[DannyBai]

I've been meaning to throw up some impressions since I've had the HEM8 for a few weeks now.

These don't "wow" me and I believe that's a good thing. Most things that wow me tend to have a short shelf life. These have pleased me since open box. The sound has improved with use and burn but it's always been good. I find the sound to be somewhat flat compared to what I'm use to. Flat but with a warm tilt. I find the bass to be really good. I'm usually not for mid-bass focused bass but these are really inoffensive. Really sounds good with everything I throw at it. Midrange is clear and even. Works with male and female vocals and I can't tell if it's better with one or the other. Both sound good to me. Not recessed or is it too forward. Top end is smooth. No harshness to it. Some might want a little more but for me it's detailed without any bad peaks. I would have to agree with others that imaging is this earphone's strong suit. Spacial cues are spot on and more coherent then the K10's I own. Overall I really like the HEM8 and I think it belongs on my short list of keepers these days.

 

[nmatheis]

Nice impressions DannyBai. Especially agree about spacial cues and upper end that is smooth yet retains good detail, which is honestly the way it should be at this price point.

 

[Dsnuts]

Been listening to the HEM8 tonight. Love the detail and clarity. I think one of best aspects of these is how small the earphones are in comparison to other 3 and 4 driver iems ultimately leading to long term comfort. My IM03s are an ear full and I can see how guys with smaller ears would probably find them uncomfortable in the long run.  Never realized how much design goes into play when dealing with stuffing multi drivers into a housing that will fit most ears, probably a much more difficult task than one would think I bet.  
 
Another aspect that I can definitely appreciate is the build quality of these. I recently bought a new pair of Sony XBA Z5 which is a big brawny earphone but due to the mmcx connectors on them I have to be extra careful with them. I feel these HEM8s actually has the better build on them. They don't feel like they are going to get loose at the connectors. Going with this 2 pin connectors was a great design choice. 

 

[jyri]

  Been listening to the HEM8 tonight. Love the detail and clarity. I think one of best aspects of these is how small the earphones are in comparison to other 3 and 4 driver iems ultimately leading to long term comfort. My IM03s are an ear full and I can see how guys with smaller ears would probably find them uncomfortable in the long run.  Never realized how much design goes into play when dealing with stuffing multi drivers into a housing that will fit most ears, probably a much more difficult task than one would think I bet.  

 
You are absolutely right. And it is not only stuffing the drivers but also utlizing the earpiece itself - similar to what is done with loudspeaker enclosures. Ideally the earpiece shouldn´t resonate, but in reality it always does, so it is about controlling it and taking advantage of it. For example the Lexan polycarbonate, which we use on the HEMs, resonates on such high frequency that it does not interfere the performance. Also, if you look at the inner side of your HEM8 you can see a tiny hole close to the connector. It is there for a reason. 

 
For us our products are always a sort of a marriage between minimalistic industrial design and advanced engineering. We have an in-house industrial design team and the same guy who designed the Primo8 also designed the HEMs. Attached an image from his notebook. You wouldn´t believe how many samples we created just to get the correct look and feel... 
 

 

[Jackpot77]

Well, the Massdrop lucky dip prize arrived at my desk this morning and (true to recent luck) I managed to pull out... an HEM2. Rather than feeling disappointed, I'm actually pretty happy about that after reading the initial impressions on the differing signatures between the models - if it wasn't going to be an HEM8 popping up in mymail box, a little bit of "warm and fun" will fit a lot better into my current IEM collection in the long run so the 2 sounds like it will fit the bill nicely
 
This will be my first all-BA/single BA earphone (been pretty much all hybrid or single dynamics up until now) so also very interested to see how the single BA handles the bass (initial brief listen seems to indicate it does it pretty well) - will hopefully pop up some impressions on here in a few days when I get chance.
 
Good luck to anyone else waiting on the Massdrop boxes arriving - there's one less lower tier prize in the mix now, anyway!

 

[WinterCharm]

Got the HEM 6, and I'm trying to figure out if I want to sell it and spring for the HEM 8 or not

 

[Rebelranger]

  Been listening to the HEM8 tonight. Love the detail and clarity. I think one of best aspects of these is how small the earphones are in comparison to other 3 and 4 driver iems ultimately leading to long term comfort. My IM03s are an ear full and I can see how guys with smaller ears would probably find them uncomfortable in the long run.  Never realized how much design goes into play when dealing with stuffing multi drivers into a housing that will fit most ears, probably a much more difficult task than one would think I bet.  
 
Another aspect that I can definitely appreciate is the build quality of these. I recently bought a new pair of Sony XBA Z5 which is a big brawny earphone but due to the mmcx connectors on them I have to be extra careful with them. I feel these HEM8s actually has the better build on them. They don't feel like they are going to get loose at the connectors. Going with this 2 pin connectors was a great design choice. 

I have to chime in and say that the fit IMHO is stellar. They are not cumbersome or clunky as some of the more well known iems discussed in the audiophile world. I can wear these for hours with no discomfort. I think the quality is top notch and as jyri so excellently stated "For us our products are always a sort of a marriage between minimalistic industrial design and advanced engineering", it really shows on the HEM8.
 
@nmatheis you asked a few posts back if I noticed a difference after removing the tip mod -- now that I tried the tip mod and removed it, I can't say that the tip mod improved the sound by much (rather it changed it) -- but the one thing I have to say is the more time they spend in my ears with no tip mod, the more  I can enjoy the clarity and precision. They seemed to really open up and the darker/unclear aspect is no longer noticed. To me they are refined and on the exquisite side. Paired with my QP1R they are astonishing. With my AR-M2 they are bright yet strong and warm.
 
