Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 200. It ranks #90 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.4/5, at $129.95; the Tanchjim Fission ranks #201, rated 4.2/5, and costs $129.99, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
Why pick the Sennheiser IE 200: Bass and midrange land almost exactly on the Harman target in oratory1990’s measurement, within about 0.5 dB from 60 Hz to 3 kHz, which gives a natural tonal balance and a preference score of 79. The tradeoff: The presence region from 3 to 6 kHz sits about 5 dB under target, with a 5.7 dB dip near 4.4 kHz, so vocals and snare attacks sound a little recessed.
Buy the Sennheiser IE 200. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Tanchjim Fission and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser IE 200 | Tanchjim Fission | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129.95 | $129.99 |
| Ranked | #90 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #201 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 79 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 76 (median of 13 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.86 dB standard deviation | 1.99 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | +0.01 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.8 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 7mm dynamic | 1 x dynamic |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 119 dB SPL/V | 126 dB |
| Weight | 0 lbs (4 g) per earphone | - |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 8Hz - 48kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Sennheiser IE 200 compares with other leading options:
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Truthear x Crinacle Zero
- Moondrop Variations vs Sennheiser IE 200
- Kefine Quatio vs Sennheiser IE 200
- Moondrop Starfield 2 vs Sennheiser IE 200
- Queen of Audio Ryusei vs Sennheiser IE 200
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Sennheiser IE 200: $129.95 Amazon eBay
Pros: Bass and midrange land almost exactly on the Harman target in oratory1990’s measurement, within about 0.5 dB from 60 Hz to 3 kHz, which gives a natural tonal balance and a preference score of 79. At 16 ohms and 119 dB SPL/V sensitivity it plays loud straight from a phone with no amp. Each earpiece weighs only 4 g, and the single 7mm dynamic driver is a simple, wired design with no battery to charge.
Cons: The presence region from 3 to 6 kHz sits about 5 dB under target, with a 5.7 dB dip near 4.4 kHz, so vocals and snare attacks sound a little recessed. The top octave runs about 5.8 dB hot, which adds sparkle that can read as thin or bright on some recordings. The Final Audio A4000 and Shuoer S12 carry higher ratings at lower prices.
Full Sennheiser IE 200 review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.86 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 7mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 79 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 119 dB SPL/V |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-1.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (4 g) per earphone |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,135 Hz | +4.3 dB | 1.83 |
| Peak | 1,520 Hz | -1.9 dB | 1.99 |
| Peak | 180 Hz | -1.2 dB | 1.14 |
| Peak | 67 Hz | +1.0 dB | 1.34 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 727 Hz | +0.8 dB | 1.79 |
| Peak | 5,480 Hz | +1.2 dB | 3.96 |
| Peak | 1,154 Hz | -0.6 dB | 3.44 |
| Peak | 2,978 Hz | +0.4 dB | 3.96 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Truthear x Crinacle Zero
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Moondrop Variations
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Kefine Quatio
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Moondrop Starfield 2
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Queen of Audio Ryusei
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sony WF-1000XM5
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 600
- Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 900
- See all 9 comparisons
Tanchjim Fission: $129.99 Amazon eBay
Full Tanchjim Fission review and specifications →
| Released | May 2025 (1 year ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.99 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 8Hz - 48kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 76 (median of 13 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 126 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-3.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.01 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons