First of all I only had like one week to try the IEM and finish this review so take it with a grain of salt.
I also didn’t have time to take photos so I’m really sorry that this is just a pure text review
INTRO
Have you heard of the FLC8S ? No ?
What about the company that made it, FLC Technology ? No ?
Well neither had I before DJScope asked me to join the Australian tour of it.
Just to clear things up, I’m not associated with FLC technologies in any way. The review unit was sent to me by Djscope and I am not sponsored or endorsed by anyone in any way.
I’ve always seen the IEM on the Singapore based Lend Me Ur Ears online shop, but I have always dismissed it. I didn’t even look at it for more than 1 minute as I thought it was much overpriced for an ugly earphone made by an unfamiliar company. Even more, the tuning system of interchangeable nozzle and two of its plugs made it seem complicated and gimmicky.
Boy have I never been more wrong.
Let’s start with the fit and finish.
The 8S is pretty much all dark blue in colour, all the way from the jack, to the ear tips, the body may seem black but under proper lighting it is actually a very dark blue finish. The cable is braided and is held together by a very plain and simple plastic sleeve for the Y-split. The same plastic is used for the chin slider and this is where I would take a point off the build quality. To me, this plastic sleeve is simply inadequate and may not last for very long.
The cable on the earphone is quite soft but is a bit springy but nowhere as springy as that of the FiiO EX1. I quite like the cable’s look and feel to be honest but I do notice that the cable does cause quite a bit of microphonics. So far, I’ve mostly used the IEM when I’m sitting with my laptop so I’m not so sure how it will handle when used while walking.
The cable is connected to the body by a 2-pin connector that holds on securely but will not be a struggle to remove. The connection is flush with the body making it appear as a part of the body itself. Just from the looks I didn’t even know that the cables were removable.
The actual IEM housing is very well built, the plastic quality and the finish is on par with the big brands such as shure / westone. It's solid, smooth and doesn't get easily scratched.
It is definitely superior than low grade chinese IEMs such as RE-400 / VSD series by Vsonic and etc.
The quality of the accessories is… fairly good. The interchangeable nozzle seems very durable but the low frequency plugs are very small in size. Not that I’m afraid of breaking the plugs but I can see people losing them. It’s a nice gesture that they include spares but it is still a bit of an issue. Plus, due to the small size it makes changing the plugs almost impossible without a clean, still surface.
The sound quality of this IEM is simply superb, but due to time constraints as I only have one week to listen and write a review for it, I cannot describe each any every tuning characteristic in too much detail.
In general I’m utterly impressed with this IEM. I strongly encourage those who have yet to try to give the FLC 8S a chance.
For the highs, the fitting of the interchangeable filters should be carefully chosen to match the type of music prior to listening for the best experience. The difference in presentation of the filters is quite significant and when an incorrect filter is used, certain music genres can sound undesirable. The use of green filter for example would be far too bright for pop / rock songs, making them sound splashy and sibilant, but when used for classical songs can make them sound extremely detailed spacious and airy. The opposite is true when using the reduced high frequency blue filter, it makes energetic songs with lots of hi-hats and cymbal hits sound easier to listen to but makes classical and vocal-centric music sound a tad dark and lacking in air.
Included in the package are 2 more filters, the gold (mid centric, normal highs) and the black (normal mids, normal highs). I find that the black (default/neutral) filter is the most versatile in that it can be used for most music genres.
Extra notes: the highs presented by the IEM is also variable depending on the ear-tip of choice. I find that using the JVC spiral dot tips made the highs more prominent making it a bit too bright/ harsh for me. So far I find that using the TX-400 Comply tips gave me the most ideal presentation.
The mid-range is absolutely fantastic on all of the settings. Just be wary that the tuned down HF filter can affect the upper vocal region slightly making female vocals sound a tad darker/ nasal. The mids in general is crystal clear with superb resolution and is well layered. Each component of the music is very well separated. I even noticed that for the first time I was able to follow the notes and not just hear the fourth guitar on Ecosystem’s Dilemma. Even songs that I considered to be “low-resolution” sound much more pleasing than normal.
The bass presentation can vary from just north of neutral on the lowest setting, reaching still very deep. This allows listeners to focus more on the mid-range and high frequencies suitable for vocal centric songs. However, even on the highest setting it still sounds natural and controlled, still no bleed to other regions. I left my setting on the highest no matter what music I listen to because the IEM is capable of such high degree of control. It doesn’t make an unnecessary boom / veil when uncalled for. The bass comes in only when it’s needed and is so high in resolution that it makes the CKR9LTD which I considered to be one my best to seemingly sound muddy in comparison. In the manual it is recommended that for vocal songs that the bass filter is changed to the clear (lowest) one, but to me, this only reduces the richness of the song. Again as I’ve said earlier, even on the black (highest) bass filter, the mid-range is still crystal clear.
