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8 balanced drivers + ModTec
Sitting at the top of Cosmic Ears’ current line-up, the C8A is the brand’s most advanced and ambitious model to date. With a total of eight balanced armature drivers per side, split across four dedicated frequency bands, this flagship monitor is designed to provide the most accurate and engaging sound Cosmic has ever delivered.
You’ll find two drivers for the lows, two for the low-mids, two for the mids, and two to handle the highs. Aa refined configuration already seen in a few other TOTL monitors, but here paired with ModTec, the brand’s proprietary modular crossover tech. The result? A beautifully layered sound that stays cohesive from top to bottom, with each band working in perfect harmony.
Compared to the C4P or the older CE6B, the C8A should deliver a noticeable step up in terms of headroom, resolution and refinement. This isn’t just about adding drivers for the sake of numbers — the tuning here feels like the work of a mature, confident manufacturer that knows how to extract the best from its hardware.
Solid Acoustic Mass Shell + Shock Dampening Membrane
More drivers usually means more challenges when it comes to housing and isolation. But here again, the C8A proves its flagship status with one of the most refined shells I’ve seen in Cosmic’s catalog.
Each earpiece is carved with what the brand calls a Solid Acoustic Mass Shell — a dense, internal structure designed to both anchor the drivers and suppress unwanted resonances. Combined with the Shock Dampening Membrane, which reduces microphonics and handling noise, this setup gives the C8A a rock-solid acoustic foundation that allows the drivers to truly shine.
And while all Cosmic Ears monitors share the same handcrafted approach, the level of internal refinement on this one — from the soldering to the driver alignment — clearly puts it in a different league.
Not only does the shell feel robust and premium in hand, it also supports one of the best passive isolations I’ve experienced recently with a CIEM. Think -26dB easy, and up to -30dB with the right fit.
Pro-Phase Audio + TunR
Last but not least, the C8A introduces two exclusive technologies developed in-house by Cosmic Ears: Pro-Phase Audio and TunR.
The first — Pro-Phase — focuses on phase coherence across the entire frequency range, using time-aligned crossovers to ensure that all eight drivers work in unison, rather than stepping on each other’s toes. The result? A cleaner image, sharper layering, and an uncanny sense of space, even in the busiest mixes. No smear, no fuzz just clarity, from sub-bass to sparkle – or so I hope.
As for TunR, it’s Cosmic’s own fine-tuning system, allowing each pair of C8A to be subtly adjusted at the final assembly stage. The goal? Ensure every unit meets reference-level expectations, while still letting users personalize the shell, faceplates, and cables to their liking. A bit like custom tailoring, but for sound.
These might sound like marketing buzzwords, but in use, they should translate to real benefits — and further reinforce the C8A’s flagship DNA. One of the few CIEMs I’ve tested where the tech wasn’t just there for the brochure, but actually made a difference in daily use.
Full specs
- Model: Cosmic Ears C8A
- Type: custom In-Ears / IEM Monitors
- Style: four way – multi balanced drivers
- Drivers: 2x Low / 2x Low-mid / 2x Mid / 2x High
- Socket: 2-pins (0.78)
- Cable: custom braided cable with 3.5mm golden-plated termination
- Material: medical grade solid acrylic, coated in hypoallergenic lacquer
- Frequency Response: 18Hz – 18kHz
- Impedance: 12 ohms
- Sensitivity: 117 dB SPL
- Sound Isolation (up to): -26 dB
- Cable length: 130cm
- Weight: g excluding cable, g including cable
- Price: €1.399 EUR (before customization)
Bundle – Inside the box
Like all Custom in-ears, you won’t get much with your C8A – most customers will be music performers or engineers, that don’t need the thrill of expansive bundles. That said, it’s still cool to get some accessories with your TOTL gear, don’t you think?
In the box you have:
- the Cosmic Ears C8A
- either ProQ or ProX cables (depending of what your ordered)
- two earwax cleaners
- a microfiber cloth
- a mesh net to carry your in-ears without the box
- an aluminium sealed box (Apollo) which is the one I chose, or a pot-top one made of toughened plastic, if you prefer slimmer options
So far so good.
Additional accessories
Honestly, there’s not much you could add to your C8A in terms of accessories – CIEM don’t need ear tips for example. But, if you want to push them to the max, you have two options:
- a balanced cable, like the one from ddHiFi or Linum, to match your high-end DAP/DAC
- a good source, with a clean output, so you could get the best sound out of your ears
Sensitivity / Hiss
Impedance is low (12 ohms), sensitivity is high (117 dB) which means you should be able to drive the C8A with almost anything.
That also means they will tend to catch any residual noise you get from your source, something that I was able to witness when paired with my Steam Deck, the CIEM pushing a faint-but-audible hiss every time the console had to be pushed more than necessary.
With a good source though, the issue was gone.
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