Astell&Kern AK T8iE MK II Tesla Driver In-Ear Monitors by beyerdynamic

  
 
 
 
 My goodness, these last few months have been crazy busy. From life changing career opportunities, to marrying my better half, to a plethora of products on my doorstep to review. I’ve been humbled beyond words this year and to add icing to the humble pie a subscriber of my YouTube channel reached out to me a few weeks ago asking if I would be interested in reviewing some of his gear for he’d like my opinion on them. Amongst them was the Beyerdynamic AKT8ie mk2. This product in particular I’ve had my eyes on ever since I first seen them on an episode of Head-Fi TV. Keeping my personal excitement in check I ensured it’d be ok with him and asked what his requirements were, and he simply said he really wanted to know my opinion of them. Never have I had someone else send me, a complete stranger, their personal and prized belongings before, and to say I felt honored would be an insulting understatement. But for better or worse I told him that regardless of how appreciative I was my review would be an honest one, to where he replied he’d expect nothing less.
    Now, with the pleasantries and introduction aside, grab yourselves a snack, sit back in your favorite comfy chair and relax; for now it’s time to begin the review of the Beyerdynamic & Astell & Kern AK T8ie mk2.
 
 
 
The Opening Experience
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    The AKT8ie mk2’s continue to live up to my expectations of the Beyerdynamic presentation. The box is a complete opposite color scheme of their traditional gray and white scale (which I personally much prefer) for a more matte black one, but the very simplified presentation remains. The front has just a picture of the product with the brand and model name. The sides contain a short introduction into what this product is and what’s inside as well as a diagram into the construction of the product (I personally never really cared for this. Not a negative by no means, but not a positive either.). The back shows an opening of the box as well as a written explanation as to what’s inside. So far, I’m really impressed with the Beyers really just saying ‘plug me in and allow me to show you what I can do, I need not boast.’  
    As you open the box my first reaction was wow even the physical box itself feels like an extremely premium resume paper in box form with the words Astell & Kern as its watermark. Upon opening the you’re presented with the AKT8ie mk2’s in a precision cut out, felt, platform. To the right of the beautiful and hand made iems is the instruction and warranty information, also presented in a luxurious, envelop like, fashion. Then beneath the iems lies the two provided cables, that too are presented in a premium fashion in their own cut out space. The first cable is the standard 3.5mm termination cable and the second is a 2.5mm terminated balanced cable.
    But wait, the unboxing isn’t yet finished for this box has a treat. The side contains a drawer that inside holds 3 pairs of Comply memory foam tips (S,M,L) and 4 pairs of proprietary tips made specifically for the AKT8ie mk2 (XS-XL [the medium is equipped on the iems by default]). You’re also given a nice metallic shirt clip to keep these in place during commute and finally, Beyerdynamic & Astell & Kern offer you a luxurious leather carrying case. I will that despite the case being really nice it’s too bulky and awkwardly shaped to carry it in your pocket (at least from my experience).
    To conclude the initial experience, or “handshake” I more applicably consider it; I am rarely this blown away and impressed with the degree of detail and thought that went into a product's container. Not only are the AKT8ie mk2’s hand made in Germany, which is a HUGE bonus for me as a consumer to know someone actually put hands on time into my product instead of being pushed through a machine by the hundreds, but there’s no way a machine placed this iem and additionals in this nice of a fashion. I wasn’t just given a firm and welcomed handshake, I was given a heartfelt hug and was made to feel like I was the star of the show.
 
Construction
      
 
 

