I found the sound conformed with Sennheiser standards. It’s a bit brighter than neutral, in my opinion, with a forward upper midrange, sometimes leading to emphasised “esses”. But it’s nicely dynamic and well-defined. Listening to The Teskey Brothers debut album Half Mile Harvest on Spotify, the white hiss and low mains hum of the equipment in their home studio was audible, something I’d not previously noticed. But also audible was a lovely, full bass performance.

Its dedicated wireless DAC provides spaciousness and activity, making it one of the best sounding audiophile Bluetooth earphones out there.

The IE 80 S BT successfully takes everything that impressed me about its wired sibling and turns it into a very capable wireless design. It costs £140 more than the wired version, but the combination of excellent performance, comprehensive Bluetooth implementation and Sennheiser’s attention to comfort and build makes this an exceptionally talented wireless in-ear design that is likely to win over many converts.

I hate to overstate the Sennheiser IE 80 S BT, but we have to admit that this is one of the most comfortable in-ear headphones in terms of in-ear fit. Being quite neutral performers, the Sennheiser IE 80 S BT still have their own slightly noticeable sound features in the form of smoothed highs, softened mids and a little less detail than you might expect from professional (according to the manufacturer) headphones. The model showed itself from a very good side, but in order to give it such a high assessment, you have to be patient and feel the sound on different music tracks.

With the IE 80S, Sennheiser has delivered a confident and consistently solid piece of hardware. Sound quality, not to mention workmanship and driver technology, convinces in all the right places. In view of the RRP of almost 500 Euros, the lack of noise-cancelling capabilities might come as a shock. This is especially true of a Bluetooth-enabled device. However, the smartphone-centric concept brings with it some limitations. Ultimately, Sennheiser has produced a headphone design that continues its efforts to encourage puristic listening enjoyment with a clear focus on sound quality.

Sennheiser's IE 80 S earphones produce sound worthy of their $350 price, but some peculiar design decisions make the overall experience feel less than luxurious.

These Sennheisers are weighty and full-bodied, but lack the excitement to justify their considerable price

If you’re a fan of the Sennheiser sound or, more specifically, the IE80, the IE80S BT offers the best wireless audio available right now. As a wireless earphone, though, it still competes with other Bluetooth options at this price range, like the Westone B30 or the Shure SE535. If you want a tuneable bass and don’t mind a slightly smooth high end, the Sennheiser may be right up our alley. Plus, at $499, the price is more than fair for an earphone that sounds this fine.