Final Audio D8000 Planar Magnetic Headphone
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:32 PM Post #2,326 of 4,714
I heard the new Meze Elite three times at CanJam in NYC the other day. Wasn't expecting much: I half-expected it to hear an overly bright tuning, the usual manufacturer overshoot after a previous TOTL has a warm, spacious tuning. But it wasn't anything that simple. I thought the bass was far better (deeper and more impactful) than the 1st Empyrean, and the mids & treble sounded more straightforward and less diffuse than the original. IMO the sound seemed better than the original overall.

Show conditions being what they are, I can't be sure of what I was hearing; also don't know whether the Elite comes with 2 differently voiced earpads like the Empyrean did (or which pad I was hearing which time).

Nevertheless, I'd love to compare the Elite to my Final D8000K w/"G" pads IMS. I suspect that would be a real horse race, as the tuning seems relatively similar now.

And FWIW, in no way did hearing the Elite make me think any less of the D8000. I love its sound, especially on the Monoprice Liquid Gold X amplifier...
 
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Mar 4, 2022 at 12:38 PM Post #2,327 of 4,714
I heard the new Meze Elite three times at CanJam in NYC the other day. Wasn't expecting much: I half-expected it to hear an overly bright tuning, the usual manufacturer overshoot after a previous TOTL has a warm, spacious tuning. But it wasn't anything that simple. I thought the bass was far better (deeper and more impactful) than the 1st Empyrean, and the mids & treble sounded more straightforward and less diffuse than the original. IMO the sound seemed better than the original overall.

Show conditions being what they are, I can't be sure of what I was hearing; also don't know whether the Elite comes with 2 differently voiced earpads like the Empyrean did (or which pad I was hearing which time).

Nevertheless, I'd love to compare the Elite to my Final D8000K w/"G" pads IMS. I suspect that would be a real horse race, as the tuning seems relatively similar now.

And FWIW, in no way did hearing the Elite make me think any less of the D8000. I love its sound, especially on the Monoprice Liquid Gold X amplifier...
Great!

I would love to hear the new Elites, having had the Empys for awhile. Wanting a more accurate but still getting the bass, mids etc very well done the D8000's fit the bill here very well.

I am strongly tilted to accuracy and depend more on the recording to provide me with that "experience" information and let the transducer just be able to let it all through good or bad,

This so much depends on how we like to experience and listen to music....all over the place...nothing new here.

Shades of excellence all over the place...
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 12:57 PM Post #2,328 of 4,714
I heard the new Meze Elite three times at CanJam in NYC the other day. Wasn't expecting much: I half-expected it to hear an overly bright tuning, the usual manufacturer overshoot after a previous TOTL has a warm, spacious tuning. But it wasn't anything that simple. I thought the bass was far better (deeper and more impactful) than the 1st Empyrean, and the mids & treble sounded more straightforward and less diffuse than the original. IMO the sound seemed better than the original overall.

Show conditions being what they are, I can't be sure of what I was hearing; also don't know whether the Elite comes with 2 differently voiced earpads like the Empyrean did (or which pad I was hearing which time).

Nevertheless, I'd love to compare the Elite to my Final D8000K w/"G" pads IMS. I suspect that would be a real horse race, as the tuning seems relatively similar now.

And FWIW, in no way did hearing the Elite make me think any less of the D8000. I love its sound, especially on the Monoprice Liquid Gold X amplifier...
All of these headphones are fantastic.

The higher you climb the ladder, the more personal taste and need start to play a role.

The D8000s are fantastic. They have exceptionally clean and powerful bass. The Empyrean's lack in technicalities in comparison. The Empy bass is softer and (a lot) less refined than the D8000's.

That said, there is one advantage in the Empy versus the D8K. And to me that is a slightly more natural, more engaging midrange/vocals. The Empy offers a better textured-more lifelike midrange.

That said, the D8K is clearly the better headphone out of the two. Separation, clarity, resolution is next level. The only painful point is long-term comfort.

When we bring the Elite into the picture, that is another story. With the Elite IMO Meze finally nailed the technical part of sound. The Elite sounds a lot more balanced, resolution/balance is on another level versus the Empyrean. The Elite still has the easy-listening Meze sound, but finally combined with the expected level of technicalities at this price.

I still think, the D8K's are exceptional headphones. I still love them especially for their bass. I just can't personally justify keeping more than one flagships.
I prefer the easy-listening and long-term comfortable sound of the Elite versus any other flagships (D8K, Susvara, Solitaire P, HE1000SE, Verité, Utopia).

To me their technical performance is satisfying enough and their musical engagement is simply unparalleled.

Personal taste/preference matters the most at this level. It is like finding the best tasting dish or the best looking woman on Earth. It is a futile quest, as we all like something slightly different.

I wish you all to be able to try as many TOTL headphones as you can and then stick with the one you like the most.
 
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Mar 4, 2022 at 2:12 PM Post #2,329 of 4,714
All of these headphones are fantastic.

