[EagleWings]

Thanks. Sorry, don't have an 8S on me to offer that comparison.

If someone can loan me an 8S for a few days, I'll be happy to add a comaparison to the review.

 

[originalsnuffy]

Twister, (or Eaglewings? One and the same?) thanks for the review. I am trying to get a handle on how much of an upgrade this will be to the 8S or 8D.
Also, any thoughts relative to the iBasso IT-04? That is getting a lot of great reviews, and I must say the IT-01 is pretty good.

 

[EagleWings]

I’m just a guest reviewer for Twister6.com. Alex (Twister6) has the iBasso IEMs. So I am unable to offer comparisons with the iBasso IEMs. I bought an 8D and I might be getting an 8S for loan too. I will try to get some comparisons out soon.

 

[Zelda]

I got the 8N and must say the clarity is impressive.
as for the obvious question whether it's an upgrade over the 8S, i should get to try the 8S soon

 

[csglinux]

I got the 8N and must say the clarity is impressive.
as for the obvious question whether it's an upgrade over the 8S, i should get to try the 8S soon

As you say, that's the obvious question, because the clarity is impressive on the 8S too. I strongly suspect that aside from improved build quality and different--sized connector pins and (maybe?) extremely marginal differences due to the different acoustic responses of plastic and metal housings, we're basically looking at the same headphone here.

That's not to say people won't prefer the sound of the 8N. I'm sure some people will say that. I'm sure some people will believe that. But our brains are fallible. Give us two idential glasses of wine, one with a more expensive price tag, and we're helpless victims of neurochemistry.

It may also be impossible to do a blind A/B, because you'll feel the difference from plastic to cold metal in your ears.

I guess I'm a bit disappointed that the 8N wasn't used as an opportunity to improve the FR. There's not a lot wrong with the 8S to begin with, but if it were possible - I'd reduce the lower treble a bit to tame the brightness, and focus more energy in the 10+ kHz range. I know that's difficult to do without electrostatic drivers, but CA managed to do it with BAs in the Andromeda. (Unfortunately Andros have disastrous ergonomics - nowhere near as good as the 8S/8N).

 

[Zelda]

apart from the metal shells and a bit different shape, there is what is seems to be a 3 hole vent at the inner side of them

 

[csglinux]

apart from the metal shells and a bit different shape, there is what is seems to be a 3 hole vent at the inner side of them

Interesting! That could be the key to the claimed wider sound-stage. So perhaps the cheaper option for existing 8S owners is just a Dremel and a fine drill bit?

 

[Zelda]

wouldn't be surprised if that's helping in improving the stage, and maybe having more room inside the shells. the 8D also has the same design

 

[470221]

Maybe I write something, having had 8S, sold them, now I'm on 8N
If someone expect wider soundstage than in previous model, 8N are amazing. Mine are not yet fully burned, but right now there is a big step forward from 8S.
Rest is the same - metal box, filters, tips, except the cable - it has 0,78 pins.

 

[Flcforrestwei]

Regards 8s and 8n, here are some words we want to say.
1. We never ever cheating our customers.
2. We did change an armature, the new armature is from another armature brand name, but we Don ' t want reveal the name.
3. We did some earphone construction improvement to make the instrument placement more accurate, this is construction change, not material change.

 

[Nalin]

So looks like imporvemnet in sepeartion is coming from new armatures and improvement in soundstage is due to placement of drivers inside a better designed shell with holes.

 

[EagleWings]

In most cases, vents like these are added for the purpose of either; reducing reversing pressure on a driver diaphragm in a closed chamber or improving sub-bass response or both. As a result, the soundstage itself can appear airy, but it won't help place instruments farther. An IEM's ability to place instruments farther (dimensions of the soundstage) is dependent on so many factors such as; IEM tuning, shell characteristics, driver characteristics, driver placement, resolution, internal reflections and resonance in acoustic chambers etc..

 

[fahadj2003]

someone do an fr curve with grey grey grey

 

[Asspirin]

My understanding in that the FLC8D simply IS an FLC8N with red-grey ULF/LF tuning. (@Flcforrestwei, please correct me if I'm wrong.)
If so, then 1) haven't you made the wrong comparison? and 2) if you'd made the right comparison, there shouldn't have been any comparison to make, because they should have sounded absolutely identical.

What am I overlooking here?

I have said it in the past and I will say it again: This guy is regularly posting random stuff about audio gear he has never owned or even heard.

 

[originalsnuffy]

I have the 8D and use it with the gunmetal filter. I also have the 8S and tune it red ULF, grey LF, gunmetal MF/HF.

The both sound great to me, and fairly similar. Perhaps a tad more bass with the 8D....but nothing huge.

I think both sound great. If the 8D is more of the 8N than the 8S then I might conclude that the 8N is a relatively subtle upgrade from the 8S.

But then again I think these IEMs are really something special in general. I would not consider it a negative that the 8N has a lot of similarities to the 8S.