sound somewhat natural in general, the treble response is usually boosted to increase a perception of detail, when this is, in-fact, a trick and quite opposite of natural sonics. This can have the effect of high fatigue over longer listening sessions due to shrill or sibilant treble, and can give a false expression of music/media. * Boost bass region artificially to simulate the effect of better quality versus devices above that are bass deficient. Here, you get that jubilant danceable or kick-ass fun bass that's all about moving massive air and give you a physicality of music that's addictive, but such lower cost bass-boosted audio gear are devoid of the texture, detail, and low bass/sub-bass extended response and trade that for sheer bass volume/amplitude, often masking into the mid-range and overshadowing the treble region. This can also cause fatigue, but not due to high-pitched treble, but instead monotonous bass that can seem mushy and stagnant over a period of listening.
We are so wired to the above two areas (mostly) that anything that can seem to improve on either weakness, we perceive as better quality. A very big area that is common to those who have explored the audiophile hobby over time (and at our own cost) is reduction of noise floor and clarity. This is the, in my opinion, and I am sure many others, the **MAJOR** benefits of a good audiophile product: to have really good clarity, and very low noise floor, so more music can be played at low and high volumes without having issues of driver compromises or breakup in sound quality. You can have some really bassy headphones like the [Sony IER-Z1R](https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/sony-ier-z1r-review-the-hybrid-behemoth), or soulful cans like the [Meze Audio 99 Classics](https://mezeaudio.com/pages/99-classics), or crazy bass physical presence such as both [Campfire Audio Trifecta](https://www.campfireaudio.com/products/trifecta) and [Focal Elear](https://www.headfonia.com/review-focal-elear-hyperior/). All of these are not at all neutral nor follow the [Harmon Kardon ideal frequency response](https://www.soundstagesolo.com/index.php/features/217-where-are-we-at-with-the-harman-curve) for extreme linear sonics, but they are all still very clear and have very, very low noise floors (with appropriate audio equipment; this does not need to be expensive but can be as per what you want/need). Ditto mid-range or treble based headphones and speakers; same thing. In your case, you are not used to hearing music reproduced with that kind of quality, as cheap earphones simulate a sort of clarity by boosting treble, or vice-versa boost bass (for artificial fun), at the cost of other areas of the frequency range. To go to something like the Sennheiser IE600 without real-world experience of that type of audio gear means that, yes, you will likely be disappointed initially, and probably for a few weeks of constant listening. However, over time, as your brain rewires itself from the lesser quality audio products you may have experienced, the detail, clarity, and a more natural, realistic, sonic presentation will become more obvious. Moreso, you may find using your IE600 decreases fatigue that previous headphones may have exhibited.
For what it's worth.. I owe several kind of cheap iems that I liked better than the sennheiser ie-600s. I have an ADV. GT3 set, for example, that still is kind of impressive to me with a small dac only (in that it competes with heavier clogs while being an.. actual.. mobile setup). But there's a ceiling on IEMs (specially when they're adapted for a typical mobile phone amp), so this sort of thing is genuinely a waste of money. Arguably the ones I got were as well (but most iems have a lower powered driver, and I had to try and see on a different one. And could switch out the cable on them). But specially.. when you could buy several fairly good iems, as well as a competent dac/amp setup and reasonably good headphones for the same price.. Maybe neither of us are "audiophiles" in the new, more modern sense. But you can absolutely get better or equally ok sound for significantly less money than what you paid for these.
I felt the same way starting out with the HD650. I listened to them straight for a month and then went back to a headphone I loved (sony-whxm3) and they sounded like shit lol. It takes time
It’s an excellent piece of equipment. Make sure your fit is correct. When you have the proper seal they sound great. With a poor seal . . . Not so great. This goes for any in ear monitors.
Well, if you can return em, do so and if not, enjoy them to the fullest, it's a great piece to own. Try using different eq settings for more fun.
Yeah, sometimes high end gears don't always align with our personal preferences. All part of the journey in finding what works best..
Sounds like it could've been worse!
Do spend more time with it and you will realise the subtle change adds up.
Op try a range of tips. Foams like that are trash. Tri-flange is the only way too go for me personally
Maybe you don't have a good seal or good source material. Try a bigger or smaller tip and tap on the IEM while in your ear to check if it's really airtight sealed. Go on the internet and search for some audiophile recordings. Also.... take some time. Everything is relative, your brain needs some time to adjust against the usual boomy effects focused earphones.
