Sennheiser (http://www.sennheiserusa.com) has announced the IE 800 earphones and a new digital amplifier for dynamic headphones.
The IE 800 are small, in-ear earphones that cost US$. They “offer fascinatingly brilliant trebles, precise bass response and a detailed, lifelike sound image with a frequency response of 5 to 46,500 Hz,” according to Maurice Quarré, director, Product Lifecycle Management Sennheiser Consumer Electronics.
The IE 800 not only boasts innovative technology but also features a modern design and high-quality materials such as the scratch-resistant ceramic housing. Its puristic design language and black/silver finish, he adds. Quarré says “the sound of the IE 800 can easily compete with that of our high-end portfolio.” Guess that’s why they cost approximately US$787.
The digital HDVD 800 — the amplifier — harmonizes with Sennheiser’s HD 800, HD 700, HD 650 and HD 600 high-end headphones. It has a fully symmetrical layout for operation with analogue audio sources, thus ensuring absolutely symmetrical signal transmission from the source to the headphones, according to Quarré.
For use with digital sources, the amplifier is equipped with a high-quality Burr-Brown digital/analogue converter that converts digital audio data into analogue signals with a resolution of 24 bits and a sampling rate of up to 192 kHz. This enables the HDVD 800 to transmit the entire frequency spectrum of high-end audio sources without any loss of frequencies, according to Quarré.
The digital HDVD 800 will be delivered to Sennheiser’s worldwide sales partners in September. Pricing hasn’t been announced.