[Rin1990]

I do like the vantage very much too. More natural, smoother and easier listening on the ears. It still has DAT BASS
But don't look down on bravado either, the little brother of the X line-up still has DAT BASS

FINALLY! Some impressions on the lower models!

I really want to read more about the Bravado and Vantage. It's about time those lower models get the love they deserve!

 

[Deezel177]

The Bravado? There is a 3rd iem?

The Bravado is the entry-level of the X line-up. It’s priced below S$1K. Full details on the entire line-up will be up on the THL article.

Curious how the Bravado is to your ears.

But do tell me, any thoughts on the Vantage?

The Bravado is slightly less smooth compared to the Vantage, and it’s my favorite out of the line-up for people who enjoy fun, dynamic, speedy and tight signatures. Like I said, full details will be on the article.

 

[Rin1990]

The Bravado is slightly less smooth compared to the Vantage, and it’s my favorite out of the line-up for people who enjoy fun, dynamic, speedy and tight signatures. Like I said, full details will be on the article.

Please do fill me in on everything you can, buddy.

EVERYTHING....

 

[olddude]

olddude is probably feeling a little bit of a sting because he just bought EE's most celebrated IEM, and now it's yesterday's news.

But of course, IEMs are not like CPUs. They don't fall to obsolescence. What sounded great yesterday continues to sound great today. More than that, Zeus is still the flagship of the Olympus line.

The hype train may have moved on, olddude, but I know you'll continue to love Zeus for a long, long time.

PS. I don't use hype as a negative here. I am hyped for Legend X.

No sting here. I don't operate on hype. If I did I would have bought a Mojo when that was the favorite flavor (anyone notice how many many many of them appeared on the For Sale boards after that rush waned?). The most realistic post I've seen here in a while was the one about buying and selling the Ref 1 three times and it was still the best IEM that person had heard. That's the issue with hype I have here: people not being able to settle in and enjoy what they have. I am totally happy with my DAP and Zeus. If I attend CanJam LA I will certainly check out the new EE models (and others) but I already know the Legend and Phantom aren't for me, based on descriptions of sound signature here. Hence no sting. And it took me nearly eight months to decide on the Zeus in the first place. Had to do due diligence.

BTW, Pinky, I bought the (now sold) Angie to go with my (now sold) AK120ll because of your review and discussion about the synergy between the two. Not any hype about it. That is my point. Hype is short-term, everyone rushes around like a bunch of teenage boys getting excited about what teenage boys get excited about (albeit teenage boys with lots of money, as this hobby ins't cheap), they buy the latest greatest, now they have the latest greatest, and they are left wanting because, well, here comes that hype train again. If you are never satisfied, you are never satisfied. So is the joy in having the equipment, listening to the equipment, or in constantly searching for better equipment?

Yeah, I know, this a nerd audiophile blog, why am I asking the big questions.

 

[Lucif6r6th]

Well... as bonus those who want to know if the hiss is there.
I'm glad say that the hiss is non-existent for the X-Series.
I do hear a little hiss (barely noticeable at all) from the EP-Series but i believe that is just because of my DX200's balanced power output.

 

[Deezel177]

Well... as bonus those who want to know if the hiss is there.
I'm glad say that the hiss is non-existent for the X-Series.
I do hear a little hiss (barely noticeable at all) from the EP-Series but i believe that is just because of my DX200's balanced power output.

Echoing this sentiment, I can confirm that hiss is significantly lower than the Olympus series. Through my MS-modded WM1A, it’s virtually inaudible.

 

[PinkyPowers]

No sting here. I don't operate on hype. If I did I would have bought a Mojo when that was the favorite flavor (anyone notice how many many many of them appeared on the For Sale boards after that rush waned?). The most realistic post I've seen here in a while was the one about buying and selling the Ref 1 three times and it was still the best IEM that person had heard. That's the issue with hype I have here: people not being able to settle in and enjoy what they have. I am totally happy with my DAP and Zeus. If I attend CanJam LA I will certainly check out the new EE models (and others) but I already know the Legend and Phantom aren't for me, based on descriptions of sound signature here. Hence no sting. And it took me nearly eight months to decide on the Zeus in the first place. Had to do due diligence.

BTW, Pinky, I bought the (now sold) Angie to go with my (now sold) AK120ll because of your review and discussion about the synergy between the two. Not any hype about it. That is my point. Hype is short-term, everyone rushes around like a bunch of teenage boys getting excited about what teenage boys get excited about (albeit teenage boys with lots of money, as this hobby ins't cheap), they buy the latest greatest, now they have the latest greatest, and they are left wanting because, well, here comes that hype train again. If you are never satisfied, you are never satisfied. So is the joy in having the equipment, listening to the equipment, or in constantly searching for better equipment?

Yeah, I know, this a nerd audiophile blog, why am I asking the big questions.

That's good hear. I thought I read a little exasperation and maybe a hint of annoyance/bitterness in your other posts, and I wanted to put your spirit at ease. If I misread that, forgive me.

