Author: Roderick
Table of Contents:
Information:
- Publication year: 2021
- Price: 140 €
- Type: open, over-ear
- Dynamic drivers: 50 mm + 15 mm
- Impedance: selectable 34 or 150 ohm
- Sensitivity: 98 dB/mW
- Weight: approximately 300 grams
- Connector type: 2 x 3.5 mm
- Cable: 1.8 meters (3.5 mm connector)
- Accessories: No accessories. The headphones didn't even come with product packaging, but were delivered wrapped in bubble wrap.
- Warranty: Not known
Equipment used in the review:
- DAP: Shanling M6 Pro
- DAC: Schiit Yggdrasill A1
- Headphone amplifier: SPL Phonitor 2
Review sample: Self-purchased product
Toneking is a Chinese headphone manufacturer known mainly for its in-ear headphones, with prices ranging from a few tens of euros to several hundreds of euros. The manufacturer is not very familiar to me, but I have tested the P10 model, which costs about 200 euros and is based on a 10 mm planar driver. The P10 did not impress me, so my expectations for the manufacturer's first full-size headphone were low.
However, the L8 model, priced at around 140 euros, seemed quite interesting because each cup has two drivers instead of the usual single driver. The smaller 15 mm driver is likely intended to reproduce higher frequencies. The option to choose between two impedance values also distinguishes the L8 from many other affordable Chinese headphones, so I finally decided to order the 150 ohm version from Aliexpress to try it out.
Structure and comfort
The appearance of the headphones is quite pleasant thanks to the wooden cups, but it cannot be described as very personal. Toneking has not designed the outer shells itself, but the same headband mechanism and similar cups are used in many other headphones.
The self-adjusting headband mechanism of the headphones works well in terms of comfort. Unfortunately, the metal arch is very microphonic, meaning it rings loudly when touched. In addition, the headband amplifies other sounds coming from the headphones' structure.
The cups rotate 180 degrees, or at least they should. In my pair of headphones, the headband is assembled so loosely that one of the cups spins completely around with a slight jerk. I didn't expect very high quality, but Toneking falls short of my expectations right from the start.
Fortunately, the clamping force of the headband is just right, as the poor ear pads would not be able to withstand stronger pressure. The L8”s pads are quite small, and their velour surface is rough. The pads are so uncomfortable that the user experience of the headphones remains negative. The pads deserve an extra minus for collecting dust incredibly efficiently. I have tested hundreds of headphones, and I have never before encountered similar ”vacuum cleaner pads.".
The cable supplied with the L8 stands out from the otherwise weak construction. The cable looks good and is soft, and it folds well. A better cable might not even be found in headphones costing thousands of euros.
I cannot comment on the sound quality of the cable in more detail, but I also used it with Focal Celeste without noticing any negative changes in the headphones' sound. Focal, Hifiman, Grado, Abyss, and other manufacturers using terrible cables should learn from Toneking. A good cable in terms of usability does not have to be expensive, as a similar cable ordered from Alixpress probably costs less than 30 euros.
Sound quality
Frequency response:
There is nothing to praise about the Toneking L8's sound. It's actually quite impressive how many errors and deviations have been crammed into one frequency response. The L8's bass reproduction sharply attenuates starting from 100 hertz. This would not be problematic if the bass reduction occurred a little more gently – however, a sharply plummeting frequency response is easily audible. Mid-bass, on the other hand, is pleasantly present in the headphones, and its quantity is quite well in line with the lower midrange. Unfortunately, there is still nothing positive to mention about the bass quality.
In the midrange, the L8 sounds even worse than can be inferred from my frequency response measurements. The 1 kHz emphasis is somewhat reminiscent of Focal headphones, while the subdued upper midrange resembles Audeze headphones. One might imagine the L8 to be a pleasant combination of Focal-style intensity and Audeze's rich timbre – however, this is a pipe dream.
The L8 only manages to combine the worst aspects of headphones like Focal and Audeze: the reproduction is both aggressive and veiled. The sound also echoes strongly, so listening to the headphones feels like lying on the floor of an echoing bathroom with a terrible hangover, listening to a metallic xylophone at 100 decibels. At other times, the veiled and congested sound feels suffocating.
Occasionally, there is even a pleasant softness in the sound, until a metallic clang immediately ruins the listening experience. The presentation style is both blurry and metallically piercing, even though the L8 doesn't sound bright. There is also something peculiar in the headphones' sound that makes guitars, pianos, and wind instruments all sound the same. A highly distorted timbre has been permanently glued onto the music. Sometimes a separate smaller driver causes sound to appear from somewhere far away, but generally, the existence of a true soundstage cannot be spoken of. The reproduction is strongly stuck within the listener's shoulder line and inside the head.
Summary
The Toneking L8 is a terrible combination of poor build quality, bad usability, and truly dismal sound quality. The only positive aspects of the headphones are their reasonably nice appearance and surprisingly high-quality cable. However, I cannot ultimately come up with such a broad "ass's bridge" that I could recommend these headphones to anyone.
Pros and cons:
+ Nice cable with excellent usability
+/- The headphone cups and headband are quite striking. However, headphones made from the same parts are available more affordably and with better sound quality
– Sound quality in every possible way
– Structural durability
– Comfort
– Dust-collecting earpads
– Price-quality ratio
-/+ The product does not come with any retail packaging. However, the headphones will likely gather dust in a corner of the closet, so for environmental reasons, it's good that no more resources than necessary were wasted on making this abomination
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