[VintageSTX]

   
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

Agreed. In a few months Ill be deciding between this and the HE-560.

 

[baritone]

about the HE560 it is bigger and  need more than 3 times the power of the el8 (10 db sensitivity difference) it is useless with portable equimpment (tablets iphones etc,etc )

 

[mikemercer]

FELLAZ.
 
Just pulled off a 24 hour+ EL-8 binge...

Finishing - (hopefully edited and published tomorrow night):
 
Sonic Satori
Impressions Sessions:
Audezes' Transcendent EL-8
 
At $699 bucks, a first for this Music Addict
 
I've been listening with various systems, and listed a few with track-to-track impressios,
more info comin'!!! Selecting pix right now...
 

 

 

 

 
in that trippy sleep-deprived state - everything sounds GREAT!!
SO glad I finished the sonic commentary hours ago, LOL...

 

[Linchpin]

  about the HE560 it is bigger and  need more than 3 times the power of the el8 (10 db sensitivity difference) it is useless with portable equimpment (tablets iphones etc,etc )

 
I don't really see people walking around with an EL-8 plugged into an iPhone much, it's still a full size headphone and most people would consider it too bulky for any sort of portable use.

 

[bfreedma]

 about the HE560 it is bigger and  need more than 3 times the power of the el8 (10 db sensitivity difference) it is useless with portable equimpment (tablets iphones etc,etc )

 
I don't really see people walking around with an EL-8 plugged into an iPhone much, it's still a full size headphone and most people would consider it too bulky for any sort of portable use.

You will if you see me on long distance travel

 

[SilentFrequency]

I don't really see people walking around with an EL-8 plugged into an iPhone much, it's still a full size headphone and most people would consider it too bulky for any sort of portable use.

That's what worries me too, plus I think it may be too heavy for my head.

 

[Linchpin]

You will if you see me on long distance travel

 
If long distance means airplane, I hope for your sake you're planning on getting the closed back version. 

 

[baritone]

think it may be too heavy for my head

  when you enter the music world  you will  forget about anything including weight of your cans 

   re entering  to the normal world  it will be a different story 

 

 

[MattTCG]

I think that I knew early on that the EL-8 would be a fail for me. The size and weight were the first red flags. I've learned a few things along the way and one is that no matter how good a hp sounds to me and how much it engages me in the music, it will all be for nothing if I don't find the hp to be comfortable. 400 grams is about as much as I'm willing to take on. As much as I loved the he500 and lcd2, I sold them both because of the weight. And believe me when I say it depressed me to let each of them go. 
 
At the end of the day, no matter how well the EL-8 "distributes" the weight it really hardly lost any weight at all. I believe that it weighs in at 460 w/out cable. The lcd2.2 bamboo is 490 w/out cable. If the sonic impressions had been different then I might have broken my weight rule and given the el-8 a shot. From what I keep hearing from those that have heard them:
 
*don't compete with lcd line sonically
 
*open, airy sounding
 
*images well
 
But I don't hear anyone saying that they retain the Audeze house sound with deep extended bass and organic mids (this is what draws me to Audeze). Anyway I'm sure that I'll get to audition these at some point, but I've pulled my pre-order. I had foolish assumptions of the sound of an lcd2 in a lightweight and comfortable package. I do believe that Audeze is working on something that may be more suited to my taste, but that's a ways down the line. 

 

[joeexp]

Gosh  - some people like to moan all day …..

 

[YtseJamer]

  But I don't hear anyone saying that they retain the Audeze house sound with deep extended bass and organic mids (this is what draws me to Audeze). 

 
X2.  I will probably cancel my pre-order if the Open-Back EL-8 don't have the Audeze house sound with deep extended bass and organic mids.

 

[hodgjy]

Gosh  - some people like to moan all day …..

The 10 year old in me wants to say "Like your mum" but I'm pretty sure that's against the rules

Yeah, people seem to whine a lot about new things before they even come out.

This is a very personal hobby. There are plenty of great options out there for people to get exactly what they are looking for. Everyone has different tastes and automatic deal breakers. You have your own, so to judge others' deal breakers is shortsighted.

 

[SilentFrequency]

Well, I don't think people are moaning so to speak but rather just commenting as this is what HF forums are actually for, so you can always expect different opinions as like sq people are also subjective in their own individual ways.

But with regarding actual weight of headphones, I honestly think this is an important issue that should be more recognised as I for one and other members may struggle to wear heavy headphones possibly like the el8's, so making these concerns known here can only be a good thing so manufacturers like Audeze can take note for future new designs?

 

[joeexp]

If weight is the main concern and planar magnetic a must then:
 
Hifiman HE-400i: 370 (without cable)
Hifiman HE-560: 375 (without cable)
 
OPPO PM 3: ???  (without cable)
OPPO PM 2: 385 g  (without cable)
OPPO PM 1: 395 g (without cable)
MrSpeakers Alpha Dog: 440g (without cable)
AUDEZE EL-8 (Open-Back): 460g (without cable)
AUDEZE EL-8 (Closed-Back): 480g (without cable)
AUDEZE LCD2-F(Bamboo): 490 g (without cable)
AUDEZE LCD2-F(Rosewood): 522 g (without cable)
 
 
Somebody please complete the rest of the competition ….

 

[MattTCG]

He400i 360g...