[chris2k18]

For those looking for alternative from ie match>>https://penonaudio.com/accessories/3.5mm-impedance-adapter.html
Its in 3.5 single ended though not balance.

 

[jnsaudiophile]

S8pro here. Can listen for hours and I can fall asleep with them too. I admit, my DMG set is less fatiguing to listen to but that's because of the big difference to sound signature.

 

[Hambow]

I've never gotten "fatigue" per say but I have noticed that they aren't really a drift off to sleep iem. Any time I've tried to listen while lying in bed, I find they don't really let me relax enough to sleep as the detail is a bit intense in this case. For day to day long term I find them fine and if the music is more intense I can just lower the volume a bit and still not sacrifice clarity, just reduce the intensity. For active listening though they really bare it all.

Are you in the Victoria area?

My daily drivers are the Focal Clears, and I've never experienced fatigue with them. Sibilance/fatigue was my only worry, but I realize that BGGAR was just attempting to put a positive spin on the models he didn't favour.

And fit is fine? My last decision will be if I need to buy the ES100 (The S8F will be my daily drivers as I go off to university in the fall) and if stock tips need to be swapped. Been lurking in this thread and Symbio W, spiral dot, and final E tips were the consensus for replacements…?

And I'm located on the mainland, Vancouver area.

 

[SBranson]

I got really lucky with these as the fit for me is the best of any iem I've had, including my Noble Katanas (which can be a little wonky in my right ear). I even had the S4's before upgrading and the S8Fs seem to fit better.. I use Symbio W tips but size L so if you have small ears then the fit may not be as good for you.

Too bad you weren't over here on Alcatraz.. I could give you a listen.

 

[Hambow]

S8pro here. Can listen for hours and I can fall asleep with them too. I admit, my DMG set is less fatiguing to listen to but that's because of the big difference to sound signature.

Which is why I'm on the fence about my decision. Hard enough to decide on the customization options... BGGAR described the S8Pro as a monitor IEM that is true to the sound, while the S8F is a micro detail beast and emphasized.

Everyone has their preferences. Just trying to decide for myself, but I realize I can't really go wrong either way.

 

[Hambow]

I got really lucky with these as the fit for me is the best of any iem I've had, including my Noble Katanas (which can be a little wonky in my right ear). I even had the S4's before upgrading and the S8Fs seem to fit better.. I use Symbio W tips but size L so if you have small ears then the fit may not be as good for you.

Too bad you weren't over here on Alcatraz.. I could give you a listen.

Haha, I appreciate the offer. Victoria is beautiful, and I often go out there for my siblings hockey. I trust BGGAR and the headfiers here, so I'm not too worried.

I'll most likely order them and purchase whatever needs to be "fixed" afterwards. It's looking like SX09 + B14 + No Logo on Linsoul. Pretty excited.

 

[mr.karmalicious]

I will say this—if you're planning on doing stuff that requires brainpower for those 4-5 hours, the S8P might be a better option. I'm pretty anal about detail retrieval so I love my S8Fs, but trying to do stuff that requires a lot of concentration while listening to them can be quite distracting. They definitely want to pull your attention.

 

[Hambow]

I will say this—if you're planning on doing stuff that requires brainpower for those 4-5 hours, the S8P might be a better option. I'm pretty anal about detail retrieval so I love my S8Fs, but trying to do stuff that requires a lot of concentration while listening to them can be quite distracting. They definitely want to pull your attention.

It's that internal struggle of lots of detail vs concentration I guess. Don't want to miss out, want the best for my money, but yeah. I'll be studying/working with them in. I typically listen to classical/jazz while working and rock/some EDM on the go. The odd bit of K-pop.

I don't think it'll be an issue, but opinions to reassure my dislike for buyers remorse I'm very grateful for.

 

[mr.karmalicious]

I think the S8Fs are probably the narrow winner for your use case. If you're mostly listening to classical/jazz, there shouldn't be enough detail to really distract you—it's mostly with stuff that was specifically constructed to be multi-layered and complex that it becomes attention-stealing. With live recordings, you'll get all of the detail that's there, but it's not enough to be an issue. And if you don't want to miss out, I know that I personally would always be wondering what I was missing out on from the S8F (even if it turned out to be not much at all!).

