[b14cx0ut]

 

  Did you by any chance hear both versions?

 
I have heard the 2015 closed back version and the 2016 open version and they are extremely different (as expected). The 2016 open was a completely different and improved headphone versus the older model closed version (to my ears). The open had more bass, more clarity and just overall sounded more airy and improved.
 

 

I ordered the closed EL-8 from Audeze before any revision was done. I was extremely disappointed. Then I heard an open back and thought that was the quality of sound I would get from the closed. It actually sounded like a planar headphone.
 
I'm extremely interested to hear what a 2016 closed sounds like.

 

[thefitz]

I don't know if Audeze's constant revisioning is helping them or harming them, but I'm quite curious to hear the new EL-8C. I don't have much negative to say about the "old" EL-8O (in fact, I think their consensus "greatest flaw" is in fact a virtue), and it would be interesting to hear if they can get close to that in a closed form-factor.

 

[droido256]

  I don't know if Audeze's constant revisioning is helping them or harming them, but I'm quite curious to hear the new EL-8C. I don't have much negative to say about the "old" EL-8O (in fact, I think their consensus "greatest flaw" is in fact a virtue), and it would be interesting to hear if they can get close to that in a closed form-factor.

It seems like to me they listen to rants and raves, and tries to bring a product inline with what the primary owners of the product wishes. However rapid attempts at improvement can also bring problems. New, untested materials, and designs can create problems. However out of those problems they can also build the top of the top, and keep growing. Versus just riding what is already good out, and stagnating. The bad thing, is how the wallet is hit.

 

[droido256]

  So, I guess a lot of people here are right. I was able to drive the EL-8 Open with this!

...and, it wasn't bad at all. It needed to be cleaned up a bit, but I'm not sure if it was more of a DAC issue or needed a hair more power. The point is, I could drive it, and it was very listenable.

wow, I didn't think that was possible even with the el-8 LMAO dayum.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

Ummm. The EL8-O slam for Pantera! I like! Heheheh. I'm giddy. Going to go through all my Hair/Metal stuff now. I used to hate listening to that on a decent headphone because most of it was done in the era of "LOUD" and move the sliders to the top of the mixing board. Then, a headphone like this makes them sound "B*D *$$". So, time to re-listen to them.

 

[acheron32]

I've been scouring some of these pages the past few days to check out impressions of the updated Audeze EL-8 headphones.  I see the bass response of the EL-8 Open seems to have improved, if i'm reading the postings right.  I currently own the Oppo PM-3 and I do not plan on getting rid of it.  I use the PM-3 all the time with my laptop, or my phone, etc.  I take them on vacations, use them on my deck, etc.  I really enjoy taking them places.  I'm planning on getting an open-backed headphone to keep ONLY at home, something that does not need to be very portable or closed.  I was looking at the Nighthawk headphones as well, which sounded fascinating to me, but I love those planar headphones.  
 
Since I felt I couldn't readily answer it myself without posting, unless I missed a post, I felt I'd ask a question here.  Does anyone have an idea, or general idea how the updated EL-8 Open might compare to the Oppo PM-3?  Every time I would find a review, albeit for the 2015 models of course, I would see one talk about how the bass response was very weak, but others would say it was very satisfying.  I'm not really a bass head, but I definitely prefer headphones that have adequate, strong bass response when it is called for.  My listening tastes vary widely, thus it needs to be able to have strong bass when needed.  I was attracted to the Nighthawk because of some saying that it was enjoyable with a wide array of music, but it seems so polarizing that I'm hesitant to go for it.
 
I was suspecting that the 2016 EL-8 Open is probably the best choice to compliment my PM-3, is that correct?  

 

[WayTooCrazy]

IMHO. The EL8-O is better than the PM-3 in every way. The ONLY thing that the PM-3 does better is probably upper mid-bass, but only because when you crank it, it does have some wallop (but much sloppier than the EL-8 O). If I were to have one, it would be the EL8-0 hands down. Though, I miss my PM-3 (I actually just sold them the beginning of the week to fund these). I'm now looking for my PM-3 replacement. The EL8-O does have bass. I'm actually listening to Timmy Trumpet Nightmare right now. Just to confirm, the PM-3 did hit the bass harder, but it is in no way as clean as the bass in the EL-O.
 
I think, the ultimate setup for me, would be these headphones (EL8-O) and a "buttkicker" to give me the Bass "Feeling" without killing my ears and leaving them ringing when I'm done with a song.

 

[acheron32]

  IMHO. The EL8-O is better than the PM-3 in every way. The ONLY thing that the PM-3 does better is probably upper mid-bass, but only because when you crank it, it does have some wallop (but much sloppier than the EL-8 O). If I were to have one, it would be the EL8-0 hands down. Though, I miss my PM-3 (I actually just sold them the beginning of the week to fund these). I'm now looking for my PM-3 replacement. The EL8-O does have bass. I'm actually listening to Timmy Trumpet Nightmare right now. Just to confirm, the PM-3 did hit the bass harder, but it is in no way as clean as the bass in the EL-O.
 
I think, the ultimate setup for me, would be these headphones (EL8-O) and a "buttkicker" to give me the Bass "Feeling" without killing my ears and leaving them ringing when I'm done with a song.