The higher you climb the ladder, the more personal taste and need start to play a role.

The D8000s are fantastic. They have exceptionally clean and powerful bass. The Empyrean's lack in technicalities in comparison. The Empy bass is softer and (a lot) less refined than the D8000's.

That said, there is one advantage in the Empy versus the D8K. And to me that is a slightly more natural, more engaging midrange/vocals. The Empy offers a better textured-more lifelike midrange.

That said, the D8K is clearly the better headphone out of the two. Separation, clarity, resolution is next level. The only painful point is long-term comfort.

When we bring the Elite into the picture, that is another story. With the Elite IMO Meze finally nailed the technical part of sound. The Elite sounds a lot more balanced, resolution/balance is on another level versus the Empyrean. The Elite still has the easy-listening Meze sound, but finally combined with the expected level of technicalities at this price.

I still think, the D8K's are exceptional headphones. I still love them especially for their bass. I just can't personally justify keeping more than one flagships.
I prefer the easy-listening and long-term comfortable sound of the Elite versus any other flagships (D8K, Susvara, Solitaire P, HE1000SE, Verité, Utopia).

To me their technical performance is satisfying enough and their musical engagement is simply unparalleled.

Personal taste/preference matters the most at this level. It is like finding the best tasting dish or the best looking woman on Earth. It is a futile quest, as we all like something slightly different.

I wish you all to be able to try as many TOTL headphones as you can and then stick with the one you like the most.
Excellent analysis!

I'm able to have the Verite Open as well as D8000, and it's hard to imagine selling either one. They're very different, but each is incredible in its way.

I'm curious if any positive changes in the sound of the D8000K would result from changing the Elite "G" pads I have on now (better in every way than the D8K's stock pads IMO) for a Brainwavz XL (110mm) leather pad...or velour, probably closest in fabric to the G pad.

By "curious" I do not mean dissatisfied with current sound. Not even a little bit!
 
Mar 4, 2022 at 2:19 PM Post #2,330 of 4,714
Excellent analysis!

I'm able to have the Verite Open as well as D8000, and it's hard to imagine selling either one. They're very different, but each is incredible in its way.

I'm curious if any positive changes in the sound of the D8000K would result from changing the Elite "G" pads I have on now (better in every way than the D8K's stock pads IMO) for a Brainwavz XL (110mm) leather pad...or velour, probably closest in fabric to the G pad.

By "curious" I do not mean dissatisfied with current sound. Not even a little bit!
G pads IMO is a 'must' upgrade with the D8K.
 
Mar 5, 2022 at 12:39 PM Post #2,332 of 4,714
Is d8000 and d8000 pro cable on hp site using 3.5mm connection?
Yes, but as far as replacement cables go, you need to make sure you opt for elongated connectors. This way you eliminate the limitation of the special connectors with locking mechanism Final uses.
 
Mar 5, 2022 at 1:17 PM Post #2,334 of 4,714
Is d8000 and d8000 pro cable on hp site using 3.5mm connection?
There was a lot of posting about this here 1-2 months ago. You can get aftermarket cables so long as the jacks are elongated (so the body of the jack [behind the shaft] doesn't run into the locking mechanism inside each earcup's female jack.
 
Mar 5, 2022 at 1:27 PM Post #2,335 of 4,714
Thank you. May I ask What’s the exact limitation how it looks like….?
The picture below shows the jacks of the 6" pair of connector cables I purchased from ForzaAudioWorks (outlined in green) vs the jacks of the stock D8000 cable.

These connectors are 3.5mm jacks on the headphone side (D8000) and have female mini-XLR jacks on the other end, allowing me to use my existing ZMF/Audeze-style balanced cables w/the D8000.

When you look at the picture, notice that the Forza 3.5mm jacks are a little longer than usual & lack that metal collar that encircles the base of the Final's jack (the male part of the locking mechanism). The longer Forza jacks slide right past the locking mechanism in each of the D8000's earcups. I thought these connectors would constantly pull out, but they don't, although it's certainly easier to pull them out than it would be with the stock Final cables that lock in place.

Note: You can buy entire aftermarket cables w/these longer jacks....it needn't be 6' connectors like I did. And you can buy the cables from any vendor you choose, so long as they stock (or can get) longer-than-usual 3.5mm male jacks like these.

FAW jacks vs Final locking jacks.jpg
 
Mar 5, 2022 at 2:46 PM Post #2,336 of 4,714
The picture below shows the jacks of the 6" pair of connector cables I purchased from ForzaAudioWorks (outlined in green) vs the jacks of the stock D8000 cable.

These connectors are 3.5mm jacks on the headphone side (D8000) and have female mini-XLR jacks on the other end, allowing me to use my existing ZMF/Audeze-style balanced cables w/the D8000.

