Audeze EL-8 Open-Back

A big thanks to Armand, who has again sought to lend me a headphone for my honest opinion and, thus, supporting my YouTube channel and written review portfolio.

Specifications

Style Open circumaural

Transducer type Planar magnetic

Magnetic structure Fluxor magnets

Magnet type Neodymium

Driver Size 100 mm

Maximum power handling 15W (for 200ms)

Maximum SPL >130dB

Frequency response 10Hz – 50kHz

Total harmonic distortion <0.1% (1kHz, 1mW)

Impedance 30 ohms

Efficiency 102dB / 1mW

Optimal power requirement 200mW – 4W

Weight 460g

Package Includes

2m (6.56 feet) Audeze headphone cable

3.5mm to 1/4in stereo adapter



Build Quality, Comfort & Features

Aesthetically, I have to admit that the EL-8 Open is Audeze’s most stylish headphone to date. While the beefy LCD series can look nice in the right light, they are behemoths designed for sound reproduction first and foremost – with the weight to prove it. The portable SINE is a lot more manageable in terms of build, but its low-key nature makes it look like a generic Bluetooth headphone being used in 2017 rather than something that truly looks like it was made by Audeze themselves – not necessarily a bad thing depending on who you ask. The stylish EL-8 utilizes some wood in its design, but streamlines the rest of the chassis to look more like a consumer-focused and futuristic Audeze headphone.


The earpads are made of a soft leather and is smaller than the regular Audeze options. On first impression, they are comfortable enough – but over time I became painfully aware just how little room there was for my ears. I would quite easily touch the driver if I sneezed or shook my head even slightly – and there was an audible dip in the sound from the side that was touched for a split-second. The clamp is also quite high, but not a dealbreaker to me in London’s current weather – but I could definitely see the snug-is-an-understatement fitting becoming a problem as summer comes around. As this is a loaner, I took no measures to try and loosen the clamp out of respect for the unit and its owner – so your mileage may vary if you do so with yours.


I’m glad to say that the frame’s connection to the earcups is not a creaky affair with a dubious looking joint – as I saw with the LCD-2. The EL-8 is actually quite a sturdy and well-built headphone in terms of strength – and it has the weight to prove it, around 460g.





I can’t say that I’m a fan of the cable, a tapeworm-looking flat cable with connectors that look more suitable for connecting a hard drive to a motherboard than a cable to a headphone. I do see that the standard 4pin XLR Audeze connectors would have been too thick for this more stylish headphone, so they took measures as they saw fit – and I can’t fault them for that. I can’t pick holes in how it works, it doesn’t fall out randomly and stays in place quite well – it just looks weird to me but that is a highly subjective opinion.


In an upgrade over the LCD-2, the top of the EL-8 has a floating pad that helps with the weight distribution of this headphone. The surface area of the pad is quite small however.

Sound

I learned long ago that an open-aire headphone did not necessarily mean a wide and expansive soundstage, examples which include everything from the Hifiman HE-400i to the Focal Utopia – but I was taken aback by just how narrow the EL-8 felt. An intimate soundstage, in an open headphone, does not bother me so much when there is a depth to the imaging, but the EL-8 faltered on this front. The instruments are up close and have a “boxed in” effect to them.

The bass in the EL-8, while present, was quite muted – not at all what I was expecting. I would not call the LCD-2 (2016) an especially bassy headphone, but it had some body to the low end that had some pleasing texture as well. What the EL-8 has instead is a sense of the bass existing, but it is very imprecise in nature – bordering on being overly rounded and smoothed instead of textured. I hear this a lot with bass guitar work, and kick drums lack impact or punch to them.

That is quite indicative of the sound of the EL-8 overall actually, it does not have much punch or slam – any dynamics are muted. While the LCD-2 is a laid back headphone, it does not feel too lacking in resolve or accuracy of impact. Sure, they are softer than they would be on headphones and speaker systems that emphasize this – but the EL-8 hits like a pillow by comparison.


The lower midrange of the EL-8 is actually quite well represented, and the tonality of several instrument tracks (such as acoustic guitar strumming) and male vocals are quite well served. A listen to the original acoustic version of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence confirmed this to me, with both voices gliding melodiously and quite clearly – with the body they required. The lower mid emphasis is also not overwhelming, and I rarely come across a recording which feels bogged down due to any sense of bass-to-lower-midrange bleed.

On the subject of tonality, the EL-8 did quite well with some classic rock genres that can feel problematic on some bloomer headphones – with even the Beatles’ oldest recordings sounding clear and with the correct amount of weight behind the vocals and instruments. The midrange itself, the area where this headphone is focused overall to my ears, is also well done. To the headphone’s credit, instrument separation is decent in its narrow soundstage – with problematic overlap being avoided in most genres. The midrange definitely has the warm tilt of the lower midrange, with the upper midrange feeling quite dipped in comparison – for which female vocals and stringed instruments may suffer.

