Sennheiser IE 200 Review

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The mids – even though they have good weight – are positioned a bit more to the back. But, as said, they don’t give you the full V-shaped tuning you expect from looking at the graph. The mids have natural, spacious tuning with a smooth delivery. Vocals are a bit more too the front, but they have a natural and realistic tonality, and they blend in just enough.

The treble section is energetic, but never becomes sharp or aggressive. The extension is good, but not the furthest. It’s the kind of treble that you would expect in a more V-shaped tuned IEM for the masses. It’s not the most extended or technically strong, but it’s lively and energetic with a musical delivery. As you can see in the FR chart, there are (popular) bumps around 3 and 6/7K to make things exciting, but that doesn’t bother or shock me in any way.

Sound – Conclusion

All-in-all the Sennheiser IE 200 has a pleasant, popular and easy to like tuning, while at the same time delivering enough technical precision.

Listeners who are not used to higher end IEMs, will be impressed (normal consumers) with the IE 200’s performance. At the same time the IE 200 is also delivering what it takes to seduce the audiophile on a budget. The technical level is good but there at this price level of course is room for improvement. The IE 200 also doesn’t perform at the same technical level as its higher end siblings, but that’s only normal.

If you find the sound in this description to be too full (weight), smooth or bass heavy, then you will probably prefer the silicone tips, and the effect that has on the IE 200’s tuning.

That brings us to the part on comparisons. Let’s find out more about how the Sennheiser IE 200 compares to Sennheiser’s other IEMs.

IE200 vs IE 300

The most important Sennheiser IEM to compare the IE 200 to, of course is the IE 300. With its recent promotion, it’s selling for only $249 but I even saw it for $199 on Amazon (only $50 USD more). The Sennheiser IE 300 is featured on our Best universal IEM list and it is a recommended buy.

For this comparison we’re using the HiBy RS8 and both IEMs are being used in single ended mode with their own cable (which is different) and with foam tips.

First thing you notice when switching to the IE 300, is that the technical performance is a level up. The detail retrieval and precision are better as well as the note extension and decay. The clarity and cleanness also are improved compared to the IE 200. The sound stage (both in width as in depth) is at a higher level with the IE 300 and the layering and timbre is more impressive. Bass, especially in the sub regions is more present and is better controlled. While the vocals also stand out in the IE 300, they are more refined at the same time.

The IE 300 is more balanced than the IE 200. It’s still a little V-shaped, but it’s not as strong. The IE 300 for only $100 USD extra is a more typically “audiophile” tuned unit. Both units are very musical and have a hint of warmth and smoothness, but it’s less so in the IE 300.

Conclusion

I fully understand the position of the IE 200 in Sennheiser’s line-up. With its low price and good performance, it will impress the casual non audiophile listener with its excellent build quality, fit and overall performance. It is guaranteed to persuade a whole lot of novice listeners to invest more in better sound/headphones or IEMs.

The IE 300 clearly is the best performing IEM of both, but it’s $100 USD over the IE 200. In that regard, the IE 200 is a great entry to the audiophile world. Not looking at the IE 300, the Sennheiser IE 200 is an IEM with a good price/performance ratio. It’s musical, engaging and it will show non audiophile IEM users, that there’s a whole new world for them to discover, while not braking the bank.

Pro’s

• Price/Quality ratio
• Engaging and musical tuning
• Eye-opener for many

Cons

• The ear tip tuning system which doesn’t work well for me

Page 1: Sennheiser, IE 200, Specifications, Box & Accessories

Page 2: Design, Build Quality, Cable, Fit, Comfort, Isolation, Tips, Sound Pt. 1

Page 3: Sound Pt. 2

Page 4: Sound Pt. 3, Comparison, Conclusion