Closing thoughts
“My goal for the N8 was to have something I could listen to whether I was performing or not.” – Nathan East
It took me a while to get there, but once I finally heard N8 for myself, almost all my expectations of what it would actually sound like were realised.
As a bass connoisseur, there is nothing I appreciate more in an IEM. But great bass alone is not enough at this level, not when you’re investing in higher-end sets like N8 and demand premium performance. This, to me, is N8’s true worth: it’s ability to combine a warm, lush, bass-filled presentation with clarity, extension, a generous stage, precise imaging, and extended fatigue-free listening.
Summing up its strengths, besides the obviously sumptuous bass and overall tonal richness, this is a monitor that delivers on the promise of true-to-life reproduction snugly wrapped up in a warm comforter. There’s no getting around the fact that bass comes first, and basshead-level bass too, especially if you’re brave enough to swap in the m20. If you’re not into bass, prefer your bass neutral, or need a bass presentation that’s subservient to everything else, this is definitely not the IEM for you.
On the flip side, we live in a golden age of IEMs, where technical mastery is often favoured ahead of tonal preferences. N8 is not going to compete with summit-fi technical sets, and it probably won’t win a straight technical race with other IEMs in its class either. That’s not to say it isn’t technically competent – it very much is – but it unapologetically puts tone before tech, so keep that in mind.
Another consideration, of course, is that N8 is only available as a custom IEM. While customs are, on the whole, more comfortable, more isolating, and more consistent-sounding than their universal counterparts, they’re also harder to resell (should you ever need to) because they’d need to be re-shelled for the buyer at considerable expense. There’s also no guarantee of a first-time (or even second-time) fit, although 64 Audio’s generous fit guarantee at least somewhat reduces the risk.
Then there’s the competition. Six years ago, when N8 was first released, there weren’t too many – if any – warm tuned, bass-first IEMs that could directly compete with what it does. Today, while I still haven’t heard an IEM that’s directly equivalent, there are valid alternatives, some of which like Empire Ears’ Legend X and Sony’s Z1R, I haven’t covered in this review but are well worth considering.
But none of these IEMs are N8. There’s a story here that’s worth telling, a heritage of design that, if it’s meaningful enough to you, you won’t find anywhere else. N8 is one of those unique IEMs that, for me, has a place in any collection that values a bass-first, easy listening IEM with a vibrant heart and musical soul. As such, it earns my highest possible recommendation.
N8 is available to buy direct from 64 Audio for $1,699, excluding premium options.
