Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 800

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 4, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #749 of 865 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 2.3/5) at $89 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, so if sound quality matters, consider the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII instead, ranked #1 at $999.

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 tradeoff: 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.

Why pick 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 4. It is rated higher for sound quality and still sold new, while the Sennheiser IE 800 is discontinued.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

More top alternatives to 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 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 KZ ZAS
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Zero Audio Duoza ZH-DWX10
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs BASN Bmaster
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Questyle NHB12
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 300
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 900
  • Sennheiser IE 4 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • See all 9 comparisons

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