I have been totally captured by the sound quality of these in ear monitors. The single drive performs with balance, control and personality. Sennheiser themselves describe these like "punchy" in ear monitor, but, subjectively, their punchiness is never disproportionate nor too colorful. They got the guts when required and only when required. I'd definitely recommend to replace the silicon tips with the foam ones (included) as they delivered a significant improvement in terms of sound isolation and comfort. And yes, they made in EU.