There is a veil around the sound of this headphone that I am not a fan of. I can’t just blame a rolled off treble and be done with it, as it seems to go beyond that. Even in modern genres of music that are generally more slickly produced, and mixed quite brightly compared to warmer and more analogue recordings of yesteryear – the EL-8 manages to sound like I’m listening to the music behind a thin sheet of glass – and it is something I can’t defend in the slightest. The treble, while being rolled off as it is, still manages to pick certain instruments (usually cymbals) to ring out clearer than others – but as an overall effort, the headphone is veiled and too soft.

The LCD-2 was also a laid back and soft effort by Audeze, but one that had far more of a “hi-fi” sound to it than the EL-8. I dislike using that term in this context, but I can’t think of another way to put it. If you want to spend this kind of money on a headphone, and like the Audeze sound signature, you should be looking at the 2016 LCD-2 over this in every situation other than you needing something that can be driven decently by a smartphone. The LCD-2 provides a warm, laid back sound that is tonally rich in the midrange and isn’t nearly as veiled. The soundstage is wider, the impact is a little more present and the details are a little more resolving. If you can look past the weight, the uncomfortable fit (without the Lohb or Audeze carbon fibre strap) and the difficulty in amping (relegated to a desk setup for most) – the LCD-2 should be what you opt for over the 30% cheaper EL-8. Hell, you could even pick up a b-stock LCD-2 on Black Friday for the same price as an EL-8 – or even cheaper.

Overall, I found the sound of the EL-8 a very mixed bag. On one hand, I am impressed by just how well it can do with male vocals and older recordings – along with a semblance of instrument separation. On the other hand, I dislike how soft its impact is, how veiled the overall sound is and how it’s a big downgrade over the superior LCD-2 which is not usually that much more in price.

Amping

As the marketing states, this headphone is very sensitive and can be driven by a smartphone. On both my Samsung Galaxy S6 and S8, the full volume setting was quite loud – for my preferences. While I did run this from my Audio-GD NFB-28 as well, I did not hear much benefit to the sound overall. Any benefit that I did hear came from the introduction of a superior DAC to the mix, which is the same improvement over the smartphones that I heard by using my Ibasso DX80 or Aune M1s digital-audio players.

Conclusion

I find it very hard to recommend this headphone over Audeze’s own LCD-2 to most people – if they insist on the house sound. While heavier and harder to drive, the LCD line introduction is a far superior headphone to the EL-8 on a purely sound quality basis – which matters to me over anything else in this hobby.

If you are looking for an Audeze offering that is smaller than the LCD series, I would recommend the SINE over this as well.

Initials:
 
I purchased the Audeze el8 for personal use. I should thank @Zulkr9 for giving this to me. The review below is actually a self-opinion.  It may vary to your listening and circumstances. I believe music is a subjective thing. So your precious opinion and any suggestion is cordially appreciated. I believe There is many things to learn. So flood my posts comment section.
 

 
 
Let me start
 
Audeze is an American boutique headphone company. It is impressing us with their best sound engineering and craftsmanship with every single of products. After 2008 its introducing many quality planner magnetic wonders to our headfi community. Among themselves LCD2, LCD X, LCD4 are marvels. But unfortunately, those are for themselves who have tons of cash in their pocket. I really appreciate the approach of making the mid-budget planner headphone, that is not just a marketing material, actually includes in the success book of the company.
And as a student like me, who has love for music, has a bigger dream but a small pocket EL8 is a solid choice to feel and hear how the high-end stuffs sound. Thanks, Audeze for these.
By the time you finish my review, you will get two things straight.

• Though it marked 30 ohms, it sounds alright with portable devices. But good amping really brings the best outta it.
• This can will add extra spice and salt to your music, that not only brings the vocal alive but also make your music lovely.

 
 
Who the hell I am
 
Just on the verge of starting let me introduce yourself.
 

 

Click to expand...

 
Build, Design and accessories
 
 
 
 
First thing first, it is the one of the most well-built, well designed headphone that money can buy. BMW design work designed this for Audeze, and it resembles in every aspect. No cheap element is present there. The outer layer, the headband is made of metal and the frame has wood veneer accents. My open back one has a ‘A’ designed each side. When you hold it to your hand it will scream its premium build to your face. But considering the other production of Audeze line up, it might feel cheap. There is a leather head strap for extra comfort.  And the driver is freaking huge… 100 mm to be specific.
 


