[nocturaline]

Ok, got them on Monday.

Listened to them out of the box and now burning them in. I won't touch them until Friday but, so far, I am very impressed...

Any blues or old prog rock "mainstream" tracks on which we could compare our experiences?

For blues, although i have some old stuff (especially Lightning Hopkins), I mostly listen to Keby' Mo'. For prog rock, 70s Genesis, Yes, and Pink Floyd - all remastered. For Pink Floyd, I generally prefer the 1992 remasters as opposed to the ones from 2011. I'll try to listen to more of those this weekend. But i can confirm that the Bravado is exceptional and a lot of fun. My Woo system is back in the boxes, and I'm now a big fan of Empire. Can't wait to be able to afford some of their other offerings.

 

[PinkyPowers]

The new Effect Audio Cleopatra is a marvelous choice for Legend X, if you seek outrageous clarity and detail.

 

[SeeSax]

The new Effect Audio Cleopatra is a marvelous choice for Legend X, if you seek outrageous clarity and detail.

I know you enjoyed the bespoke Thor Silver with the Legend X as well. How would you say the bass compares between Cleo and Thor Silver 8-wire if you don't mind me asking? I read a lot about the powerful and controlled sub-bass with the Cleo, which sounds like a match made in heaven for LX.

-Collin-

 

[PinkyPowers]

I know you enjoyed the bespoke Thor Silver with the Legend X as well. How would you say the bass compares between Cleo and Thor Silver 8-wire if you don't mind me asking? I read a lot about the powerful and controlled sub-bass with the Cleo, which sounds like a match made in heaven for LX.

-Collin-

I need more time with it to say for sure how it compares. So far, my initial impressions are more about their general character. Cleo seems more energetic, while Thor is more laid-back and rounded.

 

[subguy812]

The new Effect Audio Cleopatra is a marvelous choice for Legend X, if you seek outrageous clarity and detail.

You can never have enough $700 cables...geesh

 

[NewEve]

For blues, although i have some old stuff (especially Lightning Hopkins), I mostly listen to Keby' Mo'. For prog rock, 70s Genesis, Yes, and Pink Floyd - all remastered. For Pink Floyd, I generally prefer the 1992 remasters as opposed to the ones from 2011. I'll try to listen to more of those this weekend. But i can confirm that the Bravado is exceptional and a lot of fun. My Woo system is back in the boxes, and I'm now a big fan of Empire. Can't wait to be able to afford some of their other offerings.

Yep, agreed, I couldn't resist and picked them up to listen to:

- Genesis, The Platinum Collection, Jesus He Knows Me (CD quality)
- Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, Wish You Were Here (DSD qualiy)

These Empire Ear Bravado IEM's are HOT !!!

I mean, it's more than little audio cues that I started hearing on some songs.
(And I'm not the kindest on my eardrums given some of my other activities.)

 

[davidcotton]

Yep, agreed, I couldn't resist and picked them up to listen to:

- Genesis, The Platinum Collection, Jesus He Knows Me (CD quality)
- Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, Wish You Were Here (DSD qualiy)

These Empire Ear Bravado IEM's are HOT !!!

I mean, it's more than little audio cues that I started hearing on some songs.
(And I'm not the kindest on my eardrums given some of my other activities.)

I was always under the impression that the bravado was more about bass than vocals? Also it being a hybrid how's the isolation? I tend to more 80's 90's prog than Genesis or Floyd if I'm honest.

 

[NewEve]

I was always under the impression that the bravado was more about bass than vocals? Also it being a hybrid how's the isolation? I tend to more 80's 90's prog than Genesis or Floyd if I'm honest.

Not sure I understand the correlation in-between the fact that the Bravado are hybrid (BA & DD) and the isolation.

If you're talking about isolation from outside noise, I'll say it's tip-dependent (as is the sound btw—though the EE Bravado ship with a single type of tips in different sizes) and I found the perfect tip-size for me within the ones that shipped with the Bravado.

I'll need more listening sessions but the vocals on the Bravado sound great to me. @nocturaline might concur.