The bass is to me, characteristic of a very well tuned dynamic driver, having just the right amount of punch and rumble while staying in control. Often, however, such single dynamic drivers is compromised in the upper frequencies at the cost of having amazing bass. The FLC8S doesn’t suffer from this as it is a amazingly tuned hybrid 1BA 1dynamic earphone.
The soundstage ! The soundstage makes songs very immersive, it produces an out of the head experience with each musical component placed not just in a 2 dimensional (wide) presentation but is capable of making music sound truly 3 dimensional (deep and wide). I have listened thoroughly through songs that I would normally skip, as songs that are not even in my preferred genre sound mind blowing. It makes me appreciate every song in my library, which is really something that no audio product was capable of.
All of these in addition to the great fit of the IEM makes it all the better. It simply fits. I can’t elaborate too much on this; the curvature of the IEM matches so well with the ear. Once you put it in it just stays there and you’ll forget you will hardly notice its presence.
Note that the IEM doesn’t stick out, but you still can’t sleep on your side with this IEM.
In conclusion the FLC8S is an astounding IEM capable of producing sound in high degree of resolution. The tuning system is a huge bonus that allows users to tune the FLC8 to suit their music genre of preference. The soundstage and technical capabilities of this IEM even without the tuning system is enough to distinct this IEM from the others. Despite this, the FLC8 can be improved with a softer, less microphonic cable and the tuning system isn’t perfect as small parts can be lost easily.
TLDR
Pro: rich yet natural sound, considerable as truly hi-res without the sticker, comfortable, tuning available to suit preference
Cons : easy to lose bass tuning plugs, cable is microphonic, expensive-ish
If you have the money, buy it, give it a shot, seriously
This made me top picks (Aurisonics rockets and CKR9LTD) sound "meh"
I also didn’t have time to take photos so I’m really sorry that this is just a pure text review
INTRO
Have you heard of the FLC8S ? No ?
What about the company that made it, FLC Technology ? No ?
Well neither had I before DJScope asked me to join the Australian tour of it.
Just to clear things up, I’m not associated with FLC technologies in any way. The review unit was sent to me by Djscope and I am not sponsored or endorsed by anyone in any way.
I’ve always seen the IEM on the Singapore based Lend Me Ur Ears online shop, but I have always dismissed it. I didn’t even look at it for more than 1 minute as I thought it was much overpriced for an ugly earphone made by an unfamiliar company. Even more, the tuning system of interchangeable nozzle and two of its plugs made it seem complicated and gimmicky.
Boy have I never been more wrong.
Let’s start with the fit and finish.
The 8S is pretty much all dark blue in colour, all the way from the jack, to the ear tips, the body may seem black but under proper lighting it is actually a very dark blue finish. The cable is braided and is held together by a very plain and simple plastic sleeve for the Y-split. The same plastic is used for the chin slider and this is where I would take a point off the build quality. To me, this plastic sleeve is simply inadequate and may not last for very long.
The cable on the earphone is quite soft but is a bit springy but nowhere as springy as that of the FiiO EX1. I quite like the cable’s look and feel to be honest but I do notice that the cable does cause quite a bit of microphonics. So far, I’ve mostly used the IEM when I’m sitting with my laptop so I’m not so sure how it will handle when used while walking.
The cable is connected to the body by a 2-pin connector that holds on securely but will not be a struggle to remove. The connection is flush with the body making it appear as a part of the body itself. Just from the looks I didn’t even know that the cables were removable.
The actual IEM housing is very well built, the plastic quality and the finish is on par with the big brands such as shure / westone. It's solid, smooth and doesn't get easily scratched.
It is definitely superior than low grade chinese IEMs such as RE-400 / VSD series by Vsonic and etc.
The quality of the accessories is… fairly good. The interchangeable nozzle seems very durable but the low frequency plugs are very small in size. Not that I’m afraid of breaking the plugs but I can see people losing them. It’s a nice gesture that they include spares but it is still a bit of an issue. Plus, due to the small size it makes changing the plugs almost impossible without a clean, still surface.
The sound quality of this IEM is simply superb, but due to time constraints as I only have one week to listen and write a review for it, I cannot describe each any every tuning characteristic in too much detail.