 
The large earcups are made out of leather like thing (not leather actually) and enough soft for long listening comfort. As it build like a craft and with wood veneer accents and metal, its on heavier side. Despite of its weight it provides comfort that you deserve.  One may find discomfort while a very long listening session but for me its comfortable enough to carry on. 

 
N/B: I use optics regularly. It provides me comfort with optics on. So if it’s an issue for you, you will be happy as I am now. 
 

 
Here I got the 2016 open back model with white box. The box is big and shows that how premium it is. Though a carrying case would have been handy but there wasn’t any. Inside the foam padded box there are two cables and a quarter inch adapter I got. One cable is music only, another with a mic for apple devices, which works fine with my android smartphone (mic and middle button only works).
 

 

 
Both of the cable is flat and quality is extremely good. But one downside for me that its Zync connectors. It connects to the headphone to an only way. And It’s hard to find. My wanted to work on my diy balanced cable but the connectors were missing.
 

 
Aside the sound department the El8 could be the most beautiful and well-built headphone of your arsenal.
 
Some technical jargons for you

 

Spec

For the El8 technological terms please visit: https://www.audeze.com/products/el-8-collection/el-8-open-back
 

 
 
Does it sound too?
 
It is advertised to use portably. With my smartphone Oneplus one, It gets pretty loud. After I switch to xiaomi the loudness a bit decreased. But when I plugged them into my Amp Fiio E12, oh boy o boy!! E12 had brought the best of themselves. So despite of being 30 ohms it requires a lot to current to shine.  Audeze marked the Optimal power requirement 200mW to 4W. So amp always helps planner to drive.
 
As the full earcup is the driver the different in music signature is huge. You will hear significant differences if you have come from dynamic driver headphones.
Before getting more into audio department let me clear you first. The so called laid back signature is a bit time consuming for a lot of people. Especially when you are from a bright headgear it will seem less energetic.  So It requires a certain time to cape with its signature. If you can give it that importance, I bet you can’t go back.
 
Bass:
The best part of the planner magnetic headphone is the bass department. How? Because they are fast and accurate. In case of el8 that is as true as sunshine. The bass is damn fast and has enough power to love and discover your old music in a new way. I should say, I clearly hear the bass notes, the paddles. Its clear and enjoyable. It has enough depth. As a planner, the layering is outstanding. LCD 2 just offers a little bit tighter and deeper bass than these. And one thing, it doesn’t blend in other spectrum of sound.
 
Mid:
The most coherent and fluid mid I have ever heard. After you get accustomed to this you will feel the micro details of vocals the instruments yet its not analytical at all. Its more musical and the astonishing fluidity will make you love it. For myself Amy Lee from Evanescence is the deepest voice (it’s my opinion). And El8 takes it to another level. Moreover, I hear a lot of metal songs. With the perfect bass notes, the background noise of songs, side vocals, main vocals can be separated damn easily. Its because of its layering by the magnetic diaphragm.
 
High:
Despite of being dark it surprises at the high spectrum. As a metal lover, I love the trash sound and sss on the upper spectrum and it delivers perfectly. Yet no noise or sibilance is introduced. I couldn’t think music could be this lively and lovable until I perfectly listened to them. The transparency, the body the accuracy is on par with its price tag.   
 
Over all, if the planner sounds make you familiar, you are trapped.  The pattern, the texture, the speed, the body are totally worth of every penny that you will pay for it. The instrument separation, the channel switching, imaging is on par with some expensive headphones. I literary can hear the actual bass notes, guitar string plucking, key taps and so on.

“It actually adds meat to the skeleton of music, make it thick coherent and lovable”
One downside is soundstage. It doesn’t offer staging like Philips X2 or AKG k7xx but the depth and accuracy of imaging will make you feel sound is coming from a distant place.
 

 
 
Ready to drive?
 
I should say yes. But if you want to add meat to the bone power is a must. Jotunheim with the balanced output gets everything best outta El8. It sounds better with transparency, handles the power that has thrown at it pretty well.  
Lyr 2 with rolled tube made it more enjoyable and life like. The stage gets deep. The bass has a better body (not boomy) and mid’s fluidity increases to the LCD2’s level.
With Fiio E12 it gets enough power to shine. With e12 it actually gets more air.
 
Bottom line:
 
If you are looking for an affordable planner that can give you the texture of planner but wont break your bank like LCD X, here it is. This is a can that will intrigue you to lay back calm your head and enjoy your music. If you are a bit serious listener, require a highly energetic can; you can choose he400i or something similar like that.  
Just keep one in mind, this can be portable (also has a cipher lighting cable). But with its size and hunger for power I prefer it actually in home. When I feel reluctant, I plug in the puppy lean on my chair.
I wish I just could get a sturdy carrying case and the zync connectors to replace with anything easy to find.   
 
