[miko64]

Possibly I am writing to myself since there is not much activity here. Has anybody else listened to D8000 in the meanwhile. Here my update

a) Last week I was listening exclusively to LCD4 and this week (traveling to the US) I have taken D8000 and am listing quite a lot.
b) Using both of them (LCD4 with DSP) they do not take them away a lot, ie are very similar in quality. W/o DSP it becomes apparent that LCD4 lack a little of treble, but because of this is more relaxing and forgiving. I will certainly keep both
c) From a build quality I like the D8000 more, in particular I hate the canon band of LCD4 - the whole thing is too wobbly
d) D8000 has an excellent resolution both in terms of space and also in terms of music. It is very revealing, to the extent that you may not want to listen to all your records, because the weaknesses become apparent
e) I am astonished that AK 380 can actually drive D8000 quite well, not as good as Hugo 2 but good enough
f) I suggest everyone considering a top of the line headphone to at least listen to D8000
g) Given the quality of D8000, this time, I left both the LCDi4 and Obravo east-1c at home
h) Weight is not too much of a problem, can listen for hours without fatigue

BTW did somebody see some reviews (except for the French one, which I know)? I somebody planning a review? (I would write a formal review, but am a little short on time)

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Possibly I am writing to myself since there is not much activity here. Has anybody else listened to D8000 in the meanwhile. Here my update

a) Last week I was listening exclusively to LCD4 and this week (traveling to the US) I have taken D8000 and am listing quite a lot.
b) Using both of them (LCD4 with DSP) they do not take them away a lot, ie are very similar in quality. W/o DSP it becomes apparent that LCD4 lack a little of treble, but because of this is more relaxing and forgiving. I will certainly keep both
c) From a build quality I like the D8000 more, in particular I hate the canon band of LCD4 - the whole thing is too wobbly
d) D8000 has an excellent resolution both in terms of space and also in terms of music. It is very revealing, to the extent that you may not want to listen to all your records, because the weaknesses become apparent
e) I am astonished that AK 380 can actually drive D8000 quite well, not as good as Hugo 2 but good enough
f) I suggest everyone considering a top of the line headphone to at least listen to D8000
g) Given the quality of D8000, this time, I left both the LCDi4 and Obravo east-1c at home
h) Weight is not too much of a problem, can listen for hours without fatigue

BTW did somebody see some reviews (except for the French one, which I know)? I somebody planning a review? (I would write a formal review, but am a little short on time)

Thanks for your write up

A pair is currently with The Verge for a formal review, not sure when it will be published though.

 

[XERO1]

6moon's full review is up. Srajan liked 'em!

http://6moons.com/audioreviews2/final6/1.html

 

[ostewart]

6moon's full review is up. Srajan liked 'em!

http://6moons.com/audioreviews2/final6/1.html

One issue... He keeps saying "closed back/sealed design" headphone, the D8000 are open back

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

One issue... He keeps saying "closed back/sealed design" headphone, the D8000 are open back

Yup, that just confirms my thoughts about him, I believe he just throws flowery words and sentences without meaning to fill pages, he posted 3 full pages about the headphone itself, all about the tech and the physical appeareance, plus assited to the Final's tech talk in Munich, and yet he thinks the headphone is closed back and not open back...just inacceptable

 

[bidn]

Yup, that just confirms my thoughts about him, I believe he just throws flowery words and sentences without meaning to fill pages, he posted 3 full pages about the headphone itself, all about the tech and the physical appeareance, plus assited to the Final's tech talk in Munich, and yet he thinks the headphone is closed back and not open back...just inacceptable

I think he is still right re. the general thrusts, lines of the headphones (e.g D8000, Sonorous X and their differnces)
but I fully agree with you, ToroFiestaSol, this review does not seem quite reliable to me as soon as he starts writing about details and precise things, it looks to me like he is making stuff up to make it look good.

One issue... He keeps saying "closed back/sealed design" headphone, the D8000 are open back

You are quite right ostewart, because the first time I tested the D8000 was at a headphone headphone, and they were so open that I could hear everything, making them sound too bright -- absolutely not closed.
(Luckily I was able to test them in a quiet store )

Another example is that in this review of the D8000 he says again things about the Sonorous X which do not square at all with my two Sonorous X,
e.g. when comparing the D8000 with the Sonorous X:
"either model is an attempt at a standardized linear response like a first-class active studio monitor":
OK for the D8000 whose FR is nicely flat, but this is certainly not true of my two Sonorous X which are heavily colored, which is quite an issue sometimes, e.g. cymbals unfortunately being way too recessed.
Though those kinds of reviews are effective, when I was not experienced I bought two pairs of Sonorous X based on two such reviews (another one in French asserting the X had mind-blowing microdetails, which is absolutely not true, I realized later). I still like my Sonorous X, but given their price, if I had seen through these kinds of flattering made-up things I better had bought a Dave for the money (will probably do at some point).

