[DavidA]

I guess they might have fixed the headband padding issue also or my head is not the shape they designed for, lol

 

[sparkofinsanity]

@DavidA Inspected March 28th, bought in May. I guesstimate 150 hours but I haven't noticed any change after the first 20 (and off of that I'm sure brain burn in accounts for some of it). 
 
Have no issues with the headband or clamping force. I'm a big and tall guy, I use these on the biggest setting (no hair in the way either). The only headphones to ever really bother me was the Sennheiser HD380 Pro. Not very giant friendly, clamping force from hell on a big noggin'. 

 

[Maconi]

I'm excited for the "Black Box" Audeze is making for these (as well as some of their other headphones). Then I can adjust the frequency response to my liking without needing EQ. It's not even in beta yet though so it'll probably be a while.

 

[DavidA]

  @DavidA Inspected March 28th, bought in May. I guesstimate 150 hours but I haven't noticed any change after the first 20 (and off of that I'm sure brain burn in accounts for some of it). 
 
Have no issues with the headband or clamping force. I'm a big and tall guy, I use these on the biggest setting (no hair in the way either). The only headphones to ever really bother me was the Sennheiser HD380 Pro. Not very giant friendly, clamping force from hell on a big noggin'. 

It seems that Audeze has gotten the manufacturing process down, don't see too many post with connector problem either.
Worst headphone clamping was HD-650/600, had to bend the metal part to keep my head from bursting

 

[moises13456]

Wait, that part is plastic? One of the reasons I went with the EL-8 was I thought it was all-metal (my huge head cracks plastic headbands like no other, I wear the EL-8 on the largest setting just barely)?

Here's to hoping that doesn't happen to me soon. 

I know! I too was shocked that part is plastic. I barely use this outdoors(jogging etc.) and never while lying in bed coz of the fear of breaking the part that holds the driver together! I only listen to this in front of the computer. Good luck with your El8!

 

[rfan8312]

I have auditioned the EL-8 closed version twice now (still hoping to hear the open version ASAP) and have heard some remarkable texture in it's bass.

It seems like there have been a share of disparaging reviews on head-fi of the EL-8 regarding its price and sound signature.

Myself being a Grado fan I found the unique sound not so bad and the bass stunning and the separation very nice.

I was wondering if anyone at all would reccomend the EL-8 over the LCD series or the HE-400s.

I've tried the LCD-2 a few times and thought that the price and weight and darker sound signature would make me think twice about purchasing them. Although the LCD-2 of course had some really great attributes as well.

Can anyone offer any advice in regards to whether the LCD-2 is better than the EL-8 in every way, and worth saving for?

Or could the EL-8 be the right choice for someone looking for something less dark and with that great textured bass that the EL-8 have, and if so, would the HE-400s be a better choice than EL-8 at a much lower price?

Thanks in advance if anyone would care to share any advice or comment.

Sent from my LGLS660 using Tapatalk

 

[daphen]

I have auditioned the EL-8 closed version twice now (still hoping to hear the open version ASAP) and have heard some remarkable texture in it's bass.

It seems like there have been a share of disparaging reviews on head-fi of the EL-8 regarding its price and sound signature.

Myself being a Grado fan I found the unique sound not so bad and the bass stunning and the separation very nice.

I was wondering if anyone at all would reccomend the EL-8 over the LCD series or the HE-400s.

I've tried the LCD-2 a few times and thought that the price and weight and darker sound signature would make me think twice about purchasing them. Although the LCD-2 of course had some really great attributes as well.

Can anyone offer any advice in regards to whether the LCD-2 is better than the EL-8 in every way, and worth saving for?

Or could the EL-8 be the right choice for someone looking for something less dark and with that great textured bass that the EL-8 have, and if so, would the HE-400s be a better choice than EL-8 at a much lower price?

Thanks in advance if anyone would care to share any advice or comment.

Sent from my LGLS660 using Tapatalk

I think the open EL-8 sounds better than the HE400, but I'm one of the few people who isn't a fan of the HE400 so you might not want to take my word for it.
The LCD-2 sounds better than the EL-8 to my ears. I suggest you try both before making a decision that costs that much money.

 

[DavidA]

  I think the open EL-8 sounds better than the HE400, but I'm one of the few people who isn't a fan of the HE400 so you might not want to take my word for it.
The LCD-2 sounds better than the EL-8 to my ears. I suggest you try both before making a decision that costs that much money.

I think @rfan8312 was asking about the HE-400s, not the original HE-400.  I have the original HE-400 and its pretty good with some genre of music when properly amped.  The EL8-open is very easy to drive but I found that they sounded thin with some music and the highs could get harsh on other songs.  The LCD-2f is much better sounding than the EL8 IMO, the sound is lush and full, a very relaxed sound but it is a very heavy headphone so some find the weight too much for extended listening.
 
I haven't heard the new HE-400s yet so can't comment on it.

 

[rfan8312]

Ok thanks anyway guys.

while I found the sound signature of the Eagle ate a little bit strange I did really much like the plane arm magnetic base with its texture that it has and it is a very prominent feature in the sound signature so I'm just wondering if it's worth spending the $700 for the EL-8 or if the HE400s has just as much texture in the bass as the EL-8 with as much separation as the EL-8.

I'll try to find out. Thanks.

