[audionewbi]

Wow, how much is that cable if you don't mind me asking.

 

[productred]

Wow, how much is that cable if you don't mind me asking.

 
First of all I have to special order a 4 conductor one cos 1. size and 2. costs. No matter how much I like how the stock 10 conductor Pandora sounds I find it too hard pressed to pay its full price. Also I love the original leather case of the T8 so I'd like to get a cable that could fit in there.
 
Secondly, there's some sort of trade-in program for old labkable users/customers in place at the time of my purchase.
 
BS aside, I paid around 300 sth US for it.

 

[audionewbi]

Thanks.

I think T8 sounds very close to TH900, this explains why I gravitate towards it despite my early negative experience.

 

[jmills8]

Fostex TH900 pounds big time, big over all sound. T8 compared to other iems I cannot say the same.

 

[audionewbi]

I am liking T8 more and more as days progress however my major turn of is the mmcx. I keep getting channel disconnection from both side, in particular the left side. It is a little concerning as it is less than a week old unit.
 
I am going to blame the cable as I think it is truly of a poor quality, I might try a different mmcx cable and see if that solves the issue else this unit has to be return for an exchange. 

 

[Jeff Y]

  I am liking T8 more and more as days progress however my major turn of is the mmcx. I keep getting channel disconnection from both side, in particular the left side. It is a little concerning as it is less than a week old unit.
 
I am going to blame the cable as I think it is truly of a poor quality, I might try a different mmcx cable and see if that solves the issue else this unit has to be return for an exchange. 

I'm sure you might know already but MMCX connectors are known for going bad and disconnecting after a period of use.
I think MMCX connectors should not be used at all. I prefer 2 pin connectors.

 

[audionewbi]

I had my Ultrasone IQ for a long time and still works alright, i was expecting more from T8.

 

[audionewbi]

Here is my short impression so far:
 
I am a big believer in dynamic driver. I believe the bass that produced by a dynamic driver has far more life and naturalness to it than most of its Balance Armature counter part. Problem with most dynamic drivers it that the bass decay is either too slow, they are too thick sounding or that it is simply to much for most and not to mention the high frequency peaks that are just hard to over come and compensate for (my EX-1000 bothering know what I am talking about.
 
The AKT8iE has a very fast bass response which one expect from a BA IEM. Its treble is nicely extended but never sibilant. This fast bass response added with the bass quantity of a dynamic driver offer for a very impactful yet tight bass. This sound is only limited to the supplied cable and I will talk about this later 
 
So what is the bad side? The sound is too forward and at times might be too thick, the soundstage is intimate, infact it is the most intimate I own. Just to put it into perspective I own the sony EX-1000 (still has the best soundstage), Dita Truth (which has a nice thick sound without sacrificing too much on soundstage), Kaede II, Aursonic rocket, ATH CRK10. 
 
I think the biggest offender is the supplied MMCX cable. it simply isn’t put to the job. It creates the bottle knock for the AKT8iE. It is not a week and I already face the disconnection issue that most MMCX based IEM face. Luckily the cause of the issues isn’t the actual IEM unit but the poor quality of the supplied cable which to me is the poorest supplied cable I have ever seen in a product in this price range.
 
The AKT8iE package is very nice, it include all that one needs, the addition of the supplied 2.5mm TRRS is good for those who are interest to experiment with balance before committing into a more expensive cable (which in my opinion is a must).
 
 
I am currently in process of upgrading my cable not that I want to but I have to. There is really no point in RMA as the replacement will be again with the same problematic cable. I wish Astelland Kern think about changing the supplied cable. 
 
In summary I am happy about my purchase. It is hard to find flagship dynamic IEM and I get any if I come across it. Luckily AKT8iE offers great potential which is up to the buyer to harness it. The supplied package is great however it would become perfect if the critical mmcx cable is improved. 

 

[lololololo]

Hey guys, any other tips you'd recommend? Am having Abit of trouble w the stock tips now and complys don't really help. Thanks!

 

[KELEL]

Hey guys, any other tips you'd recommend? Am having Abit of trouble w the stock tips now and complys don't really help. Thanks!

Try to use tips from Xiaomi Piston 3. For me they work very well!

 

[rumina]

the sony hybrid tips are good, great fit and isolation.

 

[lololololo]

Anyone played around with upgrade cables and have recommendations? thanks!

 

[audionewbi]

I have a PWaudio cable arriving any days. I will later on add my impressions.

 

[rumina]

I ordered a Norne Audio Therium cable, i will poste my impressions when it's arrived.

 

[lololololo]

thanks a million guys!