technolicious's Full Review: Bang & Olufsen A8 Consumer Headphones
I have been using my Bang and Olufsen A8 headphones for several months now, so I thought I would revisit the reviews in here and add some thoughts of my own.
First of all, these cost $160 retail in the USA, but I ordered them from eBay for a bit less than $100. They sell for about $100 new in Japan, so there is a good supply of affordable A8s on eBay at any given time.
When I first got the A8s, I spent a lot of time fumbling with them; they take some getting used to, just to be able to quickly put them on. After plenty of use, you can put them on in no time, trust me. My first impression of the sound was that the bass was pretty weak, but the mids and treble were extremely nice and detailed. Over the course of a week or two, the headphones seemed to break in a bit, and the bass got slightly stronger.
I've now spent many hours listening to music on my iPod with the A8s, and I'm very happy with the sound quality. Jazz recordings sound spectacular; older stuff such as Charlie Parker gets a new spark of life through these headphones, thanks to the great sound detail. Old Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles sounds spectacular. I enjoy listening to classical guitar, classical piano and classical cello recordings with these too; I couldn't be more pleased with sound quality for chamber music. Electronic music sounds great, although the bass really could be better; these headphones simply do not provide sub-woofer level bass. Turning up the bass levels on a walkman or iPod will result in the bass bottoming out on songs with especially demanding low-frequency sounds. Acoustic recordings, such as Johnny Cash's "American Recordings", Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" or Joni Mitchel's "Blue" sound absolutely divine on the A8 headphones. Your general rock n roll sounds great too, although the bass might not be enough for demanding fans of rock; the percussion and bass just won't sound as good as with nice big studio headphones.
In general, I would say that any music that doesn't demand a subwoofer would sound fantastic on the A8 headphones. They certainly sound much better than the average crap from Sony, or the iPod headphones made by Harman-Kardon. I typically listen to my Grado SR-225 headphones at home, which have bottomless bass, but tend to distort the sound in a similar way as turning up the treble and bass does. The A8 headphones have a more flat frequency response, which sounds better for most music that I listen too. When I want to listen to really aggressive electronic music or really heavy-duty rock, the large Grado studio headphones sound much better though.
These headphones don't let out much sound for others to hear, so they are perfect for a library or a quiet cafe. You can listen to them at moderate levels without bothering anyone around you.
The A8s are lighter than they look, and can be worn for hours comfortably. They absolutely will not fall off ever, not if you are running or biking. I find them to be more comfortable without the foam covers.
The black leather case is really nice, and it keeps the headphones looking like new. It isn't obvious how to deal with the cord though. I put the headphones in their spots in the case, and then I wrap the cord around my slightly spread fingers to get it into the right-sized bundle. I tuck that on top of the headphones in the case, and then the leather flap closes over everything and fastens with velcro. That way, the cord is never tangled, and removing or replacing the headphones is quick and easy.
The cord is only a few feet long, which is perfect for my uses. It's just the right length to reach down into my iPod in my pocket, when I'm riding my bike around town or walking. A six foot extension cord is also provided. The plugs are 1/8", straight (not L-shaped), and they are not gold-plated.
In conclusion, these are easily my favorite all-around headphones that I have ever owned. The price is reasonable at $100, but a bit excessive at $160, so shop around. The sound quality is very high, but keep looking if you are the type of person who needs a subwoofer for your music. With their sturdy leather case, over-the-top aluminum construction and extremely high-class sound, the Bang and Olufsen A8s will make a perfect pair of headphones to carry around with you anywhere you want to take them.
Bang & Olufsen Black A8 Series Earphones - 1640611/ 4 Foot Cord/ Electro-Dynamic Speaker/ In-Ear Type/ 50-20,000Hz Frequency Range/ Includes Extension...More at Abt Electronics
Superbly crafted from aluminum and hard rubber, it takes its design cues from the little pieces of industrial art that are Bang & Olufsen's beautiful ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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