A compact four-armature IEM whose fit and isolation are its most consistently praised qualities, with a sub-bass shelf that measures well above its SE535 sibling and steers clear of the lower mids. Reviewers and owners split on most of the rest. Launch-era press hears the new red filter as adding air and clarity; measurement and many hobbyists still find a steep drop above about 10 kHz, and some owners swap the red back out. Detail and soundstage split along similar lines, with press largely pleased and comparison-minded owners less so. Build reads as excellent in reviews, but owners report cracked shells and failed MMCX sockets after years, with repairs that amount to replacement. Value divides most sharply: at about $999 for unchanged drivers most hobbyist voices call it overpriced, a judgement that softens at sale or used prices.
About this product
The 2022 second generation (clear, jade or graphite): the same four-driver earphone as the 2013 SE846, plus a new red 'extended' filter fitted as standard.
When the SE846 arrived in 2013 it was among the pricier universal in-ears on sale: four balanced armatures, a folded acoustic low-pass channel that gave it unusual sub-bass for the type, and nozzle filters the owner could change. It became a fixture on stages and in the Head-Fi of its day.
The Gen 2 of 2022 keeps all of that and changes very little: new jade and graphite finishes, an added extra-small tip, and a fourth filter, red and labelled 'extended', that now ships fitted. Meanwhile the field moved, and much cheaper sets arrived with more air and detail. So the record below has two jobs: to say what this earphone does, and to report the argument over whether it still earns its roughly $1,000 asking price.
