| | |  | Amplifier | Home » » NuForce NE-8 Stereo Earphones | | | | | | | Description: | | Uncompromising, hi-fidelity earphones deliver unparalleled accuracy, exceptional clarity, full-bodied bass, and a rich, enveloping sound. The in-ear, isolating ear-tips block out 90% of external sounds. A comfortable, ergonomic design, along with cable options, minimizes outside sounds. | | | Features: | |
• Uncompromising, hi-fidelity earphones deliver unparalleled accuracy, exceptional clarity, full-bodied bass, and a rich, enveloping sound
• The in-ear, isolating ear-tips block out 90% of external sounds. A comfortable, ergonomic design, along with cable options, minimizes outside sounds.
| | | Product Details: | | | Package Length:
| 5.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.7 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.7 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 12 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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 Could be better for the priceSep 01, 2010
I purchased these and a set of NuForce NE-7m's. The NE-7m costs less but is, in my opinion, a better sounding headphone. I know certain reviews complain about the amount of noise the cord transfers to your ears, but with the Comply Foam Tips (which I would have gotten regardless) it is nearly eliminated. The tips improves the sound quality dramatically anyway, but that's for a different review.
Overall I feel that these headphones sound overly tinny. The highs are crisp and the mids are fairly neutral, but the lows are not quite acceptable. It is definitely a good sound overall, especially for the non-discerning listener, but I'm picky and I don't like the lack of low end this headphone provides. For your money, I'd recommend the NE-7m over this one. Plus, it has a built in mic for the smartphone users out there. Regardless of which in-ear monitors you end up getting definitely consider picking up a set of Comply Foam Tips for ultimate sound quality and noise isolation.
As far as fitment goes, I'm not too partial towards the "top of ear hanger" design so I'm going to be biased in this review. It doesn't fit right on my head, although I think my ears are lopsided so this probably contribute to this claim. I will say, however, that this design does make it a good choice for wearing while running as it is much more secure than traditional designs. They tend to stay in much better than my NE-7m's while jogging.
For the price, this is a pretty decent headphone if you aren't too discerning of a listener or if you don't listen to anything that's too bassy (hip-hop listeners, stay away).
 My favorite earphonesMar 18, 2010
I am on my second pair of these earphones, after I accidentally put the first pair through the laundry. I just couldn't live without them. I've tried a lot of different earphones, as none ever seem to fit my ears quite right. These are a very comfortable fit with the bendable ear hook, and I prefer using the double-flanged ear tips, as they seal in my ear better.
For those contemplating the NE-7M simply because of the microphone, I would still recommend the NE-8's. When I receive a call, I simply hold the phone in front of me and speak normally. It's not exactly hands-free, but it also doesn't look like I'm talking to myself as I walk through campus. The NE-8's are also more flush with my ear than the NE-7M's, which stick out a bit more. This allows me to wear a stocking cap more comfortably in the winter.
 DisappointedMar 18, 2010
I ordered this earphone after reading so many good reviews about Nuforce products. The shipping was fast, however one of my earbud that fits my ear was folded and wouldn't fit. So I contacted Nuforce, and they promptly sent me the replacement buds. After about a week of usage, I noticed a static noise from certain frequency when using this with my laptop, and because I use this earphone primarily with the laptop, it concerned me. So again, I contacted Nuforce expecting same quality support but this time I NEVER EVER received any response from nuforce. I called their customer support and was told to create a file on their website, but they never responded back.
Sound quality is okay, but because of that static noise, I had to give only 1 star.
I think Nuforce is a very small company, and they ONLY focus on sound quality of their products. BUT! their compatibility with NON-NUFORCE products is WORST EVER.
Keep in mind before purchasing Nuforce product.
