Amazing Audeze sound for everyday listening

Audeze has quickly built a top-notch reputation in the world of personal audio. Their striking headphones deliver vivid sound without distortion, preserving subtle musical nuances. Planar magnetic drivers produce a warm, detailed soundstage with a wide-open sense of depth and space. Donning a pair of Audeze 'phones is a riveting, rewarding ritual — more listening "event" than listening session.

Designed by BMW DesignWorks USA, the EL-8 Closed-back headphones are stylish and comfortable.

Audeze crafted the EL-8 Closed-back headphones to maintain the wonderfully expressive sound, while making them more convenient for everyday use. Three patent-pending technologies help keep the EL-8s smaller, lighter, and more efficient than most planar magnetic cans. This closed-back version keeps listening more personal and blocks out external noise. While a dedicated headphone amplifier will help them really sing, the EL-8 headphones sound great plugged directly into your smartphone or portable music player — which is where most of us find our music services and collections.

Praise for the Audeze EL-8 Closed-back headphones from Sound & Vision

I've reviewed a lot of headphones, but I've never encountered anything quite like the Audeze EL-8 before. It's the first high-end planar magnetic headphone to come alive and sound fully transparent with portable music players.

— From Steve Guttenberg's review in the September, 2015 issue of Sound & Vision

The planar magnetic advantage

Unlike the dynamic drivers found in most headphones, planar magnetic drivers rely on an ultra-thin diaphragm with a large surface area to generate sound. A flexible circuit is etched across the entire surface of the diaphragm, which is suspended within a magnetic field. When the circuit receives an audio signal, it causes the diaphragm to move back and forth — moving air and creating sound. Since it starts and stops so quickly, the resulting sound is clean and accurate across a wide frequency range. You hear tight, tuneful bass, smooth mids, and open highs. Music has a three-dimensional feel that's close to listening to loudspeakers.

Audeze went back to the drawing board and created a lighter, more efficient headphone

Audeze has been a leader in developing planar magnetic headphones, and continues to push the envelope. Ever tinkering, their sound engineers teamed with some of the best material science experts to find a way to reduce weight and increase efficiency in the EL-8s. They developed the patent-pending Fluxor™ magnet, which nearly doubles the strength of a traditional magnet. Typically in planar headphones, the magnetic field is created by two magnets on either side of the diaphragm. The EL-8s use a single-sided design with the stronger Fluxor magnet, making the headphones smaller and lighter.

Beautifully crafted and designed for style and comfort

BMW DesignWorks USA designed the EL-8 headphones to look and feel as good as they sound. Attractive wood veneer highlights the smooth edges of the earcups. A padded headband and earcups keep you comfortable as you listen. When you're done, the EL-8s fold completely flat for easy transport.

The Audeze EL-8 headphones are also available in an open-back design.