Ahh okay.  I've heard such varying items about the EL-8 headphones that I had a hard time making a choice.  Steve Guttenberg's review of the Nighthawk, which he compared to the EL-8 with music that he heard in person as well, was intriguing to me.  How he and others on these forums have described the Nighthawk's sound made me very confused.  If the 2016 update to the EL-8 improves sound that others have claimed, then yes I agree that the EL-8 would be the best.  

 

[zambz]

  Ahh okay.  I've heard such varying items about the EL-8 headphones that I had a hard time making a choice.  Steve Guttenberg's review of the Nighthawk, which he compared to the EL-8 with music that he heard in person as well, was intriguing to me.  How he and others on these forums have described the Nighthawk's sound made me very confused.  If the 2016 update to the EL-8 improves sound that others have claimed, then yes I agree that the EL-8 would be the best.  

 
I can help you out here.  Forget the PM-3s and the Nighthawks, neither are in the same league as the open EL-8s.  The Nighthawks are honestly some of the worst open headphones I have ever heard, so much so that I thought something was wrong with the demo pair.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

   
I can help you out here.  Forget the PM-3s and the Nighthawks, neither are in the same league as the open EL-8s.  The Nighthawks are honestly some of the worst open headphones I have ever heard, so much so that I thought something was wrong with the demo pair.

I didn't like what I was hearing from the Nighthawks at Best Buy Magnolia either. My HE-400i STOMPED all over them. I assumed they needed more burn-in. Something in the magnitude of 10 billion hours or something. Then again, it was somewhat noisy too; so that doesn't help.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

@acheron32  Ok, I don't want to make it sound like I think the PM-3 sucked. Quite the opposite. They are my most favorite closed cans to date (not that I've listened to a huge amount of them). If you want something similar to the PM-3, but in Open. The HE-400i is not a bad choice, and less than the EL8-O. I thought they complemented each other fairly well. With the nod to better highs, cleaner mids (the PM-3 had thicker lusher mids and more liquidy sound to them). The bass on the PM-3 were more pronounced, but it isn't a bass heavy phone. The HE-400i had leaner, but faster bass response. Though, amp both and throw on some Timmy Trumpet or EDM and you can coax bass out of both. The HE-400i bass extends further down than the PM-3, even if a bit less impact. Hop over to the HE-400i thread, you will find a lot of people there run both. Following that thread is how I ended up with both.

 

[Zulkr9]

Hiya guys, I had bought my EL-8 when it first came out and I was actually very disappointed I thought with the EL-8 I would achieve 80 percent of the LCD-2 with much higher comfort and it ended up being disappointing. I recently had my EL-8 rmad after the headband started cracking on me  (turns out that this is actually a common issue with the connectors getting lose); I have to say that Audeze has one of the best after sales support that I have ever encountered in my life, Props to Chris and Kim @AudezeSupport they really are the best. This new EL-8O are nothing like yesteryears EL-8O, extension both ends is excellent, the midrange is transparent albeit a bit drier than LCD-2, but more liquid than Hifiman cans. the highs are mellow like you would expect from an audeze but it has more treble quantity than the LCD-2, though the LCD might be a bit more refined in that area. My older EL-8 was dull and was probably because of the 7khz null region but I don't find this  one to sound this way. The bass is tight and punchy, just as punchy as the LCD-2 slightly drier and the LCD-2 has slightly more impact but you really have to look deep to notice. 
Soundstage and imaging is good but the presentation is more upfront but I would say that imaging is slightly better than the LCD-2, the lcd-2 has a larger vertical soundstage and I think that has to do with the larger driver size. 

Overall I am quite surprised by the EL-8 2016, this is what it should have been from the start. I forgot to mention that anyone who had complaints about the connectors should have no problem anymore they are a better fit now and don't open as easily anymore, they also seem to be sturdier from what I remember. 

P.s One new issue I noticed with the new pairs that I did not notice with the older ones is that if you move your head there is a clicking noise. 

 

[droido256]

I havnt noticed a click when moving my head, but i do hear the leather shifting. However the seal of the pads is pretty solid, so much so that readjusting them while theyre playing causes a bit of a volume drop as the pressure increases. Ive actually never had a pair of headphones that seal around the ear as well as these do.

 

[thefitz]

I was listening to David Bowie's A Reality Tour album on my Pono, and the album was mastered really harshly, very sibilant. This horrifying 7kHz notch (which isn't a damn shelf, by the way) got rid of the harshness, and since the high end past that notch is so well-extended, I lost none of the atmosphere. On my old HD700, this album caused me to wince. In fact, I would still be wincing for a few seconds after turning the music off.
 
Best. Flaw. Ever.
 
Are people actually not enjoying the sound of these, or is the fact that there's a notch just driving people's OCD up the wall? "There should be no such notch!!!" *pushes up glasses*

 

[Dillan]

Don't forget that with the Cipher cable you get an equalizer built right into the Audeze app to tune the headphones just how you want.
 
But in regards to the PM3 vs these, I would say the EL-8o 2016 version is better in almost every way and will more than satisfy your bass thirst. (especially if you can nab a cipher cable)