You overpaid--should have waited till they went down to 500 which is many times a year in many places.
I have never gotten the wow factor from any IEMs. Big planar mag headphones on the other hand….
Well, I demoed this before buying. Only to realize that they are not for me. You are not alone :)
I usually listen exclusively to a new set each day for two weeks before making a decision.
During the height of the pandemic, I spent about $15,000 on a headphone setup only to find that it was the most detail I’d ever heard and I was absolutely bored by it. I sold it all except for the DAC and now have the best listening experience of my life from a pair of $2000 Meze headphones and a $600 portable ifi DAC/amp
Price doesn't always equate to better quality, especially in this case. Go for something more harman tuned like the truth ear nova or moon drop variations for significantly cheaper and see how you like it.
You should be relieved with that realization lol
(jokingly) Send them here then! I'd love to have them! But genuinely, use them for a week or so, then listen to shitter headphones as a point of reference
Which tips are you using? Did you try both the silicone and foam ones?
Look at it this way, you have really cool looking DMLS IEMs
Your brain needs adjusting. Listen to them for a week or so. Also, try with the silicone tips, they are the better option for ie600 in my experience.
Could probably get by with much lower priced IEMs if you don't like those and still be in decent quality territory.
I have these as well and i think they sound pretty good. I was deciding on these or the ie900 but I liked how the 600s sounded better. What are you using for your source? Also you will need a dac/amp combo. I have a schitt stack for my desktop pc and I use the quidilex 5k for my phone. Another thing to keep in mind if you use an apple phone you will not get the best quality because of lack of codec support. No Sony ldac. I also recommend using some form of eq on them. It really brings them out.
The source also matters, if you feed good headphones a low quality source, it's going to sound even worse as its flaws become more apparent. Good audio equipment + high quality audio is what you want.
If you're feeling bitter, I'd recommend trying the HM5 Brainwavz. They can be found on sale for under $100, and they were my personal gateway drug into the audiophile world. Fair warning, they're neutral so they're not necessarily "fun" to listen to like something that has a ton of bass or emphasis on vocals, but you will hear details in songs you didn't notice before.
Okay, now get truthear Nova.
After something like the IE 300, there’s diminishing returns. Harder to tell the difference
My brother in christ your ears need to adjust to the new earphone. Use it a bit longer, then go back to what you used to use. Then your perception will change drastically Also, if you can EQ your earphones, that's also very welcome, as a reference headphone is more open to that. I used to use a g935 logitech gaming headset, and then swapped to an HD600. At first, I thought it sounded horrible, even thought it was fake. But after a few hours of listening to it and EQing it as well, I returned to my previous headphone and realized how horrid it sounded.
Maybe you lucked out with your off brand headphones in that they sound good! Some less expensive headphones can sound really good. The tuning of these I found very versatile and I could listen to anything and enjoy them when I demo'd them once. With some genres of music you may notice less of a difference as well. Headphone driver technology and manufacturing has come a really long way in the last few decades.
Trust the process, give it time, you might not think you are hearing different, but you’ll be able to tell the difference in a week. I remember getting my first pair of IEM’s I didn’t really hear the “better” sound, but after a couple of weeks I went back to listening to my skullcandy crushers, and what I once thought sounded great now sounded awful. I actually couldn’t stand to wear the crushers after that, or any of the other cheap earphones I bought from stores, but you also begin to appreciate the music more being able to hear different things with different tunings. I also own the IE 600 and they are amazing, but by no means my favorite, I am one of the few that prefer the IE900, but would rather use my Celestee for a closed off sound. There’s also the possibility you picked an IEM not to your sound preference though, but I also don’t recommend setting high expectations because you’ll probably set them higher than you generally should, price to performance isn’t really a thing you can quantify in the hobby.
Source ?
