[tienbasse]

Got the chance to audition "semi-universal" CAH 8.2 to day at MS in Singapore (custom version with trimmed nozzles to adapt tips, shallow but excellent fit).
 
One of the best impressions I got today testing high-end IEMs.
Balanced sound, although not completely flat.
Bass is nicely present without being a bass monster, mids are present but not forward, giving them a lot of transparency and details and treble are very slightly forward, but without any harshness. Cymbals and high-pitched drums are beautifully rendered, not too fast (=unnatural) and not too slow (=too smooth). Separation is just excellent, soundstage is not on the large size, which I prefer personally, because I want to hear a band like it's playing right in front/beside me, not at 100m in a stadium.
 
Take it as a compliment not a critic, these 8.2 are almost on par with K10U, the difference being in the mids placement (slightly more forward on the Noble, slightly less on the 8.2). Treble-wise, I give a short edge to these 8.2, you found the right spot for me between impact and smoothness.
 
I may take the plundge to replace my Universal Angies with a pair of 8.2, they're an upgrade for ergonomy and treble, although I may miss the more forward mids of Angies a little. Compromise compromise...

 

[klove4252]

  Got the chance to audition "semi-universal" CAH 8.2 to day at MS in Singapore (custom version with trimmed nozzles to adapt tips, shallow but excellent fit).
 
One of the best impressions I got today testing high-end IEMs.
Balanced sound, although not completely flat.
Bass is nicely present without being a bass monster, mids are present but not forward, giving them a lot of transparency and details and treble are very slightly forward, but without any harshness. Cymbals and high-pitched drums are beautifully rendered, not too fast (=unnatural) and not too slow (=too smooth). Separation is just excellent, soundstage is not on the large size, which I prefer personally, because I want to hear a band like it's playing right in front/beside me, not at 100m in a stadium.
 
Take it as a compliment not a critic, these 8.2 are almost on par with K10U, the difference being in the mids placement (slightly more forward on the Noble, slightly less on the 8.2). Treble-wise, I give a short edge to these 8.2, you found the right spot for me between impact and smoothness.
 
I may take the plundge to replace my Universal Angies with a pair of 8.2, they're an upgrade for ergonomy and treble, although I may miss the more forward mids of Angies a little. Compromise compromise...

Thanks for the great impressions. Do you know if you would still need to get ear impressions if these are semi-universal?

 

[Kerouac]

  Got the chance to audition "semi-universal" CAH 8.2 to day at MS in Singapore (custom version with trimmed nozzles to adapt tips, shallow but excellent fit).
 
One of the best impressions I got today testing high-end IEMs.
Balanced sound, although not completely flat.
Bass is nicely present without being a bass monster, mids are present but not forward, giving them a lot of transparency and details and treble are very slightly forward, but without any harshness. Cymbals and high-pitched drums are beautifully rendered, not too fast (=unnatural) and not too slow (=too smooth). Separation is just excellent, soundstage is not on the large size, which I prefer personally, because I want to hear a band like it's playing right in front/beside me, not at 100m in a stadium.
 
Take it as a compliment not a critic, these 8.2 are almost on par with K10U, the difference being in the mids placement (slightly more forward on the Noble, slightly less on the 8.2). Treble-wise, I give a short edge to these 8.2, you found the right spot for me between impact and smoothness.
 
I may take the plundge to replace my Universal Angies with a pair of 8.2, they're an upgrade for ergonomy and treble, although I may miss the more forward mids of Angies a little. Compromise compromise...

 
I would like to know your opinion (again) after you would have been able to listen to them over a longer period

For me, the longer I listened to H8.2 the more I noticed how good they really are! Of course personal signature preference plays a major part in this comparison as well...
 
Owning the H8.2 for some months now, they still are the ones (having 4 totl iems over here and I've passed the honeymoon phase with all of them) that I use the most

 

[piotrus-g]

 
Thanks for the great impressions. Do you know if you would still need to get ear impressions if these are semi-universal?

No, you don't need impressions for universal fit version, but note that universals doesn't come with free refit warranty

 

[tienbasse]

 
No, you don't need impressions for universal fit version, but note that universals doesn't come with free refit warranty

The thing is that I was getting a very good seal using the pair that MS has in Singapore, and this are supposedly not the universal version, unless you tell me otherwise.
It would be helpful to see what the universal version looks like before taking the plunge, otherwise I'll ask the MS guys to re-use the mould model which was used to make their pair., since I know this one would fit.

 

[piotrus-g]

 
The thing is that I was getting a very good seal using the pair that MS has in Singapore, and this are supposedly not the universal version, unless you tell me otherwise.
It would be helpful to see what the universal version looks like before taking the plunge, otherwise I'll ask the MS guys to re-use the mould model which was used to make their pair., since I know this one would fit.

The MS unit is exactly how our current universal fit IEM would look like, we are working to get more standard looking T400 nozzle on it but other than that that is the shape.

 

[tienbasse]

  The MS unit is exactly how our current universal fit IEM would look like, we are working to get more standard looking T400 nozzle on it but other than that that is the shape.

Good news, thanks for confirming.
I didn't mind the large ovale nozzles, the JVC Spiral dot tips are fitting nicely on it.
If you make it T400 size, people will have to use slightly narrower tips than Spiral dots, which is a shame because these are many people favorite tips here.
T500 size would be my suggestion, but it's just me.
Also large nozzles are less prone to breaking, it always worries me when I see thin nozzles.

 

[piotrus-g]

 
Good news, thanks for confirming.
I didn't mind the large ovale nozzles, the JVC Spiral dot tips are fitting nicely on it.
If you make it T400 size, people will have to use slightly narrower tips than Spiral dots, which is a shame because these are many people favorite tips here.
T500 size would be my suggestion, but it's just me.
Also large nozzles are less prone to breaking, it always worries me when I see thin nozzles.

Don't worry, we have Spin Fits in our lab. using the actual T400 makes tips sit way more confident than on hand-crafted oval nozzle. There's not much difference between T400 and T500 (like 0.1-0.2mm?) so T400 is not small.
 
[Edit] Oh sorry I misread what you wrote. Anyways I don't think there will be that much difference between because Spiral dots are T400 from what I see on the web
 

 

[klove4252]

Are the Universal's H 8.2 available for sale yet?

 

[piotrus-g]

  Are the Universal's H 8.2 available for sale yet?

Technically no, practically if you request it we will do it hahah It's just not an official option.

 

[cav1sa]

I finally got my act together and shipped the best piece of audio equipment I have encountered so far to have it improved upon even further. Good times ahead!

 

[Kerouac]

For anybody who missed it: http://headfonics.com/2016/10/the-harmony-8-2-by-custom-art/
Excellent review / interesting read imo

 

[omastic]

Received a nice surprise in my email this morning - shipping confirmation for my H8.2! Looks like next week's Monday is going to be a good one! 

 

[cav1sa]

  Received a nice surprise in my email this morning - shipping confirmation for my H8.2! Looks like next week's Monday is going to be a good one! 

Congrats! I have a couple more weeks to go myself

 

[omastic]

Mandatory pictures!