[davidcotton]

Bit of a throwback, but after a few weeks of listening to pretty much nothing but dynamic driver IEMs for some upcoming comparisons I've been working on, decided to cleanse the palate today with a chillout day with my Athena-VIII customs.

Always forget how good they sound until I slip then in - these were a criminally underrated model from the old EE line in my eyes, and should definitely have got a lot more attention (and praise) than they did. Beautiful full sound and those spectacular EE mids.

I really loved the Nemesis from the new X series at Canjam London as well (actually preferred it to the Legend X overall) - think @Jack Vang and Dean should make more noise about their middle of the range IEMs, as there are some real gems that people are skipping by in their race for the top.

Just my 0.02c - have a good weekend, everyone!

There's a tendency on headfi to focus on either the totl or the bottom bang for buck with not much inbetween sadly. History is kind of repeating itself with the new line as it seem the bravado and the phantom (along with the legend x) getting most of the limelight whilst the others hardly get a mention. Understandable I suppose. Unless all those owners are so satisfied with their models they don't feel the need to come on to headfi in search of the next upgrade!

 

[proedros]

it makes sense , in a way

cheaper models are considered best bang-for-buck usually while totl models are considered well TOTL - that leaves the middle-priced models somewhere without a clearly defined role (poor man's TOTL model ? trickle down from TOTL tech model ? something else maybe ?)

also , if you are gonna move to the around 1000$ models , you start thinking that you have climbed most of the mountain so why not go for that extra/final mile ?

btw i had athena as well but there was something missing - so i moved to Zeus XR and i have stayed put there for more than 1 year.....

 

[Bosk]

I can't compare off the top of my head, but I remember the ESR having great bass extension and mid-bass presence. If anything, the ESR's bass is certainly more memorable to me than the Zeus's. The Zeus would win overall resolution from spatial accuracy alone. The Zeus presents a stable, three-dimensional stage where everything is laid out extremely clearly, while the ESR lacks that final bit of refinement IMO.

Much appreciated Deezel!

May I also ask how the Bravados compare with the ESRs on imaging and resolution grounds? Everyone seems to love the Bravados and they are tempting my inner basshead.

 

[Focux]

Much appreciated Deezel!

May I also ask how the Bravados compare with the ESRs on imaging and resolution grounds? Everyone seems to love the Bravados and they are tempting my inner basshead.

Would like to know this too. Was told that the Bravado would not be ideal for vocals and all and that the mids are lacking. Perhaps also with the EVR’s too

 

[Audiophonicalistic]

There's a tendency on headfi to focus on either the totl or the bottom bang for buck with not much inbetween sadly. History is kind of repeating itself with the new line as it seem the bravado and the phantom (along with the legend x) getting most of the limelight whilst the others hardly get a mention. Understandable I suppose. Unless all those owners are so satisfied with their models they don't feel the need to come on to headfi in search of the next upgrade!

That's the reason why I chose legend x. I was looking for more info on the vantage and nemesis but really couldn't find any information. I'm not complaining though

 

[rhester]

Bravado’s are not lacking in kids with the rift cables and dap. They have such a thump that mids are just a step back. Still excellent vocals and body. ESR are very neutral closest to reference I have heard from EE. Bass is there just very clean and fast . More stage and more precise imaging . Both very good just different taste for different folks

 

[natemact]

There's a tendency on headfi to focus on either the totl or the bottom bang for buck with not much inbetween sadly. History is kind of repeating itself with the new line as it seem the bravado and the phantom (along with the legend x) getting most of the limelight whilst the others hardly get a mention. Understandable I suppose. Unless all those owners are so satisfied with their models they don't feel the need to come on to headfi in search of the next upgrade!

Ya it’s kinda cyclical in it’s nature too. The EE dealer by me - who once stocked all the Greek myths - only brought in Bravado, LX and Phantom for this time around. I wonder how many different iems EE will bet on when the lineup’s due for it’s next overhaul.

