FLC Technology FLC8 and FLC8s Impressions Thread

[willowbrook]

Some iem units can be more forgiving of bad sources in my view. I never had issues with the flc 8s

I thought stock tips were great with flc8s with my loaner pair. But spiral dots made the lz a2 come alive. When I order the flc I will try out the spirals

When do these go on sale next? Might sell my FIIO x3 as partial payment. Mt old x3 paid for part of my Shanling

I admit a certain fondness for the X3 ii

Too many good toys

I don't think there will be a sale anytime soon.. @Flcforrestwei said that he has seen negative impact due to the big sale during Nov. 2015.

 

[nmatheis]

originalsnuffy: They're on sale at LMUE for $333 right now (LINK).

 

[jarnopp]

Some iem units can be more forgiving of bad sources in my view. I never had issues with the flc 8s

I thought stock tips were great with flc8s with my loaner pair. But spiral dots made the lz a2 come alive. When I order the flc I will try out the spirals

When do these go on sale next? Might sell my FIIO x3 as partial payment. Mt old x3 paid for part of my Shanling

I admit a certain fondness for the X3 ii

Too many good toys

I agree on the spiral dots. I tried the SpinFits and found the sound tilted up (decreased bass and increased treble) compared to the Spiral Dots. Maybe I need the next size up on the Spin Fits, but I felt like the seal was good. Anyone else have a comparison between these two tips?

 

[willowbrook]

I agree on the spiral dots. I tried the SpinFits and found the sound tilted up (decreased bass and increased treble) compared to the Spiral Dots. Maybe I need the next size up on the Spin Fits, but I felt like the seal was good. Anyone else have a comparison between these two tips?

Definitely need to size up if bass is weak and increased treble. I switched up from using smalls size for a week to medium yesterday and the difference was noticeable. Bass, treble quantity, and soundstage were the biggest differences. You want them to kind of seal a big area in your ear rather than getting it deep inside without too much seal. Tip size that is typically uncomfortable at first insert tends to ease out over time.
 
The bass and treble quantity difference was noticeable as in black filter w/ small tips was not enough bass to grey filter w/ medium tips was plenty enough, even maybe a little more than I would like. Treble was very harsh, too sparkly w/ small tips to just enough treble with sense of air right below the level of becoming sibilant w/ medium tips. That's how much seal and insert depth matters (YMMV as always). Felt the same with stock tips. Going from xsm to small made a world of difference. I feel medium size for spinfit is similar size to small stock, for me spinfit stays in much better and more comfortable (YMMV as always). If you can get a better fit on spinfits than stock, bass definitely improves. Other than that, very similar for the rest of the spectrum and other aspects.

 

[jarnopp]

Definitely need to size up if bass is weak and increased treble. I switched up from using smalls size for a week to medium yesterday and the difference was noticeable. Bass, treble quantity, and soundstage were the biggest differences. You want them to kind of seal a big area in your ear rather than getting it deep inside without too much seal. Tip size that is typically uncomfortable at first insert tends to ease out over time.

The bass and treble quantity difference was noticeable as in black filter w/ small tips was not enough bass to grey filter w/ medium tips was plenty enough, even maybe a little more than I would like. Treble was very harsh, too sparkly w/ small tips to just enough treble with sense of air right below the level of becoming sibilant w/ medium tips. That's how much seal and insert depth matters (YMMV as always). Felt the same with stock tips. Going from xsm to small made a world of difference. I feel medium size for spinfit is similar size to small stock, for me spinfit stays in much better and more comfortable (YMMV as always). If you can get a better fit on spinfits than stock, bass definitely improves. Other than that, very similar for the rest of the spectrum and other aspects.

Thanks. I'll try a pair of mediums. Any idea as to the overall signature of the Spin Fits vs the Spiral Dots?

 

[willowbrook]

Thanks. I'll try a pair of mediums. Any idea as to the overall signature of the Spin Fits vs the Spiral Dots?

Haven't tried spiral dots, so can't comment on that sorry. I will probably get spiral dots if they come on group buy, too expensive to buy single pairs for many sizes. However, spin fits and stock tips sound almost identical for me except for bass which is seal dependent. The medium spinfit and smalls stock also feel about the same size in my ear, but the way the stock tips are shaped at the tip (wide round-ish) just prevents me from getting a good seal and gives me a hard time keeping it in. If this is the case, spinfits mediums will do for sure.

 

[willowbrook]

Removing the memory wire part on stock flc8s cable improved comfort further for me if you are having trouble with them. Might as well try them first if you planned on getting another cable. All you need is a quality nail clipper

 

[hakuzen]

making your DIY hybrids/symbio (silicone+foam) tips


















you can use any tube to make the hole, according with the desired diameter for your tips.
examples:
https://www.fasttech.com/p/9563900
https://www.fasttech.com/products/2396900

you can choose your desired foams. dense, light, etc.

you can avoid making the hole (already made), if you use this type of foams:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1052204391.html
just cut desired length, and fit in.

edit:
added updated links, etc.

