I haven't done a comparison like this in a while (I guess I've obtained a little more time recently). Yes, the IEMs are older, but they (majority of them) are still great IEMs (sonically), each different in their own way. If you've heard any of the below IEMs, this should help you get a grip of what the Primo 8 should sound like.
NuForce Primo 8 vs ...
The NuForce Primo 8 is NuForces first foray into the high-end IEM business, and what a first step it is. With the Primo 8, NuForce has shown that they have what it takes to go against the heavyweights (or past heavy weights) of the IEM world. In this comparison, we'll compare the Primo 8 with a number of IEMs in the 400-600 dollar price range. The 8 is priced at 500 dollars itself.
The Contenders
NuForce Primo 8
- Price: 500
- Driver: Quad BA (2 low, 1 mid, 1 high)
- Signature: Sweet
Heir Audio 4.Ai
- Price: 400
- Driver: Quad BA (2 low, 1 mid, 1 high)
- Signature: Warm
Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 900
- Price: 400
- Driver: Quad BA (2 low, 1 mid, 1 high)
- Signature: Warm and Sweet
HiFiMan RE-600
- Price: 400
- Driver: Dynmaic (full-range)
- Signature: Warm and Sweet
Westone W4R
- Price: 500
- Driver: Quad BA (2 low, 1 mid, 1 high)
- Signature: Warm
Phonak PFE232
- Price: 600
- Driver: Dual BA (1 low, 1 high)
- Signature: V-shaped
Just off of the initial information, we see that most of these IEMs are multi-driver IEMs, but we also see that the quad BA setup with 2 low, 1 mid, and 1 high driver(s) is quite popular as all the IEMs in the lineup (with the exception of the Phonak and HiFiMan) use this configuration.
Many of these IEMs have, or have had, a good reputation on Head-Fi for offering very powerful sonic abilities. Each one with their own strengths and weaknesses. So lets start the comparisons.
NuForce Primo 8 vs Heir Audio 4.Ai
Their is a bit of a difference in term of signature with the Heir Audio 4.Ai and NuForce Primo 8. The main differences is that the Primo 8 is a mid-focused, sweet signature while the 4.Ai has a big focus on warmth, bass, and smoothness.
Starting with the low end, we find that the 4.Ai has a much higher quantity in bass and offers a much thicker presentation. This allows the 4.Ai to have better presence in the low-end as a whole, but only slightly. The trade off, however, is that while the Primo 8 doesn't have as much presence, it does comparatively as well in regards to depth and does much better in terms of tightness and speed. With that said, it becomes a quantity vs quality wash. With a good recording, however, the Primo 8's bass presence is enough... Just enough, no more, no less.
As we go to the midrange, we find that the Heir Audio slows down quite a bit. The Primo 8 simply offers much more aggressive detailing as a whole. This is where the 4.Ai's overly smooth signature takes a step back making things a little too thick at times. Clarity is also do much better on the NuForce than on the 4.Ai. On vocals, their tonalities are basically opposite of one another. The 4.Ai offers an extremely lush presentation of vocals while the Primo 8 offer the top-end harmonics in vocals with much more energy. The 4.Ai's smooth midrange really takes a step back in contrast to the Primo 8's more aggressive presentation that does much better overall.
On the very top end, we find that the the 4.Ai's two main weaknesses, the extension and lower treble presence become well evident. That said, the lower treble is essentially a no contents. The Primo 8 offers better detailing, extension, energy, and presence in contrast to the lack of lower treble that the 4.Ai offers. On the other hand of things, the 4.Ai and Primo 8 both offer stellar separation, clarity, and detailing in the upper treble. Though it is evident that the 4.Ai rolls off much earlier than the Primo 8. The Primo 8 is also much less forgiving in this region than the 4.Ai is.
Essentially, I'll keep this short and sweet. If you can diverge from the 4.Ai's signature and can deal with the lack of bass presence that the Primo 8 has, then I can honestly say that the Primo 8 is a complete step up from the 4.Ai in both the midrange and treble. There is really no debating that. The bass is a toss up still as it sits in a quantity vs quality war.
NuForce Primo 8 vs Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 900
The NuForce Primo 8 and Logitech UE 900 both share a very similar sound signature with a couple distinct differences. The first is that the UE 900 has a little more bass weight and warmth while the Primo 8 offers a bit more treble energy. Like the 4.Ai, the Primo 8 complements the UE 900's signature quite well, though these two are a little better matched in terms of signature.
You'll find out really quickly that the Primo 8 rolls off a little quicker than the UE 900, but neither really do a bad job in terms of depth. The 900s offer the slightest bit more bass quantity which stops them from lacking quantity in any way really. The sub-bass texturing on both has great fluidity and very well presented. As you go up, the UE 900 do have a bit of a bigger bass footprint as the lower impacts do have a bit of a thump to them. Both have excellent speed and tightness to them, though the Primo 8 is a little tighter with less body. Personally, I feel both presentations are at the same level. It becomes a preference of neutral or slightly warm.
