[User00]

So I ended up buying and installing the brainwavz angled velour pads... and so far I noticed improvements in comfort, soundstage, bass, and treble (if you hold out the cups right off your ears, you'll hear stronger bass, at least I noticed that with stock pads). I never would have imagined that pads could change the sound so much.
The only problem I have so far is that they're held in by tape for now (until I can find a better solution) because I refuse to glue them on.

 

[slankoe]

After a few years of being out of the loop regarding what we enthusiasts might call "head-fi," I had finally upgraded my trusty but now broken Bose QC20 with the Audeze EL-8O. Thank you Bose for the excellent product. it lived a good life, and now it can rest in pieces.

So aftwr a lot of research I purchased the EL-8 open almost two months ago. That is where my problems began. What I assumed to be one-off defects experienced by a loud minority of customers would soon become my reality.

The EL-8O has been replaced twice, and on this third pair, I noticed just today that the right driver is suddenly quieter than the left even after swapping cables, reversing L/R cables, different sources etc.

All white box. All inspected ... I think Nov 2016 was the earliest and later for the replacements of course. the replacements had the new credit card shaped certificate of authenticity whole the original had the white card.

The store I bought them (the Gramophone in Edmonton) from are really good and have been taking good care of me, and so has Audeze I must say. However I am going to try to get my money back instead of a replacemrnt this time. Sorry, but this is the third strike, the EL-8O are out for me. Very sad, because this is one of the finest headphones I have heard, and this is my preferred sound signature. The outside build is amazing, but something on the internal components needs to be addressed.

I really do believe that I have been somewhat unlucky, but I say only somewhat because three broken 'phones in two months tells me there is a bigger issue than mere luck. At this point, it's the universe telling me to stay away from this headphone.

I can also speak for the breaking cable. In fact on all three headphones the long cable had the left channel cut out after a short period of normal use. Though my use may be rougher than most peoples as i am known to put my music player in my pocket. That being said, having all three cables break is nothing but a confirmation for me. The third pair had the cable break the next day. Luckily that one came with an extra iPhone cable which works veey nicely on the go. That doesn't fix the long cable, though.

This is all the more sad for me because I feel that this headphone gets a lot more hate than it deserves when it comes to the sound. The 2016 white box revision sounds fantastic, with only minor irregularities in the treble, and what I'd consider a pretty good soundstage. It is such a shame that faulty design can ruin an otherwise awesome set of headphones.

I really hope Audeze can get their game on because I feel like they missed a seriously huge opportunity here. Perhaps I would be better served by something like the iSines, which is a product I would consider getting... But I am going to wait and see if people on the forums experience durability problems before I buy. It's the reasonable thing to do after what I've gone through.

The search for my headphone continues...

 

[slankoe]

I am still enjoying them after adjusting the panning of my source, so thank goodness I can do so until I get home (I work out of town for 14 days on with 7 days off).

Man they sound so good. I am ridiculously disappointed with the quality control at Audeze. Ridiculously. I want to badly to love this headphone, but after this experience, I believe they are not built to last

 

[kman1211]

I am still enjoying them after adjusting the panning of my source, so thank goodness I can do so until I get home (I work out of town for 14 days on with 7 days off).

Man they sound so good. I am ridiculously disappointed with the quality control at Audeze. Ridiculously. I want to badly to love this headphone, but after this experience, I believe they are not built to last

Sorry to hear you are having such quality control problems with them. I had issues with cables on a different headphone, the Audioquest Nighthawk where the cables failed a few times. You may need to try another brand of headphones sadly. What are you looking for in a headphone? What headphones do you have experience with listening to?

 

[slankoe]

Sorry to hear you are having such quality control problems with them. I had issues with cables on a different headphone, the Audioquest Nighthawk where the cables failed a few times. You may need to try another brand of headphones sadly. What are you looking for in a headphone? What headphones do you have experience with listening to?

Hey there, thanks for your reply! I am looking for a mostly neutral signature. In fact I would prefer to have neutral, and I don't mind to EQ down parts of the treble myself (from my testing I have found that I am a bit sensitive to the 2kHz area as well as the 6 to 7 kHz area).

There is also the fact that i am a hobby musician. I mix and master my own tunes on JBL LSR308's but I work out of town so I need a good set of cans too. That is where having a neutral HP would be beneficial.

Right now I am using the Oppo PM-3 and -when possible- the Audeze for those high freq details that are slightly harder to hear on the Oppos. I also highly enjoy both for music listening.

For amplification, I use the Oppo HA-2SE through a Fiio X1 or the Samsung Note Edge while on the go. I use the Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo Mk 2 for my audio interface when on my laptop. I am not sure how much power the amp has, but it seems plenty. I don't have a plain desktop amp at this time and never have.

In addition to what I own, I have heard the V-moda M 100 and I thought they had excellent bass, but more than I need. Don't get me wrong, I love my bass, and prefer more of it than less, but those had too much. I have heard the beats Studio and they had a nice soundstage, but otherwise the quality of the sound was quite far below my standard for that price. As mentioned I owned the Bose QC25 and found them decent, but not very high quality, and a bit of an uneven frequency response that wasn't too far off neutral, but not what I'd want in more expensive cans. I have also heard the Audeze LCD-X as a demo and I liked them a lot. A lot! But there was something a bit funny inthe treble, I can't quite describe it. It might just be me, but I strongly believe it could use some fine tuning.

