Sennheiser has a great reputation when it comes to audiophile headsets, and its latest headphones prove that you don’t need to skimp on specifications when it comes to the more compact form factor.
The Sennheiser IE 300 are powered by a refined version of the company’s 7mm Extra Wide Band transducer, which, she said, will provide a well-balanced sound signature with excellent sonic precision.
Inside the transducer is a membrane sheet designed to reduce natural resonances and harmonic distortion, a rear volume of the transducer to minimize reflection inside the headphones boxes and a resonance chamber to reduce the resonance in the ear canal, which should take to more detailed treble.
A frequency response from 6 Hz to 20 kHz means that the Sennheiser IE 300 must deliver impacting bass – although frequencies below 20 Hz are generally “felt” rather than heard in the traditional sense.
Pure sound in motion
Unlike wireless headphones like the Apple AirPods and Sony WF-1000XM3, the IE 300 comes with a 3.5mm cable, with a gold-plated connector for durability.
Sennheiser says you can also buy balanced cables with either 2.5 mm or 4.4 mm connectors, which can reduce distortion – so if you really take audio fidelity, the upgrade option is there.
Available in Europe on January 19, the Sennheiser IE 300 will cost € 299 – while the overall price has yet to be confirmed, which is around $ 360 / £ 270 / AU $ 470.
This is certainly expensive for a pair of wired headsets, although these audiophile specs can convince buyers to shell out the extra money in search of pure sound.
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
Despite the perception that headsets always offer superior audio quality compared to their in-ear pairs, we have seen an increase in the number of audiophile headsets in recent years, with companies hoping to exploit the small and easy trend to use audio devices without sacrificing sound.
It makes sense – many audiophile headsets are designed to listen at home, with open back designs that leak a lot of sound that can annoy people around you when you’re on the move. They also tend to be very bulky, with large cables that are not suitable for listening during the journey.
With more brands bringing their audio technology to the compact format, audiophiles no longer need to sit at home plugged into their Hi-Fi system to enjoy great-sounding music – especially when there are also large portable DACs. Whether models like the Sennheiser IE 300 can live up to your expectations, however, remains to be seen.
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