[Derivative]

Whether is worth paying the price for IE900, only you can decide.
For me, IE900 was clear better than IE600.
Better bass, better midrange - I found the (generally criticized) dip being ideal for metal, while the IE600 sounded too shouty here.
For the highs, again IE900 is the winner, more detailed, more refined and not being too energetic/fatigue, just at borderline sometimes.
But I would'nt have paid the price for IE900 if not discounted under 1000 usd.

I second this - have owned both and the IE900 is worth the extra money and is a far more interesting proposition than the 600.

I recently plugged mine into my Little Dot tube amp, worked really well as the amp brought a nice warmth and coherence to the IE900s polished technicalities. This versatility makes me like them even more.

 

[RIGATIO]

I listened to the ie900 for around 8h non stop and i really dig them. Its a great set.
I think the Softears Twilight is a better set overall but the ie900 have some special flavour because of their unusual tuning. Sennheiser managed to balance everything very skillfully so the ie900 dont irritate me.
Twilight sound more realistic and "correct", especially in vocals and guitars and extremely smooth in the treble area. The ie900 have subdued vocals, so there is lack of energy but my brain addopts very quickly and i dont have any serious problems with this area. The trebles on the ie900 are very mature, detailed, smooth and clean but on some tracks they can get bit gritty, where the Twilight will never ever have this problem.
The bass on the ie900 is just AMAZING. Extremely detailed and satisfying. Is a bit softer than on the Twilight. Softears can kick harder with more physicality where the ie900 kicks with bit less energy but can go slightly deeper in the sub bass area. Twilight has more midbass that kicks hard, very hard with a lot textures.
Soundstage is just a psychoacoustics but im getting an impression that the Twilight is grander due to their open back design, like there is a more natural feeling of air but without boosted air region. The ie900 are closed back so they need to use more tricks to imitate big staging. And they succeeded. The stage is great on the ie900 but bit less naturally open than on the Twilight. Well its hard to ignore physics.
Great great and very interesting set. Bravo Sennheiser!

 

[Tybot]

A Sennheiser marketing rep on Head-Fi won't be able to do a lot other than suggest contacting customer support.

If anyone has a genuine complaint about a Sennheiser product after pursuing all the other routes I'd suggest writing a strongly worded letter or email to one or all of these people.

As of January 1, 2023, the operational business of the Sennheiser Group will be managed by a team of six: The new Executive Management Board (EMB) includes Greg Beebe (Executive Vice President Professional Audio), Ron Holtdijk (Executive Vice President Business Communication), Ralf Oehl (CEO Georg Neumann GmbH), Steffen Heise (CFO), Dr. Andreas Fischer (COO) and Markus Redelstab (CTO). Peter Claussen and Thomas Weinzierl, who were previously COOs responsible for Professional Business and Supply Chain, will also remain on the EMB before their respective retirements in the course of the years 2023 and 2024. In the intervening period, they will gradually hand over their operational tasks and extensive knowledge to the new EMB. In the future, Co-CEOs Dr. Andreas and Daniel Sennheiser will primarily focus on corporate management and strategy development and devote more time to customers, while the other EMB members will manage the operational business. Yasmine Riechers and Mareike Oer complete the leadership of the Sennheiser Group as an extended management team, representing the Corporate Development Office and Brand & Corporate Communication.

It's a great suggestion and I and others appreciate the info. I must admit though, I am probably going to end up not getting it fixed (at least not domestically) and will probably just steer clear of the brand in the future unless it's on the used market for $ I'm willing to lose upon failure.

The thing that really stings is that I'm more than happy to pay for a repair. 30% chance it was faulty IEM MMCX, 30% it was a aftermarket cable roll, 30% it was my fault and 10% my wife did it as payback for buying too many IEMs.

 

[MusicalDoc8]

So my ie900 journey has a new "page" unfolding.....


Sennheiser returned my ie900. And forgot to send back one of my units.

See below,
I only got back the mmcx-failed Left unit w/ the black ring. The working red ringed unit is no where to be seen:



To make it even more of an epic story. Look at this reused paper I got as their report. The more you look at it, the more you find. Top left is grease stains. Oh my....



