These wired earbuds talk a good game and – on most fronts – back their words up with action
Wired in-ear headphones | £130 | whf.cm/IE_200
Do you consider yourself an audiophile? Regardless of your answer Sennheiser would like to interest you in its range of higher-end ‘audiophile headphones’. These products – almost all wired – now include a range of in-ear and over-ear pairs at a range of prices, from as little as the £130 asked for these IE 200s.
The omens are good. More than one of the company’s IE earbud models has achieved acclaim – the IE800 from 2013, for example, were three-time What Hi-Fi? Award winners despite their then-£600 price tag. And, more recently, the IE 900 proved their sonic quality so completely that we couldn’t help but conclude that they justified their four-figure asking price.
While fewer headphones manufacturers are bothering with mid-range wired models as much as they might have done 10 years ago, there remains an excellent sonic benchmark for the Sennheiser IE 200 to strive for.
Quality over convenience
Anyone considering wired in-ears at this level is almost certainly after better sound quality than wireless alternatives at the same price point can offer them. Either that or they have forgotten to charge their previous wireless pair one time too many. Either way, convenience will not be high up their list of priorities.
Build quality, however, might well be. Thankfully, the 1.2m braided cable used here feels reassuringly durable and, thanks to MMCX connectors at the earbud end, can be swapped out for another down the line. The finger-length ends nearest the earbuds are covered by a tubing designed to wrap around ears for a more secure fit, while the relatively non-descript black housings themselves are discreetly compact. Three sizes of silicone and memory-foam eartip are included too. The only small negative here – as with the rest of the range – is the absence of an in-line remote.
Another discernible lineage between the IE 200 and their siblings is their sonic character, which is as recognisable to us as a Warhol painting would be to a pop-art fan. Clear, rich and weighty, they are instantly likeable, and anyone who has experience with similarly priced wireless earbuds may very quickly realise that they don’t get you anywhere near the Sennheisers’ level of openness, clarity and insight. If you aren’t hearing that lushness, try different ear tips and make use of that tubed cable as a hook to achieve a secure fit and correct seal.
A wide range
The fullness that extends the frequency range, from its potent highs to its very present