 
    To this point in time, I’ve yet to be disappointed by a single product bestowing the Beyerdynamic name. Regardless of their price point they’ve always been crafted and put together with competence and with longevity in mind. And thankfully, the joint effort between Beyerdynamic and Astell & Kern continues this fine legacy.
    The driver housing is made from a very high grade aluminum that’s super smooth and form fitting in the ear (to be discussed further in the comfort section). I do wish they made it a little easier to differentiate between the left and right iem at a glance because I often grab the wrong one or have to look which one is L & R; not even a minor issue but a small gripe still. Now, a potential issue I can see people running into is the weird shape of the AT T8’s horn. It’s an oval like shape that is rather difficult to get any other than the stock or the Comply tips on. Also, for even the Comply tips that can fit on them; I fear you may not be getting a great seal on the horn. I’ll be the first to state I think the impact is negligible at best but still a “feature” I feel is unnecessary.  
    The iems, if you remember from the unboxing section, come with 2 cables. This means that the cables are detachable. This is always a positive feature to have because I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people have to pay huge premiums to have their high end iems repaired or reterminated because they’ve a simple short in their cable. Or, they prefer to purchase aftermarket cables to better accent their already great product and perhaps tie it more towards their tastes. Whatever the reason, having this ability is a huge positive. Now, as for the stock cables that do come with the AK T8ie mk2’s, they’re honestly quite impressive. They’re built very firmly but yet aren’t rigid at all nor do they possess much microphonics. The wires are joined by a nice aluminum splitter and terminated with an aluminum either 3.5mm or 2.5mm balanced jack. My only real gripe with the stock cables is they they do tend to tangle fairly easily; but with proper storage this issue would be minimized.
 
Comfort
 
                                                                                      

 
 
    The ability for one to wear these for long durations is incredibly relevant in the AK T8’s. The frame of these is very slim and fit easily into one's ears, even those with slightly smaller than average size. The horn is the only limiting factor I would have to say may arise with some people. It’s an average size horn (not shape, size) but in no way is as inclusive as the horns found on the Shure and Westone models.
    These also stay cool inside the ear, which is more of a personal preference of course but for me personally I hate it when plastic iems get warm in my ears after I’ve been listening to them for a while. On the note of being in one's ears for long periods of time, these also don’t hardly weigh anything at all. Shoot, the cable is more troublesome than the iem is in terms of weight and even they don’t weigh nothing at all.
    Quite a short section, but there’s only so many ways I can say that there’s no issues with a products ability to be worn for extended duration without blabbering on. It’s awesome. No complaints. Great job.
 
Sound
 
    What I feel is the most important aspect of an audio piece. Some people desire a product that looks good, and though I will side some on that the ability a product possesses to produce audio is what should be the focal point of a conversation, everything else can be for bonus. So how do the Beyerdynamics collaboration with Astell & Kern sound? Amazing.
What? Oh, guess I should probably explain that a little more shouldn’t I? The AK T8ie mk2 has a really smooth and relaxing yet still articulate and reference sound. Honestly, these would make a great love child for those who wish to take the stunning detail reproduction from the Shure SE846 (reference filter) and the sensuality and calm nature of the Sennheiser IE800. Or actually these complement the sound signature of my personal ciems, Empire Ears Hermes VI, strikingly well. I’ll explain that further in the individual characteristics because it’s the subtle differences in those ranges that I believe makes the difference in this iem.
Getting back on track with discussing the general signature; the AK T8’s have really impressive imaging and musical separation. It’s very, very easy to drift away into whatever performance you have these create. So much so that this review took me a lot longer than it usually takes to write because I kept closing my eyes and just enjoying the music. Now admittedly, anything less in this price point would be an immediate disappointment. Talking about the musical separation before I continue, I have heard much better separation that what’s present in the AK T8ie mk2’s but I am still rather taken away by the clarity of how well the iems can handle larger performances. Though the instruments will bleed together slightly quicker than I’d expect in this price point what is made out is really detailed and crystal in its presentation of that piece. Lastly, to continue with the separation, and honestly imaging as well, is the ability the T8’s have to accurately depict where the performers are located and what more where it places me as the listener. Very rarely does an iem, regardless of price, have such accurate locational cues.
So that I may hopefully explain why I have compared these to the products I have, especially to my EE Hermes VI (I recommend you read my review of them as well so that you’ll understand better why there great complementary (c)iems).
 
