As @Dobrescu George says, liking the HEM2 does not mean you will enjoy the 8. It’s not a linear upgrade, with the same signature executed better; each item in the HEM line is tuned differently and it’s possible to love one and really dislike another.
HIDIZS Sonata HD DAC should be able to drive HEM8 fairly well for that price
But, I am not sure if I would recommend HEM8 in particular as an upgrade to HEM2, it is much much more detailed, much better balanced, and also more comfortable, but the overall tuning is a little different. If you are really into your HEM2, then you can give it a go, but make sure you have some reutrn policy
HIDIZS Sonata HD DAC should be able to drive HEM8 fairly well for that price
But, I am not sure if I would recommend HEM8 in particular as an upgrade to HEM2, it is much much more detailed, much better balanced, and also more comfortable, but the overall tuning is a little different. If you are really into your HEM2, then you can give it a go, but make sure you have some reutrn policy
. The 300 euro deal includes taxes and a standard 2 year warranty.
Unfortunately, the store does not allow returns on IEMs due to reasons associated with hygiene. Judging by your name, I'm pretty sure we're from the same country, so you know how hard it is to purchase audio products here, since we barely have any proper showrooms.
The reason I wanted to upgrade to the HEM8s is that I wanted something like HEM2s, but better. They were my first foray in BA IEM territory and I like their analytical sound and tight bass.
The Massdrop sounds good in theory, but when I factor in shipping and VAT, I think I'll be paying the same amount of money, but with worse warranty support
I went yesterday to the store in question, with the intention of testing the new Sennheiser Momentum true wireless and maybe the HEM8. They did not have the HEM8 on display unfortunately, but I had the opportunity to test some other wired IEMs: the Sennheiser IE800S, the Fiio FA7 and and the Fiio FH5. 10 minutes each, connected to my phone on Tidal, so not exactly scientific, but very close to my use case. I'll number my impressions so that they'll be easier to read and maybe provide you guys with the information that you need so that you can give me some advice:
1) I could tell straight away that I wouldn't enjoy the MTW, even though they're just as detailed, or maybe even better in some areas than my HEM2. Their muddy bass ruins most of the electronic music that I listen to. It's amazing to see what Senn has done in a completely wireless form factor though.
2) I could also tell that the wired IEMs could not reach their full potential, at least not when connected to my phone.
3) Of all 3 IEMs, I enjoyed the signature of the 4BA Fiio FA7 the most, even though the IE800S had the best overall SQ.
4) I also liked the rugged Fiio cables a lot.
Some other info that may be useful:
5) I listen to almost all genres of music on my commute, mostly through tidal, so it's hard for me to pick a sound signature.
6) A little ruggedness and an easily replaceable cable are things that I need to take into account when purchasing my next IEM.
As a side-note, since we're talking about phones: The XZ3, like most other android flagships (with the notable exception being the V30), have the same DAC/Amp setup, so the sound is similar between all of them. And it's more than decent. However, Sony's post-processing (DSEE HX) really does make quite a difference for lossy playback. I don't know if it is objectively better than the pure output from the phone, but to my ears it doesn't sound like just an EQ. I know Sony phones aren't exactly popular these days, but if you need a phone with good audio for IEMs, their higher-end XZ series are a great match. Too bad they gave up on the headphone jack.
Okay, analytical sound + tight bass = yep, HEM8 seem like a great match. It’s the fastest, most precise tuning I’ve ever heard. Bass lines I thought were just made of one-dimensional electronic beats revealed themselves as textured, contoured, nuanced.The reason I wanted to upgrade to the HEM8s is that I wanted something like HEM2s, but better. They were my first foray in BA IEM territory and I like their analytical sound and tight bass.
The Massdrop sounds good in theory, but when I factor in shipping and VAT, I think I'll be paying the same amount of money, but with worse warranty support
(...)
Some other info that may be useful:
5) I listen to almost all genres of music on my commute, mostly through tidal, so it's hard for me to pick a sound signature.
6) A little ruggedness and an easily replaceable cable are things that I need to take into account when purchasing my next IEM.
(...)
As a side-note, since we're talking about phones: The XZ3, like most other android flagships (with the notable exception being the V30), have the same DAC/Amp setup, so the sound is similar between all of them. And it's more than decent. However, Sony's post-processing (DSEE HX) really does make quite a difference for lossy playback. I don't know if it is objectively better than the pure output from the phone, but to my ears it doesn't sound like just an EQ. I know Sony phones aren't exactly popular these days, but if you need a phone with good audio for IEMs, their higher-end XZ series are a great match. Too bad they gave up on the headphone jack.
