[moises13456]

This doesn't really sound like an issue on my pair. I can hear what you're referring to, but when music is playing it's nearly inaudible, and to me sounds like natural movement of the headphone.

I agree. It's just unusual to me. I never had experienced that noise on any headphones before upon movement. I am just about to RMA this right at this moment. Well I guess that noise is normal? That's all I need to know. Tnx

 

[aznever]

Does anyone have a sennheiser HD 800 and an EL-8 open-back to compare?  I just recieved my RMA el-8 and its still in brand new packaging, so I though I would sell it and get the HD800 instead.

 

[sujitsky]

  Does anyone have a sennheiser HD 800 and an EL-8 open-back to compare?  I just recieved my RMA el-8 and its still in brand new packaging, so I though I would sell it and get the HD800 instead.

 
I have both and it really depends on your preference for the sound signature.
 
- The El8 open have a smaller soundstage vs HD800 but the bass slam on the EL8 is simply OMG (not a bass head but still ...)
- Although both are very comfortable, the HD800 win out in the comfort stakes being much lighter
- The EL8 are much easier to drive but do improve with amplification (not a lot, but still...) vs HD800 being picky about amplification but scaling very well with better gear
 
These are just some thoughts off the top of my head. If you have any specific comparison questions, let me know

 

[DavidA]

  Does anyone have a sennheiser HD 800 and an EL-8 open-back to compare?  I just recieved my RMA el-8 and its still in brand new packaging, so I though I would sell it and get the HD800 instead.

Really different sound signatures so it would be what your preferences are.
 
As @sujitsky said the HD-800 is amp picky, for me only my BH Crack seems to pair well, Lyr2 and Project Ember are only average sounding.  Sound stage is wide, can be bass lite, very comfortable, and not very forgiving of sub par recordings.
 
EL8 open is fairly efficient so using most portable devices like Fiio X3/X3ii/X1 or even galaxy S5 will give good results.  Bass is solid, only headphone I've had that need "burn-in", can be uncomfortable for some with small pad section on head band and can sound to bright with some genre of music.
 
good luck

 

[cvbcbcmv]

deleted

 

[JimmyJohns99]

   
I'm not Mike but I also have the XC and to be honest it's the end game HP for me. I've had the HD800, TH600, heard the TH900, LCD-2, LCD-X and many others and I can honestly say the XC is the sound I was hoping. It is my reference HP and I've started EQing other HPs to sound similar to them to remove the upper-bass and lower-mid muddiness that tends to plague most headphones.
 
That said, I have a very good feeling they (EL-8 closed) will be tuned similarly to the XC and will sound incredible. If you look at Audeze's past you can always walk away knowing that even if you didn't particularly care for the sound they sounded amazing and it's a matter of finding one that you like the most not whether or not you like them to begin with. I can say that I'm personally not worried about the EL-8 being a bad headphone and disappointing.
 
If the closed EL-8 does manage to be cleaner and lighter sounding like the XC vs the X then I'd be more than happy. If they manage to maintain more of the Audeze house sound I'll be happy as well. 
 
Yes, Audeze will likely put out a revision relatively quickly but I don't see anyone having a problem with that when it comes down to it. If you're going to say they made a mistake by making their product better then maybe we need to reevaluate our hobby. To be honest even the LCD-2 both fazor and non-fazor have a very good resell value even still. 

Do you mind doing a quick compare of the X vs XC? I cant tell if you have both now or sold the X. I have heard the LCD3 and LCD-XC and liked them both a lot. XC seemed a bit crisper and harder punching , while the lcd3 to me was incredibly polite and smooth. I havent been able to demo the x at all and dont know if I will be able to. So im curious how it compares. I have hifiman he-560 and they are too bright for my one sensitive ear, so I am curious about the X from that perspective. Still in return window and considering LCDs.
 
Also i have the Magni2u/modi2, is the LYR2  a clear upgrade for $300 more  or in your opinion just a little bit better? Thanks for any help

 

[Jazic]

Do you mind doing a quick compare of the X vs XC? I cant tell if you have both now or sold the X. I have heard the LCD3 and LCD-XC and liked them both a lot. XC seemed a bit crisper and harder punching , while the lcd3 to me was incredibly polite and smooth. I havent been able to demo the x at all and dont know if I will be able to. So im curious how it compares. I have hifiman he-560 and they are too bright for my one sensitive ear, so I am curious about the X from that perspective. Still in return window and considering LCDs.

Also i have the Magni2u/modi2, is the LYR2  a clear upgrade for $300 more  or in your opinion just a little bit better? Thanks for any help

I have both the X and XC and the Lyr 2 with upgraded Amperex 7308s.

