Hifiman RE-800
Nov 26, 2018 at 8:16 PM Post #226 of 262
RE800 Silver notes

[No burn in was done, those are first hand notes with RE800Silver, after I managed to unbox them. Powered by xDSD from iFi, no enhancements active, Listen filter]

- The package is clearly more enviromnent friendly
- I don't know about you, but I feel safer walking outside with silvery IEMs rather than golden ones, they look cleaner overall, more fresh, while RE800 Golden look grand but a tad formal.
- The build quality, especially the cable quality seems better than the original RE800. I think that the original may have had its cable upgraded in the meanwhile though
- The ergonomics are still stellar, small, goes in easily, goes out easily, no driver flex, no issue with the fit and comfort
- Instrument separation is really good
- The bass is more even with the rest of the signature now, it is considerably warmer than the golden RE800, which makes it quite a bit more versatile. Now it feels much closer to IE800 than it did before. Which is good, because compared to IE800, RE800Silver is heavenly comfortable.
- There is a dip somewhere in the midrange, and it feels narrow. If someone can take a graph, maybe it will be shown there, because there is a good amount of treble, treble sparkle, but they feel like a certain frequency is de-emphasized somewhere, at least compared to most references I have. It's not like the midrange sounds unnatural, but more like they sound pushed farther away from the listener, in a way where I'd call the soundstage large, and I was listening to Ultrasone Signature before putting those on, and DXP has a large soundstage already.
- On the song Bats - Gamma Ray Burst, the solo guitar is pushed farther away from the solo guitar, compared to RE800 or compared to IE800. I can't complain, the soundstage is huge like this, I am liking what I'm hearing, and compared to RE800, The RE800Silver is not as hot in the upper midrange, so it sounds versatile, fit for a wider range of musical styles.
- With more metal music, I can only say I'm in love, compared to RE800 which was a bit too bright for metal, RE800Silver feels much better. It is still bright, but now it feels more V-shaped, so it works well.
- Piano especially sounds nice and realistic, grand piano sounds grand, organs have excellent presence now, overall, I think that RE800Silver is even better fit for Classical music
- Game Soundtracks, like those produced by Akira Yamaoka are large, imposing, sound correct for the feeling they are supposed to create in the game, overall, a surprisingly good presentation
- With Punk, RE800Silver is a bit too sparkly.
- Most Rock, Metal, Hard, Heavy sounds good.
- Electronic music is helped a lot by the bass, like Bassnectar - Music is the Drug - This song reveals a nice, deep, imposing, textured bass that can respond quickly, but keep its size impressive. Not a tight bass, but still a good quality bass with zero distortion even on extremely bass-heavy songs.
- Still pretty treble-happy, not a grainy treble, rather naturally textured, but pretty well-expressed.
- Female vocals sound really good on those, for example the whole female vocal part on 神波千尋 —Professional Breeders sounds emotional and some upper midrange emphasis gives it a tangible emotion and fluidity to sound natural (Yes, it is a pretty weird song, but still :) )
- No detachable cable though...


I love the new HIFIMAN sound actually, now it really makes sense to call this a worthy upper midrange IEM, versatile, if you listen to anything classical, acoustic, rock, metal EDM, Electronic in general, Dubstep, Avant Garde they'll work really well, comfortable, and well made, with the only downside I am able to find for them being at this moment being that they don't have a detachable cable.

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Mar 25, 2019 at 11:54 PM Post #229 of 262
Mar 31, 2019 at 10:39 PM Post #230 of 262
So this one is quite the gem, eh?
How does the FR balance compare to RE400?
 
Apr 1, 2019 at 5:06 AM Post #231 of 262
Chalk and cheese. The RE800 is sharp vs the RE400 being a lot smoother
 
Apr 1, 2019 at 8:01 PM Post #232 of 262
So this one is quite the gem, eh?
How does the FR balance compare to RE400?

Absolutely, considering it is on sale for 300 USD, RE800 silver is one of the best Price / Performance ratio IEMs on the market, especially if you don't mind having no detachable cables :)

No idea about comparing it to RE400 though.
 
Sep 26, 2020 at 6:04 PM Post #234 of 262
Chalk and cheese. The RE800 is sharp vs the RE400 being a lot smoother

Paul, hope you are well, bud! I might have found the solution to RE800 being "sharp" :D Out of the blue I was asked by Hifiman if I'm interested to check out their upcoming TWS800, based on similar Topology Diaphragm drivers. This one sounds very balanced, natural, still detailed, and non-fatigue. And as a cherry on top, this is true wireless stereo earphone. Just posted my review, including comparison to both RE800 Silver and Gold.

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Jan 10, 2022 at 5:11 AM Post #235 of 262
Apr 19, 2022 at 3:24 PM Post #236 of 262
On the re800 silver, I'm pretty shocked these didn't get more traction. At the £103 I just paid new, I've just picked up one of the most detailed IEMs I've ever heard. Easter sale in their website is $149, got mine from Amazon UK tho. I can't think of any set in my collection (current or sold) that has close to the amount of detail the re800s can reproduce, especially in the upper mids, treble. I can hear why Brooks would call them "sharp", as from certain sources the treble can take prominence, tho 'sharp' could suggest fatiguing, which I don't think they are. On the flip side, a more neutral, thicker sounding source corrects that. They defo need some power.

They seemed to have come down in price fairly rapidly to £250 from their higher opening price point... why? I don't know.

