Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 800

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 300, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #813 of 865 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 1.7/5) at $179.95 and is still sold new; the Sennheiser IE 800 ranks #827 (rated 1.6/5) and is discontinued, so it is only an option used. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 865 in-ear headphones, and the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII, ranked #1 at $999, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.

Why pick 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 case for the Sennheiser IE 800: Bass is lifted about 2.8 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. Watch for: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used.

Buy the Sennheiser IE 300. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the Sennheiser IE 800 is discontinued, so it is only available used.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

How Sennheiser IE 300 compares with other leading options:

• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 300
• Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 600
• Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 4
• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 800

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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 4
  • Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • Sennheiser IE 300 vs Sennheiser IE 200

Sennheiser IE 800 Discontinued eBay

Pros: Bass is lifted about 2.8 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. Lower mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. It uses 1 x 7mm dynamic with an easy 16 ohm load.

Cons: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used. Presence sits about 8.4 dB low with a 10.8 dB dip near 3.5 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite. A 6.7 dB peak near 10.8 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp. A Harman score of 44 places it in the lower part of the in-ear rankings.

Full Sennheiser IE 800 review and specifications →

Released	2012 (14 years ago)
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	4.08 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 7mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	5Hz - 46.5kHz
Harman Preference Score	44 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	125 dB/Vrms
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.6 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-1.44 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (8 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.6 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	-3.4 dB	0.70
Peak	3,961 Hz	+6.0 dB	1.84
Peak	180 Hz	-4.8 dB	0.63
Peak	2,501 Hz	+5.0 dB	2.58
Peak	71 Hz	+1.4 dB	0.98
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-9.4 dB	0.70
Peak	1,259 Hz	-1.2 dB	2.44
Peak	6,365 Hz	+3.3 dB	5.68
Peak	10,000 Hz	-1.4 dB	5.79
Peak	1,995 Hz	+0.8 dB	3.83

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 800 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 800 vs Sennheiser IE 4
  • Sennheiser IE 800 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 800 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • Sennheiser IE 800 vs Sennheiser IE 200