Audeze EL-8

[Black Pearl]

I entered a FaceBook timeline completion a few weeks back (as you do expecting nothing from it) by Richer Sounds the Hi-Fi retailer and amazingly got a message on Monday to say I had won a pair of £600 Audeze EL-8 headphones. Now I love Hi-Fi, always have and I own a pretty decent if ageing separates system including a a pair of £100 Sennheiser headphones that to be fair are very good - not by comparison they're not.

I have sat for a couple of hours after I finished work this afternoon listening to some of my favourite albums and tracks - its like I have never heard them before. Imagine listening to a track you love on a £20 transistor radio then the same track on a full sized system with decent speakers - the difference between the Sennheiser's and the Audeze's is that big. I would never have dreamed of owning something like these and will treasure them for the rest of my days.

Before I settle down for a long night of music I thought I'd take a couple of pictures....

[kev7d]

What a win and I am really liking the images.

[Ryewolf]

I had a pair of Sennheiser's a few decades back that cost me £159 in about 1984, which was quite a lot back then - I've still got them. I still love the sound of vinyl and a few years back bought a new turntable as I still have several 100's of vinyl records, no matter what they say, a vinyl record on a decent turnatable through a decent amp and speakers will always sound better to me.

[BillE]

Just think of all the albums you could get if you sold them.

I have never been a fan of headphones, and much prefer to listen using the speakers, but I know needs must in a family situation. (still do not own a pair)

Perhaps it is time to buy a lottery ticket too! and I reckon you could sell those images to Audeze for their sales literature, they are excellent.

[colinb]

Nice win - not a fan of head phones always think you end up looking like something off Dr Who, but good to know you can win off a FB comp.

[Black Pearl]

7 hours ago, Ryewolf said:

I had a pair of Sennheiser's a few decades back that cost me £159 in about 1984, which was quite a lot back then - I've still got them. I still love the sound of vinyl and a few years back bought a new turntable as I still have several 100's of vinyl records, no matter what they say, a vinyl record on a decent turnatable through a decent amp and speakers will always sound better to me.

I think my Sennheiser's are about 15 to 20 years and cost just over £100 so likely a similar sort of sound and they have been an excellent buy. I use them as a reference when I get new in-ear headphones with iPhones and the likes to see if I'll be able to live with them out and about, so far nothing has come close.....

I LOVE vinyl, I was sat last night listening to Seasick Steve played on my Rega Plannar 3 deck through the Audeze's and it was pretty much the best sound experience imaginable - gawd only knows what their £2k cans are like  

[BillE]

2 minutes ago, Black Pearl said:

 - gawd only knows what their £2k cans are like  

You will have to sell your speakers if you go for those I use a set of rock jaw in ear phones for mobile flac listening and they be pretty good, for me anyhow.

[Black Pearl]

1 hour ago, BillE said:

Just think of all the albums you could get if you sold them.

I have never been a fan of headphones, and much prefer to listen using the speakers, but I know needs must in a family situation. (still do not own a pair)

Perhaps it is time to buy a lottery ticket too! and I reckon you could sell those images to Audeze for their sales literature, they are excellent.

Never going to sell these as I'll never be able to justify this level of Hi-Fi again...well not until the kids have left home and I'm retired but even then they're on the pricey side of acceptable.

I love the experience of listening to music (good music) through good speakers and when I was still at home then we had our first house (without kids) where I was able to set them up properly with a listening position in just the right place I listened to more music than I watched TV. I have a good pair of Tannoy stand mounts - sub £1k so not mad expensive but not run of the mill - which are knocking on a bit but can still tear the walls down if I want and still have the ability to create a sound stage in a very three dimensional way. Friends would comment on why I spent money of Hi-Fi and how ugly it was and that their (Panasonic/Sony/Dixons) monstrosity had 2000 watts and buttons and sliders and lights and was the bee's knee's and I would sit them down, put a record on and alter their world without taking the volume dial beyond the half way mark. I never 'got' headphones until a friend bought a pair of Sennheisers and let me listen to them for a week - I was hooked. A decent pair of cans can make mincemeat out of really quite expensive speakers, certainly in the way they can dissect the sound and deliver very subtle transients and emotions. I wouldn't say I prefer one over the other as they can both make for an involving experience but I will say that these new ones far, far exceed what my Tannoy's can deliver. They are as close to neutral as I have heard. Tracks I thought were bass heavy just aren't, they have deep bass but thats all, its deep but the rest of the music is no longer overpowered by it. For a bit of fun I put My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas on (don't shake your head its fun) and sat with my mouth open at how different it sounded to any other time I've heard it. Yes the bass is strong but the voices float above it and are actually a far greater part of the mixing than I have previously thought, the width and depth of the sound stage is also huge. I think its that, the technical expertise within the recordings I've listened to that has taken me aback as I'm hearing more of it than ever before.

[Black Pearl]

13 hours ago, kev7d said:

What a win and I am really liking the images.

Thanks

54 minutes ago, colinb said:

Nice win - not a fan of head phones always think you end up looking like something off Dr Who, but good to know you can win off a FB comp.

I would never have believed it was possible but talking to the lads at Richer Sounds yesterday they were saying the number of followers on FB is fairly small as comps go so you stand a good chance. There were only 791 people who commented on the competition post that I won - thats pretty decent odds.

[NannyFerret]

That's brilliant!  Well done on your win.

I can see that you will have many hours of enjoyment.

John bought me a pair of Goko bluetooth headphones as one of my Christmas presents.

They weren't expensive at just under £30, but they sound much better than my old plug in ones.

I listen to Audio books, music and radio, while John likes his TV.

Thankfully I don't have to have the TV blaring in the background since John started wearing a hearing aid.

[BillE]

You have got me wanting to try a pair of phones now, but i cant justify an amp just for headphones (I have naim amp and pre) plus the boss is saying we could do with a new turntable as the old nad we have is a bit rickity now. We have sub 1k speakers I think they are Tannoy, floor standers and they have done sterling service the past 13 years, and still going strong.

Maybe I should spend some time of facebook if its poss to win stuff like this?

[Black Pearl]

This are the third time I've won something in the last year via social media, the previous were a thermos flask (not expensive but nice for free) and a £60 pair of walking boots which have proved to be good for knocking about in. I'm currently trying to weasel something out of Fuji, Billingham or Manfrotto via Twitter but I need to work on getting more followers and re-tweets so they can see the advantage of giving me their products.

[ChrisLumix]

19 hours ago, Ryewolf said:

I had a pair of Sennheiser's a few decades back that cost me £159 in about 1984, which was quite a lot back then - I've still got them. I still love the sound of vinyl and a few years back bought a new turntable as I still have several 100's of vinyl records, no matter what they say, a vinyl record on a decent turnatable through a decent amp and speakers will always sound better to me.

Not a Rega Planar 3 by any chance? It's been the affordable turntable of excellence for decades now. Though being on a budget I had to make do with something from the Pro-ject series, with a Denon MC cartridge.

[Ryewolf]

No it was the Project RPM1.

[ChrisLumix]

23 hours ago, Ryewolf said:

No it was the Project RPM1.

Nice one. Hope you didn't think I was being rude about the Project kit? I'm very pleased  with mine.

[Black Pearl]

Wrote a short review: https://robinhunterblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/14/audeze-el-8-review/