Every once in a while, I just need a break from Bluetooth headphones. I got sick of recharging them. God forbid I accidentally put my phone in my left pocket while out and about instead of my right and started noticing audio dropouts. (Yes, this can still happen with today’s best headsets and cordless phones.) And I remind myself that I’m robbing my ears of the true potential of my lossless cultured music library by settling for Bluetooth codecs instead of using wires. I’ve been feeling that wireless fatigue lately, and it turns out that Sennheiser just released a new pair of cabling headphones, the ie 200that seemed worth trying.
These $149.95 headphones promise balanced, detailed sound in a compact in-ear monitor (IEM) with adjustable ear hooks and a detachable braided cable. There’s no built-in microphone, these are music-only buttons, and Sennheiser lets you choose between more or less bass via a unique “dual tunable” eartip design. In one position, the IE 200s add some punch to the bass. But mount the ear tips in the outer position and the lower frequencies become more neutral.
The IE 200s Borrow Much Of Their DNA From Sennheiser’s $700 IE 600 Headphones – Ranked among the crème de la crème of IEMs — and aim to offer some of that magic at a more affordable price. The company sent me a couple of IE 600s to test along with their latest buttons so I could compare and contrast. But my approach in using these has been to keep things casual; I didn’t run them through a DAC or do a lot of intense analytical listening at home. I just wanted my music time to feel more intentional and deliberate. Wired headphones will always do that more effectively than a set of AirPods Pro or even Sennheiser’s own Momentum True Wireless 3. “It would be nice if it meant something again,” I posited loudly in the cafeteria, probably alarming the person sitting nearby. who heard me say that out of the blue.
The way I consume music varies depending on the phone I’m currently using. If it’s an iPhone, I’ll be carrying thousands of music tracks encoded in the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) that I’ve amassed over the years. I always want to have my favorite albums at my fingertips, no matter what my current Spotify or Apple Music subscription status is. And I have tried to preserve my personal collection in a reasonable quality without going also the water; if I ever need hi-res lossless audio, I’ll turn to Amazon Music or something like Qobuz.
When I’m using an Android phone, where ALAC is kind of out of place, I’m mostly stuck with Spotify, Amazon, and personal library stuff I’ve uploaded to YouTube Music. (I really can’t recommend that service enough for storing your hard-to-find tracks in the cloud. It doesn’t do any of Apple Music’s error-prone track-matching nonsense and uses only the files and track metadata that you feeds). If you’re a nerd like me who’s finicky about such things, that’s great, and free.)
But the dilemma in either scenario was the same: I quickly crashed into our modern reality where the headphone jack doesn’t exist on popular smartphones. So I swallowed my pride while testing the IE 200s and made sure to keep two dongles with me at all times: a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter for my iPhone 14 Pro Max and a USB-C equivalent for my Pixel 7.
The differences between the IE 200 and the much more expensive IE 600 start right out of the box. The 600 come with a hard case, while the 200 fit into a soft carry bag. The nicer case has enough clearance for a backup/replacement cable, but that would be a tight fit in the bag. Both the IE 200 and IE 600 include six sets of tips: three silicone sizes and three foam alternatives. I’m a foam person when given the choice, and the largest size worked well for me during all of my testing.
The two sets of earphones share the same outer shell shape and are very similar in size, but they use different materials. The IE 600s are made from a beautifully cared for 3D printed and hand finished zirconia casing that will probably look as good in five years as it does today. Sennheiser wasn’t about to match that level of craftsmanship with conventional IE 200s, so they opted for a stealthy all-black plastic cover. It may not age as gracefully, but it still looks classy. In both cases, the headphones were very compact and fit my ears perfectly. Both are pretty safe, especially with those foam tips. Sennheiser has done an excellent job with ergonomics here: the IE 200s fit me naturally and comfortably in a way that not all headphones do, and my glasses were no problem for the adjustable ear hooks.
The braided cable included with the IE 200s was super lightweight and basically felt nothing while using them. That’s a good thing, but the cable isn’t immune to miking and jostling noise when you’re on the move. Like the other Sennheiser IEMs, these connect to the cable using MMCX connectors, but the design of the recessed jack in the earphone could present a problem for some aftermarket cables; make sure they are specifically compatible with Sennheiser products.
Sennheiser describes the IE 200s as “exceptionally neutral”, but that’s not accurate. As it turns out, a neutral presentation just isn’t very exciting to many average consumers, and these definitely share a V-shaped sound signature that’s similar to the IE 600s. The bass boost in the less expensive headphones is harmless and never deviates. towards an inflated territory. Everything is well controlled, which extends to its balanced mids and raised high frequencies. The IE 200s are articulate, detailed, and a joy to listen to.
But you’re not getting quite the same experience as with the already renowned IE 600. Even though these two sets of headphones share a similar frequency response, you don’t need fancy audio equipment to notice that the pricier pair has more tonality. smooth and dynamic. The sub-bass hits a bit fuller. Everything feels richer and clinically less crisp than on the IE 200s, and the soundstage is less condensed. The IE 600s have that extra touch of warmth and authority. There’s a reason these headphones are hundreds of dollars apart, but I still think the $150 IE 200 is a good option if you’re looking to spend a bit on wired headphones. You won’t be as concerned about coddling them, and they sound pretty good. I’m not here to debate whether “Chi-fi” IEMs are a smarter purchase; I’m sure you can find all sorts of discussions about that on headphone forums and on YouTube.
But I will say that Sennheiser’s “dual tunable” eartip concept seems very misleading. Most people will place their ear tips flush with the housing, and that’s where the IE 200s work best and have the most bass. To reduce that low end for “analytic” listening mode, you need to pull the tips forward to a secondary position. The easiest way to do this is to remove them entirely and very carefully reattach the tips; they just naturally latch into that initial outer position. Press more and they will move to the lower seats. The problem is that it’s very easy for the tips to move when you put the IE 200s in your ears, so if you want a light bass tuning, you have to be careful. In the end, it’s not worth it: these headphones sound better with fuller bass, and this idea seems too clever for its own good.
It’s been nice to reacquaint myself with wired headsets while reviewing the IE 200s. I still regret the life of dongles, and it can get awkward when I occasionally forget there’s no mic on these when answering a call. But none of those things are enough to keep you from occasionally ditching your Bluetooth headset, even for all its conveniences, and plugging it in. When I take the time, that’s when I feel most connected to the music I’ve loved for decades. and where it sounds best. I’ll still grab my go-to wireless headphones on most days; That will not change. But if you choose Sennheiser’s newest headphones, you might enjoy the same occasional reprieve from our wireless world.
Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge