[chontler]

 
 Yeah, huge difference from the version with defective highs, even without burn in. It's a shame so many got the version with the bad highs and return them or even sell them thinking that's the way they're supposed to sound.

Another vouch here for the white box replacement.  Absolutely splendid they are.  The included engineer's card says they are already burned in too.

 

[Beagle]

Has anyone else encountered this problem, where if you shift/turn your head and change the pad pressure slightly, the channel briefly fades out a bit then comes back when you keep your head still?

 

[mcemce13]

 
Has anyone else encountered this problem, where if you shift/turn your head and change the pad pressure slightly, the channel briefly fades out a bit then comes back when you keep your head still?

 
Yes, I had the same problem with the Platinum version I tried, I read that is the air pressure changing inside the cup and that's why the fade out temporarily. However, also read that is defective and ended up returning my pair.
 
Would be interesting to know others experience about this issue.

 

[cmacsocial]

I apologize if this was covered elsewhere in the thread, but is anyone willing to share their EQ settings for EL-8C? I'm trying to find good settings for metal and trance/EDM. Found some Apple presets in Google image search, but some of the boosts are +12 and such...my AK100II only goes to +5.
 
Thanks in advance to any help you can provide with EQ.

 

[mcemce13]

  I apologize if this was covered elsewhere in the thread, but is anyone willing to share their EQ settings for EL-8C? I'm trying to find good settings for metal and trance/EDM. Found some Apple presets in Google image search, but some of the boosts are +12 and such...my AK100II only goes to +5.
 
Thanks in advance to any help you can provide with EQ.

You can always use negative equalizer that gives you a 10 range instead of 5

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Changes were made in packaging, driver film & frame, magnet arrangement and cables/connectors.

Today Closed and Titanium "are the same" but not compared to the older Closed one.

I haven't had the chance to fully post on Head-Fi properly, just some small posts on Onkyo DP-X1 and Double Helix Cables.

However, yes, this is true but it's more than that.

There are now four articles published, and Audeze has posted direct to me on Facebook and Twitter (@theoneinyellow) of some monumental changes to EVERY Audeze headphones EXCEPT a few, the Sine and EL8 Titanium; these latter two headphones have the updates as standard. (Originally I thought the LCD-4 was excluded but a forth article describes a new thicker coating on the planar diaphragm to make it stronger. All early LCD-4 customers should contact Audeze as soon as they can).

The changes are major re-voicing and internal updates to the following headphones:

- EL8
- EL8 CB
- LCD 2
- LCD-X
- LCD-XC (the biggest update with new filters)
- LCD-3
- LCD-4

The best way to understand this is that the 2016 headphones are the updated models. 2015 versions are now discontinued due to change in manufacturing with new updates.
On FB, Twitter, anywhere, I've differentiated between the old and new headphones by using 2016, so the 2016 EL8 CB is different to the 2015 EL8 CB.

The 2016 EL8 CB is internally the same as the EL8 Titanium.

Lots of fellow Head-Fi'ers have already said this but the new 2016 EL8 CB is almost completely different to the older versions, with less grating forward mids (now buttery smooth), far better treble that's more natural sounding, and beautifully strong, textured agile bass.
In some ways, I think these new 2016 EL8 series might as well be new headphones.
That's how much of a difference I think the old and new EL8 CB/Ti to be.

Anyway, here are the four articles:

Spoiler

Digital Audio Review by John Darkø:
"Cohen also points out that the EL-8 have seen significant re-voicing since their CES 2015 debut and that anyone not hearing them in the last six months “Hasn’t heard the EL-8”."


Positive Feedback by Michael Mercer:
"I didn't know about the technological advancements in the Titanium EL-8 series. They sport larger drivers than my original EL-8s, and their diaphragms are thinner and faster too. The headphone sounds more efficient, and that's a splendid thing."


Part-Time Audiophile by Scott Hull:
"What else is new at Audeze? Well, how about everything?

I spent a few minutes talking with Mark Cohen of Audeze, and he mentioned that we’re now about 3 months into a whole new LCD Series revision, one that applies across the line — LCD 2, LCD 3, LCD X and LCD XC (the LCD 4, interestingly, already has these updates — and is likely the source of them). The changes are incremental, according to Cohen, substantial enough to warrant the move, but hard to discern without direct A/B comparisons.

Except for the XC. That one you might be able to hear directly. There’s a new LC filter network in the XC that addresses the mid-bass boost that can has (due to it’s closed-back nature), which brings the newest XC’s much closer to the sound of the open-back X. And by “closer”, Cohen means, “almost indistinguishable”.

Also new — the EL-8. This headphone suffered a bit on launch, at least on Head-Fi (and in the press), especially due to the expectations that were not precisely set. To wit: the EL-8 is most emphatically not a cheap LCD. Different can. Different goal. Different sound. With that out of the way, the EL-8 as it’s currently shipping, has an entirely new connector, with better magnets (and a latching mechanism to hold them in place), as well as a new diaphragm and magnet structure. The difference between this EL-8 and the one I have? Cohen says: “It’s not night and day. More like mid-afternoon and night.” Well put!"


