[money4me247]

  suggestions on a nice dac no more than $500 to pair with the el-8 open & v200 amp?

I would suggest a warmer, smoother dac for an el-8 pairing. Musical Fidelity may be an option worth exploring.

 

[inthere]

I would suggest an Aune T1 mk2 tube DAC. 
 
The T1 actually sends the digital signal through a tube before it gets to the amp.

 

[sparkofinsanity]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/772647/beta-testing-the-new-audeze-black-box
 
Looks interesting 

 

[intrigue65]

Those of you pairing the EL-8 with the WA7: are you using the lo-z or hi-z impedance setting?

 

[kyle1010]

  Those of you pairing the EL-8 with the WA7: are you using the lo-z or hi-z impedance setting?

I use lo-z with mine. How are you liking that pairing so far? I've tried a couple different WA7tp power supply tube rolls and so far the stock tubes are the only ones that even slightly warm up the sound of the EL-8s. And only on not so treble intensive tracks.

 

[kyle1010]

Speaking of which..anyone want to purchase a mint condition pair of open-back EL-8s? DM me if interested.

 

[dieslow]

.

 

[dieslow]

 
Yeah I took them back to the store and I was surprised to find their demo pair AND a new pair out of the box had this issue. The salesperson said it was the mylar crumpling, but it was much more noticeable in the left earcup. I bought the LCD-2s instead and man oh man are they an upgrade over the EL-8s. Much larger soundstage and nicer bass in my opinion (even for EDM) and that syrupy mid range is there too. Compared them to the AKG 812s which I could have bought for even less than the LCD-2 but I really preferred the LCDs over the very dark, warm signature of the 812s. Very happy with my purchase!
 
A little heavy, but they sound great even coming straight from my MBP. The cable is rubbish though, and the included 3.5mm adapter crackles when I turn the plug. May pick up an aftermarket cable for these.
 
For those buying the EL-8s try moving your head around and pushing on the earcups a little, checking for crumpling noises, as I suspect this may be a fault in the design as three pairs exhibited it (both new and burned in). It was a dealbreaker for me.

 
Same thing here ... when I move my head on either side I can hear the sound changes and hear that crumpling noise. That is really sad. I bought a LCD-2 like a month ago and really loved it so I bought these for portable use but it doesn't fit me I guess. I do not have any store around to test before I buy stuff so I'm stuck with it ! I'll try and contact Audeze ... maybe they will give me a hint to fix this little annoying problem.

 

[398698]

anyone's el-8 very uh, warm? its a very muiffled like sound for a lot of the music i played. definitely not on the bright side.

 

[dieslow]

I disagree ... To my ears they are really bright.

 

[DavidA]

  anyone's el-8 very uh, warm? its a very muiffled like sound for a lot of the music i played. definitely not on the bright side.

Burn-in?  Mine went from dark to a little bright after 200+ hours

 

[dieslow]

Do you think that burn-in could change the whole sound signature ? It could tighten the bass a little or remove the harshness in highs but could it do that much of a difference ?

 

[money4me247]

lol. I personally measured no frequency response changes with my pair of EL-8s (brand new out of box vs various time intervals over 2 months), so I wouldn't put too much hope in measurable burn-in for these headphones.
 
I do think it's unique coloration may benefit from some brain burn-in time. I can see where the muffled impressions come into play, though I personally disagree with that assessment. The edginess/raspiness to the upper mids and treble is quite noticeable for my ears & was not a good fit for my preferences.

 

[kyle1010]

lol. I personally measured no frequency response changes with my pair of EL-8s (brand new out of box vs various time intervals over 2 months), so I wouldn't put too much hope in measurable burn-in for these headphones.

I do think it's unique coloration may benefit from some brain burn-in time. I can see where the muffled impressions come into play, though I personally disagree with that assessment. The edginess/raspiness to the upper mids and treble is quite noticeable for my ears & was not a good fit for my preferences.

Yup. That's exactly my issue with them. The edginess/raspiness to the upper mids and treble. Thought the WA7tp and tube rolls could fix it and not so much. Onward to the LCD-X as you suggested. Are those a lot smoother in that particular region? I almost want to go LCD-2 cuz I'm so terrified of piercing headphone treble from the EL-8 open backs that maybe a much darker pair is what I need. Either way..WA7 stays..EL-8s go.

 

[24grant24]

the el-8 open is much smoother and doesn't have that weird upper midrange wonkiness. and less treble grain. the lcd- is definitely darker than the el-8 open though