[bvng3540]

I wonder where Zeus XR ranks now

If nick rank it, I’m very sure the phantom will top Zeus, b/c phantom is his baby and EE collaboration

 

[NaiveSound]

If nick rank it, I’m very sure the phantom will top Zeus, b/c phantom is his baby and EE collaboration

How much is phantom

 

[Gavin C4]

3-time Zeus owner here. Just tried the entire new line-ups from EE this afternoon. Here's my two cents.
1) most noticeable improvement of the new IEMs is the build quality. These new shells are thick. Despite having black, barely translucent shells, the new line-up feels much sturdier compared to my Zeus. And Jack Vang was at the launch event and confirmed it with me. They not only made thicker shells, but also made it using a new, more crack-resistant material. Still acrylic but changed the raw ingredients I guess.
2) the entire ESR/EVR/phantom line-up is still very engaging sounding despite being tuned for neutrality. It's got that natural signature I wished for in Zeus R.
3) the LegendX lineup has lower sensitivity than the phantom line-up, which is less sensitive than Zeus. Reason being, I suspect, that Zeus' crossover didn't use any passive electrical components such as resistors and capacitors, while the new line-up did.
4) I didn't enjoy the bass response from the LegendX series. Don't get me wrong - I don't mind the bass quantity, but the bass response was not natural. I thought that the bass response has a weird shape to it. It could have been rounder. I think it's got to do with burn-in, since it's day 1 of these demo units. And the place I tried them at is not particularly known for burning in IEMs. Will be back in a few weeks to try the LegendX again.
5) Phantom is nice. Good staging, good signature, good timbre. It's a huge step away from EE's tuning philosophy of stacking drivers while doing away from passive electrical cross-over components and acoustic filters. The advantage of using fewer drivers and a electrical component is that you can control the phase difference more easily when you have say... 5 sets of different drivers with different response speeds. With Phase under control, phantom loses the interesting, textured mids (or the entire frequency range) and adopts a clean, coherent, scalable sound.
6) it will be good if the phantom could have a dynamic bass driver. Its bass quantity is a step up from Zeus, but it still doesn't have a natural sub-bass. It's a BA bass after-all.
7) overall, really glad to see the good work from EE. Keep improving!!

Have you tried the Nemisis? It is the second iem from the X series. With a short listening, I can say it generally performs as good as the Legend X in the mids and treble, with a faster and tighter bass response. Its bass has tuned down slightly from the Legend X while in order to attain a more balanced signature overall. While many may want to shoot for the best of the best offered, we must not undersee the potential in the rest of the IEM offered in the Phantom and Legend X lineup. There is a reason , other than the sole purpose of meeting the budget of customers, that Jack and the EE team offered a series of IEM under the Phantom and Legend X series.They are a slight variation of the Phantom and Legend X, you may find what you need from them if the tuning and sound signature from the Top model does not suit your preference.

 

[Dingding123]

Have you tried the Nemisis? It is the second iem from the X series. With a short listening, I can say it generally performs as good as the Legend X in the mids and treble, with a faster and tighter bass response. Its bass has tuned down slightly from the Legend X while in order to attain a more balanced signature overall. While many may want to shoot for the best of the best offered, we must not undersee the potential in the rest of the IEM offered in the Phantom and Legend X lineup. There is a reason , other than the sole purpose of meeting the budget of customers, that Jack and the EE team offered a series of IEM under the Phantom and Legend X series.They are a slight variation of the Phantom and Legend X, you may find what you need from them if the tuning and sound signature from the Top model does not suit your preference.

Yep, I tried the Nemesis, but for a shorter amount of time than I tried the LegendX, so I didn't want to say much about my impressions here. If I remember correctly, Nemesis had a more mid-focused sound, but with somewhat lean body. It sounds quite different from the Vantage as Vantage has a lower mid focus and sounds fuller. I might be wrong though.

Edit for grammar.

 

[Deezel177]

How much is phantom

The Phantom costs SGD 2699. I believe it’s equivalent to USD 1800.

