[phkd]

my friend is thinking of buying a pair of the Bang and Olufsen A8 earphones and i was wondering what you guys think of them. After the search I did on google all i got were good reviews of them. not trusting the mass internet media, i searched this website and got only a couple useful threads. for the most part it seems like they are considered crap here. can anyone help me out? are they good? are they good, just not worth the money? are they crap? any help will be appreciated.
-AJ

 

[DigDub]

i think the general consensus around here is that it sounds pretty good, but not worth the price, like most B&O products.

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

I thought the mids were pretty good for an ear bud, although I have tried very few ear buds outside of EX71/Senn MX500. I did find them bass deficient, however. I did not take well to the fit...the drivers are very large.

Personally, if I was interested in an ear bud in that price range, I'd purchase something else from Audio-Technica or Sony 888.

They are pretty decent, but extremely overpriced.

 

[overlunge]

Hi Phkd,

I had a chance to audition the A8 not long ago, though I was amused by the sound quality of the earbuds. Unfortunately I did not dare to wip out my iPod under the watchful eyes of the B&O sales rep, therefore I couldn't test them on my source nor I could try my e3c.

Overall I found them, comfortable and easy to put on in comparison with my e3c. Has good details, slightly rolled off treble and bass was slightly on the loose side. Cord is a bit short and I dare not ask the price of the mp3 player that I used. I didn't know the quality of track I was listening to. (Rock music)

The price tag is on the high side for a earbud with carry case that has very limited/no isolation. But the style is undeniable.

hope that helps, best of luck

overlunge

 

[MetalManCPA]

I own the A8's.

When properly inserted in the ear, I think they have great sound for buds. But, after an hour I began to find them uncomfortable. I paid $125 for mine on eBay. I've since purchased canals (Future Sonics EM3's) and have found my full-time portable headphones.

They are stylish.

 

[catscratch]

I would say that it really depends on what your friend values most. If it's style and image, the A8 wouldn't be a bad investment. It sounds ok, looks cool as hell, and will instantly get your friend recognized - it has that nice "rich" image in the eye of the uneducated consumer, and if that's the goal, then by all means, go ahead and spend the cash. If the goal is maximum sound quality, then the Future Sonics IE3, Etymotic ER-6i or Shure e3c would beat the pants off the A8. In the latter case, however, I would suggest going a step up and getting the Etymotic ER-4P, since it can be had for $230-ish online these days, maybe even less. The sound improvements between it and the above mentioned canalphones are considerable, and the difference between it and the A8 is like night and day. If you're going to shell out big bucks, might as well get something worthwhile, and the ER-4P is it. The Westone UM2 might be even more worthwhile, but it's also more expensive.

 

[Elephas]

I've owned a pair of B&O A8's for a few years. Purchase price in Hong Kong was HK$580, I believe.

I give the A8's comfort and appearance high scores. The clip mechanism feels high quality and they fit on me very well. Visually, they are very distinctive, if that is important to you.

Sound-wise, I used to think they are good. They seemed to be better than the other Sony/Sharp/Panasonic etc. earbuds available in stores. They were my primary earphones for a long time with a 1st generation iPod. Their treble is very pronounced, giving some listeners the impression of high clarity and detail.

Compared to a Westone UM2, which I bought a few weeks ago, I think it's no contest. The UM2 sounds much better, with clear highs as well as a full midrange and decent bass. Their isolation means you can listen at lower volume levels and still hear the music clearly. I'm getting used to the inside-the-ear feeling of the UM2 and it feels very comfortable.

 

[BigD]

I think it's all relative to value vs. performance. Beo A8 sounds decent and built A+ quality. Only problem I have with these earbuds is the price. They're overpriced for sure. For the same reason it begins to look like an under-performer. Under $100 it would be a good buy, but I would NOT pay $130 for these. Plenty more canal and earfons under $100 would equal or prevail over the beo.

 

[EdipisReks]

if the A8's were being offered for $50 i would probably own a set.

 

[phkd]

thanks for your helps. he's that type of guy that will pay more money than he should for things, if they look unique. but ever since me and my roommate have been getting into better quality headphones, i think he got sucked in too. from what i've read they are perfect for him hahaha.

 

[philip2005]

I got some A8's for christmas and they're the best earphones i've ever heard. If they don't fit or are unconfrotable then you aren't wearing them correctly cos they will fit most ears and are very adjustable. I wouldn't describe the bass as lacking. Also people are giving them bad reviews when they're using mp3 players, well what do they expect, mp3's are awful it's a terrible format, as are most players. With a CD player or MD player these earphones sound great and are very confrotable. Also the build quility is superb.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philip2005 I got some A8's for christmas and they're the best earphones i've ever heard.

which other headphones have you heard?

 

[dariusf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philip2005 I got some A8's for christmas and they're the best earphones i've ever heard... ...well what do they expect, mp3's are awful it's a terrible format, as are most players

comparing to what? and would you say that MP3s encoded with LAME at 320k CBR are awful?