Sennheiser IE 800 S vs Sennheiser IE 900

Short answer: the Sennheiser IE 900. It ranks #605 of 909 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 3.1/5) at $1,299.95 and is still sold new; the Sennheiser IE 800 S ranks #792 (rated 2.0/5) and is discontinued, so it is only an option used.

Why pick the Sennheiser IE 800 S: Lower mids sit within about 0.6 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. The catch: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used.

The Sennheiser IE 900 is the better-sounding pick. Oratory1990 measured sub-bass and bass within about 1.2 dB of target, so the low end is tidy and controlled. The tradeoff: Presence from 3 to 6 kHz is about 6.7 dB below the Harman target, with an 8.8 dB dip near 3.6 kHz, which recesses vocals and removes some bite.

Buy the Sennheiser IE 900. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the Sennheiser IE 800 S is discontinued, so it is only available used.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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More worthwhile head-to-heads for Sennheiser IE 900:

• Sennheiser IE 200 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• Sennheiser IE 600 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• qdc Anole V6 vs Sennheiser IE 900
• Sennheiser IE 900 vs FiiO FH5
• Sennheiser IE 900 vs Westone MACH 80

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The Two Headphones In Full

Sennheiser IE 800 S Discontinued eBay

Older model: the Sennheiser IE 800 (ranked lower, rated 1.6/5). See every Sennheiser IE 800 generation.

Pros: 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 8.3 dB low with an 11.2 dB dip near 3.4 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite. A Harman score of 49 places it in the lower part of the in-ear rankings.

Full Sennheiser IE 800 S review and specifications →

Released	Jan 2018 (8 years ago)
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.79 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 7mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	5Hz - 46.5kHz
Harman Preference Score	49 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	125 dB/Vrms
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-2.1 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-1.18 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (8 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.5 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	-0.6 dB	0.70
Peak	186 Hz	-4.4 dB	0.59
Peak	2,760 Hz	+6.2 dB	1.20
Peak	1,517 Hz	-3.5 dB	1.46
Peak	4,153 Hz	+3.7 dB	2.74
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-5.3 dB	0.70
Peak	8,875 Hz	+3.6 dB	1.68
Peak	5,612 Hz	-3.2 dB	6.00
Peak	6,726 Hz	+1.8 dB	5.92
Peak	737 Hz	+0.2 dB	2.62

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 800 S (oratory1990 measurement)

Sennheiser IE 900: $1,299.95 Amazon $1,299.95 eBay

Same family: the Sennheiser IE 200 (lower-end model, ranked higher, rated 4.4/5) and the Sennheiser IE 600 (lower-end model, ranked higher, rated 3.5/5).

Pros: Oratory1990 measured sub-bass and bass within about 1.2 dB of target, so the low end is tidy and controlled. Sensitivity of 123 dB SPL/V and a 16 ohm impedance make it easy to drive from a phone, and the 7mm dynamic driver is rated to reach from 5 Hz to 48 kHz. Top-octave air sits about 3.6 dB above target for an open, detailed treble.

Cons: Presence from 3 to 6 kHz is about 6.7 dB below the Harman target, with an 8.8 dB dip near 3.6 kHz, which recesses vocals and removes some bite. A preference score of 63 is modest for such a premium product, and the HIFIMAN RE2000 has a higher rating at a lower price.

Full Sennheiser IE 900 review and specifications →

Released	2021 (5 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.82 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 7mm dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	5Hz - 48kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	63 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	16 ohms
Sensitivity	123 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+0.7 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.92 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.3 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	-2.3 dB	0.70
Peak	4,081 Hz	+5.0 dB	2.86
Peak	204 Hz	-2.6 dB	1.13
Peak	1,472 Hz	-2.7 dB	2.33
Peak	2,956 Hz	+5.2 dB	2.42
High shelf	10,000 Hz	-4.4 dB	0.70
Peak	67 Hz	+0.6 dB	1.76
Peak	26 Hz	-0.9 dB	3.19
Peak	729 Hz	+0.4 dB	2.54
Peak	376 Hz	-0.4 dB	2.69

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser IE 900 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs FiiO FH5
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs qdc Anole V6
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs Westone MACH 80
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs Sennheiser IE 600
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs Sennheiser IE 4
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs Sennheiser IE 300
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs Sennheiser IE 800
  • Sennheiser IE 900 vs Sennheiser IE 200