When the IE 300 was announced in 2021 during the CES, it revitalised the Sennheiser “IE” series of wired earphones with a new housing, improved 7mm transducer and acoustic chamber, and a MMCX+ connection that is not compatible with the usual MMCX cables. The audio quality was brilliant, the price point was attractive. Of course, we know Sennheiser would not stop at this model, so the IE 900 was announced as the new IE flagship several months later. Its aluminium housing is precision-milled with a single block, its triple-chamber system and enhanced 7mm transducer delivers audio precision. Almost a year later, the IE 600 was released in Singapore with lesser fanfare, treading on risky approach of being the “middle-child” of the new IE series. Priced at half of the IE 900, the IE 600 is an attractive proposition given the slightly more balanced tuning where the treble is less distracting and the sound staging is less spatial compared to the IE 900.
When Sennheiser revealed the IE 200 in this year’s CES, it again changed the dynamics (literally) and altered the “balance” of the IE series product line. With a retail price of S$219 in Singapore and the lowest numeric model, it infers that the IE 200 is the new entry-level model, and evidently so from the housing materials and accessories. The housing is plain black shade instead of a more bling star-dust IE 300. Instead of a hard case on the IE 300/600/900, the IE 200 comes in the cloth pouch. And the cable is finally changed to a braided version which reduces microphonics and at least does not feel sticky.
You probably could guess the verdict of this review since the IE 200 is now the lowest-priced among the Sennheiser IE-series. What if I tell you that you guessed wrong? The IE 200 is actually a more balanced sounding earphones compared to the IE 300, which offers prominent bass with sizzling hot treble, the IE 900 refined the treble transparency to the next level while keeping the bass controlled and less bloated. The IE 600 attempts to re-align the sound towards a more balanced, neutral sound and keeping the sound staging a little tighter, so it loses that airiness of the IE 900 but still presents excellent details.
The IE 200 can be seen as the poorer sibling of the IE 600, where it maintains good neutrality but is less articulate and relatively less detailed. But its frequency response is less offensive, it has good bass presence, it has clear engaging treble, its midrange is also cosy without too distracting. Compared to the IE 300, the sound staging among the instruments sound more cohesive on the IE 200. The bass is less overpowering which brings out midrange better. The IE 300 is somewhat too preoccupied with tuning the treble to such extraordinary feel that it somewhat neglects the balancing of the midrange instruments. No doubt the IE 300 sounds more impressive on initial listen, but the IE 200 is more faithful to the source.
And since the IE 200 is priced at just S$219, you might be wondering if it’s worth raising your budget from the other earphones below S$200. Here are some comparisons I made on my existing stash of wired earphones:
- Creative Aurvana Trio: the IE 200 has wider sound staging, its treble is more refined and less cooked, Aurvana’s midrange is a little more elevated, sounding a little more fuller, the bass has also more beef.
- ZEX Pro (aka KZ X Crinacle CRN): the CRN has elevated midrange, more packed bass, treble is less prominent. Sound staging is more compact. The IE 200 sounds more refined, more “digital”, “cleaner”, needs more amp to drive.
For earphones above S$200, here are the comparison notes:
- Beyerdynamic Xelento 2: the Xelento delivers more elevated bass and better midrange presence, overall sounds warmer while the treble has less prominence compared to IE 200.
- Sony XBA-4: the Sony has wider, more distinct, instrumental positioning, the treble is more prominent and little more sparkle. The IE 200 sounds a little more distant comparatively.
For the uninitiated, the IE 200 is an excellent starter to the Sennheiser’s tuning for the audiophile earphone range, but for listeners who prefer a more weighty bass and a highly-spectacular treble, the IE 300 is the one to get. The Sennheiser IE 200 retails at S$219 in Singapore, while the IE 300, originally retailing at S$449, is now on promotion at S$299. Get your order from the Sennheiser Singapore online store here.