Covering a wide spread of price points makes sense but it seems things get a little crowded when you have more than two different tunings in the $1-2k range.

 

[Colors]

Bravado’s midrange sounds fine once you slap on a pure silver cable. Tames the sub-bass, brings the mids forward and increases treble extensions. Makes it less V-shaped and more balanced (it sounds really nice!)

 

[KuroKitsu]

Yeah, that was something I found difficult to word. I was speaking to a greater sense of satisfaction that the Phantom's bass can give not with quantity, but with quality. I guess the more correct term would be more extended, but hindsight is 20/20.

Ah Extended, my favourite word regarding bass and treble.

 

[pali]

Much appreciated Deezel!

May I also ask how the Bravados compare with the ESRs on imaging and resolution grounds? Everyone seems to love the Bravados and they are tempting my inner basshead.

ESR are definitely ahead on resolution, however Bravados don't lag way behind.

Would like to know this too. Was told that the Bravado would not be ideal for vocals and all and that the mids are lacking. Perhaps also with the EVR’s too

I would not say that mids are lacking, just put slighty behind the bass. But not too much like other V shaped signatures. This is what I liked about the Bravados. Was really fun to listen to them with rock, pop, and electronic but still listenable for jazz.

Bravado’s midrange sounds fine once you slap on a pure silver cable. Tames the sub-bass, brings the mids forward and increases treble extensions. Makes it less V-shaped and more balanced (it sounds really nice!)

Holy sh*#, that is an excellent idea! I don't know why I didn't even consider trying my Penon OS849 with the Bravados when I had them for the tour. Maybe it's for the best, I had a really hard time letting them go to send to the next person. Hearing them on silver cables would have made it harder.

 

[Focux]

ESR are definitely ahead on resolution, however Bravados don't lag way behind.



I would not say that mids are lacking, just put slighty behind the bass. But not too much like other V shaped signatures. This is what I liked about the Bravados. Was really fun to listen to them with rock, pop, and electronic but still listenable for jazz.



Holy sh*#, that is an excellent idea! I don't know why I didn't even consider trying my Penon OS849 with the Bravados when I had them for the tour. Maybe it's for the best, I had a really hard time letting them go to send to the next person. Hearing them on silver cables would have made it harder.

thank you for sharing that, was concerned as i do appreciate vocals as well despite that not being the Bravado's forte

 

[KuroKitsu]

@Deezel177 What would you say does better in vocals between Zeus and Phantoms? I also hear that Zeus is iffy with cables. Which one would be better with the Lionheart?

 

[proedros]

@Deezel177 What would you say does better in vocals between Zeus and Phantoms? I also hear that Zeus is iffy with cables. Which one would be better with the Lionheart?

where did you hear this ? damn you guys make Zeus sound like a problematic iem when it is one of the best iems around

weird.

 

[KuroKitsu]

where did you hear this ? damn you guys make Zeus sound like a problematic iem when it is one of the best iems around

weird.

Not sure, but I did see talk here earlier where this was mentioned.

 

[Deezel177]

@Deezel177 What would you say does better in vocals between Zeus and Phantoms? I also hear that Zeus is iffy with cables. Which one would be better with the Lionheart?

That depends entirely on what you’re looking for in vocals. If you want a warmer, more natural timbre with a smoother, silkier touch - yet still have excellent resolution - the Phantom takes it. But, if you want vocals that are cleaner, clearer, crisper and more open-sounding - with a more neutral tone - then the Zeus is it. The Zeus isn’t iffy with cables at all IMO. The only pairing I’ve heard that I kinda disliked was with the 4-wire 1960s, because I felt it overtly boosted the upper-treble. The Zeus + Lionheart combo, though, is one of my absolute favourites. It makes the Zeus sound silky-smooth up top, yet vibrant and engaging in the upper-mids. The bass becomes less tight, but the touch of warmth coming from it really binds the whole track together in a cohesive and musical (not veiled) way.