[SomeGuyDude]

Dead effing serious. I'm in love with these things. The 8's were amazing, yes, but I was getting annoyed with the filter swapping and found that in order to get a sound I liked I was doing too much messing around.
 
These work out of a laptop, so I can wear them to work (reasonable volume obviously), use them out of my laptop, the works.
 
I know these get beat up a lot on here, but my enthusiasm is legitimate. I've been going through all my favorite music for the past two days again, just letting the EL-8's give 'em to me new.

 

[doughead]

Glad you're enjoying the EL-8s! I miss their bass impact and slam. I sold them as I couldn't get used to the treble but their bass was mighty fine!

 

[Maconi]

They definitely take some EQ (and power to support that EQ) but I think they're pretty good (the 100mm driver sure helps). A lot of people say they like the Ether C better but it's $1k more (and supposedly has less bass, also smaller drivers). The Fostex headphones (and the mods of them) are well liked but people say the isolation sucks (tons of sound leaks in/out).
 
Honestly I'm not sure what else is out there that's closed, a decent price, with good isolation, and good bass (without sacrificing detail). Maybe the Alpha Primes?

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Glad you're enjoying the EL-8s! I miss their bass impact and slam. I sold them as I couldn't get used to the treble but their bass was mighty fine!

 
What was your issue with the treble? Was your pair "muffled" like I've heard others say? The ones I'm hearing aren't bright obviously, but the high end is here in full force. 
 
I have the open model for the record. 

 

[doughead]

What was your issue with the treble? Was your pair "muffled" like I've heard others say? The ones I'm hearing aren't bright obviously, but the high end is here in full force. 

I have the open model for the record. 

I had the open-backed EL-8, the soundstage is small yes but I wouldn't call it muffled. The high frequencies were in full force, my ears are very sensitive to brightness so I sold it although I love the bass. My brother told me my threshold for treble is very low, when I commented that a certain demo at a hifi show sounded too bright, he said no it doesn't lol!

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I had the open-backed EL-8, the soundstage is small yes but I wouldn't call it muffled. The high frequencies were in full force, my ears are very sensitive to brightness so I sold it although I love the bass. My brother told me my threshold for treble is very low, when I commented that a certain demo at a hifi show sounded too bright, he said no it doesn't lol!

 
Haha and here I thought the "grand canyon of treble" I had people on another site telling me about would be the problem. 
 
The bass is really seductive on these, I agree. It's similar to the LCD-2's in that regard thought obviously lacks the "size" of those. A nice bass guitar comes kicking through and it's like ear candy.

 

[Lorspeaker]

  They definitely take some EQ (and power to support that EQ) but I think they're pretty good (the 100mm driver sure helps). A lot of people say they like the Ether C better but it's $1k more (and supposedly has less bass, also smaller drivers). The Fostex headphones (and the mods of them) are well liked but people say the isolation sucks (tons of sound leaks in/out).
 
Honestly I'm not sure what else is out there that's closed, a decent price, with good isolation, and good bass (without sacrificing detail). Maybe the Alpha Primes?

 
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01686PE1O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_1&smid=A304D686EJ3MRJ
 
the new fostex closedback mark 3 is out....give it a listen when u get the opp.

 

[doughead]

It has a nice sparkling treble, just that for certain songs it can seem overzealous. The EL-8 has more mid-bass slam compared to the LCD series which has more sub-bass slam. I actually preferred the looks and comfort of the EL-8. I agree that they are very versatile for indoor and outdoor use. I would have liked to keep them but having 2 headphones is an extravagance

 

[inthere]

It has a nice sparkling treble, just that for certain songs it can seem overzealous. The EL-8 has more mid-bass slam compared to the LCD series which has more sub-bass slam. I actually preferred the looks and comfort of the EL-8. I agree that they are very versatile for indoor and outdoor use. I would have liked to keep them but having 2 headphones is an extravagance

Overzealous? No, the 1st pair I got had absolutely piercing, screeching treble.............you had a defective pair. My replacement pair has silky smooth magical treble. 

