Sennheiser is looking to gain ground in head phone innovation with the release of its new IE 800 ear buds. The company is now rounding off its top segment with a set of genuinely high-end portable headphones.
“The sound of the IE 800 can easily compete with that of our high-end portfolio,” said Maurice Quarré, Director Product Lifecycle Management Sennheiser Consumer Electronics. These dynamic in-ear phones offer brilliant trebles, precise bass response and a detailed, lifelike sound image with a frequency response of 5 to 46,500 Hz.
The IE 800 not only boasts innovative technology but also features a modern design and high-quality materials such as the scratch-resistant ceramic housing. The interior of the IE 800 conceals many small but effective innovations: the centrepiece is Sennheiser’s specially developed Extra Wide Band (XWB) driver. With a diameter of just 7 mm, it is the smallest wide-band sound transducer currently available in dynamic headphones.
The endeavour to fully exploit the sound potential of the premium headphones led to a further small but highly effective innovation: a vented magnet system. The idea is actually quite simple and was used for the first time on the HD 700 high-end headphones.
“The oscillating motion of the diaphragm produces an air flow in the magnet system housing that causes the diaphragm to wobble slightly,” explained Axel Grell. “By positioning two precisely defined vent holes in the housing directly under the magnets, we can cause the air to flow in a specific direction.This minimises the wobbling motion of the diaphragm and reduces total harmonic distortion to less than 0.06 percent
To guarantee a perfect fit, Sennheiser has developed new ear adapters with an oval shape based on extensive international studies in ergonomics. According to their personal preference, users can choose from a selection of oval (SM/ML) and round (S/M/L) adapters. A protective mesh on the ear cushions effectively protects the drivers against dirt contamination.
