[daphen]

Does the bass become more prominent after some burn in?

 

[Beagle]

 
With the madness our little family is goin' thru - to see those comments hurt a bit more than usual.
BUT - to see some of you guys rally behind me - because you know I put my heart and soul into this (even if your conclusions don't align w/ mine) - and that's why, after 20+ years, I'm still doing it..

 
We love the enthusiasm and excitement you generate!
 
 
Quote:

  Does the bass become more prominent after some burn in?

 
No. After "burn-in" we become more prominent...

 

[Koolpep]

   
I've heard Barbie Girl by Aqua, and or Gay Bar by Electric Six, works wonders for the mids on the EL-8, after about 600 hours of burn-in.

 
You forgot to mention that the headphone has to be worn during the 600 hours of barbie girl - otherwise it doesn't work.

 

[potkettleblack]

Isn't that obvious?

 

[daphen]

   
No. After "burn-in" we become more prominent...

Not sure I get the reference, if there even is one. Haha.

 

[Koolpep]

  Isn't that obvious?

you, Sir, are evil.

 

[DavidA]

   
I've heard Barbie Girl by Aqua, and or Gay Bar by Electric Six, works wonders for the mids on the EL-8, after about 600 hours of burn-in.

600 hours?  I though 60 was enough, lol

 

[alishafai]

  I will get the El-8 closed tomorrow and then I can give you my impressions. 

I got the EL-8C yesterday and here is what I think:
 
First, let me present how I listen to music and what I was trying to accomplish. My setup is lossless [mostly 16/44 source] AIFF’s on an iPhone 6+. From the 6+ I go out to the Chord Hugo and I plug my JH Audio 16’s into the Hugo.
 
This setup is awesome to my ears. But, I thought I can improve on this sound by moving to over-ears. So, this along with the beautiful design and the Audeze name was the motivation in getting the EL-8C.
 
The EL-8C:
The packaging is great and the look and feel of the headphones is incredible. You feel as if you got something in your hands that is perhaps 2-3X the price of the EL-8. This headphone is simply gorgeous! This was my initial draw to them. The wood veneer is beautiful, though I know many of you have commented on this thread that you feel differently.
 
The ear pads are incredibly soft and comfortable to wear. The headphone is large and has some weight to it, no doubt, but when properly fitted on the head, you don’t feel any weight or fatigue whatsoever. They are comfortable.
 
The cups are large and look impressive and should keep most ears completely within them, mine did. Isolation was very good.
 
With regard to portability, it depends on what one’s idea of a portable is. But if you are going to be moving around a lot while wearing these headphones, they will not really feel like a portable set of headphones. Sitting on public transit, a car or on a plane is fine, but as you move around you will feel that you have something of a size and weight to contend with on your head. I would say that they are a bit more portable than the LCD series, but it is not a night and day difference.
 
I had no trouble whatsoever with the cables and fitting them into the headphones, in fact, I really love the cable design and their flat ergonomics. They also stayed put and I had no trouble with them at all. They are really great!
 
So, why am I returning them?
 
Despite the love fest that I describe above, they simply don’t sound as good as my JH Audio 16’s.
 
When I plugged them in directly to my iPhone, it was rather weak. So, yes, it can be driven with a phone or a DAP, but not super efficiently in my listening.
 
I have done no burn in and just plugged in to test them out. I listened to the following genres of music and albums. The basic reference point for me was the doing an A/B test between EL-8C and my JH Audio 16 IEM’s.
 
The other links in the chain were the same, namely:
 

1. 16/44 Lossless AIFF’s
2. iPhone 6+
3. Chord Hugo

 
Jazz
Diana Krall – Live in Paris
Vocals were not as rich and bass not as rich. Nuances that I can hear, like when Diana takes a breath is simply not as present.
 
Rock/Metal
Iron Maiden - Frontiers
This is where the EL-8 suffered the most. On the song, Coming Home, the headphones just sounded wrong! What I mean by that is that the opening guitar riff, simply doesn’t sound like in real life. Even in the car, it sounds the way I hear them through my IEM’s or even from the iPhone’s speakers. Sorry, it’s really hard to  describe this one, but perhaps I can say that its very harsh sounding. It simply sounds not like the recording at all.
 
Electronic
Bella Sonus – Enamored
This is a very well-engineered album with incredibly clean, tight and deep bass lines and sparkling highs. The EL-8 did a fine job on this type of music, but again not as rich and resolving as my JHA 16’s. The bass impact was not as hard or tight.
 
Nuevo Flamenco
Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood 2002-2012
This is probably where the EL-8 did the best. This album is acoustic flamenco guitar, along with a stand-up bass and percussion. This album was ripped to AIFF from 24/96 source, so it sounds really good, even at the iPhone outputting 16/44. So, here the EL-8 did a fine job, but again not compelling or engaging for me.
 
Conclusion:
This was my first attempt at over-ears, but I think the mistake that I made was expecting a headphone in this price range to compete with my JHA 16 IEM. So, I’m thinking that I need to be in the LCD series to get the level of performance I am used to and expecting. I really like Audeze styling and how they are universally well received, so perhaps that is where I need to head?
 
I hope what I wrote above is somewhat useful, as I am not a reviewer or expert by any stretch, but just a guy who loves and appreciates great music and sound.

 

[nomsgadded]

"but I think the mistake that I made was expecting a headphone in this price range to compete with my JHA 16 IEM."
 
Hmmm, I always thought open headphones in the $700 range SHOULD exceed the sound quality of IEMs...

 

[alishafai]

  "but I think the mistake that I made was expecting a headphone in this price range to compete with my JHA 16 IEM."
 
Hmmm, I always thought open headphones in the $700 range SHOULD exceed the sound quality of IEMs...

I reported on the closed, actually.

 

[520RanchBro]

  "but I think the mistake that I made was expecting a headphone in this price range to compete with my JHA 16 IEM."
 
Hmmm, I always thought open headphones in the $700 range SHOULD exceed the sound quality of IEMs...

I've seen a few people post on Head-Fi about how their TOTL IEMs and CIEMs actually sound on par with their TOTL over ear headphones. I would think the same as you though, I certainly think there are some things my RE-600 does better my HE-400s, but I prefer the overall experience of the 400s, over ear headphones just seem to sound bigger and more involving to me.

 

[NZtechfreak]

Man, these cans are working out great for Audeze! Half the people who return then do so to buy another Audeze higher up the food chain. That is some brand power.

 

[nomsgadded]

  I reported on the closed, actually.

Sorry!  I meant "closed".  For example, even a mid-fi set of closed cans like the Alpha Dogs ($600) can pretty much exceed or equal many more pricey IEMs ($1k range) in sonic quality IMHO.  

 

[crixnet]

Man, these cans are working out great for Audeze! Half the people who return then do so to buy another Audeze higher up the food chain. That is some brand power.

That's exactly what I did: ditched the open EL-8 and bought an LCD-X. And I couldn't be happier. Everything that was off or missing in the EL-8 was brought to outstanding fruition in the LCD-X. The cost was quite a bit more, but the return on investment was astronomically more.

 

[C.C.S.]

It's almost as if the EL-8 is just a marketing ploy by Audeze to sell more LCD headphones.