[KaiSc]

The headphones do suffer from sensitivity due to pressure changes, which I think contributed to the perception that they were "broken", or cut-out in one ear. But for me, I haven't been bothered by this as I am not too active while listening to music. And from what I can tell, the only difference between the titanium and regular version, is the addition of frontal damping in the reg (wooden version). There's a cotton cloth beneath the pads on the regular version, and this reduces the resolution and detail retrieval a bit, but helps dampen those high frequencies. The titanium version forgoes the damping, and instead uses the cipher dsp cable to correct for this. I think this is how they got the resolution to be better on the titanium. I cut-out the cloth on mine, and used some EQ to fix the highs and they are much more resolving now. A decent mod to get these to sound their best!

The sensitivity change when pressing the earcups or shaking my head is only temporary here.
If I sit still everything is normal.

On my El8 Titanium the relatively thick cloth, with a (foam?) ring underneath, is present too.
Maybe there are even more EL8 variations in existence?
As this is obviously part of the tuning, that I like, I leave it like this.


The Cipher cable just boosts the bass range of ca. 125 Hz and below by 3 dB.
It does not change the Treble in any way.


Here’s my EL8 Cipher Cable measurement.
Ignore the little shakiness, as the measurement was done acoustically, comparing with and without Cipher.
The frequency response above the bass boost is in fact a straight line.

 

[Aeson]

A while ago I slapped them cup-down on a flat surface a lil bit more harshly (was in a bit of a gamer tantrum ), not like a slam but a bit more abruptly and bye-bye one channel. idk if I ripped the diaphragm, can't check myself, everything's glued and shut tight. I guess I can try and get 'em fixed somewhere, I sorta accepted my fate back then and they were gifted so it didn't hurt as bad as it could have

 

[mrscotchguy]

The sensitivity change when pressing the earcups or shaking my head is only temporary here.
If I sit still everything is normal.

On my El8 Titanium the relatively thick cloth, with a (foam?) ring underneath, is present too.
Maybe there are even more EL8 variations in existence?
As this is obviously part of the tuning, that I like, I leave it like this.


The Cipher cable just boosts the bass range of ca. 125 Hz and below by 3 dB.
It does not change the Treble in any way.


Here’s my EL8 Cipher Cable measurement.
Ignore the little shakiness, as the measurement was done acoustically, comparing with and without Cipher.
The frequency response above the bass boost is in fact a straight line.

I ended up removing the padding between the drivers between the earpads and the drivers. It sounds much clearer to me and doesn't make my ears pop as much. I'm contemplating looking for earpads that might fit these headphones and modifying them.

 

[JmanOfIsrael]

Is anyone able to recommend a small hard case for these? Preferably sold on Amazon. Thanks in advance.

 

[KaiSc]

Is anyone able to recommend a small hard case for these? Preferably sold on Amazon. Thanks in advance.

If you are located in US, it might be worth looking at the AUDEZE site.
The dedicated case has been offered there for $5 in a clear-out sale.

 

[easo91]

So I just got a second pair to cannibalize the accessories and resell the headphone itself. I tried them out of curiousity and was taken aback by how different the new pair sounded. The upper frequencies have a bit of edge taken off of them which by comparison makes the bass and lower mid range come through. The bass brings some much needed warmth to this pair but still maintains the incredible mid range I like about these. I investigated the cup, and sure enough the second pair has a foam piece between the driver array and your ear.

I’m kind of at a loss because I was planning on only keeping one pair, but while now I love the older revision for it’s in your face upper-mid range that makes guitar distortion sound incredible, I really love how much smoother the newer revision delivers everything. Where as the old pair get fatiguing, I could listen to the final revision all day without thinking about it. It retains a lot of what I loved about this headphone initially and relaxes things, just a bit. It’s almost like having a 650 and 600. It’s now a question of whether I will keep the older revision because this new revision checks a lot more boxes I like about this.

I’ve already shared my thoughts on this headphone in the closed-back Thread, it is my single favorite closed back I’ve ever used and any revision is worth checking out, even though the older revisions are more an acquired taste.

