[normie610]

One hour in and I am loving the PP8. Finally a truly reference sound that is consistent and hiss free from source to source. They sound as good or better than the Andros but the consistency (so far Hugo 2, Mojo and ZX2) is the icing on the cake. Plug and play with no eq or IEMatch is such a relief. My only complaint is this cheap feeling thin cable. I know it's made of high quality material and has been hand picked to fit the intended signature but it's a little disappointing from a tactile and visual standpoint. I wouldn't want to touch the tone but I'm of the mind that dynamics can always be incrementally improved.

Any suggestions backed by descriptions of what various cables add to the equation?

So how do you compare this with the i4? Which one do you prefer?

 

[Bastianpp]

Here you are:

wow, i was think the fr is more neutral, i never test the p8

 

[EndGameSearch]

So how do you compare this with the i4? Which one do you prefer?

They are both technically in-ear phones but they serve two different purposes and can not be fairly compared. The LCDi4's are insanely good and capable of replacing full size over the ear phones but they do not offer any isolation. The fact that they do not isolate though is key to their sound. Just as an open back over the ear will have a larger sound stage then a closed back. The level of detail and total lack of distortion is a gamer changer. You can EQ the hell out of them to give them what ever tone you want with no ill effect. I'm not just talking about raising base and treble. Total out of your head multi channel tuning with the right software that is flawless. I travel with them and often use them over my HD800S while at home since they're so light and comfortable but the 800S serves a purpose too. I listened to the PP8's for around five hours today and am thoroughly impressed but as a closed isolating IEM it's just a different experience than the i4. I'm thrilled to have them for noisy environments where the i4's would suffer. I strongly suggest people consider the ISINE 10's or 20's though. They're a fraction of the cost in the same form factor with similar but different technology. You reap many of the benefits of the i4's and for many the price difference between the ISINE's and the LCDi4's can't be justified. I have the 20's and think they're fantastic but converted those to gym earphones. The i4's are for quiet environments and hard core critical listening.

Again, compared to many on Head-Fi I do not have much experience w/ TOTL IEMs. I was strictly an over the ears guy until my travel schedule picked up. I've owned JH Angies which were WAY to warm for me and the Andromedas. I am loving the PP8's but do not have any other reference points within this form factor.

 

[normie610]

They are both technically in-ear phones but they serve two different purposes and can not be fairly compared. The LCDi4's are insanely good and capable of replacing full size over the ear phones but they do not offer any isolation. The fact that they do not isolate though is key to their sound. Just as an open back over the ear will have a larger sound stage then a closed back. The level of detail and total lack of distortion is a gamer changer. You can EQ the hell out of them to give them what ever tone you want with no ill effect. I'm not just talking about raising base and treble. Total out of your head multi channel tuning with the right software that is flawless. I travel with them and often use them over my HD800S while at home since they're so light and comfortable but the 800S serves a purpose too. I listened to the PP8's for around five hours today and am thoroughly impressed but as a closed isolating IEM it's just a different experience than the i4. I'm thrilled to have them for noisy environments where the i4's would suffer. I strongly suggest people consider the ISINE 10's or 20's though. They're a fraction of the cost in the same form factor with similar but different technology. You reap many of the benefits of the i4's and for many the price difference between the ISINE's and the LCDi4's can't be justified. I have the 20's and think they're fantastic but converted those to gym earphones. The i4's are for quiet environments and hard core critical listening.

Again, compared to many on Head-Fi I do not have much experience w/ TOTL IEMs. I was strictly an over the ears guy until my travel schedule picked up. I've owned JH Angies which were WAY to warm for me and the Andromedas. I am loving the PP8's but do not have any other reference points within this form factor.

Thanks for the insight. I do own i4 and agree that it sounds totally different than most IEMs. I'm contemplating to replace my Fitear MH335, so if the PP8 has a similar sound sig with the i4 then perhaps I'd get it. After getting the i4, my 335 now does sound a bit too warm and not transparent enough. I'm hoping that PP8 would be an improvement over 335 in this area.

