The carrying case of the IE 8 has been fitted with (replaceable) dry salt pads. These pads ensure a constant level of humidity of the product when stored, which is particularly helpful as the ear-canal phones may have been exposed to sweat during use.
The IE 8 are optimised for professional monitoring use and ideal for portable AV devices like MP3, DVD and CD players, iPods, iPhones (iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and other countries), or any other mobile phone with a 3.5mm stereo jack.