In short I love them both for different reasons.

X is better in every way except isolation. It extends better in both directions with a larger more precise soundstage.

XC has isolation and ever so slightly boomier bass. Not a bad thing just a difference. The soundstage on the XC is larger and better than the LCD2F by a bit.

The XC has a peak of around 10-12khz and the X has a peak around 12-16khz so it sounds more airy and sparkly musher higher on the spectrum. The bass is quicker and puncher and defined. The XC bass is boomier and not quite as fast but still world's above anything dynamic due to ortho speed. The XC also slams harder.

As far as comfort goes I actually get a better gush of comfort from the XC than the X but it could just be I've had it longer.

As for the magni 2u & modi 2u vs Lyr 2 & Uberfrost, it's no competition. The Lyr has considerably more juice and it extends both bass and treble better than the magni. I've done some A/B between the two and I've found the magni 2u to be more upper mid centric and the Lyr to be more balanced and smooth without any spikes. Resolution and clarity are beyond comparison. That said it is most likely due to the tube upgrade which I would highly recommend. If you have not intention of upgrading the tubes you'd be better off and happier with the Asgard I'm sure.

I just considered the Lyr mainly due to rather having a jet engine in a car than a car engine on a car. Even if I never need it its there waiting to roar.

I do enjoy my Magni at work and might upgrade to the Asgard or move my Lyr there if I grab a good single and balanced combo for home but for now I can notice a difference even from home to work or work to home. I press play at home and I literally go wow when I've been listening to the magni at work all day.

If you're having trouble deciding like I was just get them all! Haha! Such is the cursed life of a headfier.

 

[hotreks]

Are the El8 closed cans highs/treble/high mid heavy like the AKGs models? And whats that additional noise from the drivers? Can you unplug the jacks into the cans easly and are 2 meters too long for portable use- im 1.90 high? Is there any listening fatigue?

 

[daphen]

  Are the El8 closed cans highs/treble/high mid heavy like the AKGs models? And whats that additional noise from the drivers? Can you unplug the jacks into the cans easly and are 2 meters too long for portable use- im 1.90 high? Is there any listening fatigue?

They are quite mid heavy, I'd say.

 

[kyle1010]

Hey guys. I wanted to share some thoughts on amp pairings with the EL-8 Open Backs. I went to T.H.E. Show Newport last Friday and brought my EL-8s along to shop for a new dac/amp to replace my Fiio E12. (Saw Mike Mercer and Tyll cruising around in there so I KNEW I was in the right place). I'm new to this hobby so all I've had is the E12 and an iPhone 6 to listen to my P7's and EL-8s. Until Friday I had never heard a better dac than the iPhone's, or better amp than my Fiio. Sad, I know. I was looking for something small that could fit on my nightstand or a portable. I auditioned 4 different amp/dacs at the Headphonium room: Alo's Continental Dual Mono tube/solid state hybrid portable, Centrance's Hi-Fi M8 and new Hifi Skyn, and Schiit Vali/Modi 2. Then I went up to Woo Audio's room and tried a WA7tp and the WA8 prototype. As far as sound, I was mainly looking for something to smooth out the EL-8's upper mids/lower treble when turned up loud, and to overall give them a warmer presentation. I listen to a lot of bright sounding trance, electro house, and dubstep EDM as well as some hip-hop and current rock music. I love the EL-8s detail, but when I listen loud they get harsh with my basic little amp. The Alo and Schiit offerings did nothing for me. Way better than my Fiio, but not much in the way of the smoothing I needed. The Woo Audio WA7tp definitely got the job done. It was one of two dac/amps that day that I didn't wanna stop listening to. I just sat there and played track after track totally hogging it, amazed at what a difference it made with the EL-8s on my type of music. My only gripe with the WA7tp is it lacked bass fullness. It's more punchy than slam..and I love when the EL-8s slam so hard the earpads vibrate..so addicting. However, I've read that rolling in some Sylvania JAN or Phillips Valvo tubes into the power supply will get the WA7 thumpin so it's still a top choice for me. The WA8 prototype sounded perfectly warm, smooth, and bassy in 3 tube mode, but it distorted when turned up past halfway on the volume pot. The Woo guy switched it to 2 tube mode for me which played louder without distorting but lost some of the bass impact. Interesting. Either way it's a prototype so not an option to buy. Last but not least the Centrance Hi-Fi M8 pairing with the EL-8s was perfect. Smooth, liquid, detailed, bass prowess, and never harsh. It was my favorite of all the amps I tried. Like the WA7, I didn't want to stop listening to it. The only problem with the M8 vs. WA7 is that it doesn't get nearly as loud even after messing with the gain and impedance controls. So my purchase choice is now narrowed down to the Hi-Fi M8 for how amazingly well it sounds albeit not that loud, or gamble on the WA7tp in that rolling bassier tubes in will give me more low end presence and slam. What would you guys go for? Any suggestions?

