He also said that the IE 900 IEMs are the most difficult project he’s ever worked on.
Sennheiser’s top in-ear monitor, the IE 900, won’t have a new version soon, according to Jermo Koehnke, Audiophile Product Manager at Sennheiser. He shared this during a recent “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit, where he answered questions about the company’s products and future plans.
Sennheiser’s Decision on the IE 900
When probed for a peek at what’s next for IE 900, Koehnke explained the company’s stance on the IEMs:
The decision shows Sennheiser’s confidence in the current model’s performance and how they meet the customer needs.
Koehnke stressed the IE 900 are great for what they’re made for, especially their classic Sennheiser in-ear sound. This makes the process of creating the IEMs worth it.
According to him, the IE 900, featuring a 7mm TrueResponse Transducer and proprietary X3R technology, went through nearly 100 iterations during its development.
He also noted that while some customers prefer the newer sounds of models like the IE 200 and IE 600, many still love the traditional tuning.
But Koehnke’s strong resolve and trust in Sennheiser’s current tech doesn’t stop there.
When the same user asked about the multi-driver setups, Koehnke explained that Sennheiser doesn’t think they’re needed in their in-ear monitors. He told a story about someone asking their best sound engineer why they don’t use multiple drivers. The engineer said their 7mm system covers all audible sounds with almost no distortion, so extra drivers aren’t necessary.
Other AMA participants have also praised this approach:
Insights on Current and Future Products
Aside from the topic on IE 900, Koehnke also provided glimpses into the company’s product strategy. Yet, he did so quite carefully.
Looking a bit on the past and present, however, Koehnke was also asked about his favorite headphones in the line-up. Here, he confirms that the legendary HD 600 headphones continue to be held in high regard within the company.
Another interesting discussion is that Koehnke revealed that Sennheiser doesn’t currently see a place for planar magnetic technology in their lineup, particularly for the HD 600 series.
Of course, Koehnke also talked about Sennheiser’s newest closed-back headphones, the HD 620S.
He mentioned that Sennheiser has proudly been making strides in the closed-back headphone market with the HD 620S.
And, what makes this extra innovative is the fact that closed-back designs require different engineering approaches compared to open-back models.
Addressing the Issues
Not surprisingly, some fans have taken the AMA as an opportunity to ask Sennheiser directly of the issues surrounding the brand.
For one, there were talks about what some think were degrading customer service since the Sonova takeover.
Koehnke admitted that customer service had suffered following the separation of Sennheiser’s Pro and Consumer divisions.
But, he assured users that improving customer service is “high on our agenda” and that the company recently held a week-long Kaizen session to address these issues.
Koehnke also discussed Sennheiser’s approach to equalization (EQ) and tuning.
On the products side, Koehnke also addressed and dismissed some issues.
And, when asked about the competitive Chinese IEM market, Koehnke expressed a welcoming attitude towards new entrants.
However, he did clarify that he isn’t too scared of the upcoming ChiFi competition as these brands are mostly focused on IEMs, than headphones. Sennheiser, on the other hand, is more dominant in the headphone market and is technically still new on the IEMs market but still see good growth.
Lastly, Koehnke also addressed the consumers’ concerns on the change in packaging. He explained that the company has moved away from elaborate packaging to more cost-effective options.