 

[Hambow]

I think the S8Fs are probably the narrow winner for your use case. If you're mostly listening to classical/jazz, there shouldn't be enough detail to really distract you—it's mostly with stuff that was specifically constructed to be multi-layered and complex that it becomes attention-stealing. With live recordings, you'll get all of the detail that's there, but it's not enough to be an issue. And if you don't want to miss out, I know that I personally would always be wondering what I was missing out on from the S8F (even if it turned out to be not much at all!).

I agree with you there for sure. I'll be going with the S8F then. I'll just need to be more disciplined when it comes to my music selection, aha.

Last question is just what tips are you personally using? I believe someone stated the stock tips sound "anemic"... And quite a few headfiers stated the Symbio W tips sounded best.

I appreciate the responses. Makes my life much easier and my wallet less empty!

 

[mr.karmalicious]

I've been using Spinfits (CP100-M), but honestly, I'm not so happy with them. They're very comfortable and sound the best of all my tips, but they tend to slide out of my ear over time in a way that I don't like. Also, isolation could be better. I have some of their double-flanges, but the sizing is tricky for me and my left/right canals aren't the same size (and both are quite deep). I have some comply tips coming in today, so I'll see how they go.

(I may just need to size up on these spinfits; I'm in this awkward position where I'm sorta between M/L size... my medium Symbios applied too much pressure with my DM6s, and I seem to have misplaced them since then so I can't re-test. I may wind up ordering some more of those in addition to large spinfits if the complys don't work out, by i used black olive tips with my SE530s for years so i've got my fingers crossed.)

in any case, i'm sure you'll enjoy the S8Fs, and you'll almost definitely have an easier time with tips than I have

 

[jnsaudiophile]

I've been using Spinfits (CP100-M), but honestly, I'm not so happy with them. They're very comfortable and sound the best of all my tips, but they tend to slide out of my ear over time in a way that I don't like. Also, isolation could be better. I have some of their double-flanges, but the sizing is tricky for me and my left/right canals aren't the same size (and both are quite deep). I have some comply tips coming in today, so I'll see how they go.

(I may just need to size up on these spinfits; I'm in this awkward position where I'm sorta between M/L size... my medium Symbios applied too much pressure with my DM6s, and I seem to have misplaced them since then so I can't re-test. I may wind up ordering some more of those in addition to large spinfits if the complys don't work out, by i used black olive tips with my SE530s for years so i've got my fingers crossed.)

in any case, i'm sure you'll enjoy the S8Fs, and you'll almost definitely have an easier time with tips than I have

I also use the spinfit CP100-M they sound the best for me but my issue with them is that they are too large for my canal and tend to get sound muffled until I can sit them properly and have to be careful pulling them out. I'll consider a size smaller if I get annoyed enough haha. Comply smartcore has better isolation but it gives me treble issues. The stock tips the bass is somewhat dead and fit okay.

 

[Loot]

Order placed for the S8F!
In the end I went for uni SM20+B15 for the right ear and SM21+B15 for the left one.

Too much hassle finding an audio for prints + sending them + possible refit.
I went the easy way after a long time debating with myself.

The hunt for tips is now open...

 

[crabdog]

I agree with you there for sure. I'll be going with the S8F then. I'll just need to be more disciplined when it comes to my music selection, aha.

Last question is just what tips are you personally using? I believe someone stated the stock tips sound "anemic"... And quite a few headfiers stated the Symbio W tips sounded best.

I appreciate the responses. Makes my life much easier and my wallet less empty!

This to me, just screams: "I'm not getting a proper seal with the stock tips!". Yes, it's true that tips can alter the sound a bit but if you're not getting a good seal, any IEM will sound anemic, regardless of which tips you're using. For my ears, I find the Symbio tips actually mute the bass a little bit due to their stiffness.

 

[SciOC]

If I am not mistaken, the IEMatch was reviewed on ASR and other sites and the consensus seems to be there isn't anything taken away from the audio... But maybe I misread that or remember it incorrectly. I personally don't think I notice any difference, but mine is just one opinion / impression.

You're not mistaken, most people love it, I'm definitely in the minority.

If anything, my opinion is the outlier, I'm just pointing out YMMV and that the result of iematch is having to push your DAP/amp higher to achieve the same volume levels. This can have... Noticeable effects, especially if you're maxing out your power.