 

[SomeGuyDude]

All I know is I've been re-listening to all my music and every time I put these things on it's like taking a journey.
 
I've run some sine sweeps and while I can tell there's a dip in the treble, that cataclysmic nose dive people are talking about that Tyll measured is just not there on mine. I cannot hear it, I cannot locate it.

 

[fotomeow]

  All I know is I've been re-listening to all my music and every time I put these things on it's like taking a journey.
 
I've run some sine sweeps and while I can tell there's a dip in the treble, that cataclysmic nose dive people are talking about that Tyll measured is just not there on mine. I cannot hear it, I cannot locate it.

Isn't this presuming everyone is using the same amp for the measurements? 
Tubes are well known for increasing the mids and rolling off the highs and lows, eg tube amp vs SS/capactor amp

 

[SomeGuyDude]

 
Isn't this presuming everyone is using the same amp for the measurements? 
Tubes are well known for increasing the mids and rolling off the highs and lows, eg tube amp vs SS/capactor amp

 
This is ALSO true!
 
I'm just commenting because when I posted that I was getting these on Reddit I was SWAMPED with people telling me they were terrible, I should have gotten the HE-400i, the treble is nonexistent, look at Tyll's chart, etc etc etc. 
 
All I know is to my ears they're giving me the Audeze sound for less money that I can get out of a laptop and feels WAY more comfortable than my LCD-2's ever did. I'll take a minor hit in SQ for portability and comfort. These things are amazing. 

 

[inthere]

  This is ALSO true!
 
I'm just commenting because when I posted that I was getting these on Reddit I was SWAMPED with people telling me they were terrible, I should have gotten the HE-400i, the treble is nonexistent, look at Tyll's chart, etc etc etc. 
 
All I know is to my ears they're giving me the Audeze sound for less money that I can get out of a laptop and feels WAY more comfortable than my LCD-2's ever did. I'll take a minor hit in SQ for portability and comfort. These things are amazing. 

 
 The treble on my EL-8C  is magical, sweet, musical, all of the above, I hear no dip but maybe there's another fault in some pairs that no one has mentioned yet, wouldn't surprise me

 

[fotomeow]

   
This is ALSO true!
 
I'm just commenting because when I posted that I was getting these on Reddit I was SWAMPED with people telling me they were terrible, I should have gotten the HE-400i, the treble is nonexistent, look at Tyll's chart, etc etc etc. 
 
All I know is to my ears they're giving me the Audeze sound for less money that I can get out of a laptop and feels WAY more comfortable than my LCD-2's ever did. I'll take a minor hit in SQ for portability and comfort. These things are amazing. 

Well, I've got the Closed version, and just hope that the replacement pair that I sent away for (My original #L-8s had the screeching treble in Black Box syndrome) has a tame treble. 
O/w, for a Closed back HP, I like everything else about it - fit and finish, stays on my noggin, tight sound with assertive Attack and quickness. 
 
I just picked up an ALO CDM, so hoping that will help tame the hi end and give some sparkle, but the CDM is more neutral than warm IMO (I'm used to the tube richness, but not softness, in my home audio rig). Tho the CDM is VERY good sounding.

 

[inthere]

 
Well, I've got the Closed version, and just hope that the replacement pair that I sent away for (My original #L-8s had the screeching treble in Black Box syndrome) has a tame treble. 
O/w, for a Closed back HP, I like everything else about it - fit and finish, stays on my noggin, tight sound with assertive Attack and quickness. 
 
I just picked up an ALO CDM, so hoping that will help tame the hi end and give some sparkle, but the CDM is more neutral than warm IMO (I'm used to the tube richness, but not softness, in my home audio rig). Tho the CDM is VERY good sounding.

 
 Prepare for eargasm if you get a good pair-they're special..........you'll be surprised that the treble doesn't need to be "tamed" at all