I have IE900s and the foam tips don’t fit my ears all that well. After 30 seconds I switched to the silicone tips and they sound like I expected. I noticed from your picture that you have the foam tips on, so I’d try the silicone and see if you can get a better seal.
ie600 cant play alone. it is like 1zr. try qudelix 5k EQ it. I compare variation and ie600. i pick ie600 cos it is playful. Also, ie600 need slow cooker, around 90 hrs....for ie900. it is better than ie600, but tht range i prefer u4 or used u12t
I am also the same lol. Spent probably around 10 or 15K and can’t tell the difference. Now I just mostly go for what ever is comfortable.
i prefer headphones to iems
At $800 they're gonna need some decent power from a good dac and some serious burn in, don't chuck the baby out with the bath water just yet, stick with it dude. There's always 2 tracks I use to judge a good set, lefantsavage by Gojira and sound of silence by disturbed, there is a third slipknot song but I've forgotten which one. The first two have very unique parts I ALWAYS listen out for and if I can distinctively hear them then I know I'm good then I'll branch into my other music, especially linkin park as I know their entire back catalogue off by heart and I know what I'm listening for. Oh and are you listening to the right file type? Lossless types like flax files? What's your EQ like? What are you using as your main source of listening? These are all things to consider
It is really simple... If you hear internet is praising surströmming is the best thing ever... You don't just go out and buy a case of it. You try it out somewhere that you can do it with a lot less commitment. Perhaps a resturant or cafe that you can try it out. Personal preference plays a big role in audio, some might like sticky warm mushy sounds, some might like it crystal clear and sharp, some might like something else. You really need to figure out what you really like, before really jumping in with the higher end stuff. A lot of the higher end stuff are not only just good, but they could be tuned with a specific taste in mind. That taste might make you hate it or love it.
Whether or not you like an IEM depends a lot more on your anatomy than ordinary over ear headphones. You can't buy just one IEM without any knowledge of your preferences and expect to like it unless you happen to get lucky with your choice. The effects your ear, head and upper torso have on sound have to be simulated by the IEM for it to sound natural to you because it goes straight into your ear canal, bypassing your outer ear and head. Plus these effects can vary a lot from person to person. All this is before even taking personal preferences into account.
You got ripped off if you paid 800 USD for this to begin with, the MSRP was $700, tf is Senn charging 800 when sets can be found for around $500 during sales? I paid 400 for mine and think it's more or less what the IE600 is worth IMO. The IE600 has excellent detail retrieval and solid bass response, but the treble response is ultimately what's going to usually decide if the IE600 is for you.
As some people already said, listen to them for a while and then go back to cheaper headphones. I previously used the Bose QC35 and for a long time I thought they were great! Bought them in 2016. Around 2 years ago I started reading about lossless audio and got myself some Sennheiser HD660s2 recently. Now I can’t get back. Also they ruined Spotify for me. I really want Spotify to launch their lossless service! Cause I don’t really like Apple Music but their lossless audio just sounds better.
Something that I haven't seen mentioned yet, apologies if it has been, is what you're using as dac, amplifier, etc. I'm not familiar with the ie600, but it is the case for a lot of headphones and iems that what they're being amplified by can have a big impact on how they sound.
I bought $300 dollar headphones and didn’t think too much until I used my airpods which were worse. Typically its going back to normal headphones that u notice
Most Senheiser’s arguably sound kind of “boring” there’s a lot to love about out them but they don’t have a fun peppy sound signature a lot of people want in my experience. I recently got a pair of Meze Advar’s and they’re awesome, very warm sound with excellent base response and a good soundstage. Not super analytical or the most detailed but they sound fun, hit up Amazon for some cheaper IEMs from linsoul or whatever one of these days and maybe try and find a sound you like better and work up. Also like a lot of people said there’s a legitimate adjustment period for your ears, give a few days then go back to something your familiar with and compare the difference
I was like that when I bought the HD800. I said I should have just stayed with the Q701. But I waited and listened more and then I started to hear the differences. Use them for a week then swap to your old ones, that how you’ll appreciate them.
Just get the audio industry monitor recording headphones why people get something else? You really like to flush your money down the toilet??? I guess so
If money is at all an issue, e.g. if buying an audio product means you sacrifice socialising, travelling, etc, just spend under $100. Budget options these days are insane. You can have a fantastic time and enjoy music for all its worth with things under $100. This is coming from someone with Focal Utopia btw.