Also I found the newer revision needed atleast 10db more to drive it compared to the older revision (or maybe the treble just made the older revision sound louder because of it being a bit hotter). I’ve found the Cypher cable is woefully underpowered to drive these at a reasonable volume, and with the default 10db boost the cable gives to the bass, using the cable gives you a muddy, lifeless sound. It seems like it was tuned with the older revision in mind and never adjusted for this new one.

The 30ohm 98db/mW spec is deceptive. These things need a more powerful mobile DAC/amp to get loud enough or home amplification. I can understand why this never took off as a mobile option. I found that if I really wanted to push them to a loud volume I don’t typically listen at, but still not damaging, an O2 wasn’t up to the task and I needed to upgrade to something with a bit more power. They won’t distort though, even in the busiest bass heavy tracks. When I did finally give them more juice, I didn’t even realize how close I was to the danger zone because they will happily eat power and deliver a loud, undistorted sound.

 

[paruchuribros]

So I just got a second pair to cannibalize the accessories and resell the headphone itself. I tried them out of curiousity and was taken aback by how different the new pair sounded. The upper frequencies have a bit of edge taken off of them which by comparison makes the bass and lower mid range come through. The bass brings some much needed warmth to this pair but still maintains the incredible mid range I like about these. I investigated the cup, and sure enough the second pair has a foam piece between the driver array and your ear.




I’m kind of at a loss because I was planning on only keeping one pair, but while now I love the older revision for it’s in your face upper-mid range that makes guitar distortion sound incredible, I really love how much smoother the newer revision delivers everything. Where as the old pair get fatiguing, I could listen to the final revision all day without thinking about it. It retains a lot of what I loved about this headphone initially and relaxes things, just a bit. It’s almost like having a 650 and 600. It’s now a question of whether I will keep the older revision because this new revision checks a lot more boxes I like about this.

I’ve already shared my thoughts on this headphone in the closed-back Thread, it is my single favorite closed back I’ve ever used and any revision is worth checking out, even though the older revisions are more an acquired taste.

Also I found the newer revision needed atleast 10db more to drive it compared to the older revision (or maybe the treble just made the older revision sound louder because of it being a bit hotter). I’ve found the Cypher cable is woefully underpowered to drive these at a reasonable volume, and with the default 10db boost the cable gives to the bass, using the cable gives you a muddy, lifeless sound. It seems like it was tuned with the older revision in mind and never adjusted for this new one.

The 30ohm 98db/mW spec is deceptive. These things need a more powerful mobile DAC/amp to get loud enough or home amplification. I can understand why this never took off as a mobile option. I found that if I really wanted to push them to a loud volume I don’t typically listen at, but still not damaging, an O2 wasn’t up to the task and I needed to upgrade to something with a bit more power. They won’t distort though, even in the busiest bass heavy tracks. When I did finally give them more juice, I didn’t even realize how close I was to the danger zone because they will happily eat power and deliver a loud, undistorted sound.

Try portable Centrance DacPort HD. This one plenty of power.

 

[hbmorrison]

Eery that this thread popped up - I just dug my old EL-8 Closed Backs out of the cupboard. They suffer from the crinkle problem but I have really been enjoying them.

Can anybody tell me how the earpads come off? Are they removable and reattachable?

 

[gc335]

Eery that this thread popped up - I just dug my old EL-8 Closed Backs out of the cupboard. They suffer from the crinkle problem but I have really been enjoying them.

Can anybody tell me how the earpads come off? Are they removable and reattachable?

They are glued on. The new pads come with double sided tape.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I’ve revisited the EL-8 Titanium now that Apple Music has Apple Lossless, and lossless files with planar magnetic drivers make a massive difference. The drivers themselves are almost like putting on a pair of glasses and being able to see clearly, and they present a noticeable difference with lossless files.

I’ve adjusted the Cipher EQ to - 8dB at 32Hz, and - 4dB each at 64Hz and 125Hz. This makes the headphones even more detailed, and the bass tighter. I may continue adjusting the EQ, but this sounds quite good to me.

