Pros: high performance/price; customized tuning for your favorite signature or experimentation; very comfortable; only moderate isolation [sometimes pro]
Cons: only moderate isolation [sometimes con]
i refer you to ljokerl's theheadphonelist to get the background on this iem. the list is at: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone-list/# and this iem is described at: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/flc-technology-flc8/
if you sort ljokerl's list by sound quality instead of average rating, you'll see that the flc8 is the highest rated iem [9.4] which is neither custom nor over $1300. in fact, the flc8 is currently selling for $343. its average rating is lower because of its mediocre isolation, 3.5 out of 5. for me this was an advantage- i have ety4's with custom tips if i want isolation. otoh, i can wear the flc8's out and about, and have a better chance of not getting run over. also, if i'm in a quiet place, i think the flc8 has richer tone than the ety's.
the tone is rich across the full spectrum. i listened to some test tracks with the neutral settings it arrived with, and then exchanged one of the tuning plugs to boost the highs - i listen to classical and jazz, and the first violin in melos' performance of 'death and the maiden' sounded thin with the default settings. but for my music, acoustic music, the neutral settings for low bass and upper bass were fine. the cello in the string quartet sounded good, and the iem's gave a good rendition of charlie hayden's double bass in 'first song-for ruth' [from his album with pat methany], which i use to test bass performance. the bass was full, tight and without bloat. to listen full spectrum, i then played a piano sonata [schubert's 20th, uchida] and it sounded very, very good.
if you're more interested in pop, edm, electronica, etc - you can alter the signature to taste. see ljokerl's review for details of the tuning system.
these are not deep insertion iem's, so they will never be as isolating as ety's. they have rather short nozzles, almost like earbuds; they insert just a bit into the ear canals. although offering less isolation, the supplied single flange silicone tips are more comfortable than the comply's. i haven't tried the MEElec M6 single flanges recommended for the flc8 by ljokerl, but they look virtually identical to the supplied tips.
the set is ultra-comfortable, it can be worn cable down but its shallow insertion is likely to make such a setup less stable than you'd like if you're on the move. the over-ears setup, with the provided rubber over-ear guides, is incredibly comfortable and feels quite stable.
these iem's a bargain for the sound quality you get, provided you can live with its mediocre isolation.
btw- i just did a little experiment, and you can use comply 400 series tips to get more isolation if you want. the flc's are NOT listed as "officially approved" by comply, but it works. thus you can choose your degree of isolation, within limits.
in sum, along with the flc8's bargain sound quality, as a bonus you get their flexibility in adjusting to the signature you prefer.
Cons: only moderate isolation [sometimes con]
i refer you to ljokerl's theheadphonelist to get the background on this iem. the list is at: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone-list/# and this iem is described at: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone_review/flc-technology-flc8/
if you sort ljokerl's list by sound quality instead of average rating, you'll see that the flc8 is the highest rated iem [9.4] which is neither custom nor over $1300. in fact, the flc8 is currently selling for $343. its average rating is lower because of its mediocre isolation, 3.5 out of 5. for me this was an advantage- i have ety4's with custom tips if i want isolation. otoh, i can wear the flc8's out and about, and have a better chance of not getting run over. also, if i'm in a quiet place, i think the flc8 has richer tone than the ety's.
the tone is rich across the full spectrum. i listened to some test tracks with the neutral settings it arrived with, and then exchanged one of the tuning plugs to boost the highs - i listen to classical and jazz, and the first violin in melos' performance of 'death and the maiden' sounded thin with the default settings. but for my music, acoustic music, the neutral settings for low bass and upper bass were fine. the cello in the string quartet sounded good, and the iem's gave a good rendition of charlie hayden's double bass in 'first song-for ruth' [from his album with pat methany], which i use to test bass performance. the bass was full, tight and without bloat. to listen full spectrum, i then played a piano sonata [schubert's 20th, uchida] and it sounded very, very good.
if you're more interested in pop, edm, electronica, etc - you can alter the signature to taste. see ljokerl's review for details of the tuning system.
these are not deep insertion iem's, so they will never be as isolating as ety's. they have rather short nozzles, almost like earbuds; they insert just a bit into the ear canals. although offering less isolation, the supplied single flange silicone tips are more comfortable than the comply's. i haven't tried the MEElec M6 single flanges recommended for the flc8 by ljokerl, but they look virtually identical to the supplied tips.
the set is ultra-comfortable, it can be worn cable down but its shallow insertion is likely to make such a setup less stable than you'd like if you're on the move. the over-ears setup, with the provided rubber over-ear guides, is incredibly comfortable and feels quite stable.
these iem's a bargain for the sound quality you get, provided you can live with its mediocre isolation.
btw- i just did a little experiment, and you can use comply 400 series tips to get more isolation if you want. the flc's are NOT listed as "officially approved" by comply, but it works. thus you can choose your degree of isolation, within limits.
in sum, along with the flc8's bargain sound quality, as a bonus you get their flexibility in adjusting to the signature you prefer.
However; one detail is holding me back still, no info on wind-noise.. I intend to use these while riding a bike, so I am wondering how they are affected by wind blowing past them.