 

[money4me247]

@kyle1010, I have the WA7+WA7tp and I agree, it does indeed pair nicely with the EL-8 (though I have the closed version). For the Woo, tube rolling gets quite expensive and it is really hit or miss sometimes. The total cost of the WA7 will be pretty high after all your upgrades, and you can actually even look into even higher end equipment at that sort of price point. The WA7's built-in dac is a bit of a weak spot for its price point in my personal opinion. In my direct comparisons, there are quite a few more priced competitively amplifiers (amp/dac set-ups) that technically outperform the Firefly though the WA7 does have a very enjoyable euphonic richness that is hard to find.
 
While I have not had the opportunity to try the Hi-fi M8, its price point is significantly cheaper than an upgraded Woo Firefly set-up. It is also more versatile as it can be used on the go. I do think that the Hi-fi M8 would be a better choice for you as you stated that you liked the sound of the M8 stock. Your issue of volume can be remedied by maximizing the volume on your source (iPhone). The M8 can drive much harder to power headphones than the EL-8, so reaching sufficiently loud volumes should not be an issue. Also, you don't want to listen at too loud of a volume or else you can damage your hearing. 
 
Hope this opinion helps. Cheers!
 
edit: ps if you end up deciding to purchase the WA7, I have a WA7+WA7tp in black that I am considering moving. Feel free to PM me if you are interested.

 

[kyle1010]

@kyle1010
, I have the WA7+WA7tp and I agree, it does indeed pair nicely with the EL-8 (though I have the closed version). For the Woo, tube rolling gets quite expensive and it is really hit or miss sometimes. The total cost of the WA7 will be pretty high after all your upgrades, and you can actually even look into even higher end equipment at that sort of price point. The WA7's built-in dac is a bit of a weak spot for its price point in my personal opinion. In my direct comparisons, there are quite a few more priced competitively amplifiers (amp/dac set-ups) that technically outperform the Firefly though the WA7 does have a very enjoyable euphonic richness that is hard to find.

While I have not had the opportunity to try the Hi-fi M8, its price point is significantly cheaper than an upgraded Woo Firefly set-up. It is also more versatile as it can be used on the go. I do think that the Hi-fi M8 would be a better choice for you as you stated that you liked the sound of the M8 stock. Your issue of volume can be remedied by maximizing the volume on your source (iPhone). The M8 can drive much harder to power headphones than the EL-8, so reaching sufficiently loud volumes should not be an issue. Also, you don't want to listen at too loud of a volume or else you can damage your hearing. 

Hope this opinion helps. Cheers!

edit: ps if you end up deciding to purchase the WA7, I have a WA7+WA7tp in black that I am considering moving. Feel free to PM me if you are interested.

Thanks for the advice! You know what, I think I'm just gonna get BOTH. Starting with the WA7tp. I'm sure there are better options out there for the price, but aesthetically pretty much nothing trumps the WA7 for my nightstand. Also, I feel like it's cool to be able to tailor the sound via tube rolls so eventually when I grab some LCDs I can tune it to those too.
I tried to push the volume of my iPhone up with the M8 but it was outputting via lightning to USB cable which defeats the voume control on the phone. I KNOW that amp can get louder somehow, I just couldn't figure it out at the booth. It was plugged into AC power when I demo'd it cuz its batteries were dead, but idk if that has anything to do with volume. I had it on maximum gain setting, volume at max, and it only played to the volume of the WA7 at about 60%. I don't blast my eardrums out with headphones, but I like an amp that can crank up quieter recordings. Oh, and I'll definitely pm you about your WA7.

 

[DigitalFreak]

For those interested my review on the EL-8 closed back just went live on headphone guru.

 

[DigitalFreak]

Are the El8 closed cans highs/treble/high mid heavy like the AKGs models? And whats that additional noise from the drivers? Can you unplug the jacks into the cans easly and are 2 meters too long for portable use- im 1.90 high? Is there any listening fatigue?

I personally didn't like the cables provided for mobile use. Audeze needs to rethink and provide a more mobile friendly cable. My AKGs highs I would say are slightly more forward sounding but the upper mids on the closed back EL-8 is more energetic then my K712.

 

[Danpyre]

The EL-8's measurements looks like it does bass outstandingly well for the price. Like, holy Schiit! It is such a shame the treble looks so bad.