I was fairly meh! at first from my FIIO M6 (HO), but again, from my desktop setup... a neutral/warm DAC, aided by decent amp, they've got very accurate bass and spectacular treble. Sub bass notes are there, but totally bloat free. Vocals slightly drier (at times) than i normally like, but nicely placed in the mix to give a coherent balance with instruments. With my FIIO M6 I'd say they were mid/treble focused, but I'm now hearing a very slight v-shape, which seems to follow suit with most reviews. Soundstage is very wide, decent height... Not the greatest depth front to back, but not a deal breaker or lacking. The overall sound isn't thin sounding, it's got enough size and weight to notes and vocals. My daily listen has been the FIIO FD5 which is very holographic, so I've been spoilt with that... Tho the re800s is wider and cleaner. Stereo imaging is also excellent.

Before the FD5 I always thought I had a good grasp of what good bass was, but they opened me up to much better resolution akin to a near £300 price point. The most I'd ever paid. The re800s has even tighter bass, but it doesn't have the impact and oomph of the FD5. It's very good tho nonetheless. Maybe has a more natural decay given its less boosted. Decay is very good. Double bass resonance is very accurate. I wish plucks would just have a tiny bit more volume.

With the re800s it's the opposite in how I heard good treble. I've now been given insight into what well done, higher level treble can sound like. It's insanely good. Strings, percussion, brass... Wow. Haven't heard such detail. Again, the decay and dynamics are a different level to what I've heard before. I can hear how many individual violins, flutes, trumpets are playing, before, I just heard them as a whole/group. I hear them slowly drop in volume as they flicker out with air. Orchestral music is not my go-to genre, but it's joyous hearing such separation and subtle changes in volume across the orchestra. Brass especially is easier to distinguish and comes thru better. The old, "haven't heard that before" euphoria that we all crave in this hobby came over me many times.

Percussion detail is very good. Great speed. You hear more strikes. Cymbals are accurate, tho with my FIIO M6 they were splashy. Different on desktop. One thing that stood out with some of my music was the amount of subtle background bells and higher pitched instrument notes and microdetails I've missed in favourite songs lol. I even heard an accordion playing in a song I've known all my life that I had no idea was there.

These are a fairly good multi genre IEM. Like any headphone, they sometimes can seem better suited to certain ones, until you hear a particular song and your mind changes instantly.

The re800s is definitely a premium sound. The £250 is not out of sync with their sound performance. £100 is ridiculous?!?! Build wise it's comfy. Maybe the simple cable they come with has been a factor in their popularity? It is very microphonic left down, reminds me of the Final E3000. They fair better over ear with the wee hooks. Sound makes up for that drawback.

I always said when I started that I'd never go over £100, then £150, never £200... Now for the first time, hearing such accurate treble and life-like tone, and excellent dynamics... I do wonder what I've missed out on at even higher price points 🤔.

So for anyone asking about the price drop and suspicious as to why they're so cheap now... I say take it as a bonus. These outperform my fiio FD5 sonically, and they're great, tho the fd5 are tuned more commercial. The re800s are more reference/fun... Not to be mistaken with analytical. Source will maybe sway your opinion on them being too bright leaning, but if you match them correctly, then most online reviews have got them spot on.
 
Apr 21, 2022 at 5:44 PM Post #237 of 262
I've been listening to old Beatles favourites with the re800 silver with a huge smile on my face. In Strawberry Fields Forever - a song I thought I knew outside in - I'm stunned at the details I've never heard before. It's the same with Bowie and ELO tracks. I'm very smitten by this earphone. I thought I'd reached a very good level of transparency with the FD5, but there's no contest. The re800s is better in every way. It only lacks in big weighty subbass response, but far from underwhelming in bass. More than satisfactory.

I tell you what, I respect anyone's opinion on the value of burn-in, but I'm stunned at the changes I'm hearing from the initial OOTB thoughts I had. Even with stock tips and from my FIIO M6 which I thought originally never synced well with it. The changes are so obvious to me, because vocals and bass were very mediocre to me at first... And it's got nothing to do with me getting used to it's sound signature.
 
Jul 6, 2022 at 8:41 AM Post #238 of 262
Very informative impressions, harry. I have had several RE-600s, one of my favorite IEMs of all time. I found the RE-800s on Amazon for $99, so I ordered a set (currently on the way). What tips do you prefer? I have heard that foamies tame the highs a little, but not sure if the 'silver' has been re-tuned to minimize harshness..
 
Jul 10, 2022 at 2:03 PM Post #239 of 262
I know it's an old thread, but huge thanks to all of you guys for posting here. It made get re 800 silver and those are the best comfort + sound package I ever had, so they are now my daily (nightly to be more specific 😆) drivers. Just wanted to say thank you.
 
Aug 5, 2022 at 7:09 AM Post #240 of 262
I have also finished my review on HIFIMAN RE800 Silver! :)

Amazing deal, they are just 300 USD straight from HIFIMAN right now!

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/2019/03/true-slayer-hifiman-re800-silver-iems-review.html

HIFIMAN-RE800-Silver-RE800Silver-IEMs-Earphones-In-Ears-Review-Audiophile-Heaven-42.jpg







They have also been introcued to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame! This page includes many other good products that I reviewed before, and I invite you to take a look in there as well!

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/hall-of-fame.html

Hallf%2BOf%2BFame%2B-%2BAudiophile-Heaven%2B-%2B2%2B-%2BProcessed%2B-%2BVer2%2BSundy%2BRe.jpg
This was a stellar review, and based on it (and the fact that HIFIMAN has now reduced the price to $99 USD) I have ordered, can’t wait to hear. If they are half as good as you say it’s a veritable steal! Thanks
 

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