Headmania Audeze LCD-4 Review:
"The review unit is actually the revised 200 ohms LCD-4. The first iteration which had 100 ohms had some driver failures because of the very thin diaphragm, problem taken care of Audeze in this revision by adding a very think aluminium layer/deposit on the diaphragm to make it more resistant.

If you have bought the 100 ohms version, you can upgrade it for free to the new revision."

Finally, I posted a lot of pics of my replacement and upgraded Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones that came in two days ago, and my replacement Onkyo DP-X1.

Here are the pics for your enjoyment, but you are more than welcome to see and follow my Twitter page (@theoneinyellow):

Spoiler: LOTS OF PICS

Edited:
Cleaned up text and reorganised pics.

 

[inthere]

There's no link to the 4 articles, you got cut off!
 
 Also, can you exchange your 2015 EL-8 for the 2016 version?

 

[TheOneInYellow]

There's no link to the 4 articles, you got cut off!

 Also, can you exchange your 2015 EL-8 for the 2016 version?

Yeah sorry about that, had weird Head-Fi glitch but modified my post with full info. Enjoy!

 

[Beagle]

 

Spoiler

EL8 CB is almost completely different to the older versions, with less grating forward mids (now buttery smooth), far better treble that's more natural sounding, and beautifully strong, textured agile bass.
In some ways, I think these new 2016 EL8 series might as well be new headphones.

 
I agree..entirely

 

[inthere]

 
Has anyone else encountered this problem, where if you shift/turn your head and change the pad pressure slightly, the channel briefly fades out a bit then comes back when you keep your head still?

Just noticed this problem today........oh man, i don't feel like returning these things AGAIN, I think I give up. I think my pair was built in March or May of 2015 so i guess it was inevitable 

 

[Beagle]

I don't think it's a "problem" per se. I think it is common with planars and electrostats. If you push in the cups while listening (or put palms over the backs of open-backed and push in) , you affect the drivers and lose part of the channel briefly. I think the EL8 might be more sensitive to this with its well-sealing pads.

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Just noticed this problem today........oh man, i don't feel like returning these things AGAIN, I think I give up. I think my pair was built in March or May of 2015 so i guess it was inevitable 

I don't think it's a "problem" per se. I think it is common with planars and electrostats. If you push in the cups while listening (or put palms over the backs of open-backed and push in) , you affect the drivers and lose part of the channel briefly. I think the EL8 might be more sensitive to this with its well-sealing pads.

What Beagle said.
The planar drivers flex due to pressure of drivers to your ears when you adjust, or push/pull, on the earcups.
I get the same phenomenon with the new EL8 Ti headphones (part of the 2016 EL8 series editions).

However inthere, your EL8 CB is the 2015 version. If you like, contact Audeze and see what they can do regarding upgrading the cans (could come at cost).

 

[TheOneInYellow]

Posted this on the Onkyo DP-X1 thread but here's a brief impression of my Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones (2016 EL8 series):


My listening session today Onkyo DP-X1 in balanced AGC mode:

Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones (2016 EL8 series) with Double Helix Cables Molecule Elite Fusion 4-Wire balanced cable:




Music:
Jazz at the Pawnshop Double Rate DSD (DSD128) from NativeDSD.com/Naxos.

Excellent positioning of musicians AND the crowd. Goosebumps on my skin when you hear people get up and and leave; surreal!
Soundstage was a tad small in width and length (compared to my AKG K 712 headphones with DHC Prototype Molecule 4-Wire 25awg copper single-ended cable) but gorgeous depth!
A very involving experience.

 

[freitz]

Posted this on the Onkyo DP-X1 thread but here's a brief impression of my Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones (2016 EL8 series):


My listening session today Onkyo DP-X1 in balanced AGC mode:

Audeze EL8 Titanium headphones (2016 EL8 series) with Double Helix Cables Molecule Elite Fusion 4-Wire balanced cable:




Music:
Jazz at the Pawnshop Double Rate DSD (DSD128) from NativeDSD.com/Naxos.

Excellent positioning of musicians AND the crowd. Goosebumps on my skin when you hear people get up and and leave; surreal!
Soundstage was a tad small in width and length (compared to my AKG K 712 headphones with DHC Prototype Molecule 4-Wire 25awg copper single-ended cable) but gorgeous depth!
A very involving experience.

So who made the custom cable?

 

[TheOneInYellow]

So who made the custom cable?

Ah, that was Peter from Double Helix Cables.

We're both good friends, talk often via Messenger.

The cables for my EL8 Ti are Molecule Elite Fusion 4-Wire balanced.

Originally bought as single-ended when I purchased the now discontinued 2015 Audeze EL8 CB, after getting the Onkyo DP-X1 I asked him to recable it with a new 2.5 mm TRRS Eidolic termination.

He went on to build two more cables. You can read about them here.

And though both my Audeze 2015 EL8 CB and Onkyo DP-X1 developed faults early this year, both have been replaced.
In regards to the former, Audeze went from sending me 2016 EL8 CB to just upgrading me to EL8 Titanium.
My cables look slick, but....
...
.....
......
I've asked Peter to possibly build me his flagship Complement4 cables for my EL8 Ti and Heir Audio 4.Ai IEM's ^^
I'll try to rob a bank or somert to support such cables ofc