The ie800S is a fine update that executes its incredibly crisp, clear tuning with great refinement and remarkable technical aptitude.

Pros

Cons

But in the $1,000-and-up range, you have quite a few options. First, there are custom-molded earphones, three of our favorites being the aforementioned UE 18 Pro, the JH Audio JH13 Pro , and the Logitech Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors .

Superb audio performance through the frequency range, with rich lows and clear, vibrant mids and highs; Thoughtfully designed ear tips are easy to swap out, clean; Protective filters keep outside elements away from drivers

Extremely expensive; Cable is not fully detachable-hardwired to ear pieces

THE VERDICT One of the best-sounding in-ear headphones to come along in a long time. The IE 800 is a game changer.

Best-in-class sound

Bass sounds more full than accurate

To sum up the IE800's, these are truly a work of art; both auditorily and aesthetically. When you've these in your ear you'll not only feel like an audio professional, you'll look like one.

Bass without sacrificing vocals quality; ease of use; comfort

Interesting design quirks; crispy highs; a ton of fakes out there

Just a few notes to qualify some of the ratings that would not be obvious: The highs are so strong (more than HD800 I think) that I can only give the IE800 a six. Soundstage seems OK to good for an IEM, but not unusual. Portability is good in the sense of size, but the carrycase design is fiddly.

Paying this much for in-ears should leave you wowed, but unfortunately the Sennheiser IE 800 S are simply fine. So, while we wouldn't be so severe as Professor Yaffle, it is difficult for us to be enthusiastic about the Sennheiser IE 800 S's.

Loads of detail; Spacious soundstage

Lack punch and enthusiasm; Disappointing dynamics; Lots of cable noise

The Sennheiser IE 800 are some of the most expensive universal earphones you can get. They cost £600, making them terrifyingly pricey for most people. They don't have the usual sound we expect from a really high-end earphones, though.

Exceptional bass depth; power and quality; Excellent treble detail

Treble can be tiring with some material; Non-removable cable; No remote; Cable causes quite significant microphonic noise

Sometimes the arrival of a product on the market can have unexpected effects on other categories around it.

Truly sensational sound; Great build; Very easy to live with

Expensive; No inline controls; Sound better at higher levels

Sennheiser's IE 800 is a seriously expensive pair of earphones. Just from the price alone, it's clear they are aimed at a very specific demographic of high-end audiophiles rather than the mass market.

I tried a number of different in ear phones, and read many reviews before deciding on these. Sound quality is fantastic, usual Sennheiser bass bias, which personally I like. All the online reviews seem to be spot on with these, so I'd say read for yourself.