Sent from my LGLS660 using Tapatalk

 

[Maconi]

I know I've read some people prefer the ZMF Omni over the LCD-2. However the driver is smaller and the bass is less on the Omni from what I can gather (haven't heard either).
 
As far as closed headphones I'm not sure you can do better than the EL-8 for under $1000. Open there are other options (LCD-2, ZMF Omni, etc.) but I'm not qualified to say what's better. 

 

[daphen]

 
I think @rfan8312 was asking about the HE-400s, not the original HE-400.  I have the original HE-400 and its pretty good with some genre of music when properly amped.  The EL8-open is very easy to drive but I found that they sounded thin with some music and the highs could get harsh on other songs.  The LCD-2f is much better sounding than the EL8 IMO, the sound is lush and full, a very relaxed sound but it is a very heavy headphone so some find the weight too much for extended listening.
 
I haven't heard the new HE-400s yet so can't comment on it.

Oh, alright. I haven't heard the s, the HE-400's is a bit too warm, dark and bassy for my tastes. I also like the 2F better than all the headphones mentioned. But then again, it is more than twice the price and is really uncomfortable.

 

[rfan8312]

EL-8 Impressions
I noticed that my local distributor had brought in demo sets of the EL-8s and could not resist checking them out. I wanted to pull the trigger on the HE-400i but waited to audition the EL8 before making my decision.
 
I primarily compared the open back EL8's to the HE-400s. Both have the outstanding clarity and general lack of distortions that attracted me to planar-dynamic headphones in the first place. 
 
Comfort (3.5/5)
The HE-400i is certainly the more comfortable of the two, feeling lighter on my head and it's weight is better distributed. That being said, the EL-8 is not far behind in terms of comfort.
Something like the LCD-XC would be unacceptably uncomfortable for me though as its entire weight sits on the top of my head. I think the EL-8 would be comfortable enough for 2-3 hours of listening.
 
Build Quality (4/5)
The EL-8 seems very well put together, it feels solid and real in the hand and the design is quite striking.
 
One thing I would be worried about is the wood veneer, I am not sure how well that would stand up over time. Perhaps it would be better if the veneer were lacquered and polished, or done away with all together. An all-black version with no wood would be nice too, or perhaps a carbon-fiber inset?
 
Another possible issue is that the metal parts seem to be covered with a black paint or anodize. On the demo unit, some of this black layer was coming off on the edges, perhaps due to contact with the glass counter-top.
 
I actually quite like how the cabling was done, they look physically quite classy and snap into place on the headphones with a nice click. I don't quite know how well they would stand up over time, but I guess we have to trust Audeze on this.
 
It would be nice if the Earpads were easily user-replaceable though, they seem glued on pretty tight.
 
Sound (4.5/5)
It must be noted that I did all my listening off a iPhone 6 loaded with lossless ALAC files. Unfortunately, I did not have my iDSD with me at this point.
 
Compared to the HE400i, the open EL8 sounds warmer and more full-bodied. Neither have the strident highs that plague the HD800, and should not cause fatigue in a long session. Between the two, the EL8 is more enjoyable to listen to. Its not a huge difference, but the warmer voicing is more enjoyable and the EL8s seemed faster/more energetic when it came to drums.
 
The EL8 has a presentation that leans towards being "in your face", reminding me more of the HD-25 than the HD-800s. I love the HD-25 though, so this is a good thing in my book. Those who prefer a very wide soundstage would be better off looking elsewhere.
 
 
EL8 Closed Back
The closed EL8 is quite a different beast to listen to. The most striking difference is that the mids seem more recessed than the open EL8s. With the open EL8, I found a volume level of (13/16) on the iPhone to be comfortable. However, on the closed back cans the comfortable volume level was (15/16), to make up for the more recessed mid range. As a result of turning up the volume, treble heavy songs were more fatiguing on the closed EL8 for me
 
Conclusion
While I usually prefer closed cans and really wanted to like the closed pair, they are not quite a "lighter XC" sound wise, which I would be more interested in. Perhaps I would do more impressions with a DAC when my EL8s arrive

Thanks for the comparison. At one point in your post towards the top you mentioned the HE-400s.

Was this comparison using the HE-400i as well as the 400s?

I'm very curious if the HE-400s has as nice a bass as EL-8c and if the HE-400s has as much separation as the EL-8c.

Sent from my LGLS660 using Tapatalk

 

[aCuria]

Thanks for the comparison. At one point in your post towards the top you mentioned the HE-400s.

Was this comparison using the HE-400i as well as the 400s?

I'm very curious if the HE-400s has as nice a bass as EL-8c and if the HE-400s has as much separation as the EL-8c.

Sent from my LGLS660 using Tapatalk

I have never heard the HE400S before, all comparisons are with the 400i. I wrote this before the 400S was released

 

[rfan8312]

Ok thanks for response.

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[rfan8312]

 Its very hard to justify the LCD series when the massive weight and weight distribution characteristics makes my head sore under an hour, regardless of how good they sound. The EL8 fixes these problems and offers better performance off portables - whats there not to like? If you intend to use them permanently attached to an amp then there are other many many other options available to you. Cans that sound great right out of an iPhone are rare.
 
Being able to drive cans off portable devices is a massive win in my book too, ($300 AMP + $300 headphones) vs easily driven $600 headphones? 

Agree +1

Hmmm interesting.

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