Nevertheless the D8000 is a great headphone, and he is right its bass is awesome. (Addition: but he is not right when he says that both the D8000 and the Sonorous X are, in their different manners, in the end equally good: the D8000 is much better than the Sonorous X).

Have a nice weekend and enjoy your headphones and music,
bidn

 

[kid vic]

*unacceptable


I agree, that's a pretty huge transgression imho.

Yup, that just confirms my thoughts about him, I believe he just throws flowery words and sentences without meaning to fill pages, he posted 3 full pages about the headphone itself, all about the tech and the physical appeareance, plus assited to the Final's tech talk in Munich, and yet he thinks the headphone is closed back and not open back...just inacceptable

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

*unacceptable

Ah that's correct!
Got confused with spanish ("inaceptable" means "unacceptable") and mixed the two words lmao

 

[miko64]

I like the reviews of Srajan, also wrt PassLabs and First Watt reviews.In general I agree with the direction of outcome. It is however strange to consider d8000 open; you hear everything and everyone hears your music... My advice (based on the german saying "drum pruefe wer sich ewig binde, dass sich herz zu herzen finde") listen and judge yourself if possible and use tracks you know either how they sound in real performance or at lest with good loudspeakers. My conclusion for D8000 - a winner for me, also because of superb build quality (which is the main distractor for hifiman for me despite they have nice sounding earphones)

 

[ostewart]

*unacceptable


I agree, that's a pretty huge transgression imho.

Yeah it's a big no no... I don't like that way of writing either, but I suppose some obviously do.

 

[420204]

Headfonia published the review of the D8000 today

https://www.headfonia.com/review-final-audio-d8000/

 

[Oscar-HiFi]

Headfonia published the review of the D8000 today

https://www.headfonia.com/review-final-audio-d8000/

That's a great write up and in line with my opinion of the D8000

This threads title needs changing though...

 

[LaCuffia]

I tried the D8000 at CanJam. It sounds incredible. Probably my favorite at the show. Very comfortable too. My only complaint is that speckled look on the black housing. It cheapens the look a little. A smoother and solid finish would have looked much better. Other than that, great headphone. That bass!

 

[Pharmaboy]

I was at CanJam yesterday 4+ hours. Heard 9, maybe 10 unfamiliar headphones. Some disappointments, but a couple big wins--2 open back planars that knocked me over w/great sound: the Final D8000 & the Meze Empyrean. Each is spectacular in its own way, yet they couldn't sound more different, interesting in its own right (remember encountering that w/high quality speaker systems).

Anyway, consider early impressions below as nothing more than initial thoughts/reactions. I was hearing the D8000 in a relatively quiet portion of the big/noisy hall. The immediate surroundings were moderate-volume and these are open back. The other reason to not take these comments too seriously is that I heard the D8000 through a DAP, not an amp (the big Questyle amp scheduled to arrive from Japan didn't make it in time for the show). The very helpful guy at the Final booth did his best, but clearly they were behind the 8-ball, having only DAPs to power various Final headphones.

• This "no-amp" circumstance effectively demonstrated that the D8000, unlike some planars, is efficient & easy to drive. I heard them on an A & K Junior--an excellent DAP, but surely not the last word in amplifier authority. And yet, the D8000s sounded extremely good.

Design/appearance/comfort: I've always appreciated the no-nonsense, industrial style of Final, all black & white, round earcups vs rectilinear frame, very sturdy, metal parts looking handsome & substantial. Compared to other Final designs I've seen, the D8000 truly looks endgame, as if their design aesthetic reaches its natural conclusion w/this large, impressive headphone. The outside of the earcups is very nicely done--attractive, purely functional, with the radial "cut-outs" serving to cut down the visual space occupied by what otherwise could easily become massive earcups.

The D8000 is not very heavy as planars go; the large, round earcups (guessing 110mm diamter) w/above-average leather pads and very sturdy headband adjustment system make it relatively easy to get comfortable. The headband struck me a stiff, though fairly well padded, potentially a cause hotspotting over time. Then again, once I had the D8000 on my head, I felt nothing close to discomfort, and in fact pretty much forgot about physical stuff altogether (because the sound was amazing).

• Note the D8000s are truly open, the most open and sound transmissive open backs I've ever heard. I easily conversed with others in the booth while listening at moderate volume. Easy to hear what was being said, even in less than tranquil show conditions. So don't look to this HP for sound isolation, use in the office, etc.

Sound: I love planar sound, and here it was, elevated & refined in quality, very wide-band, done just about perfectly. My favorite planar is the ZMF Ori, and it was interesting to hear that rock-solid bass & calm yet detailed midrange transposed to this extremely open design w/almost no resonances that I could detect, which made the core planar sound even clearer. It's a pure, level, calm sound--until something happens in the music, and then it's "off to the races," dynamically speaking. This headphone had some of best bass I've yet heard: deep, rock-solid, impactful, and very tuneful.