I do have to admit the build quality of the EL-8 Titanium is second-to-none, and Audeze was really targeting a high-end market that appreciates quality design. This is my best headphone, hands-down.

 

[KaiSc]

So I just got a second pair to cannibalize the accessories and resell the headphone itself. I tried them out of curiousity and was taken aback by how different the new pair sounded. The upper frequencies have a bit of edge taken off of them which by comparison makes the bass and lower mid range come through. The bass brings some much needed warmth to this pair but still maintains the incredible mid range I like about these. I investigated the cup, and sure enough the second pair has a foam piece between the driver array and your ear.




I’m kind of at a loss because I was planning on only keeping one pair, but while now I love the older revision for it’s in your face upper-mid range that makes guitar distortion sound incredible, I really love how much smoother the newer revision delivers everything. Where as the old pair get fatiguing, I could listen to the final revision all day without thinking about it. It retains a lot of what I loved about this headphone initially and relaxes things, just a bit. It’s almost like having a 650 and 600. It’s now a question of whether I will keep the older revision because this new revision checks a lot more boxes I like about this.

I’ve already shared my thoughts on this headphone in the closed-back Thread, it is my single favorite closed back I’ve ever used and any revision is worth checking out, even though the older revisions are more an acquired taste.

Also I found the newer revision needed atleast 10db more to drive it compared to the older revision (or maybe the treble just made the older revision sound louder because of it being a bit hotter). I’ve found the Cypher cable is woefully underpowered to drive these at a reasonable volume, and with the default 10db boost the cable gives to the bass, using the cable gives you a muddy, lifeless sound. It seems like it was tuned with the older revision in mind and never adjusted for this new one.

The 30ohm 98db/mW spec is deceptive. These things need a more powerful mobile DAC/amp to get loud enough or home amplification. I can understand why this never took off as a mobile option. I found that if I really wanted to push them to a loud volume I don’t typically listen at, but still not damaging, an O2 wasn’t up to the task and I needed to upgrade to something with a bit more power. They won’t distort though, even in the busiest bass heavy tracks. When I did finally give them more juice, I didn’t even realize how close I was to the danger zone because they will happily eat power and deliver a loud, undistorted sound.

The Cipher Cable for AUDEZE EL-8 / AUDEZE Sine has 3 dB of purposely built-in bass-boost, not 10 dB, I measured it.

I have the - probably - latest iteration of EL-8 Titanium (bought it “fully factory refurbished“ from AUDEZE directly in a clear-out sale), has the foam on top of the driver.

Sounds great BTW!

For my listening habits Cipher’s got enough power, I use no more than -10 dBu max. peak level.
Cipher can put out up to -2 dBu into EL-8.

If you like to have Cipher Cable’s frequency response evened out,
this setting does the job to linearize it:

 

[MICHAELSD]

The Cipher Cable for AUDEZE EL-8 / AUDEZE Sine has 3 dB of purposely built-in bass-boost, not 10 dB, I measured it.

I have the - probably - latest iteration of EL-8 Titanium (bought it “fully factory refurbished“ from AUDEZE directly in a clear-out sale), has the foam on top of the driver.

Sounds great BTW!

For my listening habits Cipher’s got enough power, I use no more than -10 dBu max. peak level.
Cipher can put out up to -2 dBu into EL-8.

If you like to have Cipher Cable’s frequency response evened out,
this setting does the job to linearize it:

It is odd how much of a delicate balancing act there is adding bass to a headphone and making it sound good. I love bass as many head-fiers know, but I also really enjoy a beautifully detailed soundstage.

Dolby Atmos, which Apple Music enables with Automatic on since it automatically assumes it’s an Apple headphone, has a ridiculous amount of separation and distance on the EL-8.

This is a really nice pair of headphones, it just boggles my mind that 3dB of bass boost makes such a drastic difference.

 

[KaiSc]

I wouldn’t call Cipher’s bass enhancement drastic, as it doesn’t boost the bass above midrange and treble.

