FLC Technology FLC8 and FLC8s Impressions Thread
May 16, 2020 at 3:47 AM Post #7,817 of 7,931
Hi all! I've absolutely LOVED listening to my FLC8s (red/grey/gunmetal) for the past two years. But now I'm thinking of upgrading to something newer. Has anyone found a sub-$400 IEM that sounds significantly better than the now, kind of old FLC8s? I feel like something must have come out in the last couple years that'd be a real upgrade, but digging through the forums is getting really confusing.

I totally trust FLC with my ears...like I said I've adored the 8s. But it looks like the 8n/d aren't a huge upgrade (also already kind of old) and I haven't seen anything about the FLC9 in the last year. From my research so far it's looking like my options are the LZ A6, the Toneking T88k, Moondrop Blessing 2 (although it looks like it might be way less comfortable than the FLC8s) the FiiO FH7, or maybe the IMR R2 Aten or some other newer IMR product. I don't really need filter switching (never play with the ones on my 8s)...it just seems like a lot of the best IEM in this price point that people have compared to the 8s seem to have that feature.

To be honest, I don't know much about sound signatures per se...only that I love the FLC8s on the red/grey/gunmetal tunning. Any advice would be seriously appreciated.

Thanks!

Had my A6 delivered a couple days ago, and to me it's definitely next level in a lot of ways, including bass response, soundstage, & detail/clarity. FLC8S is more comfortable and might have a sweeter mid-range, but I'd say the A6 is an upgrade.
 
Jul 6, 2020 at 8:51 AM Post #7,818 of 7,931
I tried these on a tour when they came out; was going to write a review but my life got overwhelmed.

Well, just to do it justice (ok a most level), I've decided to buy finally buy it. Thanks @nmatheis for the sweet oppty to hear how wonderful they are in the first place lol.

For the hardcookies out there, what I've to say is no surprise:
- These are slowly being phased out, so best get your copy.
- Hands down, ONE OF THE BEST MIDS in the sub 500$ category.
- ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE SOLOISTS spotlight iems; it even competes with my Oriolus MK2 which covers the opposite spectrum. They are complementary because they are opposite in character; I'm able to pretty much cover any vocal genre/ gender/ recording with these two and every singer sounds just about right!

- more input to come!
 
Jul 6, 2020 at 6:45 PM Post #7,819 of 7,931
Yeah the FLC8S and the 8D (the only two I have owned) are really great. Plus, at least for me, they are super comfortable for use while preparing for sleep and actually sleeping with music on.

They pair really well with the Cayin N5II but sound just fine with everything else also.

And I also thank Nick for turning us on to these.
 
Jul 7, 2020 at 4:38 AM Post #7,820 of 7,931
I might be open to selling my FLC8s if anyone cares to try them out (complete with box + upgrade silver cable & new set of filters). I've been meaning to consolidate all of my IEMs into one upper tier model for some time now but never got to actually do it.

That said, intention to sell applies to all of the IEMs in my signature (all in mint condition including extras) as well as my Sennheiser HD600 (new original pads; minor cosmetic dent on the right grill). Feel free to drop me a PM if interested.
 
Jul 7, 2020 at 10:53 AM Post #7,821 of 7,931
Had my A6 delivered a couple days ago, and to me it's definitely next level in a lot of ways, including bass response, soundstage, & detail/clarity. FLC8S is more comfortable and might have a sweeter mid-range, but I'd say the A6 is an upgrade.
I don't have the LZ A6; but do own the A2 and for a while had either the 4 or 5 (can't really remember which) but returned them to Amazon. I returned the higher end LZ pair as I liked my FLC8D better. When I had the FLC8S I was also a red - grey - gunmetal person. For me it is hard to beat the comfort of the FLC8 series and I like the way they balance precision with musicality. I do think there is such a thing as a "side grade" where you buy another set of IEMs just to have a different sound signature. The ThieAudio Legacy 3 fits that bill well for me.

Say, does anybody know much about buying cables for the 8D or 8S other than from FLC? Those are supposed to be standard .78 but I thought there might be some gotchas....
 
Jul 15, 2020 at 3:15 AM Post #7,822 of 7,931
I don't have the LZ A6; but do own the A2 and for a while had either the 4 or 5 (can't really remember which) but returned them to Amazon. I returned the higher end LZ pair as I liked my FLC8D better. When I had the FLC8S I was also a red - grey - gunmetal person. For me it is hard to beat the comfort of the FLC8 series and I like the way they balance precision with musicality. I do think there is such a thing as a "side grade" where you buy another set of IEMs just to have a different sound signature. The ThieAudio Legacy 3 fits that bill well for me.

Say, does anybody know much about buying cables for the 8D or 8S other than from FLC? Those are supposed to be standard .78 but I thought there might be some gotchas....
They are not 0.78mm pins but 0.74. So using the standard 0.78mm would be too big and could stretch out / damage the pin holes.
So how would you compare the L3 with the 8s?
 
Jul 15, 2020 at 9:19 AM Post #7,824 of 7,931
Nov 29, 2020 at 7:12 PM Post #7,827 of 7,931
Are there any wireless earphones that rival these? I've had them I think for 4 years, but my lg v20 got stuck at the boot screen, so I got to join the headphone jack-less era. Or maybe I'll get a DAC adapter.

Not sure at all about wireless earphones but i see two good alternatives

get a LG G6 or Q6. you can find them in used but like-new condition for $70-80. or just a v20 again
or
get the EarStudio ES100 MK2. it's a tiny wireless/bluetooth DAC that gives you perfect audio quality with any phone.
 
Nov 29, 2020 at 7:33 PM Post #7,828 of 7,931
Are there any wireless earphones that rival these? I've had them I think for 4 years, but my lg v20 got stuck at the boot screen, so I got to join the headphone jack-less era. Or maybe I'll get a DAC adapter.

You can get another V20 for under $100, the choice is obvious. I had the S10 and V60 and gave them back. I am now at my 3rd V20, so far I couldn't find another phone that I like more so I'll keep this one for now.
 
Nov 29, 2020 at 7:45 PM Post #7,829 of 7,931
Not sure at all about wireless earphones but i see two good alternatives

get a LG G6 or Q6. you can find them in used but like-new condition for $70-80. or just a v20 again
or
get the EarStudio ES100 MK2. it's a tiny wireless/bluetooth DAC that gives you perfect audio quality with any phone.

Sounds good. I'm going to go look up some reviews on that DAC. Some of the other ones I look at on another thread had some iffy reviews. I think I'm done with those LG phones. I read about the boot loop issue before purchasing and thought "nothing will happen to me. They probably just didn't take care of the phone."

You can get another V20 for under $100, the choice is obvious. I had the S10 and V60 and gave them back. I am now at my 3rd V20, so far I couldn't find another phone that I like more so I'll keep this one for now.

3rd v20... Yeah, definitely not about to do that. I just upgraded to a flagship. I read that their phones had quality issues before I bought it, but I was one of those "it won't happen to me" people at the time. I definitely take complaints about quality issues seriously now. I'm looking forward the 120 hz refresh rate, 1300 nits brightness, giant screen, and HDR 10 on the phone I just ordered.
 
Nov 29, 2020 at 8:58 PM Post #7,830 of 7,931
FWIW, I can sell my ES100/FLC8S combo if anyone is interested.
 

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