 

[EndGameSearch]

I do not know of any local shops that sell high end IEM's so I've been limited to scouring the web for reviews and comparisons. My HD800S have the perfect signature for my preference. I got the LCDi4's to play the same part but in a portable form factor and feel they do a great job of that. I was hopeful the P8's would play the same part in an isolated form factor and feel they fit the bill. All though the HD800's are popular and well known it seems a majority of people prefer heavier bass and warmer treble, thus a majority of the TOTL IEM designers aim in that direction. From all of the reviews I read it seems like this is one of the only games in town for a true reference sound unless you go the custom route or pony up $3K+. Relatively speaking the price of the P8's is reasonable. I got mine from MusicTeck in about 24 hours order to delivery at my hotel.

 

[Silvialite]

Have tried mine with cheap copper cables and silver cables. They both pair with the PP8 very well (to me).

But my PP8 will be gone for a while. Until then....

 

[bartzky]

@EndGameSearch I'm glad you followed my recommendation from the Andromeda thread
Have you already tried the treble switch? I'd bet this would be your preferred setting.

My only complaint is this cheap feeling thin cable. I know it's made of high quality material and has been hand picked to fit the intended signature but it's a little disappointing from a tactile and visual standpoint. I wouldn't want to touch the tone but I'm of the mind that dynamics can always be incrementally improved.

Any suggestions backed by descriptions of what various cables add to the equation?

The PP8 was actually tested with various aftermarket cables prior launch. Among them were many Effect Audio cables that I know Marco generally has some sympathy for.
I'm not the right guy to ask about cable recommendations, so I'd suggest to read this: http://headfonics.com/2017/02/the-prophile-8-by-inear/2/

wow, i was think the fr is more neutral, i never test the p8

Noooooooo! This is NOT the frequency response. It's the impedance response! It shows how the impedance changes across the frequency.

The shown impedance response is btw the reason why the PP8 is pretty consistent among sources as @EndGameSearch already has experienced. In comparison to other IEMs (especially Andromeda) the impedance is relatively high and doesn't change to much among frequency. On the other hand the low and strongly alternating impedance allowes the Andromeda to be tuned by using this effects, what some users particularly like and consider as a feature.

I already posted something about the effects of different output impedances to the PP8's FR right here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-inear-prophile-8.820797/page-25#post-13461737
The reason why and how this changes appear is the shape of the PP8's impedance response.

You can find the FR for the various switch settings in my review (the first one at the bottom of the page): https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/inear-prophile-8.22064/reviews

 

[EndGameSearch]

@EndGameSearch I'm glad you followed my recommendation from the Andromeda thread
Have you already tried the treble switch? I'd bet this would be your preferred setting.


The PP8 was actually tested with various aftermarket cables prior launch. Among them were many Effect Audio cables that I know Marco generally has some sympathy for.
I'm not the right guy to ask about cable recommendations, so I'd suggest to read this: http://headfonics.com/2017/02/the-prophile-8-by-inear/2/


Noooooooo! This is NOT the frequency response. It's the impedance response! It shows how the impedance changes across the frequency.

The shown impedance response is btw the reason why the PP8 is pretty consistent among sources as @EndGameSearch already has experienced. In comparison to other IEMs (especially Andromeda) the impedance is relatively high and doesn't change to much among frequency. On the other hand the low and strongly alternating impedance allowes the Andromeda to be tuned by using this effects, what some users particularly like and consider as a feature.

I already posted something about the effects of different output impedances to the PP8's FR right here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-inear-prophile-8.820797/page-25#post-13461737
The reason why and how this changes appear is the shape of the PP8's impedance response.