Having said all that, I am considering the Mrspeakers Ether C Flow, or perhaps the open Ether Flow, if the difference in quality and soundstage is noticable enough. From reading Tyll's and other's reviews these sound like the cans for me, I just have to save those pennies a bit longer.

 

[kman1211]

Hey there, thanks for your reply! I am looking for a mostly neutral signature. In fact I would prefer to have neutral, and I don't mind to EQ down parts of the treble myself (from my testing I have found that I am a bit sensitive to the 2kHz area as well as the 6 to 7 kHz area).

There is also the fact that i am a hobby musician. I mix and master my own tunes on JBL LSR308's but I work out of town so I need a good set of cans too. That is where having a neutral HP would be beneficial.

Right now I am using the Oppo PM-3 and -when possible- the Audeze for those high freq details that are slightly harder to hear on the Oppos. I also highly enjoy both for music listening.

For amplification, I use the Oppo HA-2SE through a Fiio X1 or the Samsung Note Edge while on the go. I use the Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo Mk 2 for my audio interface when on my laptop. I am not sure how much power the amp has, but it seems plenty. I don't have a plain desktop amp at this time and never have.

In addition to what I own, I have heard the V-moda M 100 and I thought they had excellent bass, but more than I need. Don't get me wrong, I love my bass, and prefer more of it than less, but those had too much. I have heard the beats Studio and they had a nice soundstage, but otherwise the quality of the sound was quite far below my standard for that price. As mentioned I owned the Bose QC25 and found them decent, but not very high quality, and a bit of an uneven frequency response that wasn't too far off neutral, but not what I'd want in more expensive cans. I have also heard the Audeze LCD-X as a demo and I liked them a lot. A lot! But there was something a bit funny inthe treble, I can't quite describe it. It might just be me, but I strongly believe it could use some fine tuning.

Having said all that, I am considering the Mrspeakers Ether C Flow, or perhaps the open Ether Flow, if the difference in quality and soundstage is noticable enough. From reading Tyll's and other's reviews these sound like the cans for me, I just have to save those pennies a bit longer.

I would add the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro to the list of consideration as it doesn't hit your sensitive areas treble wise(it's probably the darkest open-back Beyer but does have a little 9khz zest) it is a similar price as the EL-8 but can be found cheaper with good combo deals, it's easy to drive and one of the most neutral headphones I've come across(especially with the analytical pads). I found something wrong with the LCD-X treble as well. I haven't heard either of the Mr Speakers. I'm more familiar with dynamics and electrostats in terms of auditions but have heard some Audezes, Hifimans, and the Abyss.

 

[slankoe]

I would add the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro to the list of consideration as it doesn't hit your sensitive areas treble wise(it's probably the darkest open-back Beyer but does have a little 9khz zest) it is a similar price as the EL-8 but can be found cheaper with good combo deals, it's easy to drive and one of the most neutral headphones I've come across(especially with the analytical pads). I found something wrong with the LCD-X treble as well. I haven't heard either of the Mr Speakers. I'm more familiar with dynamics and electrostats in terms of auditions but have heard some Audezes, Hifimans, and the Abyss.

I'm so glad you mentioned the DT1990 as I've also been looking at it. I am hoping I won't need an amp stronger than the UA Apollo Twin has.

It is very hard to find both headphones for auditioning purposes sadly. I might have to buy and return both before deciding. Yeah those are both on my list.

Main reason why I've been slowly steered away is that some reviews have mentioned the treble funnies as well perhaps as an issue that is so unimportant, I don't remember it right now. But anyway that really is a good recommendation, and the only other phone I've been considering. I've been reading reviews on this Beyer for the last two months while dealing with these Audeze issues. I only started looking into the Ethers a few days ago.

 

[kman1211]

I'm so glad you mentioned the DT1990 as I've also been looking at it. I am hoping I won't need an amp stronger than the UA Apollo Twin has.

It is very hard to find both headphones for auditioning purposes sadly. I might have to buy and return both before deciding. Yeah those are both on my list.

Main reason why I've been slowly steered away is that some reviews have mentioned the treble funnies as well perhaps as an issue that is so unimportant, I don't remember it right now. But anyway that really is a good recommendation, and the only other phone I've been considering. I've been reading reviews on this Beyer for the last two months while dealing with these Audeze issues. I only started looking into the Ethers a few days ago.

You really just have to try it, sadly can't always tell if someone will like something or not, can't say if the treble would bother you or not, I find it fine, a bit energetic but not fatiguing at all, but it is quite an universally liked headphone and it's an excellent dynamic in its price range for those looking for a neutral sound. It's pretty easy to drive as it's very efficient despite being 250 ohms, it's fine straight from my phone or laptop, but does benefit from an amp. Ah, I still need to audition he Ethers, had the chance but never took it, auditoning the Z1R took precidence. Only heard the EL-8 briefly so can't really say how it compares sound wise.

