I used my soundcore liberty neo for comparison, listening to Metallicas One streaming on Amazon. Ive never tried an 8. I expected the same type of inner soles that the flats/sandals have, but the inner soles are smooth but with arch support. HOWEVER, your feet will not thank you and you will be in pain after an hour or two standing in them. I love this for a few reasons. I resorted to replacing the new wheels with some old ones which is shown in the last photo. Warm w/o being too hot and sweaty. I started out with the 8W and then bought the 9W to see if that would make a difference. They definitely aren’t the quality you get at the V S store. In any case, if ANC is your no.