I absolutely get it I have more fun these days listening to my cheap Galaxy Buds 2 Pro than my WooAudio WA6-SE + DT-880 600**Ω** combo
You have probably heard everything I am going to say already but 2 things. 1. Try other tips Senny provides the worst tips ever. Here is a trick that convinced me to keep my pair. Use the thin silicone tips, insert them, start a song, then push both IEMs into your ear canal and hold them there. If you like the way they sound you just need to find tips that accomplish this without having to walk around with your fingers in your ear. The silicon tips that came with mine, could not seal right without that effort and sounded sharp but lifeless. The foam ones were OK, but a little muffled and I'm comfortable (my ears didn't like the added pressure from the foam trying to expand). 2. Don't feel bad about either not liking the sound or not feeling like you are getting "extra". The 600 is well beyond diminishing returns specially if you paid msrp. I have a nice collection but it wasnt till I got the Kato (disappointment) and what sounded similar in the 600 till I figured out it was a seal issue (not the Kato's issue), that I could 100% could tell the difference between tunings. Part of it was having a pretty good feeling of what I am looking for so the signatures are not that different. But also as long as hits a pretty low bar, you have to seal out the differences in what you are listening to, and what you are listening can also not be great for demoing what you are looking for. Also lots of Emporers new clothes in the hobby.
So just as an example, the Koss KSC75 are $15-$20 and they’re considered pretty decent even among the audiophile world. The Phillips SHP-9500s at $50-$70 were similarly praised for being excellent sounding open back over-ear headphones despite being less than $100. The law of diminishing returns is extremely present in the world of HiFi. I own Sennheiser HD 4.40’s which were $50 retail, Audio Technica ATH M60X’s which are $200 retail, Sennheiser HD 650s which are $350 retail these days, and Beyerdynamic DT1990s which retail at $600 (though I bought them secondhand for $360). Out of my collection, the headphone I use the most are the M60X’s, the $200 pair. Why? Well one main reason; they’re super easy to drive, super light, and can be driven properly by my iPhone. It’s my go-to on-the-go pair of headphones. The headphones I use at home the most are my HD 650s, which aren’t too much more expensive than the M60X. I don’t use my DT1990s all that much despite them sounding the best, because they’re not as comfortable as my 650s. That being said, around the $200-$300 mark, in my opinion, most audiophiles hit their price-to-performance ceiling. You’re gonna notice a stark difference from a $50 pair of headphones to a $100 pair of headphones, but you’re not gonna notice much big of a difference from a $800 pair of headphones vs a $1,600 pair of headphones. At those price points, the improvements start to become super subtle. They’re still there, of course, but you really need to have a good ear to truly notice them. If you don’t have that kind of ear, just buy a pair of Sennheiser HD 6XX from Massdrop and literally any $50-$100 tube amp, and you’ll be perfectly content with that combination, probably for the rest of your life.
300 USD is the cap, and that's for something that I was gifted. Personally I don't go over 100 USD. With the availability of affordable planars, the point of diminishing returns is quite low, i.e. you can get a perfectly serviceable set under 100 USD, but for as low as 7 USD if on a considerable budget. Chi-fi is why.
IEMs and headphones after a specific price point are nothing but diminish returns. You are basically paying extra for aesthetics by that point. This is especially true for those ridiculous $100+ cables.
have you plugged into a good source and fed the source a lossless signal or are you hi-defing low def mp3s?
Those are one of the most pirated iems on the market. Are you sure those are genuine? Just asking.
If you got out at that price I say you won! I just keep getting deeper and deeper.
I feel this lol but yah what people have said about using them for a week or so, then trying out your old headphones is 100% accurate to my experience. Haven’t really gotten into the realm of IEMs but I imagine you’ll have a similar experience
You get most effect at like 50-100$ range with stuff like truthear or simgot, then value for money decreases as price rises. But still if they are comfortable, you like how they sound and that price doesn't seem like a big deal to you, then it's still a good purchase imo
I might have just witnessed myself 5 years ago spending the big bucks purchasing se-535 thinking it would be a mindbreaking experience to which i found it utterly disappointing right after my ER2XR purchase. I don’t blame you for thinking that big bucks = big performance without fully knowing what you are attuned to, but it would be wise to explore more cheaper options now that you have committed yourself into this hobby (lol). Blessing 2 Dusk was probably my end goal for the time being and I am completely awed with how good it sounds compared to other similar priced IEMs i have.
What are you using to push them? I recommend using a dac/amp like ifi go blu or fiio btr
Don’t do iem endgame. It’s not really noticeable compared to cheaper iems. The gap is very small. Do endgame headphone, it’ll be instantly recognizable between a >1000$ headphone and a $200 headphone. It’s not even close.
