PI8 vs MTW4 sound only (issues on separate post later days)

Based on my personalization settings for the MTW4 compared to the PI8 with a flat EQ, the bass on the PI8 is more textured and layered. When it hit, it hits strong and big in volume, wrap you around in it. In songs where the bass hits, it feels incredibly smooth and abundant, yet it’s not boomy at all. When the bass should stop or fade, it does so cleanly. Most importantly, it doesn’t overshadow other details, which I find really impressive. (I even tested it with the EQ bass boosted, turning it up about 1–2 notches, same just as good non over powering/overshadowing, just even more stronger) The bass makes me want to keep coming back to listen—it’s like indulging in a very, very nice chocolate or ice cream: smooth and strong.

The vocals on the PI8 aren’t sharp or tiring; they feel natural, like someone talking to you. In contrast, the MTW4’s vocals feel slightly more distant, as if they’re a small distance in front of me but still directly engaging—like listening to a live performance. This comes down to personal preference. However, if I increase the treble on the PI8, the vocals become slightly sharper, which I didn’t like. On the MTW4, increasing the treble doesn’t change the vocal tone as much, and it becomes just a little more natural.

For treble, the MTW4 (with my tuning) delivers stronger presence and hits, with sharper sounds like “tss, tss, ding, zzz.” However, the treble feels slightly more artificial compared to the PI8. On the PI8, the treble is more refined and natural-sounding in my opinion. It’s present and noticeable without overpowering other sounds. This balance allows for better detail retrieval and improved separation between instruments and frequencies, making the overall listening experience smoother.

Soundstage and Separation: The PI8 wins here. It feels like the three main frequency ranges (bass, mids, treble) don’t overshadow one another, making details easier to notice. The separation is clearer, and the soundstage feels slightly wider. For example, the snare drum sounds properly positioned on the right, with a tone closer to a live performance. In comparison, the MTW4 feels slightly more processed, with that snare drum feels like spaced out a little further. While the MTW4’s soundstage is already wide, it feels somewhat artificial when compared to the PI8.

Tweaking the MTW4 Settings: I adjusted the personalization settings by moving the blue dot one space down and left (now positioned in the lower-right corner of the tuning page). With this change: • The bass improved, and the vocals became slightly better, though not significantly. • The treble became less sharp and stopped overpowering other sounds. This adjustment made the MTW4 sound closer to the PI8—slightly warmer, with harder-hitting bass. However, the bass still wasn’t as layered or textured as the PI8. That said, the MTW4’s bass is different in nature: it allows me to clearly hear the punch and the clean, powerful impact of the kick drum.

Details in playback output didn’t improve much, and the soundstage remained about the same.

Overall, This brought the MTW4 about 50% closer to the PI8’s sound profile, but the separation was still slightly less refined compared to the PI8. Bass not as textured, treble not as natural, vocal not much change (slight improvement).

Final Thoughts: Your experience might differ depending on how your MTW4 is tuned, your ear, all subjective as such. so your impressions when listening to the PI8 could vary. I’ll attach my personalization screenshot so you can see where I’m coming from.

Overall no regrets with the pi8. But I still love Sennheiser sound, I will be using both as my daily driver. 🙂

Sorry for the long post, hope it helps those who needed it.

Have a nice weekend 😉