Though high resolution digital music can be streamed to wireless earphones rocking certain codecs, many would argue that the best sound quality is served up by wired ear candy. And it's these kind of folks that Sennheiser's IE 600s are aimed at.
The IE 600 earphones take their position in Sennheiser's audiophile lineup behind the company's flagship IE 900 earphones, which launched last year for US$1,299.
The new earphones sport a textured housing that's formed using a patented 3D printing process, and fashioned from the same aerospace-grade amorphous alloy that's used in the drilling head of NASA's Mars rover – a material that's reported to have an atomic structure similar to glass for "triple the hardness and bend resistance of high-performance steel."
During processing, the housing's outer surface is finished so as to make it resistant to scratches and corrosion, meaning that the earphones should keep their distinctive looks for years to come.
Inside, the design makes use of "innovative acoustic back volume and precision-molded resonator chambers" to help deliver a neutral signature with true-to-life voicing for the promise of "vivid, yet pure and natural" audio delivery, while dual resonator chambers at the nozzle ensure that higher frequencies have sufficient definition. The acoustics have also been optimized for powerful bass with a fast and accurate response.
Each housing is home to a single 7-mm TrueResponse transducer for a wide frequency range of 4 Hz to 46.5 kHz that should be enough to accommodate all manner of music playback with ease, as well as ultra-low total harmonic distortion of 0.06 percent, sound pressure level of 118 dB and impedance of 18 ohms.
Other tasty details include flexible ear hooks to keep the earphones in place while on the move, gold-plated MMCX connectors for connection stability, the IE 600s ship with both 3.5-mm unbalanced and 4.4-mm balanced reinforced cables for flexibility when connecting to hi-fi components, and come with silicone and memory foam tips for user comfort.
The new audiophile earphones are due for release in the coming months for a suggested retail price of US$699.95. The video below has more.
Product page: IE 600