I would need a lot more time w/these headphones on good amps in a quiet place, but initial reaction was the voicing is beyond reproach, with something to love in every part of the frequency range. I played some well recorded pop/R&B that can excite borderline bright headphones, but these sounded level as ice on a pond. If there's any tonality issues here, I couldn't hear it.

It's an intriguing sound--very beguiling, but because it's so clear & flat, not because any sonic characteristic is pumped. My main takeaway from this experience was a sonic profile that's unruffled, flat, calm, exactly the same top to bottom, able to track just about any music selection w/great clarity. Yesterday I heard some endgame headphones that sounded bright to me, as if brightness was the price for their clarity--but the D8000 seemed to extract no price for its clarity. If you can imagine an open-back studio headphone, delivering accuracy and fidelity to source above all else (yet not bright)...that's the D8000.

The price is nuts, way above my head. But I would go through real inconvenience to hear these again, especially w/an amp like the V281. That would test one of my theories about the D8000: that it's perfectly voiced to "mirror" the strengths of any source, so the intense dynamics, bass, and slight warmth of the V281 would be 100% transmitted.

I want to hear these again...

 

[miko64]

I was at CanJam yesterday 4+ hours. Heard 9, maybe 10 unfamiliar headphones. Some disappointments, but a couple big wins--2 open back planars that knocked me over w/great sound: the Final D8000 & the Meze Empyrean. Each is spectacular in its own way, yet they couldn't sound more different, interesting in its own right (remember encountering that w/high quality speaker systems).

Anyway, consider early impressions below as nothing more than initial thoughts/reactions. I was hearing the D8000 in a relatively quiet portion of the big/noisy hall. The immediate surroundings were moderate-volume and these are open back. The other reason to not take these comments too seriously is that I heard the D8000 through a DAP, not an amp (the big Questyle amp scheduled to arrive from Japan didn't make it in time for the show). The very helpful guy at the Final booth did his best, but clearly they were behind the 8-ball, having only DAPs to power various Final headphones.

• This "no-amp" circumstance effectively demonstrated that the D8000, unlike some planars, is efficient & easy to drive. I heard them on an A & K Junior--an excellent DAP, but surely not the last word in amplifier authority. And yet, the D8000s sounded extremely good.

Design/appearance/comfort: I've always appreciated the no-nonsense, industrial style of Final, all black & white, round earcups vs rectilinear frame, very sturdy, metal parts looking handsome & substantial. Compared to other Final designs I've seen, the D8000 truly looks endgame, as if their design aesthetic reaches its natural conclusion w/this large, impressive headphone. The outside of the earcups is very nicely done--attractive, purely functional, with the radial "cut-outs" serving to cut down the visual space occupied by what otherwise could easily become massive earcups.

The D8000 is not very heavy as planars go; the large, round earcups (guessing 110mm diamter) w/above-average leather pads and very sturdy headband adjustment system make it relatively easy to get comfortable. The headband struck me a stiff, though fairly well padded, potentially a cause hotspotting over time. Then again, once I had the D8000 on my head, I felt nothing close to discomfort, and in fact pretty much forgot about physical stuff altogether (because the sound was amazing).

• Note the D8000s are truly open, the most open and sound transmissive open backs I've ever heard. I easily conversed with others in the booth while listening at moderate volume. Easy to hear what was being said, even in less than tranquil show conditions. So don't look to this HP for sound isolation, use in the office, etc.

Sound: I love planar sound, and here it was, elevated & refined in quality, very wide-band, done just about perfectly. My favorite planar is the ZMF Ori, and it was interesting to hear that rock-solid bass & calm yet detailed midrange transposed to this extremely open design w/almost no resonances that I could detect, which made the core planar sound even clearer. It's a pure, level, calm sound--until something happens in the music, and then it's "off to the races," dynamically speaking. This headphone had some of best bass I've yet heard: deep, rock-solid, impactful, and very tuneful.

I would need a lot more time w/these headphones on good amps in a quiet place, but initial reaction was the voicing is beyond reproach, with something to love in every part of the frequency range. I played some well recorded pop/R&B that can excite borderline bright headphones, but these sounded level as ice on a pond. If there's any tonality issues here, I couldn't hear it.

It's an intriguing sound--very beguiling, but because it's so clear & flat, not because any sonic characteristic is pumped. My main takeaway from this experience was a sonic profile that's unruffled, flat, calm, exactly the same top to bottom, able to track just about any music selection w/great clarity. Yesterday I heard some endgame headphones that sounded bright to me, as if brightness was the price for their clarity--but the D8000 seemed to extract no price for its clarity. If you can imagine an open-back studio headphone, delivering accuracy and fidelity to source above all else (yet not bright)...that's the D8000.

The price is nuts, way above my head. But I would go through real inconvenience to hear these again, especially w/an amp like the V281. That would test one of my theories about the D8000: that it's perfectly voiced to "mirror" the strengths of any source, so the intense dynamics, bass, and slight warmth of the V281 would be 100% transmitted.

I want to hear these again...

can not agree more d8000 = splendid!