Treble
 
    Call it tacky but to me the treble is like the eyes to the music. When you look into someone’s eyes you can see a lot about them. Are they piercing and uninviting, or are they calm and welcoming? Same can be said about a product's ability to control its high notes.
The highs in the the T8’s are definitely that belonging on the top shelf. The detail retrieval and control are quite impressive. The treble has great extension and can really reach up there in a respectable linear fashion then just before it gets harsh it takes a steep drop off. A prime and almost immediate example is in the song “Colour Of The Moon” by Allan Taylor. The song begins with a simple high pitch tone that escalates in amplitude. The AK T8’s produce the sounds as linearly as they’re presented but does fall off just before it peaks.
    The treble of these reminds me mostly of the Shure SE846. They’re very detailed yet are soft in their presentation. Regardless if you’re hit with a, how you say, overly aggressive drummer on the symbols or an energetic violinist, there’s not a trace of sibilance.
 
Mids
 
    Here is where the vocals lie, where the emotion of the artist is shared with their audience.
This is the area that I personally pay the most attention to because it’s, to me, where the soul of the music is portrayed. My hope is to be able to connect to the artist I’m listening to and unless the mids are portrayed cleanly and accurately I feel like the product sounds relatively hollow (why I don’t like strong v shape sound signatures).
    So how about the Beyers? Very neutral and clean overall I’d say. The AK T8’s produce the mid range with wonderful accuracy, that combined with the spatial awareness and imaging it possesses, seems as if the artist is singing directly to you. There isn’t really any song in particular that I can use as an example because honestly anything that had singing in it played really well with these iems.
    Here is where I feel they complement my Empire Ears Hermes VI. They possess a nicely forward midrange and upper bass that portray a super smooth and engaging and musical experience over a clinically accurate one that you get with the Beyers.
 
Bass
 
    Lastly we’ve the bass. Which I suppose a majority of people will agree with me when I say that it’s the heartbeat of the music. Like the heart, bass needs to be under control and have the ability to speed up swiftly when the beat begins to hit yet also slow itself down when the calm parts of a song shine through. If the bass in uncontrollable or all over the place, like the heart, the rest of the product will perform very subpar and can honestly make for a less than admirable experience.
So how is the heart in the Beyerdynamic & Astell & Kern AK T8ie mk2? Like a well tuned athlete. The bass in these are really tight and engaging and have a very impressive impact when the time is right, especially in the sub bass range. I’ve of late gotten into some trap and edm music during my commute to work to help me get in the mood to kick this days derriere. Often I find a product, earphones especially, unable to really keep up with the beat of faster hitting music but the T8’s do a wonderful job. Now, I’m not a frequency expert so I can’t say exactly where it is but somewhere in the upper mid bass the bass sounds slightly bloated. Not enough to ruin this by any imaginable stretch of the word but it does sound slightly out of place when you’re listening to a lower toned acoustic track like “Long After I’m Gone” by Chris Jones. But truthfully other than that small hiccup, the bass is exactly what I’ve come to love on the Beyerdynamic products.
This is where they complement the Sennheiser IE800’s. The Sennheisers have a really slow and calm bass presence that lends itself to pure musical enjoyment where as control is the is the gear of the T8. My Hermes VI sides more closely to the IE800’s but still has the control of the T8’s which yet again, why I find these 2 to be a wonderful complementary products.
 
Conclusion
 
                                                                    
 
                            
 
    When reviewing products I really try and find things that make them not stand out, negatives I guess I should say. Rather it be a product being overpriced, or it being poorly constructed or even uncomfortable. With the collaboration between world renowned brands Astell & Kern and Beyerdynamic, I honestly couldn’t find true negatives that “disqualify” it from it’s $999 asking price.
    These have a very rock solid build quality, that even gives uses the luxury of knowing it was made by physical hands and not a entirely a machine. They can, and in my case most certainly have, be worn for many hours on end. The sound is blissfully engaging yet clinical so those who love to detail whore most certainly won't feel left out.
    I’ve easily put 50 hours in these during my time with them and have enjoyed every single minute of it. I loved comparing them to my Empire Ears Hermes VI because they just compliment them so well it is THIS REASON that I can finally fully and wholeheartedly understand why people would want multiple end game headphones for reasons other than they are financially able to so why not.
 
 
 
 
Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos AND also a rare VS video between these and my personal Empire Ears Hermes VI!. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.