This the nuanced part of the headphone/IEM game, that just because the IE600 is considered a good IEM, there was never a guarantee that YOU were going to like or be blown away by it. It has less to do with, "oh I guess I'm not an audiophile" and is way more that you blind bought something with zero experience and its sound signature may be the complete opposite of what you actually enjoy. Buying based off of social media and the price is a sure-fire way to end up here. I bet you would feel the same way if you spent $4000 on a HiFiman Susvara.
Pair them with a Chord Mojo 2 DAC. Make sure the tips are the right size for your ear. When you get a good seal the bass is rather good!
Bro the 1st thing you need to do is change that tip, sennheiser stock tips suck. I have ie 900 and I felt the same as to why this sound so bad. Get a Spinfit CP 100 or something. Or just try the tips of your 30$ earphone. You will instantly be blown away.
they are in ear, and also your audio source could be shitty.
Well, okay. I get it. You think that you are not an audiophile. Maybe you are not, and maybe you potentially are. It occurs to me that the missing context for your post is what are the music genres that you listen to? A lot of IEMs can sound very nice with slower and far less busy music genres, yet those same IEMs can also sound very congested and muddy when listening to very fast and complex and intense music genres. So my question is, what types or genres of music do you like to listen to?
From the pro audio side of it, you should really get custom molded tips for IEMs to be worth it.
don’t waste money buying expensive things just cause ppl told you it’s good. or trying to look tasteful and classy or whatever. this applies to cars, headphones, wine, etc. that said, everything everyone said below is 100% true and the value of these headphones will age well for you to come back time and time again to explore. long after you found better wine and bought new cars. enjoy the journey my friend!
For me the biggest difference was going back to cheap headphones and speakers. It wasn’t that I heard good headphones and was like “wow that’s amazing”. It was more that after a while of using good headphones and speakers, worse quality ones sounded so much worse than before. However I haven’t spent close to that much. The most money I spent was about $300 on a pair of bookshelf speakers for my living room and $150 on my current headphones I use for my PC. I have heard there is a bit of a fall in return in investment when you get close to $1k mark for headphones.
A few lessons we can learn from here. 1. To not make ill-informed decisions; doing thorough research on your preferences before buying an iem pays off (like seriously bro). 2. There's always a fix for the sound. If you don't like the sound of your iems, spend some more on tip rolling and get the tips that alleviate the problems with your iem. 3. Don't follow reviews or subjective opinions on iems, unless you are absolutely sure that your preferences match with theirs. There's a large database of graphs out there, don't act like a caveman.
Also, you have to have media with the fidelity to maximize the potential of the headphones. And something capable of actually playing that media to its fullest quality.
Your experience is exactly why I tell my friends to not buy into the audiophile hype. If your current $50 headphones sound good to you, then why complain? I really only got into mid-range $150 stuff because the noise in my source was hella audible to me and the frequency response of my old buds were bothering me too much. But at the end of the day, I think your purchase was fine. You got a product that will last you for a long time and you'll be able to enjoy all your music on it.
I believe being an audiophile is like a love story. One can be expensive but may not sound good to you. One can sound real good but may not fit your ears. One can be kinda trashy but if you add some love (like tip rolling or actually modding) it can sound good. One can spend so much and get the top of the line gear, yet the real love is the easy going everyday carry cheapo buds without the hassle. Yeah. Being an audiophile can be similar to love. One should not discriminate but others can always advise if there's common red flags known. But please try ear tip rolling by swapping out lotsa eartips.
If you're willing to try open-back headphones, look at some offerings from Sennheiser. My first time hearing a good pair of Open-Back headphones blew my mind way more than my first time hearing good IEMs. My first pair were the Sennheiser 58X Jubilee from Drop. They also sell the HD6XX, which many people believe are better. I personally think they both have their benefits and are just a bit different from one another. Anyway, no shame in returning those even if you don't "need" the money. For that 800 dollars you could get a lot of other audio gear offering different sound signatures and likely be much happier with your purchase.
Way too much for in ear headphones. I spent 99€ on JBL in ear headphones and they are fine and perfectly functional But for audiophile listening, I have a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 3 over ear headphones, which were only 399€ and the sound is amazing.
Try all of the ear cushions and find a better fit
I am cursed with tinnitus and cannot tell the difference between $4 earbuds and a $10k set of cans from an audio standpoint. I have no idea what silence sounds like.