Go with the NE-7M'sMar 01, 2010
I just received my NE-8's and I'm very disappointed! The upper sound is excellent, but the bass is terrible...almost non-existent!!! I have a set of the NE-7's and my wife wanted a pair, so I thought that this would be a good excuse to try the NE-8. I don't like a lot of bass anyway, so I thought that the reviews that I read would not really be that big an issue. I was wrong...the NE-8 are extremely disappointing compared to the NE-7. The comfort and durability is much better than the NE-7, but that is about it. The carrying case is really quality too, other than that, I would suggest saving some money and buying the NE-7.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
I'm still trying to understand this earphone.Dec 22, 2009
I have to tell you: I don't understand this particular earphone. Like many audiophiles, I've read a fair number of positive reviews about it and was very excited when I finally ordered and received them. To make a long story short, the NE-8's truly have a clear, detailed, and articulate sound, especially in the upper frequencies. The issue of bass - or a lack thereof - is not only a weakness of this product, but it's virtually non-existent in the important midrange area. Now, before I get into the details of my trials and errors, here's an excerpt from my review of the top-line Sennheiser MX-660 earbuds which I reviewed earlier:
"Back in the early days of portable audio, bass reproduction was, in a word, lacking. To compensate for this, manufacturers created earphones with various bass-enhancing circuitry which did nothing more than blow-up the lower midrange frequencies giving listeners a false sense of "bass". This was nothing more than sonic mud as it did nothing but smear mid-range detail with bloat and boom. Unfortunately, many listeners accepted this as true bass so when higher-quality earphones appeared on the market, some listeners became disenchanted with them claiming a "lack of bass". "
Perhaps the NE-8's are the true definition of a "lack of bass" not only in the lower frequencies, but to my ear, there isn't even an appreciable amount of upper bass frequencies that can give a nice heft to the midrange without turning into sonic mud. The first thing I tried to "fix" is getting the 'phones to fit into my ear canal. This was an issue that has been brought up in a few forums so I was prepared to take the time to make them work. I spent a good week fussing with them to get a good fit trying the different tips as well as getting the cord adjusted behind my ears properly. I finally did work that out but making minor adjustments every time I put them on was a pain. Get the adjustment off, and it could affect the sound quality.
Sonically, I didn't find much difference in the sound no matter what source I was plugged into. I used them in everything from my Zune to my smartphone to my laptop and even in my dedicated headphone amp (CI Audio VHP-1) and the headphone output on my Parasound HP-850 preamp. The music I used ranged from Beethoven to Metallica to Fusion Jazz in various formats from L.A.M.E. MP3's to 24/96 files. While the amps did yield a slight improvement in depth, the results were basically the same: Lack of musical bass and an absence of midrange "body". The highs were truly remarkable but it wasn't enough the make the music enjoyable for any length of time. The bass that was present was way back in the soundstage. It's almost as if it was added as an afterthought. Just for the heck of it, I ran the earphones through the equalizer on my J.River music software and gradually increase the 40Hz frequency in 1 db increments to see if there was some missing "omph" buried within. The short answer is no. Once I hit +3db, a little more bass did come through but was severely distorted. Obviously, bass was not much of a consideration in its' design which is too bad because it could have made this product much more balanced and enjoyable. I did the same test on my Sennheiser MX-660's and there was no distortion at +3db. All of that may mean nothing in particular but I find the Senn's much more balanced and musical.
At this point, I'm at a loss of words to describe the NE-8's especially in light of its' positive reviews. Like many audiophiles, I look for bass that is musical, yet dynamic. For my main headphone set-up, I use Grado's SR-325i. I also have the SR-125 and the iGrados as well so I'm well- acquainted with the marvelous sound of these cans. I did have to ask myself if I was expecting the NE-8's to have some of the characteristics of the Grados. Well, I was expecting them to have a nice balance like them which I know may not be a fair comparison but I don't think it's bad to want a pair of phones to have a good top-to-bottom balance. I will also admit that it could just be me. Perhaps I will re-visit the NE-8's at another time but for now, I'll leave this review as is for the readers to make up their own minds as to whether these are the right phones or not.
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