Hi, having had both, I would say they are completely different :

- sound is good on both, but F2 will provide more bass with a much shorter treble range, it sounds like older generation BeoLabs whereas the A8s sound more "modern" with a brighter top end;

- design is also old vs. new ;

- ease of use depends on what you use them for: for travelling, I would take the A8 because they fit in the original leather pouch, are light & compact, have a shorter cable; F2s have a very looong cable (originally for video use), but eventually if you have the cable free, you'll walk on it and damage the phones (happened to me a couple of times), besides, the head strap is very fragile, I broke it twice, the screws come loose very quickly (I had a very bad experience with them!); A8s are not perfect either in terms of ergonomics, because the bass performance is really depending no how deep you insert them in your ears: putting them on will give you average bass, but inserting the earphone in your ear (don't be afraid to push!) will cut outside noise and greatly improve the bass.

- if you have to put them on and off several times while listening, then I would suggest  F2s, because wearing A8s is almost like coronation ceremony..

I think it will depend on whether you are going to use them for running or other very active exercise.  If so, then the A8 is better.  Otherwise, I found the Form - 2 to be very good, the one that I prefer for an overall "fuller" sound, whatever that really means.  I think the Form - 2 is just the type of item that gives people a taste of what B&O is all about:  superior quality, excellent design and a logical price for the quality you are getting.  Just read some of the online reviews for this, which are, overall, very good to excellent, except for the one or two that complain, I believe unjustifiably, about the price.  For $100.00 it is an excellent product.

Also, the ones I bought, which I think are also marketed through Apple and the Apple stores, have the medium length wire, which is a good length for "arms length" listening.  Some people complained that the longer wire was too long, so B&O responded to the apparent public feedback!  And apparently Apple really liked this headphone, so much so that they encouraged B&O to offer them for sale with Apple.  I bought mine through the B&O online website store, but it took them quite a while to ship them out, so that is my only complaint.  It's better to go to a B&O store and buy them in person, which I should have done.

Some other observations:  The wire is quite substantial, which is good.  It's not a flimsy wire.  The plug also appears of very good quality, with gold contacts! 

So, I would definitely recommend the Form - 2.

Good luck! 

waltoninn:

 ... I bought mine through the B&O online website store ... 

where d'oes exist one? Do you have a link?!

thx 

Whereabout's are you? They are available here for £79. Steer well clear of ebay, the vast majority you see there are fakes.