Okay, analytical sound + tight bass = yep, HEM8 seem like a great match. It’s the fastest, most precise tuning I’ve ever heard. Bass lines I thought were just made of one-dimensional electronic beats revealed themselves as textured, contoured, nuanced.
What you often read about the HEM8, including in @Dobrescu George ‘s high-quality review, is that treble is rolled off, upper-mids are slim, bass is low in quantity if high in quality and the mids are enjoyable.
I’ll be honest: that’s not how I see the HEM8 at all.
I used to describe the HEM8 sound as “laid-back reference”, like a Californian take on audiophile audio. The more I listen to them and other gear, the more I want to scratch the “laid-back” part. It’s quintessential multi-BA tuning, absolutely flat, relentlessly accurate, with extreme refinement in the bass (2 dedicated drivers). Talk of roll-off in the upper-mids or treble baffles me; my impression, on the contrary, is that these are like studio monitors, willing to sacrifice musicality and enjoyment on the altar of impeccable fidelity. Nuforce introduce them as reference gear. Roll-off is almost a theoretical impossibility; but decay is so sharp the quantity of any frequency can seem reduced. Even more than with other iems packing balanced armature or ceramic drivers. They are an analyst's dream.
I find them quite transparent, reflecting the character of the source, which may explain why impressions can differ widely. You enjoy the baseline sound of your source and Sony’s processing, that’s good, the HEM8 will bring the technical finesse a phone may be lacking and bring out detail in any genre, including with lossy material. They’re almost like a pass of upsampling
Unlike most I really like the braided, anti-tangle cable. I’ve used the HEM8 in many situations and they fell too a few times, no problem, they are solid hardware.
Get them from Massdrop, you should be saving a good amount. Even if it is a failed purchase, you take less risk this way, I think
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/nuforce-hem8-iem
P.S. If you like FA7 and IE800 as tunings, you probably need something brighter, HEM8 is mid-forward. If you're from Bucharest, we have monthly meetups for audiophiles, where we bring a large number of items to listen to and compare, that may come in handy, especially if you want to try something you can't find in Romanian stores, I found that people in Bucharest have all sorts of interesting IEMs, including even Noble, Empire Ears, and many others, and I also bring a lot of interesting stuff for people to try there
Okay, analytical sound + tight bass = yep, HEM8 seem like a great match. It’s the fastest, most precise tuning I’ve ever heard. Bass lines I thought were just made of one-dimensional electronic beats revealed themselves as textured, contoured, nuanced.
I used to describe the HEM8 sound as “laid-back reference”, like a Californian take on audiophile audio. The more I listen to them and other gear, the more I want to scratch the “laid-back” part. It’s quintessential multi-BA tuning, absolutely flat, relentlessly accurate, with extreme refinement in the bass (2 dedicated drivers). Talk of roll-off in the upper-mids or treble baffles me; my impression, on the contrary, is that these are like studio monitors, willing to sacrifice musicality and enjoyment on the altar of impeccable fidelity. Nuforce introduce them as reference gear. Roll-off is almost a theoretical impossibility; but decay is so sharp the quantity of any frequency can seem reduced. Even more than with other iems packing balanced armature or ceramic drivers. They are an analyst's dream.
I find them quite transparent, reflecting the character of the source, which may explain why impressions can differ widely. You enjoy the baseline sound of your source and Sony’s processing, that’s good, the HEM8 will bring the technical finesse a phone may be lacking and bring out detail in any genre, including with lossy material. They’re almost like a pass of upsampling
. Since that's usually the only time I get to enjoy music, I will probably need schedule another audition and choose something on the spot. I will let you guys know how it goes.
No music on the commute?! That’s an emergencyThank you both for the kind advice. Unfortunately, my HEM2s just broke down and I have no way to listen to music on my commute
No music on the commute?! That’s an emergency
Do let us know!
Ha! I’m of the opinion that they are very interesting indeed. I’ve never auditioned those but have been lurking on their thread here for a long while. They seem to be great all-rounders, like the RHA T20, $200 gear that just does everything well. For 100€ or less, wow. They are hybrids though so I’m not sure you’ll enjoy the slower, heavier bass, especially since the dynamic driver also takes care of the mids, it’s only the upper registers that are driven by the BA.