Do you have any tracks I could test for you? (Look at my profile and let me know if you see an artist I listen to which we could use as a "reference".)

Now, I don't feel like I am as much an aficionado as many others around here in the sense that I'll certainly not spend $1k+ or more on headphones or IEMs.

That being said, another factor to ponder is the fact that both @nocturaline and I are using the Bravado balanced out of a Sony NW-ZX300 DAP weights in the balance.
I haven't tried the Bravado on a SE output as of yet.

 

[davidcotton]

Hybrids have a small vent for the dd to work which lessen the isolation compared to a sealed ba unit.

 

[nocturaline]

Yep, agreed, I couldn't resist and picked them up to listen to:

- Genesis, The Platinum Collection, Jesus He Knows Me (CD quality)
- Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, Wish You Were Here (DSD qualiy)

These Empire Ear Bravado IEM's are HOT !!!

I mean, it's more than little audio cues that I started hearing on some songs.
(And I'm not the kindest on my eardrums given some of my other activities.)

I'll try those tonight. The Genesis song will be from the remastered boxsets. For Pink Floyd, I'll go with the 1992 remaster. both are FLAC uncompressed rips from the CDs. Personally, I haven't noticed much difference, if any, between CD quality and DSD, regardless of the system used.

Last night, I was listening to Keb' Mo' Keep It Simple, and what I can say about the Bravado, is that, yes the bass is strong with this one but everything else is also allowed to shine, including the mids. And the thing I was able to do, which I hadn't done in a long time, was just listen to the music, without worrying about any of the technicalities. That's all that should matter.

 

[NewEve]

Hybrids have a small vent for the dd to work which lessen the isolation compared to a sealed ba unit.

I see. I didn't know that. How could I convey this... I can cook pasta with the cooking hood ventilation maxed out and listen to the Bravado on 65-70/120 on the ZX300 set to high gain (balanced).

 

[NewEve]

And the thing I was able to do, which I hadn't done in a long time, was just listen to the music, without worrying about any of the technicalities. That's all that should matter.

That pretty much sums it up, yep. Everything is there. You just listen and enjoy.

And that's even compared to my Campfire Audio Cascade… which, to me, says a lot.

 

[nocturaline]

I was always under the impression that the bravado was more about bass than vocals? Also it being a hybrid how's the isolation? I tend to more 80's 90's prog than Genesis or Floyd if I'm honest.

I find the isolation just fine, granted that I use them in my house where ambient noise is not prevalent.

As I said before, although the bass is strong and terrific, it's not overwhelming and let the other frequencies shine. Although I like some old prog rock, my main genre these days, is Drum & Bass, and the Bravado is perfect for it. It brings a lots of power to it. Overall, I find the Bravado both well balanced and fun.

 

[nocturaline]

That pretty much sums it up, yep. Everything is there. You just listen and enjoy.

And that's even compared to my Campfire Audio Cascade… which, to me, says a lot.

For me, it would be compared to my ZMF Atticus, and that says a lot too

 

[boblauer]

I was always under the impression that the bravado was more about bass than vocals? Also it being a hybrid how's the isolation? I tend to more 80's 90's prog than Genesis or Floyd if I'm honest.

True but my CIEM Bravados have other attributes that shine as well. On a vocal dominated track like say Eva Cassidy Over the Rainbow her voice is so crisp and up front but there is the ever present strings being plucked with the emphasis on the lower E and A strings but the vocals are so present. But then go to something way heavier and darker like say Fu Manchu and Godzilla and that default bass. distortion control and fuzz so blatant and frontal in a genre like Stoner Metal. The thing I like about Bravado over my Spartans is it's not genre specific. With Spartan I can't do Stoner/Death/ Thrash metal without it sounding a bit thin/shrill but sounds so nice with Jazz, Acoustic or progressive genre's but Bravado takes anything on IMO.
Speaking of bass Smashing Pumpkins Porcelina of the vast oceans is playing now and that has that DD bass rumble but Billy's voice is the foremost thing but man it rumbles in the background. I think they are better all arounder's than they get credit for is what I am babbling about.