[balvan]

I already own the D8000 PRO, but if I had heard about this before, I'm not sure I would have gotten a pair. Brands that charge so much for a pair of headphones should give timely and responsive service and answer customers directly, like other companies do. I would have called their HQ at Japan if it was me. This service from Final is unacceptable in my opinion. do they have any representatives here (I guess not)?

Small Japanese companies still struggle to maintain contact with the west as English is a real problem there, I guess final just think they can work through wholesalers and middle-men, but as we can see, that doesn't result in acceptable service.

 

[Qna89]

I already own the D8000 PRO, but if I had heard about his before, I'm not sure I would have gotten a pair. Brands that charge so much for a pair of headphones should give timely and responsive service and answer customers directly, like other companies do. I would have called their HQ at Japan if it was me. This service from Final is unacceptable in my opinion. do they have any representatives here (I guess not)?

Small Japanese companies still struggle to maintain contact with the west as English is a real problem there, I guess final just think they can work through wholesalers and middle-men, but as we can see, that doesn't result in acceptable service.

I always thought that Japan customer service is out of this world. In a positive way I guess it is not. Is it really that bad?

 

[julien-hifi]

I have to be honest, i will avoid this brand in the future. I have a friend who had a d8000 with a driver failure too. It took over 3 months also to get his headphone back. It’s the 2nd time, and i am experiencing the same troubles.
It’s a shame because FA headphone are among the best.
I will post again when the headphone is really back to me, not yet a done thing..

 

[Pharmaboy]

Damn...this thread has taken a depressing turn. my blood runs cold when I read about driver failures. despite owning a couple elderly audeze planars (pre-fazor LCD-2 & LCD-3), I only experience that once (w/a Kennerton headphone). The PITA level was off-the-charts.

On a more positive note: last night did some listening w/my D8000 w/the Pro's "G" pads powered by the Violectric V281 with signal from the Orchid DAC. Some would consider this slightly warm+warm+warm (must = treacle). Nope. It was the oppositve: clearly high resolution that's fun to listen to and easy to like (it's a great headphone).

 

[Slim1970]

Damn...this thread has taken a depressing turn. my blood runs cold when I read about driver failures. despite owning a couple elderly audeze planars (pre-fazor LCD-2 & LCD-3), I only experience that once (w/a Kennerton headphone). The PITA level was off-the-charts.

On a more positive note: last night did some listening w/my D8000 w/the Pro's "G" pads powered by the Violectric V281 with signal from the Orchid DAC. Some would consider this slightly warm+warm+warm (must = treacle). Nope. It was the oppositve: clearly high resolution that's fun to listen to and easy to like (it's a great headphone).

My D8K Pro’s are still going strong and sound amazing. No issues with my set.

 

[Cain1916]

I have to be honest, i will avoid this brand in the future. I have a friend who had a d8000 with a driver failure too. It took over 3 months also to get his headphone back. It’s the 2nd time, and i am experiencing the same troubles.
It’s a shame because FA headphone are among the best.
I will post again when the headphone is really back to me, not yet a done thing..

It is true that the repair time of Final headphones is very long. I also waited over 3 months for the socket to be repaired, and the repair cost was high.

 

[jlbrach]

that would keep me from owning it to be honest

 

[Tano]

Sadly, this is something very common with japanese brands. They take a lot of time to solve warranty issues and the communication isn't the best, specially if you don't speak japanese.
It's clear that there's a lot of room for improvement in that regard from Final Audio.

 

[cobrabucket]

Do you guys know if cables forthe D8000 etc will work on HiFi man or Focal headphones? It looks like it should fit, but I was unsure about the locking mechanism. Thanks!

 

[adrianm]

Do you guys know if cables forthe D8000 etc will work on HiFi man or Focal headphones? It looks like it should fit, but I was unsure about the locking mechanism. Thanks!

They should, my Z1R also has locking cables and I tested the Susvara last weekend using the cables with no problems.

 

[julien-hifi]

Hey guys,
I got the headphone today, in perfect working condition, that ends this story.
It took long time, and as said before, it is something abnormal to have to wait 3 months to service a headphone, even in Japan. This doesn't remove the fact this headphone is in my top 3 tier for me.
Thank you for your support, it ended well in the end.
Ad yes i am going to sell it, not because of this bad experience, but rather because i prefer the Susvara performance with my system.
Cheers

 

[Qna89]

Hey guys,
I got the headphone today, in perfect working condition, that ends this story.
It took long time, and as said before, it is something abnormal to have to wait 3 months to service a headphone, even in Japan. This doesn't remove the fact this headphone is in my top 3 tier for me.
Thank you for your support, it ended well in the end.
Ad yes i am going to sell it, not because of this bad experience, but rather because i prefer the Susvara performance with my system.
Cheers

Glad to hear it ended well. All the best and enjoy Your headphones it will be like new experience after so long period

 