Anyway, it’s easy to adapt this to personal taste through Cipher’s EQ, which was the initial reason I bought AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium.
Then Titanium turned out to sound great and I kept it, opposed to my first intention to sell it, and just keep the Cipher Cable.

Here is a comparison:

Green: AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium with Cipher,
Orange: AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium direct analog connection,
Blue: Sennheiser HD-6XX / HD-650 as universal reference.

Easy to see where AUDEZE‘s tuning was heading for

Watch out for the very fine scale of 1 dB per scale-line:

 

[MICHAELSD]

I wouldn’t call Cipher’s bass enhancement drastic, as it doesn’t boost the bass above midrange and treble.

Anyway, it’s easy to adapt this to personal taste through Cipher’s EQ, which was the initial reason I bought AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium.
Then Titanium turned out to sound great and I kept it, opposed to my first intention to sell it, and just keep the Cipher Cable.

Here is a comparison:

Green: AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium with Cipher,
Orange: AUDEZE EL-8 Titanium direct analog connection,
Blue: Sennheiser HD-6XX / HD-650 as universal reference.

Easy to see where AUDEZE‘s tuning was heading for

Watch out for the very fine scale of 1 dB per scale-line:

It’s not drastic per se, I just don’t find it to sound appealing and think that it negatively affects the detail retrieval that the drivers are capable of unearthing. The bass boost works on the Sine and the iSine. I’ve loved the V-MODA M-100 and Beats Solo3, which both have 7-8dB of bass boost. For whatever reason the EL-8 doesn’t respond well to the Cipher bass boost IMHO, even if it’s only 3dB.

These headphones do sound phenomenal with the EQ I’ve been using. I have to compare the 3.5mm response as I think the natural frequency response is also great, but I’ve been wanting to use the Cipher more while Apple still has Lightning. The Cipher cable definitely feels premium and well-made, providing the headphones with plenty of power. Apple Lossless decoding is fantastic by the onboard DAC. I swear planar magnetic drivers respond the best to lossless audio, revealing every detail with poise and presence.

On the other hand, I’m finding that the bass boost works admirably with Dolby Atmos content. It also may sound better with more Cipher bass boost. +8db, +7dB, +6dB in the bass range doesn’t sound bad by any means.

Edit: my solution was to boost the bass +5dB at 32Hz, +4dB at 64Hz, and +3dB at 125Hz. I suppose I just don’t like the balance of sound when ~ 3dB of bass boost is added to the default response. Overall though, these headphones sound best with the flat frequency response as @KaiSc shared Cipher EQ settings to reproduce or with even less bass.

My mind will be blown when we get a truly lossless passthrough codec to produce wireless headphones like these. The Cipher amp/DAC, also integrated into the Audeze Mobius, proves that it’s possible.

Edit 2: the EL-8 is admittedly bass-light via the 3.5mm. The Cipher definitively provides a much more powerful output. In fact, it’s so powerful that it tends to fatigue me quickly at volumes at or above 50% which may be part of the issue. I’m going to try listening to the default frequency response for longer. It’s definitely preferable to keep headphone levels below 80dB—I’ve been using Apple’s built-in iOS sound sound level monitor for the rest of my headphones although I don’t think it’s accurate with non-Apple headphones.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I have been sleeping on the EL-8 Titanium. They outright embarrass my Beats Solo3 and all of the over-ear Bluetooth headphones I’ve used in the past, although that should be a given. The quality with lossless files is absolutely insane.

It’s possible to get used to the default sound signature with its modest bass boost, and appreciate the level of detail it offers. A big part of this is ensuring that the marshmallowy comfortable ear pads create a tight seal. The Cipher provides significantly more power than most 3.5mm devices are able to output. This is evident even with the bass EQ’d all the way down, providing perhaps the most pure listening experience possible and surprisingly still sounding powerfully adequate.

I’ll continue testing with the default sound signature, as constantly making minor changes to the EQ just makes for an annoying experience.

The addition of Apple Lossless, including Hi-Res/master quality lossless, to Apple Music has opened up a new world for these headphones as expected. There’s a significant and addictive difference listening to high-quality, lossless files on planar magnetic drivers.