The new Sennheiser IE 600 earphones complete an ambitious development effort from Sennheiser's consumer division, pushing forward a familiar around-the-ear form-factor and refined housing with resonator chamber. For this intermediate model that sits between the premium IE 900, and the high-quality for much lower price IE 300, Sennheiser decided to go for durability. The positioning for this new model reveals some of the intense dilemmas that surely have been felt inside the German company as it was selling and splitting its consumer operations to Sonova. And that is because, in 2021, Sennheiser also launched the IE 100 PRO earphones, which are labelled "professional" and sell for half the price of the IE 300, while offering a 10mm dynamic driver that delivers consistent frequency response in a very similar design. These, together with two previous IE Pro models, remain in production and are now sold in the "professional" channel that Sennheiser continues to address. Sonova will now need to explore new adequate distribution channels for its "consumer" products that need to be perceived as "higher-quality" than the "pro" labelled products in the same brand.
To highlight the differences on a new product like the Sennheiser IE 600 earphones, the company explains that these are manufactured using a patented 3D printing process, with housings crafted from ZR01 amorphous zirconium, a metal with a glass-like atomic structure that gives it triple the hardness and bend resistance of high-performance steel. As Sennheiser explains, one of the other places ZR01 amorphous zirconium is used is in the aerospace industry, such as in the drilling head of the NASA Mars Rover.
Through multiple elaborate treatment processes, a beautiful surface finish is achieved that makes it extraordinarily resistant against corrosion and scratches. "This exceptional resilience ensures the IE 600 can be enjoyed for many years while its distinctive great looks remain undiminished. With ultimate protection against corrosion and marks from wear, the IE 600 was designed to keep delivering flawless acoustic — and visual — joy for decades," Sennheiser states.
Otherwise, the IE 600 also benefits from the meticulous manufacturing process that is the hallmark of Sennheiser’s IE earphone family. Designed in Germany, they are manufactured at Sonova Consumer Hearing's state-of-the-art transducer production facilities in Ireland, and described as "one of the most advanced production lines of its type in the world."
This operation is now serving what Sonova decided to call Sennheiser "Audiophile," which is a slightly misleading and misunderstood term, and a characterization of consumers that audioXpress doesn't endorse.
"At the audiophile development team, we intently listen to the feedback of our incredibly passionate customers. The IE 600 delivers a neutral reference tuning in combination with our industry-leading miniature transducer technology," says Jermo Köhnke, Product Manager for Sennheiser Audiophile. "The paradigm-shifting acoustic performance is appropriately clad in highest-performance amorphous zirconium. The IE 600 will be a reference for the most demanding mobile audio enthusiasts."
Otherwise, the Sennheiser IE 600 earphones leverage the same acoustic back volume and precision-molded resonator chambers of the IE 900 and IE 300. The nozzle houses dual resonator chambers that are the key to the earphones’ high-fidelity sound by eliminating masking resonances that can obscure higher frequencies. Otherwise, the TrueResponse 7mm driver (the same used in the IE 300) is voiced for neutral, distortion-free reproduction, delivering extra-wide frequency range, optimized to produce "a steep bass slope resulting in a powerful yet fast and accurate low-end response."
Like all earphones of this type, the IE 600 use gold-plated MMCX connectors, in this case recessed in its housing for greater stability and guidance. They support cable diameters of 4.8mm and smaller, allowing listeners to plug into a wide range of audio sources as well as hi-fi components with balanced outputs. To allow the choice between para-aramid reinforced unbalanced and balanced cables, both 3.5mm and 4.4mm sizes are included with the IE 600. Two different styles of earbud tips — silicone and memory foam — are provided in three sizes, together with adjustable ear hooks for more comfort in extended use.
The Sennheiser IE 600 earphones will be available in the Spring/Summer of 2022, and will retail for $699.95 USD (MSRP).
www.sennheiser.com
www.sennheiser-hearing.com