You can find the FR for the various switch settings in my review (the first one at the bottom of the page): https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/inear-prophile-8.22064/reviews

Great suggestion Bartzky, thank you. As you can see I didn't waste any time considering you recommended the P8 on Monday of this week. Surprisingly I haven't felt the need to add any additional treble but will likely tinker with it over the weekend. I'm taking my wife and kids to the beach and will get a lot of ear time. Thanks again.

 

[goodvibes]

The campfire orion has an almost perfectly neutral sig if that's what you're looking for. A single driver will be working harder etc but Campfire does cover this sig lower in it's range. You can find all 3 plus the UERR/M here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/crinacles-fr-measurement-database-311-iems-measured.830062/

 

[EndGameSearch]

A few days into the P8's I was really enjoying the reference sound but finally decided to flip the treble switch just to hear the difference. I primarily listen to classical/acoustic and high end detail and clarity are always more of a priority for me over bass so 2 more decibels of treble couldn't be a bad thing. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad but those two decibels (for my ears at least) pushed the bass back enough where I felt some songs were missing a bit of low end weight. So I flipped the bass switch and to my surprise it rounded things out very nicely (it was a surprise because I NEVER add more bass). I have always favored a neutral reference sound and stay away from v shaped turnings but the 2 decibels on both ends really works for me with the P8's. The additional treble brings more clarity then anything else and the bass just fills in the gaps. It reminds me of when I switched from the HD800 to the HD800S. The 800's were wonderful but there was just something missing at times and the 800S made everything whole again. So maybe I don't prefer a perfectly reference sound like I thought, or maybe I just equate bass heavy IEM's with warm treble which is a show stopper for me, but this is a great blend no matter where it ranks vs reference.

With all of that as a reference point, my real news is that I went against the recommendation of InEar and upgraded my cable to Norne Audio's Therium (pure silver) cable and am very pleased with the results. I would have considered this upgrade money well spent if there was ANY noticeable improvement in dynamics since the unbelievably thin cable just does not work for me and keeps the P8 from feeling like a TOTL IEM. Fortunately, to my ears the improvements are appreciable. I know there's a lot of debate on what cables do and do not do to the sound, and it's not that easy to A/B test cables, but I am very pleased with the results. Maybe I'm just hearing what I wanted to hear but I am hearing more transparency and low end detail and the tone is perfectly whole from top to bottom. I am 100% pleased with this combination.

I know looks shouldn't matter, but looks and feel are all part of the experience and this is a HUGE improvement. This is a great pure silver litz cable at a very reasonable price.

http://www.norneaudio.com/litzheim/...-westone-jh-audio-aurisonics-1964-ears-custom

 

[Ricky64]

Thanks for your update. I've been enjoying my PP-8. I have found (and I note that people has discussed in the past), that a deeper insertion is key to appropriate lower midrange response. I've really wanted to start using the 4.4 balanced on my Sony WM1Z, so I have also decided to upgrade cables. I have a Campfire Ref8 coming in tomorrow.
My impression this far is that the strength of this iem is its imaging and separation, ie signs of good phase coherence. I hope not to disturb this with the cable change.
Your review is reassuring.

 

[noplsestar]

A few days into the P8's I was really enjoying the reference sound but finally decided to flip the treble switch just to hear the difference. I primarily listen to classical/acoustic and high end detail and clarity are always more of a priority for me over bass so 2 more decibels of treble couldn't be a bad thing. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad but those two decibels (for my ears at least) pushed the bass back enough where I felt some songs were missing a bit of low end weight. So I flipped the bass switch and to my surprise it rounded things out very nicely (it was a surprise because I NEVER add more bass). I have always favored a neutral reference sound and stay away from v shaped turnings but the 2 decibels on both ends really works for me with the P8's. The additional treble brings more clarity then anything else and the bass just fills in the gaps. It reminds me of when I switched from the HD800 to the HD800S. The 800's were wonderful but there was just something missing at times and the 800S made everything whole again. So maybe I don't prefer a perfectly reference sound like I thought, or maybe I just equate bass heavy IEM's with warm treble which is a show stopper for me, but this is a great blend no matter where it ranks vs reference.