They have my Red-right working unit in a ziplock bag....lost in their warehouse somewhere.

...ok i was looking at the ie900 but this kind of aftersale seals my disgust....

 

[roadrat]

...ok i was looking at the ie900 but this kind of aftersale seals my disgust....

I think we have one data point. I would not let one bad story stop you.

 

[exitfire401]

I think we have one data point. I would not let one bad story stop you.

If you check their subreddit, there are a ton of similar stories. Sonova seems to have really dropped the ball on support. A handful of good stories absolutely drowned out by the bad.

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Received the scandi sound cable today. Connector quality is top notch and the cable is very well made. Ear guides are very soft and pliable. Handcrafted for $80 and was built and shipped same day.

 

[roadrat]

Received the scandi sound cable today. Connector quality is top notch and the cable is very well made. Ear guides are very soft and pliable. Handcrafted for $80 and was built and shipped same day.

Got a link?

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Got a link?

Yes. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1179878767/

 

[roadrat]

Yes. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1179878767/

Can you tell me more about the MMCX connections? I am worried about damaging the IEMs. There's been some comments about connections that are too tight causing damage to the IE900 and the more common problem of loose connections falling out.

 

[mathi8vadhanan]

Can you tell me more about the MMCX connections? I am worried about damaging the IEMs. There's been some comments about connections that are too tight causing damage to the IE900 and the more common problem of loose connections falling out.

The connectors clicked right in, didn't have to put any additional pressure. I tested it a dozen times putting it on and off on the IE200 first. They're secure and are not breaking any connection (like the tripowins) when I press it against my ears (for a deeper fit).

 

[imfurunveren]

Hello. I have Sennheiser ie900+fiio m11 pro. However, the ie900s sound too high-pitched to me. It makes me tired. What do you think is the most appropriate equalizer setting? In middle sounds, frequencies between 2khz-5khz need to be increased. The 5khz-11khz range definitely needs to be reduced in high-pitched sounds. Of course, this is my opinion. I'm curious about your opinions too.

 

[RIGATIO]

Hello. I have Sennheiser ie900+fiio m11 pro. However, the ie900s sound too high-pitched to me. It makes me tired. What do you think is the most appropriate equalizer setting? In middle sounds, frequencies between 2khz-5khz need to be increased. The 5khz-11khz range definitely needs to be reduced in high-pitched sounds. Of course, this is my opinion. I'm curious about your opinions too.

What tips are you using?
For me the Spinfit cp100 sound best, as good as the stock silicone ones but the Spinfits don't break the seal.
Every other type of tips made the trebles too exaggerated.
If the tips won't help, it's time to sell the ie900 and move on. Don't waste your time on trying different sources or cables, it's pointless.

 

[TomBY]

The problem with the high-pitched sound is in my opinion the ear geometry, not necessary the IE 900. I have other IEM, which are bigger than the IE 900, for example the FiiO FA-9. The FiiO FA-9 have better seal due to their larger size, but they are less comfortable and sound more „muddy“ in comparison to the IE 900.
Up to know, I haven‘t found any standard ear tips, which give a balanced enough sound. The reason is my narrow ear channels, which prohibit enough sealing with the usual round shaped ear tips, even if the size is only „S“. Therefore I ordered the custom ear tips from Sennheiser, which are moulded to the shape of my ear channels. With the custom ear tips, the IE 900 shows its excellent sound in my case. Bass is finally present, although not exaggerated and the IE 900 has a very balanced sound altogether.

My small ear channels, however, mean that sometimes I need to spend some effort to put the custom ear tips into my ears properly. But once they are in place, the IE 900 gives a very good sound.

 

[imfurunveren]

What tips are you using?
For me the Spinfit cp100 sound best, as good as the stock silicone ones but the Spinfits don't break the seal.
Every other type of tips made the trebles too exaggerated.
If the tips won't help, it's time to sell the ie900 and move on. Don't waste your time on trying different sources or cables, it's pointless.

I use own comply foam stock eartips. I heard that these tips reduce the treble, but unfortunately they do not. I guess there is no choice but to sell it. I will buy Beyerdynamic xelento 2.