With Apple Music now supporting high-resolution lossless audio in India, there is renewed interest in wired earphones and headphones, especially the audiophile kind. I’ve tested the service with a number of headphones and earphones since its introduction in India, and while there’s plenty to enjoy even with budget gear, spending more on premium, well-designed kit will give you a significantly better listening experience. That’s where the Sennheiser IE 300, the in-ear monitors I’m reviewing here, come in.
Priced at Rs. 29,990, the Sennheiser IE 300 audiophile earphones are significantly more expensive than many of the budget audiophile gear I’ve tested recently, but promise an experience that will reap the benefits of high-resolution audio streaming. Is this the best regular pair of in-ear monitors you can buy right now? Find out in this review.
The Sennheiser IE 300 is a traditional wired in-ear headset and can be used with any source device with a headphone jack
Sennheiser IE 300 design and specifications
You would expect nothing less than premium design and build quality from a Rs. 30,000 pairs of earbuds, and the Sennheiser IE300 doesn’t disappoint. Although the earphones are made of plastic, they look and feel great, with each earpiece weighing just 4 ounces (without the cable). The earpieces are slim and curved inward for a secure fit, with the earhooks on the included detachable cable providing stability. It took me some effort to get the IE 300 earphones on and off because of the hooks, but the secure, comfortable and noise-isolating fit more than made up for it.
The earphones have an interesting sparkly finish, which resembles a starry sky with the Sennheiser logo in the center, and I really like this look. The supplied cable is detachable, using standard MMCX connectors to pair with the earphones, and has a 3.5mm plug for the incoming audio signal. The sales package contains a total of six pairs of eartips – three pairs of silicone eartips and three pairs of foam eartips, each in small, medium and large sizes. There’s also an earphone cleaning tool designed to fit into the meshes of the earcups, and a hard carrying case.
The included earphone cable is durable enough and is conveniently detachable, so experienced users have the option of replacing it to improve the listening experience or in case of wear and tear. These are audiophile grade earphones and the cable does not have an in-line remote or microphone. You may want to look into aftermarket cables if you want to add hands-free capabilities to the earphones.
The Sennheiser IE 300 is powered by the company’s 7mm XWB (extra wide band) TrueResponse dynamic drivers, which are said to be made in Germany and promise a natural and balanced sound. Sennheiser also claims further design tweaks, including a resonator chamber and diaphragm foil that promise to reduce natural resonances and improve sound.
The frequency response ranges from 6-20,000 Hz. The earphones have an impedance of 16 Ohms and can therefore be easily driven by even the most basic source devices, including smartphones, laptops and standard DAC amplifiers.
Each earpiece of the Sennheiser IE 300 weighs only 4g, without the cable
Sennheiser IE 300 Performance
Although Rs. 30,000 for a pair of wired earphones may sound high-end, the Sennheiser IE 300 competes with products normally classified as ‘mid-range’ in-ear monitors, taking on the competition from brands such as Shure, Fiio and Campfire Sound.
Since the Sennheiser IE 300 headset has a low impedance, I was able to use it comfortably with the iBasso DC03 DAC amplifier connected to my MacBook Air, and even plugged directly into the headphone jacks of this laptop and an iPad mini (2019). My review coincided with the launch of high-resolution lossless audio on Apple Music in India, so I had plenty of excellent music content to try the IE 300 with.
Starting with If I Were A Folkstar by The Avalanches in high-resolution lossless (24-bit, 96KHz in ALAC) format, the Sennheiser IE 300 provided rich, detailed and beautiful sound. The sonic signature was balanced, giving this busy sample-based electronic track plenty of room to breathe and let all the elements in it shine. The soft, upbeat beats, the vocals and the instruments all sounded clear and full; I was able to focus and listen to every element in the song the way it was meant to be heard.
The earphones have 7mm XWB TrueResponse dynamic drivers, with a frequency response of 6-20,000 Hz
Earth, Wind & Fire’s Let’s Groove in high resolution lossless format sounded even more impressive, giving the bass a refined, tight and detailed edge over the rest of the track without significantly affecting the soulful vocals and funky tune. With well-designed, detailed tracks, the Sennheiser IE 300 had plenty of room to shine, and I especially liked how easily and effortlessly it got its job done – that is, without much support from expensive DACs and amps.
With standard lossless (16-bit, 44.1 KHz in ALAC format) tracks, the Sennheiser IE 300 sounded a little less convincing due to its high-quality credentials and Rs. 30,000 price tag. Don’t get me wrong, the sound was excellent and very enjoyable, but didn’t quite match some of the comparably priced IEMs I’ve heard over the years, including the Audeze iSine 10 and options from Shure and Etymotic Research.
While the IE 300 is well tuned, I found it was a bit lacking in drive and attack compared to other IEMs at this price. While the earphones provided occasionally very enjoyable performances with certain tracks such as Five Tango Sensations: Anxiety by Astor Piazzolla and Bambro Koyo Ganda by Bonobo, most of the tracks provided a fun and detailed sound, but it didn’t quite match the audiophile credentials that Sennheiser hopes to pitch with the IE 300, or its Rs. 30,000 price tag.
Pronunciation
The Sennheiser IE 300 is a very good earphone, with a solid build quality and design, and an impressive sound quality. It’s easy to control and use with even standard audiophile gear and source devices, and performs well even when connected directly to a basic source device – that is, without any additional amplification or advanced digital-to-analog conversion. This is a fun, detailed and refined earphone that brings out almost the best in high-quality audio tracks, including much of what Apple Music has to offer in its high-resolution lossless audio collection.
However, it lacks a bit at the top in terms of attack and drive; The Sennheiser IE 300’s focus on ease of use holds it back a bit when it comes to delivering the kind of sound quality buyers expect for its price. Nevertheless, these are a good pair of earphones to consider if you want something that’s easy to drive, lightweight and equally suited to purists and everyday listeners alike.
