What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Enjoyable enough, but they need to be better balanced tonally
Pros
- +
Secure and comfortable, lots of detail, enjoyable sound
Cons
- -
Cloying bass, iffy tonal balance
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We were hugely impressed with the standard IE 8 earphones when we first tested them a year or so ago.
And as you’d expect, this new ‘i’ version is the same thing but with Sennheiser’s new mic/three-button control unit.
That means that the enclosures (though fairly chunky) are light, fitting comfortably and securely thanks in part to the wrap-over-ear design.
It also means that each earphone has a switch for tuning bass, which you turn with a dedicated tool.
As before, we’d recommend the lowest setting, but with the IE 8is, that still leaves you with a low-end that’s a bit overbearing – and because it’s also a bit soft, it marginally slows the otherwise punchy midrange and treble.
Don’t get us wrong, this is still an impressive, enjoyable performance with lots of detail; it’s just that for £260 we expect better tonal balance.
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