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Scored using Headphones Methodology v1.0
Headphones Methodology v1.0
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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Audeze El 8 Closed Back Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£730Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Audeze El 8 Closed Back Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

6.2/10

Overall score

Score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 52% of models
Score components

80%

6.2

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–²Better than 52% of headphones
6.4

Value for money

Value for money
6.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 93% of models
Score components

70%

6.2

Overall score

30%

6.7

Price

â–¼Worse than 93%
6.2

Technical score

Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 64% of models
Score components

52%

7.1

Sound

20%

6.3

Features

10%

5.4

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

4.9

Calls & Controls

â–²Better than 64%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £730
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Headphones model ranking

Ranked #1 of 1,029 models in Headphones (Overall score)

Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Audeze El 8 Closed Back

Technical score
Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 64% of models
Score components:

52%

7.1

Sound

20%

6.3

Features

10%

5.4

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

4.9

Calls & Controls

6.2
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
Audeze El 8 Closed Back has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 73.4% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
6.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 93% of models
Score components:

70%

6.2

Overall score

30%

6.7

Price

6.4
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
planar
Driver size
100 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 100 mm, larger driver size than 98.7% of headphones and equal to 0.4% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
10 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 10 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 67.2% of headphones and equal to 12.6% of headphones.
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Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
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Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
yes
This pair of headphones supports EQ customization. 76.8% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
yes
This pair of headphones works with a companion app. 78.4% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
yes
This pair of headphones supports voice assistants. 39.2% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Audeze
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
480 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 480 g, heavier than 98.2% of headphones and equal to 0.1% of headphones.
Acoustic design
closed-back
Clamp force
4.9
Market range: <2.5 – >6.1
This pair of headphones has a clamp force of 4.9, higher clamp force than 59.7% of headphones and equal to 8.5% of headphones.
Show more

Audeze El 8 Closed Back vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 60 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (100 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    100 mm vs 40 mm
  • EQ customization
    This pair of headphones supports EQ customization, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
  • Companion app support
    This pair of headphones works with a companion app, the average pair of headphones does not. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
  • 30,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (50,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    50,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 8 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (10 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    10 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 0.2 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.1 % vs 0.3 %
  • 19.5 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (63.5 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    63.5 mm vs 44 mm
  • 19.5 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (63.5 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    63.5 mm vs 44 mm
  • 10 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (70 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    70 mm vs 60 mm
  • 0.8 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2 m vs 1.2 m
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 60 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (100 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    100 mm vs 40 mm
  • 30,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (50,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    50,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 8 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (10 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    10 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 0.2 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.1 % vs 0.3 %
  • 30x higher input power handling
    This pair of headphones has a higher max input power than the average pair of headphones (3,000 mW vs 100 mW). The average headphones handle max input power of 100 mW.
    3,000 mW vs 100 mW
  • 20 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (130 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    130 dB vs 110 dB
  • EQ customization
    This pair of headphones supports EQ customization, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
  • Companion app support
    This pair of headphones works with a companion app, the average pair of headphones does not. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
  • 2.2x higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (480 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    480 g vs 218 g
  • 4 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 8.11x more expensive
    Audeze El 8 Closed Back is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£730 vs £90).
    £730 vs £90
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 14.2% worse value for money
    Audeze El 8 Closed Back has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.37 vs 7.3).
    6.37 vs 7.27
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • 5.87x less popular
    Audeze El 8 Closed Back is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 0.6 higher clamp force
    This pair of headphones has a higher clamp force than the average pair of headphones (4.9 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    4.9 vs 4.3
  • 8.11x more expensive
    Audeze El 8 Closed Back is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£730 vs £90).
    £730 vs £90
  • 14.2% worse value for money
    Audeze El 8 Closed Back has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.37 vs 7.3).
    6.37 vs 7.27
  • 5.87x less popular
    Audeze El 8 Closed Back is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 2.2x higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (480 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    480 g vs 218 g
  • 0.6 higher clamp force
    This pair of headphones has a higher clamp force than the average pair of headphones (4.9 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    4.9 vs 4.3
  • 4 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    98 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 5 dB SPL lower sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a lower sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (98 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    98 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.5
Damir Franc
≈ estimated
17/11/2017
Hands-on review · comfort, build and sound impressions
Verdict
Audeze EL-8 Closed Back is among the best headphones reviewed so far, and a clear yes even at the higher price tier.
4.0
The Master Switch
≈ estimated
16/02/2017
Short review · sound and phone use
Verdict
Audeze EL-8 Closed Back is enjoyable to listen to, but not recommended because its purpose is unclear.
Not graded yet
Not graded yet

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Audeze El 8 Closed Back

  • Premium build quality with aluminum, protein leather, and wood veneer accents
  • Excellent isolation for a closed-back headphone, creating a 'pitch black' background
  • Rich and natural midrange especially well-suited for vocals and solo instruments
  • Smooth and non-fatiguing treble that avoids harshness or sibilance
  • Highly efficient and easy to drive directly from smartphones or portable players
  • Accurate instrument separation and precise detail in faster music genres

What customers don't like about Audeze El 8 Closed Back

  • Proprietary flat-connector cable that is difficult and expensive to replace
  • Heavy overall weight (460g) and strong initial clamping force can cause fatigue
  • Reported issues with driver failure and cracking hinges in early production batches
  • Cramped or 'muffled' soundstage compared to open-back alternatives or higher-tier models
  • Ear pads can produce an audible 'crinkling' or 'sticking' noise when first worn
  • Lack of sub-bass 'impact' or texture for those seeking a heavy bass response

Verdict

The Audeze EL-8 Closed-Back is a premium planar magnetic headphone featuring massive 100mm drivers, patented Fluxor magnet arrays, and Uniforce diaphragms that deliver a wide frequency response of 10Hz – 50kHz. Its low impedance of 30 ohms and sensitivity of 102dB make it highly efficient and easy to drive directly from portable devices without a dedicated amplifier. Key characteristics include a sleek industrial design by BMW's DesignWorksUSA, durable aluminum construction, and a balanced, non-fatiguing sound signature highlighted by punchy mid-bass and exceptional clarity in the mids and highs. Main pros include its superb passive noise isolation, high-resolution audio performance, and a luxurious fit with thick faux leather earpads. However, it is relatively heavy at 480g–540g, utilizes proprietary flat-cable connectors that limit third-party replacements, and has been noted by some users for a strong clamping force that can become uncomfortable during extended listening sessions.

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