Sources and amp
My pc (with creative sound core audio cheap) + Oppo Ha2+E12
Then I got Monk RA1.0 for a few days, Aune m1s
I heard it with Bimby+lyr2 (tube rolled)
Mimby +Jotunheim
Modi 2 + magni 2
Phones: oneplus one, xiaomi redmi note 4 and various other devices (I don’t have any apple devices)
 

 
 
Thanks for reading this long. Don’t hesitate to share or ask anything. All those photos were captured by me (sorry for being under exposed ). There supposed to be a lot of mistakes. Hopefully that won’t bother you much.  A long way to go for me. So your kind feedback is much appreciated.

 
Happy listening
 

I recently purchased the 2016 EL-8 Open-back on a whim, knowing full well that they aren’t the most popular headphones here or on other forums and have pretty mixed reviews in general. I bought them because I’m a car enthusiast. Yes, that’s right. When I found out that they were designed by BMW Designworks USA, I knew I just had to have them. Before you start laughing too hard at my reasoning, let’s get started with their design/build.
 
Design/Build:
Easily the best designed, best built headphones I’ve ever used (surprised?). Design is very subjective, but I think the wood accent looks great, as does the rest of the headphone. Construction is all metal and real wood, but I don’t think the pads are real leather. They exude luxury, just like the cars from the company that designed them (well, most of them). This makes them decently heavy, but the headband padding is very soft and the weight is distributed nicely using the clamp force and large earpads. The metal parts of the headband do not contact my head at all. The cable is 6ft long and flat, terminating in a 3.5mm jack. The connectors are proprietary, but they will pull out fairly easily if something tugs on the cable, leaving the headphone safely on your head. **Edit:**No comment on fragility of the drivers themselves, as I have had no issues to report.
 
Sound: 
The first song on my test playlist is "Back In Black" by AC/DC, and the first minute is usually enough to give me an idea of the sound of a headphone. It only took me 30 seconds to realize I wasn’t impressed. The cymbal hits sounded dull/distant, the kick drum was too prominent, and Brian Johnson’s vocals sounded veiled. On the positive side, Angus Young’s guitar sounded very lush, while still being nimble as he moved from note to note. This theme continued as I moved to other rock songs. 
 
Of note was Queen’s "Another One Bites The Dust", which contained one of the most interesting moments I’ve had while listening to headphones. Like before, the bass guitar and kick drum overpowered the cymbal hits from the start of the song. What struck me though was the crescendo of sound from 0:35-0:39. Rather than sounding more like a single mass of high frequency sound getting louder, it was clear that there were many individual ones, all vibrating in intensity as they together as a group became louder. It was then that I realized how quick and resolving this headphone was. Another interesting moment occurred when I got to the high-pitched sound at 1:20-1:22. I’m so used to bracing for this moment and when I did that with the EL-8, I was extremely surprised to find out it had almost no energy at all. That’s how I confirmed the extreme treble dip.
 
Then I moved on to some vocal tracks. On Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love You", the vocals again sounded a bit veiled. It took a few more songs to realize that the perceived veil was a result of the extremely rich midrange. They were also very slightly darker in tone, but not as dark as the HE-400i. Same thing occurred for male vocals, such as MJ and Justin Timberlake. They were so lush that they sounded veiled, and ever so slightly darker than neutral.
 
However, moving on to bass oriented tracks like Daft Punk’s "Lose Yourself to Dance" yielded amazing results. This is where the EL-8 shines. Bass is very planar: no sub-bass roll off, extremely quick and textured. It is very much like my HE-400i, but with much more punch. Basically, you hear and feel every single bass note. Even with much more authority, it never bleeds into the other frequencies.
 
Songs like "Time" by Pink Floyd and "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead really demonstrated the detail retrieval of the EL-8. It surpasses that of the HE-400i, and keep in mind that this is without an emphasized treble which sometimes feigns detail. This is true detail retrieval due to impressive resolution/transient response. And it does this without sounding thin and analytical (like the 400i), as these are very lush headphones.
 
Soundstage isn’t crazy wide, but it is slightly wider than the 400i. It images extremely well though. Toto’s "Africa" best demonstrated both of these. There is a part with drums that starts out wide and moves in as drums are hit closer and closer to the center mic, and the EL-8 portrays this with much better spatial accuracy than the 400i while starting farther out.

Conclusion: 
The EL-8 is one of the best built and designed headphones on sale today. However, sound is a different story. It is extremely lush (to the point of veiled vocals), but still has great resolution and detail retrieval without sounding cold and analytical. Bass is its calling card, while the treble dip will be very problematic to most. Not even the build could make these worth the regular price of $700, but if you are very treble sensitive and a fan of great bass, finding it on sale may be well worth it.