[CarmenC]

That's a shame. Is there anyone in here that actually liked the EL8C? 
Because I've been told in several places that it's the best I can get in the price range..

I effing LOVE the EL-8 closed model!
Let's see...
Straight out of my PONO...great.
Straight out of my iPhone 6plus..great.
Line out of PONO into Oppo HA-2... Great.
Out of Oppo HA-2 as an iPhone DAC...Great!
Straight out of my LHL Pulse X in my mastering studio..Unbelieveable!!!
IMHO, I get out of the EL-8's what I put into them.
Roxy Music's Avalon DSD files, Donald Fagen's The Nightfly in DSD ....OMG.
But I'm a big Led Zep fan, and the 24/96 version of Physical Graffitti was not good.
Good recording in, good sound out.
These headphones lessened my opinion of many recordings that I thought were great before I got them.
The left cable was too loose for my taste and the sound was cutting out, so I sent them back.
Anxiously awaiting their return from the excellent service dept. at Audeze.
I have HD 600 and Focal sprit Pros to hold me over for now.
The HD600 with a balanced cable out of the PONO will have to do, but I want my EL-8's back ASAP !

P.S. Check out Dwight Yoakum's This Time album in 16/44.1 on the EL-8's...if that's not great for you, the EL-8's probably aren't either.

 

[daphen]

   
Well, the TH900 is significantly better than the TH600, and certainly a much more fun headphones than the EL-8. However, the mids in the EL-8 are more forward and intimate and "aggressive".
 
The TH900 (or TH600) while they have a closed back, they leak quite a bit, and also do not isolate well at all, if you are looking for a closed back for that purpose.
 
The PM-3 has had positive reactions to it, and for the price, you don't have AS MUCH to lose as the EL-8, and they are also quite a bit lighter and more portable.

Hm, then the TH900 will have to wait for a brighter day. 
I'll just test both tomorrow. I'm super excited about it. Thanks for the help anyways.
(My reference closed HP as of now is the Momentum which I don't like that much, both of them should beat the Momentum by a large margin, I hope.)

 

[CarmenC]

Most people who gave you those opinions are basing them on positive glowing romantic reviews across the net. They don't actually own it or have heard it.

Not true.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Yeah the FSP is a great headphone. I was very happy with the sound when I had it.

 
So you like the FSP more than the EL-8 Closed-Back? Did you hear the EL-8 Open-Back? Any comparisons between the three?
 

  Closed or just open model? IIRC virtually all of Mike's commentary has been related to the open-backed version...

 
He wrote about the closed model quite a bit too.
 

I have HD 600 and Focal sprit Pros to hold me over for now.

 
So you like the FSP less than the EL-8 Closed-Back? Same question for you: any comparisons between them?
 
Things are getting spicy in here!

 

[CarmenC]

So you like the FSP more than the EL-8 Closed-Back? Did you hear the EL-8 Open-Back? Any comparisons between the three?


He wrote about the closed model quite a bit too.


So you like the FSP less than the EL-8 Closed-Back? Same question for you: any comparisons between them?

Things are getting spicy in here!

I switch between many speakers and headphones to get different references while mastering.
The FSP's don't compare in any way to the EL-8's.
The EL-8's slay the FSP's in every way.
Sound stage, bass, mids, high end accuracy....
I find the FSP's clinical and revealing.
FSP's highlight flaws in a lot of recordings.
The EL-8's make music more beautiful.
As long as the music is recorded well.
The FSP's are a very important tool to have while mastering.
That's the only time I use them, but they are superb for that application for me.
Not my choice for casual listening.
That's what the EL-8's are for!
YMMV...

 

[Music Alchemist]

I switch between many speakers and headphones to get different references while mastering.
The FSP's don't compare in any way to the EL-8's.
The EL-8's slay the FSP's in every way.
Sound stage, bass, mids, high end accuracy....
I find the FSP's clinical and revealing.
FSP's highlight flaws in a lot of recordings.
The EL-8's make music more beautiful.
As long as the music is recorded well.
The FSP's are a very important tool to have while mastering.
That's the only time I use them, but they are superb for that application for me.
Not my choice for casual listening.
That's what the EL-8's are for!
YMMV...

