Hello everyone.
I would like to preface two things.
Firstly, I do not completely believe in audible “burn in” or cable changes (in regard to sound). I have not personally been able to detect any changes in sound with a different cable or hours of burn in. My review however will be based on my final impressions after 20-25 hours of burn in with the stock cable and stock tips.
Secondly, my music preferences consist of many genres ranging from Rock/Metal, Rap, J-Pop/K-Rap, and some acoustical/vocal based music.
*Note I have switched out Wage War for Polaris.
Sample songs used to evaluate gear:
Polaris – Casualty, Hypermania, Vagabond
Slipknot – Before I Forget, Duality, Psychosocial
Hoshino Gen – Koi, Continues, Sun
Mariya Takeuchi – Plastic Love, Yume No Tzusuki, September
Jakubi – Holiday, Pillow, Nobody Better
Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood, On Melancholy Hill, Ascension
Tupac – Ambitionz Az a Ridah, Changes, All Eyez on Me
Mos Def – Mathematics, Hip Hop, Ms. Fat Booty
Polkadot Stingray – Free, Mermaid, A Stinging Spica
Etc.
Overall tonality: Aggressive V-shape.
Fit: Small-medium sized shells. Slightly bigger than the Theiaudio Legacy 3/4, but much smaller than the Blessing2
Comfort: Quite comfortable. Shells barely stick out of my ear. Occasionally I do feel pressure do the nature that these are not vented. As a note, I do have smaller than average ears.
Cable: Quite nice looking and sturdy. A little too heavy and hurts the back of my ears.
Isolation: Above average. Not as isolating as an Etymotic but much more than the DK2001.
All critical listening was done off the Topping L30/E30 and LG V30/Radsone ES100 using Flac files or Tidal premium. Casual listening was done with Spotify. This was purchased with my own money.
Bass: Being an all BA setup, it shouldn’t be a surprise that bass is not as impactful as a dynamic driver. Subbass is lacking extension and doesn’t have a that satisfying tactility and texture of a DD. Midbass seems to have a bump giving off a more “thumpy” response. This works well and doesn’t ever bleed into the mids. Luckily, the overall bass response is quite fast giving off the impression of a clean bass. Surprisingly though there’s a decent amount of rumble. Subjectively, I find the bass to be a little lacking energy and dynamics. Objectively, I think the bass is very well done and offers a generous bass boost. I think this will only offend those looking for a purely neutral set and bassheads
Mids: Despite it’s V-shaped signature, the mids are not really recessed and sound natural for the most part. Vocals often come across as a bit shouty, but never shrill. Although this can be great for certain genres and listeners, this can cause fatigue for longer listening sessions. I find that female singers in particular come across this way, while male singers tend to have more body. Luckily, string instruments have a good sense of body and presence, guitars in particular fit this description. I would consider the mids tonally accurate, though not very forward (minus vocals).
Treble: The treble is elevated making these desirable for those looking for treble oriented iems. My main critique is the intensity it has. Although never sibilant, the forwardness of the treble will either be a deal breaker for some, or exactly what others are looking for. Cymbals and hi-hats can often become fatiguing though the emphasis gives them an energetic tone to it. The treble can be considered “sparkly”, but perhaps a tad too forward for some. The treble provides a good amount of air giving instruments a great sense of depth
Soundstage: Surprisingly wide and spacious. Not the "three blobness".
Imaging: Similar to soundstage. Positional accuracy is excellent.
Resolution: Very high-resolution set.
*It should be noted that the S8F does exhibit BA timbre. Not horrible, but noticeable.
Select Comparisons:
Sony XBA-N3AP
The N3 is quite the opposite of the S8F. Significantly more bass, more natural mids, and less detail/technical performance. The S8F prioritizes its treble resolution, decent bass response (especially for an all BA setup), and detail retrieval. The N3 has been my go-to “fun” set, while the S8F is the more suited for shorter, aggressive listening sessions. The S8F exhibits BA timbre while the N3 sounds quite natural in comparison. The N3 wins in comfort due to its smaller size, though the S8F isn’t far behind. I believe in the 4.5/5 score for the N3.
Moondrop Blessing2
This is an interesting one. At a cheaper price tag, the Blessing2 competes head to head with the S8F, in my opinion. The bass response can be considered neutral on the B2, while still providing enough presence on certain tracks. The S8F has a significant bass boost in comparison only lacking that DD rumble that the B2 provides. Midrange on the B2 is rather thin in comparison but relatively forward in the mix. The S8F has the more natural, but recessed midrange in comparison. Vocal presentation on both can be considered a little too shouty. Treble is where the S8F pulls ahead. The B2’s rolled off treble lacks detail and extension when compared to the S8F. Staging and imaging are quite comparable on both. The S8F exhibits more BA timbre while the B2’s BA timbre is not as significant. The B2 loses in comfort. I believe the B2 earns a score of 4.5/5 (too lazy to make a review. There's also so many out there)
Dunu DK2001
Similar signature but done differently. The DK2001 has a more satisfying bass emphasis while also having great midrange tonality. The midrange on the S8F provides more detail when compared to the DK2001. In contrast, the S8F specializes in treble and is much more detail oriented. The only aspect the DK2001 outclasses the S8F is in its bass response. The S8F wins in every other aspect (midrange tonality, treble resolution, technicalities etc.). The DK2001 is more comfortable and fits better for my small ears. I believe the DK2001 should be revised to a score of 3.5/5 (not sure to edit a review though).
Conclusion
For its $489 base price, the Fearless Audio S8F offers an attractive proposition. While it is a significant jump over most <$200 chi-fi iems that I have tried, the competition is getting fierce with offerings such as the Blessing2 (Dusk). Being the most expensive IEM in my collection, expectations rise and reviewing becomes more critical. While I do believe these to be excellent sounding with a few potential dealbreakers, the price bracket is currently in may or may not be the deciding factor of its recommendation. For $319 you can get the Blessing2 (or stretch to $329 to get the Dusk) and get an exceptional sounding IEM that rivals, and frankly outperforms the S8F in some respects. With that being said, the S8F is a competent IEM for those looking for an aggressive v-shaped signature.