Moving into the midrange, this is where the Primo 8 and UE 900 become extremely similar in presentation. The UE 900 have just a hint more smoothness to them, though both offer an aggressive edge to them in terms of detailing and detail retrieval, its effortless, though the Primo 8 is a little more upfront. Upper midrange clarity is very strong on both IEMs and I really have no issues here. Vocals have the slightest differences, however. While both IEMs have an unprecedented focus on the upper harmonics on vocals. This gives both IEMs a very energetic presentation for vocals. Though the Primo 8 add a bit more energy, I have to say that the UE 900 is a tad bit warmer. With that said, like the bass, this becomes a preference game as they are equally matched.
Going up top, we find that the UE 900 slows down a little in regards with treble. It's softer and smoother overall. With that said, the Primo 8 seem to do a better job detailing through the entire spectrum. Clarity and separation in the upper treble is well done by both IEMs. It should be noted that the Primo 8 is more forward overall offering a much stronger treble presence. This does have it's downfall as they can become quite unforgiving, something that the UE 900 does very well (it's extremely forgiving). In the lower treble, the UE 900 has a slight body to each snap, though the Primo 8 does it a little better by offering better energy, detailing, and extension. Though it can be a tad unforgiving, the Primo 8's treble is definitely a step up from the UE 900's in my opinion.
The Primo 8 and UE 900 are much better matched in terms of signature. Though the upgrade is a little smaller coming from the 4.Ai, I still do feel that the Primo 8 has the treble that the UE 900 should have had, but the UE 900 has that bass body that the Primo 8 can use.
NuForce Primo 8 vs HiFiMan RE-600
OK, now to the HiFiMan flagship model... The only IEM in this comparison that uses a single driver configuration, and a dynamic on at that. The Primo 8 and RE-600 both offer a sweet signature, though the HiFiMan, like the UE900, offers a bit more bass body to it giving it a warmth. In many ways, the RE-600 is a slightly more extreme case in contrast to the UE 900 with some fixes in the midrange.
OK, starting down low, we find that both IEMs have a very similar bass presentation. Like the UE 900, however, the presence on the RE-600 is above that of the Primo 8. Down in the sub-bass, both offer excellent fluidity, though the HiFiMan has a bit of a body to it. As we go up, the Primo 8's smaller body does have its advantages. Both offer a well-defined impact, though the RE-600 has a bit more thump to it, though both offer good tightness and control, the Primo 8 is a little tighter.
The midrange of the RE-600 does have an added warmth in contrast to the Primo 8, though both IEMs do have a nice focus on the midrange. That said, the RE-600 and the Primo 8 both do a great job regarding detailing, though the Primo 8 is a little more aggressive in the way it does it. Clarity up top is present in both, but presented differently. The RE-600 does it in a more effortless fashion while the NuForce is a little more forceful. The main difference, though, is the way they do vocals. I have to say that the HiFiMan does vocals much better. They offer a lushness that the Primo 8 just can't match while being able to get pretty high, though the NuForce does have more energy and power its vocal presentation.
As we go to the treble, things go flipping once again. The RE-600 takes a much more subtle approach with the treble. In the lower treble, both IEMs do a great job detailing and offering good presence and extension. As we head up top, the RE-600 smooths out quite a bit while the NuForce isn't as smooth, rather, they can be a bit edgy with the wrong recording. With that said though, both do a with details, separation, clarity, and extension. While the NuForce can be a little thin at times, the RE-600 may lack presence up high.
The NuForce Primo 8 and HiFiMan RE-600 comparison may read quite a bit like the UE 900 comparison, and in many ways, the UE 900 and the RE-600 offer a very similar presentation. With that said, the NuForce is on the same league as the RE-600, it's a little less bass-bodied and offers a bit more treble energy as well as aggressiveness.
NuForce Primo 8 vs Westone W4(R)
This is an IEM that has really obtained legendary status on Head-Fi, it's very well known, though not new to the game, is very respected despite its old age. The W4R is a warmer IEM that, although, doesn't have any true strengths, it has no real weaknesses either. With that said, Westone has continued using the W4's drivers and sound in both the W4R and W40. It is a warmer, smoother signature overall, a favorite at Head-Fi.
We'll to start off, the bass quantity on the W4R is larger than that of the Primo 8. It should be stated that both IEMs extend just as far while the Primo 8 is also more linear overall. Though the W4R offers better presence overall, the Primo 8 does great up until it hits the sub-bass which takes a back seat. Both texture with good fluidity. The low/mid bass section of the W4R can seem a little big and bloated at times casting a veil on some of the midrange. However, it still keeps up with good speed and precision, though it's not as tight as the Primo 8. It's a common fight we are seeing with the Primo 8, a quantity vs quality game, it doesn't run from it here.
