Hello,
I am the guy from Headwize.com that reviewed the B&O A8 earphones.
To give you an idea to what I am comparing them to, I also own a set of
Alessandro MS-1s (Grado SR-125), Sennheiser HD-490, Koss SportaPros and
Sennheiser HD-580's (admittedly, reference quality headphones). They range
in price from $20 USD (for the Sportas) to $350 USD (what I paid 3 years ago
for the 580s). I power them all through a Musical Fidelity X-Can V2.0 tube /
transistor headphone amplifier, with a 96/24 DVD player.
The B&O are the worst headphones I've ever heard. Period. They have no low
end, "hooty" mids and non-existant highs. They are admittedly stylish, but
that's it. Their build quality is spotty, at best (they use a cheap cable
and non-gold plated connectors). Besides, posts at the B&O website indicate
that they are prone to rusting (on the hinges and connectors), and even
there, people complain about their sound quality.
I payed $200 USD to have them sent to Mexico (taxes and delivery are really
high), and my first set was defective. I had to return them and get another
one. I'd say the SportaPros, at 20 USD, sound a lot better and are a lot
cheaper. Ditto for the Sennheiser 490's, which at $49 USD can give you a
taste of what high-end headphones sound like.
If you want a quality earbud, go for the Sony MD-888LP's (around $65 USD),
or the Sennheiser MX-500 (around $20 USD). Both are widely recognized as the
best earphones available, and the MX-500 has the distinction of best bang
for the buck. Personally, those are the ones I will be getting for my new
MZ-R90, since full size headphones (such as the 490s) are overkill for a
mini-MD player. If I can't get earbuds, the SportaPros will do just fine.
By all means, stay away from B&Os if you care about sound. If looks are what
count, they are the right choice. But at their current price and
performance, I would not recommend them to anyone.
Francisco.
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