[Parrothead]

Please never buy these fashion phones! My wife had me pick them up cause she like the way they looked. I tried them on and they sound like absolute crap for $140....Hell no....they are going back today for a quick refund! I got my UM2 on the way!!! Yee-Haw!

 

[Dr.Sade]

Wouldn't be surprised if they used $10 Panasonic drivers.

I doubt that B&O has any in-house expertise for designing bud drivers.
If B&O had anything to do with the "design" of the A8 drivers it would
have been more cost effective for them to source that task out to some
"other" engineers who make their living designing bud drivers.

 

[Parrothead]

The Apple store really seemed to be pushing them. I was trying to pick out a nice sounding as well as comfortable headphone for my wife and the guy said how great these sounded. They did fit comfy but sounded like crap.

 

[milkpowder]

I have to admit I think they're quite cool-looking, just like most other B&O stuff. I think they're an even "posher" version of Bose, and like Bose, are overpriced for what they actually manage to deliver.

Are you serious about B&O using Panasonic hardware? I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

I don't want to sound like a B&O hater because I do give them credit for making very sleek looking gear, but after some first hand experience with their speakers, CRT/LCD televisions, telephone handsets, CD/DVD players and headphones, I have to say they are all show (albeit very impressive) with half the substance. The A8 ear buds leave a lot to be desired: scratchy, thin and vague are terms synonymous with the A8's. I remember when I tried them for about half a day or so, the thing that struck me most was how muddy and scratchy the bass was. There was no detail, just a wall of sound. Credit must be given for the build, fit and looks, but none goes to the sound. I'm afraid they have messed up badly. The bottom line is, it is a status symbol for those who want to show their wealth.

 

[technetium]

... First of all they do look great, but they also sound great....!

Yes the sound is more neutral that most people a used to, but this does not mean that they don´t sound good!
They have a super detailed sound, with good midrange. But if you what bas, go with some sony´s.

And well, they do infact use some "philips" drivers, but these where designed by Bang & Olufsen and only build by philips because they could do this better then others (Philips factorys actually make drivers for many other headphone manufacturers).

Lets sum up, the good
-Great looks
-Great wearing comfort
-Great sound (overall)
-Great quality (nothing gets close to B&O quality)
-Great customer service/ guarantee


The bad
-Expensive (although cheaper in the US, then here in Denmark where they are build)
-Sound is very neutral (even I would sometime like a bit more bas)


Well of course it is hard to make everybody happy, and of course some might not like the a8´s, but just to say that they suck is a bit harsh.
I like mine as well as my beosound2, my television and so fourth and I really think that there is a beautiful word for us B&O fans: Beophile.
Well it just sums up that there is more to a pair of headphones than the sound, although this of course is an important part.

 

[rx7_fan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by technetium ... First of all they do look great, but they also sound great....! Yes the sound is more neutral that most people a used to, but this does not mean that they don´t sound good! They have a super detailed sound, with good midrange. But if you what bas, go with some sony´s. And well, they do infact use some "philips" drivers, but these where designed by Bang & Olufsen and only build by philips because they could do this better then others (Philips factorys actually make drivers for many other headphone manufacturers). Lets sum up, the good -Great looks -Great wearing comfort -Great sound (overall) -Great quality (nothing gets close to B&O quality) -Great customer service/ guarantee The bad -Expensive (although cheaper in the US, then here in Denmark where they are build) -Sound is very neutral (even I would sometime like a bit more bas) Well of course it is hard to make everybody happy, and of course some might not like the a8´s, but just to say that they suck is a bit harsh. I like mine as well as my beosound2, my television and so fourth and I really think that there is a beautiful word for us B&O fans: Beophile. Well it just sums up that there is more to a pair of headphones than the sound, although this of course is an important part.

Is he being serious or sarcastic? I hope it's sarcastic, because he can't be serious. My friend has the A8, and believe me, my free iPod headphones sound the same as the A8, maybe even better.

 

[wlai]

If the other poster likes it, then power to him. FWIW I too found the sound thin and complete lack of bass, as compared to my Apple iBuds even.

 

[BIGtrouble77]

I absolutely love my A8's. I've had my pair now for 4 years. They sound very good, very clean and neutral sounding. I agree the bass is lacking, but I'm hardly a basshead.

These are the only headphones that I can go running and work out with. And they are 100x more confortable than universal iem's. A good IEM is always going to sound better, but IEM's are total crap when it comes to comfort. As far as buds go, I have't heard anything better.

Finally, these things are indestructable. They've been through my washer and dryer 3 times.

-BT

Edit: I just wanted to note that these phones sound like utter crap on ipods. You have to crank the bass up and the ipod distorts like a mutha. Its not the headphones fault. They sound great on my X5 and H120, but I do have to turn the bass up.

 

[neutralzz]

lowest freq response of 50 or 55hz i think

the last time i went with cash in pocket ready to offload on these phones but at the B&O outlet.. upon auditioning..

i found the low end unsatisfying, but the mids are rather clear.. probably a more trumpety jazzy sort of earphone.. lest the.. doublebass of course

 

[Dr.Sade]

Philips is a giant international mishmash of smaller companies that
were bought and put under one banner head. Who knows who's parts
Philips is using at any given time other than most (probably all) of the parts come from China. So much stuff is sourced out by conglomerates nowadays,
it's anybody's guess what's going into a product. A Chinese company called Mirai actually makes at least one of Beyerdynamic's buds. Which is why you never hear about the Beyerdynamic buds here.

Wouldn't surprise me if Philips was in turn owned by a holding company with a janitor fronting as the CEO and a P.O. box in the Cayman Islands as its address.

 

[Greisen]

Well, the A8 is very expensive, and you can find many earbuds, that are better for the same price. But in my opinion is the A8 a decent headphone, with neutral sound, and good build quality.

 

[technetium]

No I am serious, the a8 are great

 

[aye5882]

maybe the people that love the a8's haven't really heard good earphones for that price range?? i agree that its all looks. i went to a B&O store to try them out and wasn't impressed at all w/ their sound.

btw, i noticed that Audio-Technica have some earphones that looks similar to the a8's. how do they sound?

 

[technetium]

I have listened to a wide range of cans, currently listening to my sr-225 and Dire Straits.
Well I do know how "good" cans sound, and I think it is mostly up to the listener and what he/she think is a good can.
If you don´t think the a8 is good. Fine!
I like them, and I know many others do as well. I can live with it.

Some don´t like the Grados, I do. Some hate ksc75 I love mine... and sooooo onnnnnn.

 

[BIGtrouble77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aye5882 maybe the people that love the a8's haven't really heard good earphones for that price range?? i agree that its all looks. i went to a B&O store to try them out and wasn't impressed at all w/ their sound. btw, i noticed that Audio-Technica have some earphones that looks similar to the a8's. how do they sound?

Your probably right, I wish I had a pair of UM2's or Super.Fi 5 EB's so I could truely hear a pair of audiophile quality buds...