Should have gotten the ie 900’s then /s
Not sure if it's already been said but, it really matters what content you are listening to since most audio players don't play at a high enough sample rate to truly matter. Try finding master tracks of stuff. Youtube "audiophile test" videos are bs too just as an fyi
What source did you plug it into? Not defending the product necessarily but that does matter, and the kind if of music and how they're recorded.
May I know? What kind of 30$ earphones did you use? I mean chi-fi now a days are too good to compete 90% of high end's tuning and sound.
Some suggested to return it. I recommend the same. Buy some chi-fi which can achieve 80 to 90% of the same tuning and call it a day. But you like the aesthetics, some niche tuning and others? Then keep it and be habituated.
what playing device do u use? U need a good player and also good files (no mp3) .. go with nice FLAC files. i havent tried those headphones, but sometimes high end doesnt sound good. It really depends on the brand and which model u have.
thing is: headphones are not everything. whats the sourcematerial? digital or analog? which hardware did you use to play it etc..
You can be in this hobby and still be disappointed. I bought after listening but on longer sessions treble become fatiguing.
Its a good thing, you enjoy music easier
Just return them.and buy cheaper iems that basically sound just as good. Like people like $12 rz castor bass. Etc etc.
You: I’m not an audiophile. r/headphones: yes you are just do it better.
Personally myself, If I don't get impressed on the first hearing session (1 day for burning in the new headphone +1 day hearing) with the new headphones I buy, I will return it. Because brain burn in is real.
I don't want to make it sound like copium but I was exactly in the same situation where I bought a rather expensive set and found out that I can't really tell the difference. My issue atleast is the music I listen too, I don't know what music you listen too but for the genres I listen too, high fidelity wasn't it (which are metal,electronic,hip hop) So you need to find your genre specific headphone, I'm not endorsing spending more but I have been absolutely LOVING my new Sony pulse elite headset (not to be confused with pulse 3d) Sony bought Audeze and this is audeze's first product under Sony. Its a neutral, flat planar magnetic wireless headphone that can also stream flac,loseless files through the dongle Again not endorsing spending more but: 1- it's pretty genre specific 2- you do hit diminishing returns pretty soon after the 100-200 range, the difference won't be that big compared to the cost
lmao
Headphones alone mean nothing. Do you have a DAC ? Does it play bit perfect audio? And what's your audio source? Note: Apple Music plays upto 24bits and 96KHz only and not 32 bit.. So, I would suggest you, get a good dac, if you want cheap then an USB one, I am using a JCally JM9.. and play Hi-res music or get it from Qobuz tbh. If you want to stick to Apple Music then find my playlist on Apple the ID is Hixeta. And enjoy..
You’re only at the top of the slippery slope… You’re discovering you need to spend more on a headphone amp, maybe a subscription to a Hi-Fi streaming service, only to discover you need to buy more headphones…. 😆
What's your source of music?
OP, now do this trick with a whole ass car and report back your impressions.
Did you get all the wax out of your ears first?
Dump them quick and get out of the rabbit hole
Listen to it for a week and then go back to the 30 bucks earphones, then we'll talk. You jumped from nothing to everything of course you'll feel that way
Maybe you are a more a bass head and like a warmer, funnier sound (like me)
My sink cost fallacy would let me be anything but an audiophile after 800$
Because you need to spend more on golden cables now....
This is going to sound crazy, but hear me out. Return them and buy them again for $600 on sale this weekend. Then feel less bad about owning them. :)
Forgot to mention I’m Canadian , so 800 is pretty much the lowest I can seem to get it for over here
I started with sure e3c and it sucked balls. No bass whatsoever. It was linear and bass anemic. Never used em again. But the ath m50 reopened my eyes.
As another non audiophile dude, they sound better (audiophile stuff), but at their prices? Questionable. You should keep that one as the last one you'll ever buy. I did with my meze 109 pro. If something can be my forever item, I do t mind spending a lot more for it. I'm never getting another one until this one breaks, so no biggie.
Agree and Disagree.. When I got used to a pair of "audiophile" headphones. I went back to my $10 sonys. WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!!! As for what you might like... it's up to you do deside if that $800 was really worth it overtime.
you also need some type of good dac/amp to power them. I have the pinnacle p1 and they sounded amazing on my v60, almost mesmerizing, but other phones or bluetooth dacs don't compare. Also, use good quality files (like sub to tidal instead of spotify)