As with many things, usage over time really is the true measuring stick of how well performance can be proven and the amount of time I've spent with the HEM8s has opened my ears and eyes to how wonderful they are!

 

[Dsnuts]

   
You are absolutely right. And it is not only stuffing the drivers but also utlizing the earpiece itself - similar to what is done with loudspeaker enclosures. Ideally the earpiece shouldn´t resonate, but in reality it always does, so it is about controlling it and taking advantage of it. For example the Lexan polycarbonate, which we use on the HEMs, resonates on such high frequency that it does not interfere the performance. Also, if you look at the inner side of your HEM8 you can see a tiny hole close to the connector. It is there for a reason. 

 
For us our products are always a sort of a marriage between minimalistic industrial design and advanced engineering. We have an in-house industrial design team and the same guy who designed the Primo8 also designed the HEMs. Attached an image from his notebook. You wouldn´t believe how many samples we created just to get the correct look and feel... 
 

 
I think you guys nailed the perfect universal housing design in utilizing more of a tear drop shape vs an oval/ football shape of the primo 8. That little design change makes a big difference in comfort and will definitely fit more ears comfortably.

 

[nmatheis]

Rebelranger: Thanks for chiming in. At first, I greatly appreciated the tip mod Dsnuts tipped me off to. Once HEM8 opened up a bit with use (or I acclimated to them), I found I enjoyed them just as much (maybe even more) with the stock silicon tips.

BTW, I just lent the lineup to a headfi buddy, and he went through a very similar experience as me. HEM2 caught his attention straight away and HEM8 grew on him until it became his favorite in the lineup.

 

[WMah]

anyone throw on custom cables for these? looking to pick up a pair of these as soon as the hem8's get in stock on amazon canada. From the looks of it it looks like the connection port protrudes a bit requiring a bit of a recessed housing for the wire connector for it to sit flush. Originally was eyeing the eidolic 2 pin connectors dhc is selling to make my own cable, but doesn't look like it'd be a good match since the connector area for the eidolics protrude out from the housing rather than being recessed. 

 

[WinterCharm]

jyri (or anyone else who wants to chime in) if you were going to summarize the differences between the HEM 6 and 8, what would you say they were? I'm trying to make a decision between the two.

What would be the biggest differences I would hear?

Thanks!

 

[Hi-Fi EDU]

Thanks for the reply @jyri. If you'd be so kind as to respond to my side question, I'd also greatly appreciate it. I was curious about how the 3BAs of the HEM6 split across the FR? If you can't "give anything away," I get it. Alright...my HEM6 impressions.
 
My TL;DR HEM6 Review
 
My HEM6 impressions align most with the impressions @Armaegis from this thread. Please note: I burned these in for ~35 hours before my final assessment. To my ears, the HEM6 have a darkish sound signature with a strong and deep yet controlled low-end leading the way when the music calls for it. The vocals are clear and not recessed per se but they are somewhat veiled/muted to me. In the presentation, the midrange and treble fall behind the lows but are of decent quality. Consequently, I'm finding that I prefer more upper mid/treble energy than the HEM6 provides. That said, these have impressive imaging, resolution, accessory packaging, isolation and comfort. I'd like a wider soundstage but the depth/layering on show surprised me a little; quite "holographic." This technical proficiency paired with the darkish tone actually makes these a relaxing yet capable listen. Although it's not my favorite tonal signature, I'm pleased to have received these from the Massdrop Blue Box.
 
If interested, my bloated, full review is HERE.
 
 
@Winter Charm Edited out...see below, felt I had to.

 

 

[nmatheis]

Winter Charm: Please check my thoughts on the entire lineup in my HEM8 review (LINK).

BTW: I'll have the lineup up for audition at the Portland, OR meet this weekend. Anyone in the area who wants a listen should stop by!

 

[Jackpot77]

Been listening to the HEM2 for a few days now as my daily driver and initial impressions are good - it's warm although not the "thickest" sound I've ever heard, and there is a nice crispness to the presentation and texture to the music that makes it quite moreish in terms of wanting to listen to more tracks every time you have it in your ears. Not heard any other single-BAs setups, but the bass is surprisingly good compared to what I was expecting - less meaty than some of my current IEM favourites (I'm a big Aurisonics fan, so most things are less meaty than their gear), but the extra breathing space down low does let the texture of the bass notes ring through a bit clearer on some of my favourite test tracks. Fit is also a major plus point - the industrial design @jyri mentioned in one of his previous posts really pays off in both the feel (they are some of the lightest IEMs I have tried) and comfort in-ear. Accessory package is also top-notch - why can't all mid-fi IEM manufacturers send out gear with as many tip options and both a soft carry case AND a hard transport case as the HEM line? And if they could, why can't people follow the Nuforce lead and make the hard carry case big enough to actually hold more gear than an anorexic supermodel's lunchbox? Little things, but they do make a big difference to the overall impression.
 
Will hopefully be able to get a full review (or half-baked ramblings) written up at some point in the next week or so once I have had chance to do some comparisons and give these things a good airing (been on a buying spree recently so have some Cardas A8s and Lear NS-U1s to listen to once I put these down!), but if this is what a properly tuned single BA can do from this manufacturer, I will be very interested to hear some of the other HEM range if I get chance in future. Not sure there will ever be a UK tour, but I'm hoping some of the Massdrop Blue Box prizes might pop up on the FS forums at some point in future for trading etc.

 

[Dsnuts]

I recently bought a new Pono, actually for my XBA Z5 to use for balanced out capabilities and for that purpose it was well worth it. To my surprise I tried out the HEM8 on the pono.
 
This combo is crazy good. Full enveloping sound with this combo, the best I have heard yet using the HEM8 actually.  HEM8 clearly likes some Pono.