Old thread I know, but the 'B & O Bashing' was beginning to get on my nerves.
The A8 isn't a bad earphone at all. It's midrange is transparent and smooth. Bass might not have the depth of some but it does have good transient speed, ie, the 'twack' of a kick drum or the pluck of a bass guitar is well defined and not bloated. It does lack the deep bass of my Sony EX71's, but the A8's don't have the EX71's splashy treble.
It is a well designed, comfortable to wear, and solidly built earphone that sounds a great deal better than the supplied in-ear phones that come with the iPod, or any MP3 jukebox/player. In fact, it is one of the most stylish earphones, if not the most stylish earphone, on the market.
Yes, you are paying a premium for the B & O style and name. But, don't many people do that when they buy clothes/cars etc? If we went for VFM every time then we would all be driving Ford's and playing our music through NAD hifi's... and wearing clothes from....