Going up into the midrange, we find that the W4 offers a warmer sound overall. It isn't aggressive like the NuForce but still details just as well despite that. Clarity as a whole is somewhat hindered with the W4, something that the Primo 8 doesn't have to worry about. Vocals are a strength on the W4, they are presented in such a beautiful, lush fashion without forgetting that there is an upper octave that needs to be rendered as well. The NuForce gets the upper-end energy in with vocals, but just can't do lush. Overall, I feel that there really is no better IEM here, though the W4 doesn't focus on the midrange, it does exceptionally well.
Going up top, we do find a few things. The first is that the lower treble and detailing is done better with the NuForce, however, the rest is really just a wash. The Westone do a great job with presence and extension in the lower treble, as do the NuForce. Though the major difference here is that the NuForce do have a slower decay time than the Westone. The upper treble is presented similar by both IEMs actually. Very detailed, great separation. Though the Westone proves to be the more forgiving of the two. It should be noted that the NuForce does extend further than the Westone which does help it out a bit. In terms of quantity, when you get up high, they are actually about equal.
I really see these two IEMs as trying to do opposites. The Westone does its very best to try to control the energy that it puts out while the NuForce keeps putting it out. The Westone is a warmer, darker IEM, the NuForce is actually quite bright when you compare it against other IEMs. The W4 is more forgiving, the Primo 8 is less forgiving. In a way, I can see the Primo 8 being an anti-W4 that matches it in technical ability.
NuForce Primo 8 vs Phonak PFE232
And now to the final IEM comparison, the PFE232, the high-end V-shape. Many have regarded the NuForce Primo 8 to be a mid-centric IEM, and in many ways, it really is, though I feel that the quantity of treble energy that it has can throw this classification off. But the anti-mid-centric IEM is the v-shaped one. The Phonak, always has been one of my favorites for some reason... To this day, I'm unsure why, I tend to prefer something more neutral, something like the NuForce suits me perfectly. Yet, for some reason, the 232 has always been a favorite for me despite the lack of neutrality.
The quick, small-bodied Primo 8 bass meets up with the thick, slower PFE232 bass. Like with all the other IEMs, the 232 offers much better presence in terms of bass. Quantity-wise, this is definitely going to be the most. It's well controlled, though the Primo 8 does a much better job of this. Both of these IEMs still do a great job in the bass department, though with different philosophies. The 232 offers a more euphoric feel ot the bass as a whole offering a thicker thump to each punch, though it still is relatively tighter. The Primo 8 isn't thick, but has a nice, quick, tight punch that still hits quite hard.
Moving onto the midrange, the 232's weakness, the Primo 8's strength... To start out with, the 232 is very smooth in tonality while the Primo 8 is has more aggressive characteristics. They both detail fine, though the 232 isn't the most clear when it comes to it. With that said, the Primo 8 does walk all over the Phonak in that regard. There is something in the midrange that the 232 can do that the Primo cannot... Can you guess it? Lushness... Vocal dynamics are stronger overall with the 232 as vocals do get high when they need to, though aren't as edgy or energetic as the Primo 8.
Moving onto the treble, we do find that the Phonak does treble in a much softer manner than the Primo 8, and even the Westone (to my ears). With that said, both IEMs do great in the lower treble offering good extension, detailing, and even presence. That's now where the Primo 8 falls short. It's the upper treble that the Phonak really shines through. They actually provide more detailing than the Primo 8 in some songs. Besides that, they both do great in terms of separation, clarity, and even extension.
The Phonak has always been one of my favorite IEMs, though the Primo 8 is my preferred signature. The Phonak quickly exploits just about all of the Primo 8's weaknesses. It shows that the NuForce needs to soften its treble texturing and increase its sub-bass presence which should add some needed lushness to vocals to complete the vocal dynamic. On the other hand, the Primo 8 exploits all of the Phonak's weaknesses as the bass is much better controlled by the NuForce. That detail retrieval is much better by the 8's as is clarity. They are on the same level, and like the W4's, the Primo 8 are, in their own way, an anti-PFE232.
Conclusions
NuForce attacked with an aggressive, in-your-face sigature that catches the ear, sounds great, but does come with a price. Through these comparisons, we find that the NuForce Primo 8 is able to play ball with all the upper-class IEMs, we also do uncover that the Primo 8 does have a few issues. Though the sub-bass issues did pop up in contrast to all the other IEMs, once you're adjusted to the Primo 8, it's no longer an issue. Lushness, however, is. In a way, something I adore about the Primo 8, the aggressive midrage, also becomes a drawback when it comes to vocals as they have a little too much on the top end. The same can really be said for the treble. It technically has the same quantity as the W4, but can be edgy at times. Regardless, the Primo 8 is still a great IEM to join the ranks of the other top dogs. For a first step into the upper-level, NuForce did a great job.
That's an issue with Rin's blog... If something is off, he assumes that the product is defect free, which isn't always the case. 