 
So you feel that the FSP is more accurate wheareas the EL-8 is more colored? Or when you said the EL-8 slays the FSP in every way, did you mean it reproduces the recording more accurately in some ways? (The only thing I can work from in terms of accuracy is when you said high end accuracy.)

 

[klfl]

   
So you like the FSP more than the EL-8 Closed-Back? Did you hear the EL-8 Open-Back? Any comparisons between the three?

The FSP performs well as a $300 headphone while EL-8 Closed performs poorly as a $700 pair. I cannot give you a direct comparison because I sold FSP already.

 

[YtseJamer]

Closed or just open model? IIRC virtually all of Mike's commentary has been related to the open-backed version...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/758649/canjam-socal-2015-impressions-thread/300#post_11458461

 

[xsankar]

@klfl  Really sorry this happened. This is not acceptable and we will work hard to eliminate these issues. Please send us the unit and we will issue a full refund. 

 

[kapanak]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/758649/canjam-socal-2015-impressions-thread/300#post_11458461

I don't think I got a single useful thing out of his post lol. Sorry Mike

 

[CarmenC]

So you feel that the FSP is more accurate wheareas the EL-8 is more colored? Or when you said the EL-8 slays the FSP in every way, did you mean it reproduces the recording more accurately in some ways? (The only thing I can work from in terms of accuracy is when you said high end accuracy.)

I feel the FSP's suit a different purpose than the EL-8's.
IMO,
The FSP are great for finding flaws in recordings because they are very revealing.
Like studio monitors for your ears.
They don't make musci sound better, they help me correct EQ when mixing or mastering.
The EL-8's make music sound more beautiful than the FSP's in casual listening.
People here were asking for opinions about the closed EL-8's.
These are mine.
YMMV

 

[Music Alchemist]

I feel the FSP's suit a different purpose than the EL-8's.
IMO,
The FSP are great for finding flaws in recordings because they are very revealing.
Like studio monitors for your ears.
They don't make musci sound better, they help me correct EQ when mixing or mastering.
The EL-8's make music sound more beautiful than the FSP's in casual listening.
People here were asking for opinions about the closed EL-8's.
These are mine.
YMMV

 
I'm not asking about which sounds better to you. I am asking about which one reproduces the recording more accurately, in your opinion. If I had to guess based on what you've said, you are saying that you feel that the FSP is more accurate, but the EL-8 is colored in a pleasing way. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[kapanak]

The EL-8 closed back has such a massive potential, and the driver technology they are using is light years ahead of other orthodynamics.
 
If they were easier to take apart, like the earpads or the cups, I'd probably would have bought it to try some mods.
 
However, this is a first generation product. I'd say the next revision/successor will be an amazing product. Same applies to most companies.
 
Look at Microsoft Xbox or Surface (and now the Surface Pro 3, and today the Surface 3), or Apple products (iPad, iPhone, etc).

 

[CarmenC]

I'm not asking about which sounds better to you. I am asking about which one reproduces the recording more accurately, in your opinion. If I had to guess based on what you've said, you are saying that you feel that the FSP is more accurate, but the EL-8 is colored in a pleasing way. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The FSP is great for a mastering reference, the EL8-'s are more enjoyable to me.
As I said,
I had to send the EL-8's back for a repair, so I haven't done a direct comparison of the two.
I haven't had the chance to use them both on a mastering job so I can't tell you which is more accurate in that application yet.
Until then, I can only tell you which ones I'd rather use for Enjoyment, because when I listen, I try not to analyse, I try to enjoy the music.
But I can sure tell you which ones I'd rather use just to enjoy music when I'm not working on music, and that's the EL-8's.
The fact that I only use the FSP's for mastering should tell you that.
For mastering in a studio, it's too soon to tell which is best for me.
For music enjoyment, no contest.
YMMV
C

 

[Acix]

  If they were easier to take apart, like the earpads or the cups, I'd probably would have bought it to try some mods.
 

 
It'd be interesting to see some mods, If there is no iproducts sticky double sided adhesive tape or other type of weird glue I think it should be okay.