Lifelike, hi-fidelity sound reproduction
Customized fit for outstanding noise reduction
Value packed with accessories including carrying case, ear adapters, cable clip and cleaning tool
Shorter, dynamic drivers for full-spectrum sound without deep ear penetration
Compatible with all devices with 3.5mm stereo plug (1/8 inch)
Sennheiser IE7 High Fidelity Sound Earbuds with Noise Reduction
This review is from: Sennheiser IE7 High Fidelity Sound Earbuds with Noise Reduction
update: 8/12/2011:
I thought I'd update my review on these after over two years of ownership.
First thing: THESE BABES ARE BUILT LIKE TANKS!!! I've had these two years and two months. I've taken them around the world to China, South Korea, Japan, and back to America. During my travels I've shoved them in tightly packed bags, pockets, suitcases, all without the carrying case. I've sat on them, thrown them around, etc, and they emerged WITHOUT ONE SCRATCH. Seriously I can sell these off as "like new" and no one would object.
While my personal preferences in sound have definitely changed/evolved over the past two years, having owned the ER4PT, SE535, MTPC, EX1000, CK10, UE700, GR07, and countless other start-ups like Meelectronics, Brainwavz... well, most of them came and went, but the IE7 has always been the pair that I was hesitant to sell off. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not saying that the IE7 trumps all these above listed phones, but that it offers such a well rounded package with a unique sound that I'd rather keep it in my collection. Soundstage is enormous, separation/layering is amazing. Still crystal clear and detailed even after comparing to the ER4-PT (not as flat or accurate but definitely great clarity and detail).
One thing I started to get annoyed with was the awkward bass. It's still got a good thump, but unlike IEMs like MTPC and TF10, the bass on IE7 just don't bleed enough into the upper ranges. It extends downward nicely, but quickly gets cut off as it ascends into the upper-bass and lower-vocal ranges. I like bass on my ER4-PT, tight and controlled. But the bass on IE7 feels like it's got "oomph" but then doesn't really "oomph." You'd think because of the amount and impact, the bass should at least bleed a little into vocals, but it's quickly cut off around upper-bass and lower-mids range. This of course, could be a result of drivers degrading after 2 years of usage.
Last thing, since 2009, the IEM industry has changed a lot, with budget-oriented IEMs offering performances that almost match the big boys. I haven't found that to be my experiences. With my Meelecctronics A151 and CC51p, and VSonic GR07 (all highly regarded top-value-to-performance IEMS), there's is just something lacking, something not "hi-fi" about the sound they make, that in the end make me not keep them.
As the market stands today, I'd say $150 and upward is still a good value for the IE7, even with competitors like the B2, GR07, EX600, PFE in the same price range. It's just that now you have many more choices to suit your personal tastes. (Can't believe Amazon is charging more for IE7 than IE8i!)
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I have owned many similarly priced headphones: Shure SE310, SCL2, Ultimate Ears 5 Pro, UE 5, Sleek Audio SA6, ATH-ESW9, EW9, EM9, EC700, B&O A8,. Not top of the line but still counts as mid-fi at least.
I'll just come out and say that for anything below $250 dollars, Sennheiser IE7 beats everything I've ever listened to. Ever. I say $250 because SE530 is just above that at $260, and TF10 is a little bit more than that, and because of their triple-BA design I can't really say the single-dynamic drivers of IE7 beats them.
In terms of packaging, design, durability, accessories, and mostly the sound quality, the IE7s are just tops. It is very easy to see the amount of care and effort put into these. Offering the most complicated, exciting, and revolutionary unboxing experience ever, it took me a good half an hour to savor the whole process. You get everything you can imagine, from shirt-clip, ear-loops, to 9 pairs of eartips including 3 pairs of : foam, single silicon, and bi-flange (Think there might be even more but too lazy to count). Cleaning tools, 6 copies of instruction manual (in 6 different languages), and a metallic carrying case that is compact, secure, yet can carry all the accessories included. There is a very pleasant surprise in the mechanics and design of the packaging/unboxing experience that I just cannot spoil.
Bad news with the included eartips, is that I did not like any of them. The foam tips for the IE7s, which are the most popular type of tips for IEM, suck. They are the exact same ones you get from a $12-pair of JVC airheads or whatever cheapo IEMs out there. Just terrible.
Good news is, UE5s come with 2 sets of same sized foam tips, and they fit perfectly on the IE7s. So I just used my spare pair. They fit comfortably.
The cable material, shape of the buds, connector, are all very nicely designed and made. Though it's only silver-plated instead of Gold. The cables are soft, yielding, yet feels very sturdy and durable. The shapes of the IEMs fit very nicely, contrary to what the sharp corner may suggest, they really won't poke your ears or anything.
Soundquality is, once again, top notch. It's amazing how large the soundstage is, yet the frequencies are very cleanly and clearly presented and layered. One gripe, though it may be a pro for most people, is that I find the bass too overwhelming at times. You really get the "BOOM BOOM" out of these buds, like from big cans. Of course, the air vent and large chambers of the earbuds contribute to that.
One would expect much subtle details in the music to be lost due to the thumping bass, especially in mid/high freq. Amazingly, compared to airier phones like SE310 and EW9, the IE7s have really good highs. I can hear more details in IE7 than any other phones I have, all thanks to the large soundstage, the great separation/layering/definition of each sound/instrument/frequency.
All in all, since the price has come down to about $160 for these, I'd say unless you want to get the triple-BA driver ones, like Westone3, SE530, TF10, etc, and spend about $300 bucks, the Senn IE7s are your best bet. For those of you who want specifically analytical/accurate/cold sound with absolutely no bass presentation, go for ER4s. But for everything...
This review is from: Sennheiser IE7 High Fidelity Sound Earbuds with Noise Reduction
These do sound great, not quite as refined as the ie8 by sennheiser though. All in all still a great iem. Oddball that I am the ie7 fits my ears a touch better though. Which leads me to a point I'd like to make about the ie7/8 as far as fit. If you don't want to wear them with the wires over your ears, my advice is don't buy them. They are very comfortable and are unobtrus...
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