Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 4

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 4, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #548 of 584 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.3/5, at $89; the Sennheiser IE 300 ranks #567, rated 1.7/5, and costs $179.95, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 584 in-ear headphones, and the Truthear Nova, ranked #2 at $169.99, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.

The case for the Sennheiser IE 300: A compact, comfortable single dynamic IEM with a detachable cable and full bass about 4 dB above target that extends to 20 Hz. The tradeoff: The tuning measures poorly, with a Harman score of 46: presence sits about 5.6 dB low with a 7.7 dB dip near 3.2 kHz, while a 12.4 dB treble peak near 9.8 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance harsh.

The Sennheiser IE 4 is the better-sounding pick. Sub-bass and bass both sit more than 6 dB above target and extend fully to 20 Hz, a good match for listeners who want big, rumbling bass and a V shaped sound. The catch: A huge 15.3 dB peak near 5.1 kHz and presence about 10 dB above target make vocals and snares sound shouty and fatiguing.

Buy the Sennheiser IE 4. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sennheiser IE 300 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.

Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

More worthwhile head-to-heads for Sennheiser IE 4:

• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 4
• Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 600
• Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• Questyle NHB12 vs Sennheiser IE 4
• KZ ZAS vs Sennheiser IE 4

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The Two Headphones In Full

Sennheiser IE 300: $179.95 Sennheiser $179.95 eBay

Pros: A compact, comfortable single dynamic IEM with a detachable cable and full bass about 4 dB above target that extends to 20 Hz.

Cons: The tuning measures poorly, with a Harman score of 46: presence sits about 5.6 dB low with a 7.7 dB dip near 3.2 kHz, while a 12.4 dB treble peak near 9.8 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance harsh.

Full Sennheiser IE 300 review and specifications →

Released	Jan 2021 (5 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.03 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 7mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	6Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	46 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	124 dB/Vrms
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.0 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-1.20 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (4 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.9 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	-3.9 dB	0.70
Peak	3,614 Hz	+5.8 dB	2.70
Peak	184 Hz	-4.0 dB	0.86
Peak	2,391 Hz	+4.9 dB	2.09
Peak	820 Hz	+1.5 dB	1.13
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-7.7 dB	0.70
Peak	9,660 Hz	-3.3 dB	1.79
Peak	5,989 Hz	+3.4 dB	5.57
Peak	61 Hz	+0.6 dB	1.93
Peak	7,066 Hz	-2.2 dB	6.00

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 300 (HypetheSonics measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 200

Sennheiser IE 4: $89.00 B&H Photo Video $89.00 Sennheiser $89.00 eBay

Pros: Sub-bass and bass both sit more than 6 dB above target and extend fully to 20 Hz, a good match for listeners who want big, rumbling bass and a V shaped sound. The 16 ohm impedance and 106 dB/V sensitivity let it run fine from a phone. It is rated level with the CCA PLA13 at a similar price.

Cons: A huge 15.3 dB peak near 5.1 kHz and presence about 10 dB above target make vocals and snares sound shouty and fatiguing. The KZ ZAS is rated higher and costs less.

Full Sennheiser IE 4 review and specifications →

Released	2005 (21 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.59 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	40Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	53 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	106 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+5.6 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.2 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	-3.3 dB	0.70
Peak	1,393 Hz	+6.5 dB	0.39
Peak	4,512 Hz	-13.3 dB	0.97
Peak	8,609 Hz	+6.4 dB	1.20
Peak	200 Hz	-2.3 dB	1.14
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-1.0 dB	0.70
Peak	2,324 Hz	+2.4 dB	3.14
Peak	3,227 Hz	-4.2 dB	4.39
Peak	64 Hz	+0.9 dB	2.17
Peak	4,107 Hz	+2.7 dB	6.00

• Links
  • Official Sennheiser IE 4 Product Page
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 4 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs CCA PLA13
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Zero Audio Duoza ZH-DWX10
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs KZ ZAS
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs BASN Bmaster
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Questyle NHB12
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 200