Sennheiser IE 7 Review

 Well it is sad to say but the IE 7's have been discontinued  by Sennheiser, it sucks but it's true.

The Sennheiser IE 7's

Things to take note of:

Tranducer type: dynamic

Operating principle: closed

Frequency Response: 10-19,000 Hz

Impedance: 16 ohms

Cable Length and Termination: 1.2m cable 3.5mm

Pros

• Mid based headphones that have great dynamic balance that does well with all genres 
• Bass is NEVER too strong or too soft and is enough to satisfy almost any basshead (if it has enough bass to satisfy a Monster Beats user, it can satisfy anyone).
• Closed headphones that can block out most noise from every day life (it blocks out the noise of the car as well as people talking and the sound of an action movie on a road trip)

Cons

• Treble, the treble is always detailed and clear but there are a few rare times where the treble just seems a tad rough or raspy.
• The case is just a decoration/storage, it is a tad too big and bulky to be carried around in a pocket and it's kind of annoying if you want to wrap the cable up properly so the cable doesn't curl, something that could have been more travel friendly would have been a lot more convenient.
• Nickel coated jack, this means bad microphonics so this means you will definitely hear the crackling sounds when you move the jack in a high powered source (ie computer/laptop) but you are relatively fine with something like an iPhone.

The Sennheiser IE7's close up and accessories

Appearance and Cosmetics

Now as you all may have noticed, the appearance on Sennheiser's IE line is rather odd for an IEM. They seem like they're a tad wide and may be uncomfortable because of their awkward shape but there are actually a few reasons for this:

• Sennheiser chose to use dynamic drivers instead of the multiple armature drivers other high and mid end IEM's use, so the larger drivers take up more space.
• The shape helps with helps with the ergonomics of the headphones because, especially in the case of the IE7, the earbud is actually supported by the lower part of your ear making it incredibly comfortable and even harder to come out (its hard to explain so bear with me until I can get pictures).

Sennheiser IE 7's opened up (notice the dynamic drivers)

Comparison between the IE 7's and IE 8's

What the IE 8's have over the IE 7's

• Bass knob
• Detachable cable
• One more type of ear adapter
• Better highs
• Better soundstage

What IE 7's have over IE8's

• cheaper price
• mids/vocals are more upfront (personal preference but I think hearing a tad more vocals on the IE 8's like the IE 7's are better)

Honestly sound-wise the IE 8's are definitely better but it depends on if you don't plan on a cable upgrade or don't mind changing not being able to change the bass, the IE 7's are perfect (shame it's gone).

The IE 8's themselves are nearly identical to the IE 7's in sound with the exception of the bass hump and the improved highs. But there are still differences.


Overall Sound
So I haven't really listened to the others in the IE line yet, but according to most, the IE 7's are the most neutral and the least bassy of the three in the IE line, so does that mean that the IE 7's have little to no bass? HELL NO! These headphones have more then enough bass to satisfy people (I have yet to see someone who was under satisfactory in the bass department). These headphones are promptly mid based leaning towards the darker side with nice highs that added nicely to the background.

Highs/Treble
The highs are amazing overall but the treble is something that could definitely use some tweaking. So the highs are just like most of you would expect from a pair of Sennheiser headphone, not going to exaggerate on it too much, the high ends of the vocals stick out beautifully but the treble was rather annoying at times as I found them a tad harsh at times when the cymbals are hit at a quick rate.

Mids
The mids were definitely the focus of these headphones and has beautiful mids, ie vocals and guitar (both electric and acoustic) that would more then match my HD 558's. You are literally able to pick out when each string is struck and even when the fingers slide across the strings of an electric guitar in some acoustic songs. But for sure the vocals was what stuck out the most on these headphones. These headphones also seem to like main vocals a lot more then background vocals and likes to project them a lot more. But unlike the 558's where they just stick out like a sore thumb, on the IE7's they it sounds more balanced out as the other mids and bass.

Bass
The bass is, according to many people who have listened to all three of the headphones in the IE line, they all say that the IE6 has the most bass (if the IE8's are on a reasonable bass level) while the IE7's are the most neutral and have the least bass. But as I have already stated, never let this be misleading to any of you, the IE7's have plenty of bass that can at least satisfy most people. When it comes to the IE7's vs the IE8 in bass, the IE7's bass seem to be around notch 1-2. The bass is really smooth and really complements the nice mids of the headphones.


Overall Impression

These headphones would probably be the most balanced of the three brothers (in one fixed configuration that is) as the IE6's would be best at rock, pop, hip-hop and other mainstream genres, the IE7 would be more for those who listen to country and classic rock, but it can still easily handle other genres and is definitely the more versatile of two as the bass level is already fairly near the line where more bass would just ruin country music for me. Basically I'd say if you have the money and you can still find a genuine pair (beware of counterfeits!) this would be an excellent purchase.


I'm also fairly sad to tell you all that there won't be an IE7 equivalent in the IEx0 line (hopefully somewhere in the near future they will announce one) but until then, your best bet at a genuine IE7 would be at Dakmart, a legitimate Sennheiser dealer which deals mainly with refurbished and products and discontinued products(but they do also have new products). So if you have the chance, you may want to check these out.