During a virtual press event that was primarily intended to launch the company’s latest in-ear monitors (IEMs), Sennheiser executives also dropped two much-anticipated teasers: We’ll see the Momentum True Wireless 3 launch as its new flagship wireless earbuds, and there will also be a new and considerably smaller version of the Ambeo Dolby Atmos soundbar. No details on either product were provided, but Sennheiser indicated that the new Ambeo soundbar would be more accessible pricewise when compared to the $2,000 the company asks for its current beast of a bar.
IE 600
The bulk of the event was dedicated to discussing Sennheiser’s new entry into the audiophile market with the IE 600, a $700 set of IEMs that will be available this spring/summer. Made from 3D-printed amorphous zirconium, a metal with a glass-like atomic structure, they possess a very distinctive, beaten-metal look. But it’s not just about style. Sennheiser claims the exotic metal, which has been used by NASA on its Mars rovers, offers “triple the hardness and bend resistance of high-performance steel,” making it a very tough material. This provides both protection from damage, as well as precise housing for the IE 600’s internal components.
Those components consist of Sennheiser’s TrueResponse transducer, a single 7 mm driver, which the company says is responsible for the IE 600’s virtually distortion-free reproduction of music and extra-wide frequency range. Using these drivers, along with an acoustic back volume and dual resonator chambers housed in the IE 600’s nozzles, they have been tuned for a tonally neutral sound. This makes the IE 600 suitable for a wide range of music genres, as opposed to the company’s IE 900 flagship IEMs, which have been tuned with a greater emphasis on clear high frequencies, making them a better choice for classical music.
The IE 600 use gold-plated MMCX connectors, which are recessed in the housing for greater stability and guidance. You can use cables of 4.8 mm and smaller diameters, for a greater range of choices when plugging into audio sources. Inside the box, Sennheiser will include 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm para-aramid reinforced unbalanced and balanced cables. There will also be two different styles of earbud tips, Silicone and memory foam, both provided in three sizes. These should help most people get a comfy and secure fit, made easier thanks to the IEMs’ flexible, adjustable earhooks.