Oh my.
So after my first pair of FLC8S blew a gasket (literally) I decided on a whim to jump on the QT5 hype train, which derailed brutally, wounding nearly everyone aboard. Immense buyer's remorse set in immediately, and was exacerbated by $80 I lost on shipping & handling charges—money I didn't exactly have laying around, stuffed in mattresses. I realized my mistake and went back to the FLC8S, which I never should have abandoned in the first place. My new pair arrived yesterday morning.
Why did I ever cheat on them? What was wrong with me!? These things are incredible! Their clarity, spaciousness, transparency, and effortless reproduction of everything I throw at them is unparalleled among my collection. They're relaxed when you want them to be and vibrantly dynamic when it's called for. Instrumental separation is nothing short of astounding, and the best part is that they are, bar none, the most comfortable IEMs I have ever used in my life. I pulled them out of the box with the default tips equipped, popped them in, and realized immediately that I could barely feel them at all. The FLC8S are so light, ergonomic, and gentle on my ears that when I lay back and close my eyes I can completely forget that I'm wearing headphones at all: the music just seems to be emanating from the air around my head—outside of my head—and flowing through my ears like water.
What an incredible experience!
Last night, while drifting off to Lunatic Soul's "Suspended in Whiteness" on infinite repeat, I felt like I was sinking into a sonic lake. Waves of sound lapped at my fingertips while I floated gently across the song's ethereal beauty. I inhaled, released, and sank beneath the surface, rising and falling in perfect synchronicity with the cadence.
I awoke hours later with the IEMs still secured in my ears. They were every bit as comfortable as they had been when I'd first plugged them in.
Wow.
Yeah, these things are pretty much an insane value. I'd like to apologize to FLC for having jumped ship over a tiny defect that nobody else has reported. I was wrong. Please forgive me. I'm back, and I'm sorry. I won't ever cheat on you again.
---
I'm also impressed at how FLC has clearly taken our feedback seriously and improved the design already. My first pair of 8S had fairly useless heat shrink wrap as a y-splitter and cable cinch. This pair has proper components made of matching blue plastic, and the cinch has exactly the right amount of grip to it. It makes the total package just that much sexier. I've also noticed they cleaned up their user manual and improved the English grammar and spelling. Huge kudos for taking the time and effort, FLC!
My new pair has noticeable driver flex and a few minor imperfections in the cable (imperfect twisting and one side is about a centimeter longer above the y-split), so FLC clearly has some room for improvement; however, these look, feel, and sound like I would imagine a flagship product ought to.