When you look at the picture, notice that the Forza 3.5mm jacks are a little longer than usual & lack that metal collar that encircles the base of the Final's jack (the male part of the locking mechanism). The longer Forza jacks slide right past the locking mechanism in each of the D8000's earcups. I thought these connectors would constantly pull out, but they don't, although it's certainly easier to pull them out than it would be with the stock Final cables that lock in place.

Note: You can buy entire aftermarket cables w/these longer jacks....it needn't be 6' connectors like I did. And you can buy the cables from any vendor you choose, so long as they stock (or can get) longer-than-usual 3.5mm male jacks like these.


Thank you so much for your patience:):)
 
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Mar 13, 2022 at 9:58 AM Post #2,337 of 4,714
I recently purchased the D8000 at a great price from the beloved forum member @betula who made sure I had a great buying experience for my first ever purchase in Classifields.

I have had them for a week, hooked up to my Soloist / Composer stack. D8000 are a definite upgrade over my LCD-X and Arya when it comes to technicalities. They have that authority and ease but at the same time excellent naturalness and timbre qualities. While the stage is smaller than Arya (very few aren't), it feels accurate and never congested - a bit wider than LCD-X to my ears. The imaging is what immediately impressed me over my existing headphones as well as the detail retrieval in the bass frequencies, especially. I have heard people characterizing the dynamics as weak but I disagree - maybe because I come from dynamically weaker headphones like Arya so D8000 seems dynamic and lively to me.

I like out-of-box tonality a lot, relaxed and warm sounding. They do not require EQ but if one wants a bit more energy up top, one can add a few db's in the 3K Hz region.
I can listen to them for hours and I rediscover a lot of music with them. Tracks that may have sounded harsh and piercing now sound smooth and enjoyable without losing the all important detail. It is just feels like there are no glaring weaknesses whatever music I throw at it. Nothing ever sounds "wrong". Very good all-rounder overall.

Aesthetics and build quality are just top-notch. I just love looking at them. They feel extremely solid and appropriate for their price tag.

Just like many others here, I was a bit annoyed about cabling situation - I wish more cable manufacturers offered D8000 / D8000 Pro cable options. I was able to connect it to a silver plated XLR balanced cable that I had laying around and fit well but I will probably look for a better cable, I emailed FAW about the elongated 3.5 mm connector option of their hybrid classic which I like quite a bit.

So yeah, glad I am part of Final Audio D8000 club and I do think that I finally made it into the TOTL audio world with this excellent headphone!
 
Mar 13, 2022 at 11:20 AM Post #2,338 of 4,714
I recently purchased the D8000 at a great price from the beloved forum member @betula who made sure I had a great buying experience for my first ever purchase in Classifields.

I have had them for a week, hooked up to my Soloist / Composer stack. D8000 are a definite upgrade over my LCD-X and Arya when it comes to technicalities. They have that authority and ease but at the same time excellent naturalness and timbre qualities. While the stage is smaller than Arya (very few aren't), it feels accurate and never congested - a bit wider than LCD-X to my ears. The imaging is what immediately impressed me over my existing headphones as well as the detail retrieval in the bass frequencies, especially. I have heard people characterizing the dynamics as weak but I disagree - maybe because I come from dynamically weaker headphones like Arya so D8000 seems dynamic and lively to me.

I like out-of-box tonality a lot, relaxed and warm sounding. They do not require EQ but if one wants a bit more energy up top, one can add a few db's in the 3K Hz region.
I can listen to them for hours and I rediscover a lot of music with them. Tracks that may have sounded harsh and piercing now sound smooth and enjoyable without losing the all important detail. It is just feels like there are no glaring weaknesses whatever music I throw at it. Nothing ever sounds "wrong". Very good all-rounder overall.

Aesthetics and build quality are just top-notch. I just love looking at them. They feel extremely solid and appropriate for their price tag.

Just like many others here, I was a bit annoyed about cabling situation - I wish more cable manufacturers offered D8000 / D8000 Pro cable options. I was able to connect it to a silver plated XLR balanced cable that I had laying around and fit well but I will probably look for a better cable, I emailed FAW about the elongated 3.5 mm connector option of their hybrid classic which I like quite a bit.

So yeah, glad I am part of Final Audio D8000 club and I do think that I finally made it into the TOTL audio world with this excellent headphone!
Welcome to the family,

I used to own the Arya v2 and Clear and loved'em but couldn't justify having 3 HPs while D8K Pro is the better choice for the kind of music I listen to

D8K and D8K Pro deserve to be listened w/ HQ tube amp, it's really an amazing experience even tho they sound good out of a mobile phone
 
Mar 13, 2022 at 1:29 PM Post #2,340 of 4,714
Indeed it is. Have you renounced on the Cayin HA-6A?
Decided to keep it, it sounds too good to sell, and I mean it, too good. I bought 12au7 RCA valves and hiss/hum problem disappeared <3

With KT88 Gold Lion I get the missing bass, midrange is now perfect perfect and sweet and the treble is never bright or piercing so I am not using EQ anymore lol
 

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