 

[terminexia]

Hi guys! Might be taking the plunge soon and getting myself a pair tomorrow from LMUE but I just wanna confirm something(s).
Is there any way to buy replaceable earpieces in the event one side fails before the other due to reasons which voids the warranty?

Also, how big of a step up am I going to see if I'm moving up from the likes of the AD01 and Havi's? And more importantly, does the FLC8S pair well with the DX80(I mainly listen to japanese songs btw)?

Thanks!

 

[willowbrook]

  Hi guys! Might be taking the plunge soon and getting myself a pair tomorrow from LMUE but I just wanna confirm something(s).
Is there any way to buy replaceable earpieces in the event one side fails before the other due to reasons which voids the warranty?

Also, how big of a step up am I going to see if I'm moving up from the likes of the AD01 and Havi's? And more importantly, does the FLC8S pair well with the DX80(I mainly listen to japanese songs btw)?

Thanks!

Uh, I mean if you happen to run it over or something, warranty would not cover that, but if it just stops working without any physical damage, LMUE has excellent aftersale service. 

 

[terminexia]

  Uh, I mean if you happen to run it over or something, warranty would not cover that, but if it just stops working without any physical damage, LMUE has excellent aftersale service. 

Yeap haha. Experienced LMUE's fantastic after-sales service firsthand. Exchanged my pair of Havi's with them before(They had the cracking issue). Just sent them photos and they said yeap it's covered and told me to just drop by. Did the exchange on the spot.

But anyway, what I mean is if they have something like the AD01 where you can buy the drivers separate from the main package. The IEMs will fall out of warranty eventually and after that if anything happens(like one side failing before the other), it'll be nice to have options to replace the failed side.

 

[nmatheis]

Spoiler

definitely, i'm using medium grey stock tips.

spiral dots (M) also sound ok to my ears, maybe slightly v-shaped; not bad, considering i'm using gold filter for mids.

in case of needing better isolation, this is my easy way to build hybrid (silicone+foam) tips:
























the tube used to drill the foams is this one: https://www.fasttech.com/p/3895900 ($1.79, 5.48 OD)
foams used are very cheap as well.

btw, about the silver upgrade cable, does it improve mids and highs resolution and clarity significantly? does it keep bass response even (i've heard too thin silver wires can limit bass response)?

Nice guide for making Sony Isolation Hybrid style tips on the cheap. Forgive my ignorance, but where do you get those scissors?

EDIT: Nevermind, I found them. They're thread snippers.

 

[willowbrook]

  Yeap haha. Experienced LMUE's fantastic after-sales service firsthand. Exchanged my pair of Havi's with them before(They had the cracking issue). Just sent them photos and they said yeap it's covered and told me to just drop by. Did the exchange on the spot.

But anyway, what I mean is if they have something like the AD01 where you can buy the drivers separate from the main package. The IEMs will fall out of warranty eventually and after that if anything happens(like one side failing before the other), it'll be nice to have options to replace the failed side.

Directly contact @Flcforrestwei if you need spare parts or need something fixed. I would assume forrest would fix it for you, no guarantee of free of cost though. Not sure really. These are sturdy though.

 

[JustJoseph]

Went to lmue and tried these with the "balanced" filter. Sound wise, their vocals is similar to shure. To some it may sound muffled, esp the lower mids, but to some it may sound rich and lush. I don't know how to explain this, but it's definitely a coloured sound. I listen to sennheisers, hifiman, grados, Beyer cans and their vocals sound natural and a lot different from shure/flc vocals. It seems like they altered the vocals to sound lusher at the expense of clarity.

Also, I disagree with those who say shure se846 has worse technical performance than the flc8s. Shure just has much better bass that sounds unlike anything I've heard in an iem and better microdetail and imaging. But props to flc 8 to having a good price performance ratio.

 

[willowbrook]

Went to lmue and tried these with the "balanced" filter. Sound wise, their vocals is similar to shure. To some it may sound muffled, esp the lower mids, but to some it may sound rich and lush. I don't know how to explain this, but it's definitely a coloured sound. I listen to sennheisers, hifiman, grados, Beyer cans and their vocals sound natural and a lot different from shure/flc vocals. It seems like they altered the vocals to sound lusher at the expense of clarity.

Also, I disagree with those who say shure se846 has better technical performance than the flc8s. Shure just has much better bass that sounds unlike anything I've heard in an iem and better microdetail and imaging. But props to flc 8 to having a good price performance ratio.

Highly depends on tips fit and source, but it is definitely a bit "colored" and it sounds magical. All I do is just focus on mids and bass when I'm listening to these, there is just enough treble for me to hear.