In general I’m utterly impressed with this IEM. I strongly encourage those who have yet to try to give the FLC 8S a chance.
For the highs, the fitting of the interchangeable filters should be carefully chosen to match the type of music prior to listening for the best experience. The difference in presentation of the filters is quite significant and when an incorrect filter is used, certain music genres can sound undesirable. The use of green filter for example would be far too bright for pop / rock songs, making them sound splashy and sibilant, but when used for classical songs can make them sound extremely detailed spacious and airy. The opposite is true when using the reduced high frequency blue filter, it makes energetic songs with lots of hi-hats and cymbal hits sound easier to listen to but makes classical and vocal-centric music sound a tad dark and lacking in air.
Included in the package are 2 more filters, the gold (mid centric, normal highs) and the black (normal mids, normal highs). I find that the black (default/neutral) filter is the most versatile in that it can be used for most music genres.
Extra notes: the highs presented by the IEM is also variable depending on the ear-tip of choice. I find that using the JVC spiral dot tips made the highs more prominent making it a bit too bright/ harsh for me. So far I find that using the TX-400 Comply tips gave me the most ideal presentation.
The mid-range is absolutely fantastic on all of the settings. Just be wary that the tuned down HF filter can affect the upper vocal region slightly making female vocals sound a tad darker/ nasal. The mids in general is crystal clear with superb resolution and is well layered. Each component of the music is very well separated. I even noticed that for the first time I was able to follow the notes and not just hear the fourth guitar on Ecosystem’s Dilemma. Even songs that I considered to be “low-resolution” sound much more pleasing than normal.
The bass presentation can vary from just north of neutral on the lowest setting, reaching still very deep. This allows listeners to focus more on the mid-range and high frequencies suitable for vocal centric songs. However, even on the highest setting it still sounds natural and controlled, still no bleed to other regions. I left my setting on the highest no matter what music I listen to because the IEM is capable of such high degree of control. It doesn’t make an unnecessary boom / veil when uncalled for. The bass comes in only when it’s needed and is so high in resolution that it makes the CKR9LTD which I considered to be one my best to seemingly sound muddy in comparison. In the manual it is recommended that for vocal songs that the bass filter is changed to the clear (lowest) one, but to me, this only reduces the richness of the song. Again as I’ve said earlier, even on the black (highest) bass filter, the mid-range is still crystal clear.
The bass is to me, characteristic of a very well tuned dynamic driver, having just the right amount of punch and rumble while staying in control. Often, however, such single dynamic drivers is compromised in the upper frequencies at the cost of having amazing bass. The FLC8S doesn’t suffer from this as it is a amazingly tuned hybrid 1BA 1dynamic earphone.
The soundstage ! The soundstage makes songs very immersive, it produces an out of the head experience with each musical component placed not just in a 2 dimensional (wide) presentation but is capable of making music sound truly 3 dimensional (deep and wide). I have listened thoroughly through songs that I would normally skip, as songs that are not even in my preferred genre sound mind blowing. It makes me appreciate every song in my library, which is really something that no audio product was capable of.
All of these in addition to the great fit of the IEM makes it all the better. It simply fits. I can’t elaborate too much on this; the curvature of the IEM matches so well with the ear. Once you put it in it just stays there and you’ll forget you will hardly notice its presence.
Note that the IEM doesn’t stick out, but you still can’t sleep on your side with this IEM.
In conclusion the FLC8S is an astounding IEM capable of producing sound in high degree of resolution. The tuning system is a huge bonus that allows users to tune the FLC8 to suit their music genre of preference. The soundstage and technical capabilities of this IEM even without the tuning system is enough to distinct this IEM from the others. Despite this, the FLC8 can be improved with a softer, less microphonic cable and the tuning system isn’t perfect as small parts can be lost easily.
TLDR
Pro: rich yet natural sound, considerable as truly hi-res without the sticker, comfortable, tuning available to suit preference
Cons : easy to lose bass tuning plugs, cable is microphonic, expensive-ish
If you have the money, buy it, give it a shot, seriously
This made me top picks (Aurisonics rockets and CKR9LTD) sound "meh"
The cable was braided by a special machine me designed, I can say that the cable is very unique, almost all cable with the same contruction need to be cut in the middle and joint together at the Y split, but our cable doesn't have the solder joints, the signal is not interrupted, better to the sound.
The "plastic" at the Y split is not plastic, it's heat shrink tube, it's very strong, please do worry the quality.