Sennheiser IE 80 S review: Audiophiles can be happy with wireless too

Sennheiser IE 80 S review: Sennheiser IE 80 S BT is an investment for those who love and value their music,...

Sennheiser IE 80 S Review

Sennheiser has a reputation for excellence when it comes to headphones and microphones, but in-canal earphones are a smaller piece of the puzzle for the German audio manufacturer. At $349.99, the IE 80 S earphones are an expensive offering, but the good news is that they sound fantastic. They also feature adjustable bass and ship with a wide selection of eartips. That said, the design isn't as user-friendly as it should be, especially for the price, and that keeps the pair from scoring top marks. Design Visually speaking, the IE 80 S ($349.99 at Sennheiser) are rather humdrum. A black matte cable leads to black matte earpieces, one marked with a red band for right. The look here is professional gear—not ugly, but not stylish. There's no inline remote control. The included cable can be removed and replaced with one that has a remote, but it costs more money (as of this writing, there is no official word on the pricing or availability of the replacement cable). Why Sennheiser doesn...

Sennheiser's IE 80 S earphones produce sound worthy of their $350 price, but some peculiar design decisions make the overall experience feel less than luxurious.

Excellent audio performance; Generous array of eartips and accessories; Adjustable bass response; Removable cable

Expensive; Included cable lacks inline remote control or mic; Difficult to adjust bass levels and have an accurate ear-to-ear mix; Snap-on ear hooks don't always stay in place