[buffer]

question - has anyone compared the ndh-30 to the d8000 pro? i own the d8000 and the d8000 pro. the d8000 i loved for its dyamic and impactful energy, but i thought the bass was a bit heavy and not as tight as i would like. i was also looking for slightly more forward midrange/vocals. then the d8000 pro came out and i felt it addressed the bass. would i have liked a bit more thump? maybe, initially, but whether due to burn in or other factors, i really enjoy the d8000 pro bass. i find it nearly perfect. one area i 'stuggled' with a bit - i felt the d8000 pro may have been slightly heavy in the lower midrange. in combination with slight brightness in upper mids, i wouldn't call it v-shaped, but i wanted vocals to pop and heart of the midrange to be just a touch more prominent. but to be honest, i find the overall tonal frequency to be as close to perfect for me as any headphone i have tried. I do think, over time, the unit continued to change, got a little warmer and softer and lost a touch of clarity. i really want a sharp, crisp, well balanced sound. soundstage is also important to me and i like the soundstage. the d8000/pro can be very immersive and sound live to me. it's largely a neutral headphone with supreme technical ability. so why do i write this? to give perspective. i really love the headphone.

i was surprised that the neumann ndh-30 sounded better to my ears. it was more dynamic, had a slightly more neutral midrange, as in not a lot of extra warmth in the vocals. it sounds more 'right' to me. i have compared the d8000 pro to numerous flagships over the years and never found one that i preferred, so this is kind of shocking to me. the ndh-30 rivals or exceeds the d8000 pro in clarity and detail and impact and tonal balance, but in a very natural way. that said, i do think the d8000 pro's treble may be slightly better - more detailed and slightly more extended/prominent, which i like, but overall, the ndh-30 has overtaken my preference.

I would still rate the d8000 pro as my number 1. why? the ndh-30 has a small driver, asymetrically located in the cup that makes the headphone positionally sensitive. it's not hard to get the right position for optimal sound, but it is annoying and i do not care for the sound when the headphone isn't positioned just right. i have to push the cans all the way back so that the front of the ear cup opening is against the front of my ear - front of my ear meaning part of the ear closest to my face. i can get almost as good of sound without so much care in positioning the 8000 pro. but until recently, i would have been shocked by saying the d8000 pro was almost as good.

anyone have a similar experience?

 

[Tano]

question - has anyone compared the ndh-30 to the d8000 pro? i own the d8000 and the d8000 pro. the d8000 i loved for its dyamic and impactful energy, but i thought the bass was a bit heavy and not as tight as i would like. i was also looking for slightly more forward midrange/vocals. then the d8000 pro came out and i felt it addressed the bass. would i have liked a bit more thump? maybe, initially, but whether due to burn in or other factors, i really enjoy the d8000 pro bass. i find it nearly perfect. one area i 'stuggled' with a bit - i felt the d8000 pro may have been slightly heavy in the lower midrange. in combination with slight brightness in upper mids, i wouldn't call it v-shaped, but i wanted vocals to pop and heart of the midrange to be just a touch more prominent. but to be honest, i find the overall tonal frequency to be as close to perfect for me as any headphone i have tried. I do think, over time, the unit continued to change, got a little warmer and softer and lost a touch of clarity. i really want a sharp, crisp, well balanced sound. soundstage is also important to me and i like the soundstage. the d8000/pro can be very immersive and sound live to me. it's largely a neutral headphone with supreme technical ability. so why do i write this? to give perspective. i really love the headphone.

i was surprised that the neumann ndh-30 sounded better to my ears. it was more dynamic, had a slightly more neutral midrange, as in not a lot of extra warmth in the vocals. it sounds more 'right' to me. i have compared the d8000 pro to numerous flagships over the years and never found one that i preferred, so this is kind of shocking to me. the ndh-30 rivals or exceeds the d8000 pro in clarity and detail and impact and tonal balance, but in a very natural way. that said, i do think the d8000 pro's treble may be slightly better - more detailed and slightly more extended/prominent, which i like, but overall, the ndh-30 has overtaken my preference.

I would still rate the d8000 pro as my number 1. why? the ndh-30 has a small driver, asymetrically located in the cup that makes the headphone positionally sensitive. it's not hard to get the right position for optimal sound, but it is annoying and i do not care for the sound when the headphone isn't positioned just right. i have to push the cans all the way back so that the front of the ear cup opening is against the front of my ear - front of my ear meaning part of the ear closest to my face. i can get almost as good of sound without so much care in positioning the 8000 pro. but until recently, i would have been shocked by saying the d8000 pro was almost as good.

anyone have a similar experience?

Law of diminishing returns is always there and you might find cheaper products that gives you similar or even better results for your tastes. The thing is if you'll be happy swapping the Nhd 30 for the D8K pros. You might end up missing some traits that the D8K pro gives you even considering that you are paying a very high amount for them.
That's something that you need to find out by yourself.

 

[audiocroissant]

Not surprised re dynamics and impact, typical dynamic vs planar difference. My Elegia beats D8K handiliy in that.

Is the bass of ndh-30 really on par with D8KP in terms of quality and extension? What kind of genres are you basing this on?

Regarding resolution and detail retrieval, you previously compared D8KP to Susvara favorably so that would make ndh-30 in the ballpark of the best ever which is incredible.