With all of that as a reference point, my real news is that I went against the recommendation of InEar and upgraded my cable to Norne Audio's Therium (pure silver) cable and am very pleased with the results. I would have considered this upgrade money well spent if there was ANY noticeable improvement in dynamics since the unbelievably thin cable just does not work for me and keeps the P8 from feeling like a TOTL IEM. Fortunately, to my ears the improvements are appreciable. I know there's a lot of debate on what cables do and do not do to the sound, and it's not that easy to A/B test cables, but I am very pleased with the results. Maybe I'm just hearing what I wanted to hear but I am hearing more transparency and low end detail and the tone is perfectly whole from top to bottom. I am 100% pleased with this combination.

I know looks shouldn't matter, but looks and feel are all part of the experience and this is a HUGE improvement. This is a great pure silver litz cable at a very reasonable price.

http://www.norneaudio.com/litzheim/...-westone-jh-audio-aurisonics-1964-ears-custom

You should tell that to Marco from InEar. As far as I know he might still be searching for a perfect upgrade cable match for the upcoming CIEM version of the PP8!

 

[EndGameSearch]

Thanks for your update. I've been enjoying my PP-8. I have found (and I note that people has discussed in the past), that a deeper insertion is key to appropriate lower midrange response. I've really wanted to start using the 4.4 balanced on my Sony WM1Z, so I have also decided to upgrade cables. I have a Campfire Ref8 coming in tomorrow.
My impression this far is that the strength of this iem is its imaging and separation, ie signs of good phase coherence. I hope not to disturb this with the cable change.
Your review is reassuring.

Definitely share your impressions when you receive it. I came close to getting the ref 8 since it has received very favorable reviews but went with pure silver instead. If I had to guess based on your choice of DAPs, bass and lower mid is more of a focus area for you than it is for me and the ref 8 will probably provide better results. That's a beautiful DAP, just not the sound for me. I had a WM1A which was nice but am now waiting for the Questyle QP2R to become available in the next week or two.

I agree with your comment regarding insertion depth. These definitely need to sit a little deeper than I'm use to. I keep switching between the comply and spin fit and can't decide which sound I like better. The SpinFits are a little more comfortable for me but they sound good with some music and the comply sound better with other selections.

 

[EndGameSearch]

You should tell that to Marco from InEar. As far as I know he might still be searching for a perfect upgrade cable match for the upcoming CIEM version of the PP8!

I'm guessing his ear is just a touch more critical than mine (sarcasm intended). I know what sounds and feels good for my preferences but have no idea if the sound I like is any where close to his target. He surely made a great IEM though and even though some would prefer to skip the switches all together it does provide a little wiggle room when pairing cables and sources. Smart design decision on his part.

 

[Ricky64]

Updating my experience. I purchased these after Mimouille's recommendation when I inquired about a good IEM for classical. (I enjoy his posts in general). I also listen to jazz, female vocals, downtempo, etc. (Love Soundgarden but that's better in the car).
It's taken awhile for my WM1Z balanced side to settle down, but I am really getting what I wanted from these. I like a bit more warmth than these provide out of the box, and with the bass switch on, and some gentle IQ, I am getting excellent sound quality with impressive spatial characteristics and a wide soundstage.
As others have noted, insertion depth is important. I am listening through CA Ref8 cables.
My only beef is that on some jazz recordings I would prefer a more intimate soundstage. I have Vegas also (for now); something between the two would be ideal.
These are meeting my needs for awhile. I will be getting to hear W900's and 64 Audios on tours soon. Still have curiosity about the UM Maestro 2, VE8, and earsonics EM10.
Interesting that Mimouille recommended these, but sold them and moved on, looking for more warmth. Again, I feel I can compensate with some subtle eq, and my DAP is in that tone range to start.