 

[DavidA]

@slankoe, sorry to hear about all your issues with the EL8, its one reason I don't like to recommend them to friends who are interested in them after hearing mine (original black box version). I haven't had any problems with mine and I did build a new cable for them since the stock one is a bit short for my listening area. The more I read about issues like yours I'm really counting my blessing that mine have been stellar after the 200+ hours break in period where the sound signature changed quite a bit. The Ether and Ether C where not my cup of tea the few times I tried them, a little to dry sounding for me but I've yet to hear the newer Flow version so hopefully they are better.

 

[slankoe]

Right. I am sure my experience is not the norm by any means. In any case I am glad that I can most likely get all of my money back as that store is really good for service and Audeze has been very prompt in sending me replacements. I'll only lose the 30 bucks I paid for the first shipping, and about a hundred because i wrecked one of the cables in order to modify it after it begam to cut out, to add my own terminations. That's not so bad, other than the time spent in between actually enjoying the otherwise very fine headphone. 130 bucks lost could be worse but I am still left with an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

That is why I'm considering moving up the ladder with the Ether Flows, so I can get to the TOTL for enjoyment and for my hobby work. From the sounds of reviews, it seems to be a significant inprovement over the weaknesses of the Ether and Ether C, as you mentioned.

 

[slankoe]

So today i got to listen to HiFiMan HE-560...

Now I want those instead of the EL-8. Sounds like the store is willing to replace my EL-8 with these and a reduced payment as they cost more. I'll basically be getting them at almost MSRP so I have to try them more.

I did spend about an hour today listening to the HE-560 and I was highly impressed by the upper octaves. Where EL-8 had some difficulty being accurate st the higher octaves, the 560 are absolutely amazing. I don't think I've ever heard the piano sound so much like a piano, or a voice sound so real. The rendering of all instruments and voices is incredibly true to life.

I am probably getting these. My God. those highs, and the bass, AND the mids... I was shivering. This one nails it! I'm going to do a more thorough test either tomorrow or on Wednesday. I'll have some poorly recorded material, some more acoustic, and some more psychedelic bass music, hip hop, and rock music to get an idea of this HPs weaknesses. I doubt it will be easy to find them. They really sounded flawless. Soundstage was also noticeably wider than EL-8O when compared side by side.

 

[Aradea]

Just got me the EL-8O and I am very happy with it. Especially the build quality.
Right now I am driving it with my Phatlab Phantasy amp (tube amp).
Wondering if this are more suited with SS amps than tubes.
Any thoughts?

 

[DavidA]

Just got me the EL-8O and I am very happy with it. Especially the build quality.
Right now I am driving it with my Phatlab Phantasy amp (tube amp).
Wondering if this are more suited with SS amps than tubes.
Any thoughts?

Its only your preference that matters, I use both SS (headphone output of UD-301) or tube (Lyr2/Project Ember) with the EL8, the only type of amp I wouldn't suggest is a OTL amp, its much too warm and the bass is muddy/bloated IMO

 

[Riley Beale]

I have been enjoying my new EL8 Ti for a couple of months now and I love the comfort, isolation and sound from top to bottom. Nice and airy, but not harsh.I love the bass response. It is just right not too much or overpowering other frequencies yet not little enough to sound anemic either. I prefer listening to them out of my laptop or desktop headphone outs. My Fiio X5 Original does not drive these well enough for me. Only problem I can really think of. No crackling or sound cutting out issues for me at all. Very happy with them. I got an Ipad as a gift and exchanged it for the EL8 Ti. I didn't really have a use for an Ipad especially with no headphone 3.5m port so I had more than enough Apple Store Credit to exchange and have a bit let for other headphones if I choose.

Could anybody be kind enough to recommend a hard case fore these? It would be nice if it would fit in a backpack or small duffle bag. I would also like if possible for it to have some room for a dap as well if possible. Just like a Fiio X5 III or similar size.

Thank you kindly

Riley

 

[DavidA]

I have been enjoying my new EL8 Ti for a couple of months now and I love the comfort, isolation and sound from top to bottom. Nice and airy, but not harsh.I love the bass response. It is just right not too much or overpowering other frequencies yet not little enough to sound anemic either. I prefer listening to them out of my laptop or desktop headphone outs. My Fiio X5 Original does not drive these well enough for me. Only problem I can really think of. No crackling or sound cutting out issues for me at all. Very happy with them. I got an Ipad as a gift and exchanged it for the EL8 Ti. I didn't really have a use for an Ipad especially with no headphone 3.5m port so I had more than enough Apple Store Credit to exchange and have a bit let for other headphones if I choose.

Could anybody be kind enough to recommend a hard case fore these? It would be nice if it would fit in a backpack or small duffle bag. I would also like if possible for it to have some room for a dap as well if possible. Just like a Fiio X5 III or similar size.

Thank you kindly

Riley

I use one of these, but not for my EL8, usually for custom built Nhoord headphone that looks like this:

The lighter colored wood on the right.