 

[NaiveSound]

To me Zeus is attractive due to resolution, and forward mid-range, engaging emotional sound with precision imaging.

If anything else makes those things ever better than i want it. Otherwise zeus is endgame for me

 

[olddude]

That's good hear. I thought I read a little exasperation and maybe a hint of annoyance/bitterness in your other posts, and I wanted to put your spirit at ease. If I misread that, forgive me.

No, just trying to calm things down here a bit. They say age brings wisdom.........

 

[olddude]

Very cynical, but I get your sentiment. Don't forget however that people are here to just have a little fun and one of the most fun things about buying new IEMs is looking at all the options and talking about them. Even buying the "flavour of the month" can be really fun for those who have the money to do it. I don't see anything there that is particularly worrying, at least not given the type of world we live in.

That said, for me personally the Phantom are definitely not the "flavour of the month". As much as I like to hear everything and know all too well the (biological) advantages of switching between signatures, the Phantom meet very specific criteria that I have been working on for over a year. So in my case the silliness (and I happily admit to being silly) sits on a much more serious foundation.

Just to illustrate two ways the cynicism is not always warranted (but I still understand it ).

Not cynical at all. Just trying to inject a bit of adultness into this. At a certain point the hype gets overwhelming and, dare I say, silly. New toys are great, I love them, but just like the Mojo I see a rush that will repeat over and over. Learn to be happy with what you have for awhile and then consider moving on. People bought IEMs a month or two ago and now they feel they need better. Learn to enjoy the toy before wanting a new one

 

[singleended5863]

Not cynical at all. Just trying to inject a bit of adultness into this. At a certain point the hype gets overwhelming and, dare I say, silly. New toys are great, I love them, but just like the Mojo I see a rush that will repeat over and over. Learn to be happy with what you have for awhile and then consider moving on. People bought IEMs a month or two ago and now they feel they need better. Learn to enjoy the toy before wanting a new one

AGREED!

 

[PinkyPowers]

No, just trying to calm things down here a bit. They say age brings wisdom.........

That must be where I misjudged. It wouldn't occur to me to try and temper hype on Head-Fi. It's an all-consuming force I just step aside for.

Well... I may also stoke it a bit.

 

[Wyville]

Not cynical at all. Just trying to inject a bit of adultness into this. At a certain point the hype gets overwhelming and, dare I say, silly. New toys are great, I love them, but just like the Mojo I see a rush that will repeat over and over. Learn to be happy with what you have for awhile and then consider moving on. People bought IEMs a month or two ago and now they feel they need better. Learn to enjoy the toy before wanting a new one

All silliness aside and ignoring the story behind them (which let's be honest, is pretty bloody amazing), the Phantom present a very compelling proposition that for me as an audiophile, reviewer and someone who uses music for health reasons, sets them apart from most TOTLs. Not many IEMs prioritise a natural, accurate tonality and harmony within the signature.

I have been looking around to find IEMs that can faithfully reproduce instruments, ie. not just music in general, I wanted individual instrument timbre to be excellent, and there aren't that many. I have heard a lot of great sounding IEMs that I would call natural in a general sense, but only two managed the type of instrument timbre and harmony I was after. One of which (UE18+ Pro) I demoed only briefly, and the other (VE5 + Lionheart) lacked the versatility to be my main IEMs. Beyond that I have found maybe two more, one of which (SE5U) can't be made to fit my ears and the other (Maestro V2) has been replaced by a much more expensive (retuned) new version. So you can see that the Phantom offer something quite special that I think is worth getting very excited about. I honestly can't wait to get my hands on them and put them to the test to see if they do really live up to Nic's intentions (his ideal FR curve).

 

[proedros]

@flinkenick what type of cables you find paired best with Phantom ?

 

[Mython]

No sting here. I don't operate on hype. If I did I would have bought a Mojo when that was the favorite flavor (anyone notice how many many many of them appeared on the For Sale boards after that rush waned?).

Meh... that's simply a matter of statistics - if a product sells 10x more units than others, then one might very reasonably anticipate 10x more units being offered for sale on the secondhand market, the percentage of resales remaining proportionally similar to lesser-selling competing products.

.... being a realist sometimes does cross the path of cynicism and other times not.

Being a surrealist has it's ups & downs, too!

Consumer electronics is a constant ebb and flow of new gear as is this case with new car models, cellphones and IEM's it is the normal lifecycle.

Why would he feel the sting Pinky, he loves his purchase? While I agree if it sounds great now it will sound great tomorrow, technology changes and human nature wants the latest and greatest.

It have long considered the humourous absurdity that if only amnesia pills were widely available from one's local pharmacist, it'd be possible to save thousands of dollars in this hobby.

i.e. No more perception of 'yesterday' = (potentially) no more craving for the next latest & greatest; every single day the same gear would sound brand new, ad infinitum...

If you decide to use this method, please pay me a 5% commission on the thousands you save! (then, at least I can buy the next latest & greatest, even if you're not )