Heir Audio IEM 8.0 In-Ear Headphone Review

Introduction

Deep within the valleys of the Sichuan Province lies a company with one mission: ­­provide monitors which combine the best of both stunning aesthetics and outstanding audio reproduction. In this regard, Heir Audio certainly does not fail to impress and have accumulated an impressive portfolio of monitors to prove their mission for budding audiophiles across the world. Though nascent in recognition, Heir Audio was created by two American audiologists who share more than 25 years of experience in the fields of audiology, music and artistic design. It is this triad of masteries which has earned this company their current successes and have allowed them to develop uniquely beautiful in-ear monitors (IEMs) which have excited musicians and audiophiles alike.

With the release of their recent universal collection of IEMs, Heir Audio have been hard at work at redefining standards of monitor production and have recently launched the latest in their line of universals: The Heir Audio IEM 8.0. With a staggering 8 precision-tuned balanced-armature drivers per earpiece, the IEM 8.0 competes at the top end of the arena and is the result of painstaking attention to detail and audio-related knowledge. 

The Look

At first glance, the IEM 8.0 is visually stunning and is without a doubt the best looking IEM in my collection. Whereas other IEMs tend to adopt a bland plastic or metallic design, the faceplate of the 8.0 is made out of exotic Siamese rosewood said to be handcrafted by Heir’s technicians. The wood here looks elegant, has character and coupled with the dark smoky shell colour, really pays homage to Heir’s strive to combine the best of audio-visual value. The Heir Audio IEM 8.0 uses a Magnus 1 cable which itself is quite expensive. The detachable cable adopts a quadruple-braided design which is impressive to the touch and boasts more silver content than standard CIEM cables. One minor improvement I would like to suggest however is that the cable itself could be a bit shorter in length but again this comes down to personal preference.

The Technology

Heir have employed 8 precision tuned drivers with a 4-way passive crossover design. Each driver comes in pairs which are used for low, medium, high and ultrahigh frequency production respectively. The balanced armature drivers are assembled by Knowles electronics and Heir have chosen to import Vishay Inter resistors, AVX capacitors, and OxiCap capacitors. They have admirably been able to pack this all in a relatively small housing material which rests nicely against the concha of the ear.

The Fit

With a larger than average housing, I was dubious of comfort being an issue for extended periods of wear. However, when I first tried on the IEM 8.0, I was left impressed at how comfortable they are. They seem to disappear in the ears and leave you to solely enjoy the music and nothing else. This is partly due to the rounded housing material but in addition, the comfortable ear tips which look expensive in choice of material and feel. Also contributory, is the memory cable with a plastic-like material shrink-wrapped to fit over the cable to each earpiece. The memory cable is flexible, soft feeling and once again consolidates the premium feel that this product has.

The Accessories

Heir have provided a moderate selection of accessories which I feel add to their premium branding. Most prominent is their tough OtterBox case which looks bomb-proof. To the testament of Heir, they have gone to far lengths of providing a high-end experience and their case is an example of just that. Also included are 3 sets of black double-flange tips, 3 sets of black silicone tips and 3 sets of red-core grey tips. They have also thrown in a cleaning tool and elastic cable for use with amps. One accessory which I feel could have been incorporated is a small micro-fibre cloth to clean the acrylic shell which unfortunately is a fingerprint magnet.

The Sound

The tonality of the Heir Audio IEM 8.0 offers an incredibly enriching, lush, smooth and warm auditory experience. I was wary at first that with so many drivers coherence and synergy would be a prime issue but Heir have definitely hit it out of the park with their crossover technology and outstanding synergistic audio production. Tracks are engaging and I am especially impressed with the explosive macro-dynamics such as guitar strums which sound magical with this set.

Bass offers rumbling lows which are not distorted in any sense and contribute nicely to the overall sound signature. Sub-bass extension is excellent and flows neatly into mid-bass which although boosted does not detract from the midrange frequencies at all. I have to point out that both sub- and mid-bass are infinitely smooth and are butter-like in presence in that they are extremely musical and addictive. I find it easy to fault various IEM’s bass because it is a hard feat to get this part of the frequency spectrum completely right but I would have to say Heir have successfully managed to perfect bass for their signature. Whilst not the fastest in decay, the bass has a great roundness and warmth. 

Mids are more forward in the soundstage compared to the Earsonics Velvet. Like the Velvet, they are smooth, lush and inoffensive whilst at the same time offering a decent amount of clarity. Like the bass, they are very musical and addictive which makes for a good contrast between overly resolving and harsh mids of certain monitors. Not all micro-details are revealed but that is not the purpose of this IEM; they are not for purposes of monitoring but are rather fun and relaxing. Mids present with a thick note texture and are engaging, organic and transcend effortlessly into the upper mids and treble. Male and female vocals sound outstanding with these and due to the sound signature of these IEMs they are able to master a wide range of genres. Whilst the low parts of mids sound warm and thick, it is interesting to note that the upper mids can come across with a slightly thinner presence which gives the upper mids a slight edge in vocals.

Treble has good extension and is relatively laidback in the overall sound signature. This contributes to the fun and enjoyable experience that this IEM provides and again makes a welcomed change to harsher sounding sets such as the Ultimate Ear TF10 and Fischer Audio DBA-02. Whilst not having a lot of sparkle, the detailing in the treble section is present which makes the listening engaging. What I like about Heir have done is that they have not opted for extremely bright forceful highs which detract from the user experience but have beautifully tied the treble so that it effortlessly transcends from the upper mids to the higher notes.

Soundstage & Imaging

Soundstage is well beyond average with these as there are plenty of out of head experiences to be had. Whilst not as wide as the DUNU DN-2000, they are more 3D-sounding and just let you enjoy the music. Instrument separation is outstanding and shows that we are dealing with premium quality sound engineering as I am easily able to separate out instruments from within tracks. The air between vocals and surrounding dynamics give rise to IEM 8.0’s fulfilling and rich presence which aid the delivery of all types of genre.

Amping

For the purposes of this review I have relied on my outstanding value for money Topping NX1 which slightly boosts the forwardness of the mids. The Heir Audio IEM 8.0 still however retains its fluid and enjoyable sound signature with little if any compromises in the frequency ranges. The noise produced by the NX1 is minimal and is a perfect solution to boost the dB of the Heir which although relatively sensitive at 35 ohms may need a tad boosting for a more enveloping sound.

Conclusion

Taking all factors into account, the Heir Audio IEM 8.0 is an outstanding IEM and is perhaps the best warm-sounding earphone I have ever heard. This IEM is not analytical and therefore will not be appropriate for the purposes of monitoring but this is more geared towards a comfortably enriched relaxing sound especially useful for long listening sessions. I am amazed at how coherent these sets sound and how the 4 pairs of drivers have a great synergy which aid the warm and sweet presentation style that this delivers. Heir Audio should be proud of this stellar product and have certainly left their mark as a budding company in the world of audio monitors.

With a well-defined and charming signature, I would say that the Heir Audio 8.0 IEM justifies its $999 price tag to an audiophile with very deep pockets.  The 8.0 IEM headphones truly live up to Heir’s motto of these being “Fit for a King”. 

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.