[YtseJamer]

To be 95% performance of a product that cost 43% more is a failed business strategy that I think Audeze clearly avoided. I personally like the new "look" of the EL-8 and the weight savings and would probably give them a try. I'm not fond of the veneer pattern though. Wish it was a better rose wood grain or perhaps black or silver brushed aluminum. It could be easily fixed with a strip of vinyl though.

 
Add $80 for a longer cable and it's going to bump the price to $779.  ($779 USD = $970 CAD.)
 
I can buy all the following headphones below for less money than the EL-8 and I can tell you that some of them are 95% as good as the LCD-2F.
 
I still don't understand what's Audeze's strategy but I can already predict that the EL-8 will be a failure if they cannot compete with all the headphones that I have listed below!
 

1. HE-560 @ $739
2. HE-500 @ $450
3. HE-400i @ $419
4. Oppo PM-2 @ $699
5. Alpha Dog @ $599

 

[deafanddumb]

Back to topic.

How is it possible for a closed-back to sound thinner and brighter than the equivalent open-back? Assuming the same driver and housing except for the back cover.

I ask, since impressions seem to indicate closed back EL-8 is bright and thin So, I'm wondering technically how is that possible lol

Add $80 for a longer cable and it's going to bump the price to $779.  ($779 USD = $970 CAD.)

I can buy all the following headphones below for less money than the EL-8 and I can tell you that some of them are 95% as good as the LCD-2F.

I still don't understand what's Audeze's strategy but I can already predict that the EL-8 will be a failure if they cannot compete with all the headphones that I have listed below!

• HE-560 @ $739
• HE-500 @ $450
• HE-400i @ $419
• Oppo PM-2 @ $699
• Alpha Dog @ $599

Isn't that a bit obvious?

 

[MattTCG]

^^ I think his point is valid. The EL-8 has to fit within the schemework of the other Audeze hp's, but mostly against other similarly priced hp's from different makers. We all want to know how it stacks up against the heavy hitters in that price range. 

 

[money4me247]

  ^^ I think his point is valid. The EL-8 has to fit within the schemework of the other Audeze hp's, but mostly against other similarly priced hp's from different makers. We all want to know how it stacks up against the heavy hitters in that price range. 

 
+1. still waiting to read some actually useful impressions that include direct comparisons of sound quality traits against other headphones as a reference point & critical assessment of its flaws (all headphones have flaws lol). 
 
...and earcup measurements (...but I give up on this already).

 

[OrganMonster]

  ^^ I think his point is valid. The EL-8 has to fit within the schemework of the other Audeze hp's, but mostly against other similarly priced hp's from different makers. We all want to know how it stacks up against the heavy hitters in that price range. 

What MattTCG has said is what this entire thread is really all about. We are not here to see if the EL-8 can beat the LCD, which is absurd, but how well does the EL-8 stack up against the competition in the same price range. Audeze would not make a headphone 1/3 the price of their flagships to compete and beat their flagships.
 
The bottom line is how does the EL-8 compare to their competition like the Senn HD-700, Sony Z7, HE-560, Oppo PM-2 and the Alpha Dog. This is what this thread should be about, and not that the EL-8 will replace a flagship.

 

[wgb113]

+1. Anxious to hear for myself how it stacks up to the Oppo PM-2 and Sennheiser HD 700.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[thomascrown]

The bottom line is how does the EL-8 compare to their competition like the Senn HD-700, Sony Z7, HE-560, Oppo PM-2 and the Alpha Dog. This is what this thread should be about, and not that the EL-8 will replace a flagship.

Bravo!

 

[pietcux]

I could not agree more.

 

[chowmein83]

  ^^ I think his point is valid. The EL-8 has to fit within the schemework of the other Audeze hp's, but mostly against other similarly priced hp's from different makers. We all want to know how it stacks up against the heavy hitters in that price range. 

 
Like the others, I agree. It's true that the EL-8 has the Audeze name, but if it can't really compete that well against the other headphones mentioned, then that's kind of a problem.
 
Personally, I didn't think the EL-8 was close to the HE-560 and wasn't better than the other headphones mentioned in that list (with the exception of the Alpha Dogs, which I don't want to make a conclusion about because it's been so long since I've heard the AD's) when I heard it in its pre-production form at CES, but it'll be interesting to see what happens when people get their hands on the production version... 

 

[Kamakahah]

+1. still waiting to read some actually useful impressions that include direct comparisons of sound quality traits against other headphones as a reference point & critical assessment of its flaws (all headphones have flaws lol). 

...and earcup measurements (...but I give up on this already).

Agreed.
I'm not interested in reading "impressions" or some long-winded review that doesn't include significant comparisons between it and the competition.

In the end, my decision to buy or not buy this product will start and end at what it brings over the others.

 

[kapanak]

My decision to buy this hangs only over how the closed-back compares to closed backs from $400 to $1500. And most likely, it depends on how the Innerfidelity gang reviews it and ranks it.
 
I'd much rather read a critical review than an overly enthusiastic review. Of course Audeze fans will love it no matter what.

 

[lamode]

  ...and earcup measurements (...but I give up on this already).

 
You can find that information in this link: http://bit.ly/IqT6zt
 
If you have any questions, this should clear it up: http://bit.ly/1lJLvi4

 

[YtseJamer]

  What about that HE-560 comparison that was promised a few pages back 

 
Someone who was at the CES told me that the EL-8 sounded very average versus the HE-560.
 
I still don't understand why Audeze didn't have the time to fine tune the EL-8 correctly prior to the CES ?
 
Also, after reading the comments from Warren here, it seems that the EL-8 have changed a lot compared to the prototype that he heard months ago.  It's not very encouraging...

 

[kapanak]

   
Someone who was at the CES told me that the EL-8 sounded very average versus the HE-560.
 
I still don't understand why Audeze didn't have the time to fine tune the EL-8 correctly prior to the CES ?
 
Also, after reading the comments from Warren here, it seems that the EL-8 have changed a lot compared to the prototype that he heard months ago.  It's not very encouraging...

It's a work in progress. Let it be until production models are ready. And even then, Audeze is well known for their revisions and sound modifications...
 
And HE-560 is an average sounding headphone to me, at least at its current price of $1000 CAN. To sound worse than the HE-560 is quite troubling.

 

[DreamKing]

 
It's a work in progress. Let it be until production models are ready. And even then, Audeze is well known for their revisions and sound modifications...
 
And HE-560 is an average sounding headphone to me, at least at its current price of $1000 CAN. To sound worse than the HE-560 is quite troubling.

 
Your opinion aside, "troubling" is insulting to the Hifiman imo. It would be troubling if it sounded worse than headphones worth less or half of its price like the AKG K7xx or HD6xx.  Sounding worse than the HE560 isn't the end of the world considering the EL-8 is a tier under the LCD-2. The HE-560 competes with the LCD-2F and a lot of people prefer it to the LCD-2F. A used pair is about the price of the EL-8 and less than a used pair of LCD-2F .