Have you tried the Nemisis? It is the second iem from the X series. With a short listening, I can say it generally performs as good as the Legend X in the mids and treble, with a faster and tighter bass response. Its bass has tuned down slightly from the Legend X while in order to attain a more balanced signature overall. While many may want to shoot for the best of the best offered, we must not undersee the potential in the rest of the IEM offered in the Phantom and Legend X lineup. There is a reason , other than the sole purpose of meeting the budget of customers, that Jack and the EE team offered a series of IEM under the Phantom and Legend X series.They are a slight variation of the Phantom and Legend X, you may find what you need from them if the tuning and sound signature from the Top model does not suit your preference.

I completely agree. Personally, the entry-level Bravado impressed me the most at the event (considering its price-to-performance ratio).

Yep, I tried the Nemesis, but for a shorter amount of time than I tried the LegendX, so I didn't want to say much about my impressions here. If I remember correctly, Nemesis had a more mid-focused sound, but with somewhat lean body. It sounds quite different from the Vantage as Vantage has a lower mid focus and sounds fuller. I might be wrong though.

Edit for grammar.

These impressions align with my own. The Nemesis is leaner than the LX with a greater upper-mid focus for sparkle and articulation. The Vantage is the warmer, richer and more bodied variant (whilst maintaining an uncongested low-end).

 

[Deezel177]

Hey guys,

In light of recent comments I made towards @Dingding123’s impressions post, I feel the need to address the following. In my reply to his post, I referred to his impressions as “interesting” with further elaborations stating that I disagreed with some of his opinions. Upon further reflection, I realised that my choice of wording and formatting have implied that his subjective sonic impressions were - for lack of a better word - wrong. I want to make it clear, here and now, that I consider subjective sonic impressions being “wrong” utterly impossible. My main disagreements were - and still are - with regards to his more technical statements. I was honestly bugged by his suggestion - not declaration; suggestion - that Empire IEMs do not use passive electrical components, and I let that agitation introduce a vague aggression into my post.

I want to emphasize the fact that new impressions - even ones I don’t fully agree with - are MORE than welcome on any thread; this one included. I’d hate for any of my recent comments to discourage folks eager to post their own personal impressions, out of fear that they be considered “wrong”. Again, I’d like to admit a fault on my end, and I look forward to more impressions on both EE line-ups from myself and others alike. Please excuse any offense I may have caused in the process.

- Daniel

 

[NaiveSound]

Hey guys,

In light of recent comments I made towards @Dingding123’s impressions post, I feel the need to address the following. In my reply to his post, I referred to his impressions as “interesting” with further elaborations stating that I disagreed with some of his opinions. Upon further reflection, I realised that my choice of wording and formatting have implied that his subjective sonic impressions were - for lack of a better word - wrong. I want to make it clear, here and now, that I consider subjective sonic impressions being “wrong” utterly impossible. My main disagreements were - and still are - with regards to his more technical statements. I was honestly bugged by his suggestion - not declaration; suggestion - that Empire IEMs do not use passive electrical components, and I let that agitation introduce a vague aggression into my post.

I want to emphasize the fact that new impressions - even ones I don’t fully agree with - are MORE than welcome on any thread; this one included. I’d hate for any of my recent comments to discourage folks eager to post their own personal impressions, out of fear that they be considered “wrong”. Again, I’d like to admit a fault on my end, and I look forward to more impressions on both EE line-ups from myself and others alike. Please excuse any offense I may have caused in the process.

- Daniel

Did soemone get butthurt ?

 

[ctsooner22]

Daniel. What a great post. #totalclass

 

[Deezel177]

Did soemone get butthurt ?

Not that I’m aware of. This was just a pre-emptive post I felt I needed to make before it was too late.

Daniel. What a great post. #totalclass

I appreciate it, man. I try my best.

 

[Dingding123]

Hey guys,

In light of recent comments I made towards @Dingding123’s impressions post, I feel the need to address the following. In my reply to his post, I referred to his impressions as “interesting” with further elaborations stating that I disagreed with some of his opinions. Upon further reflection, I realised that my choice of wording and formatting have implied that his subjective sonic impressions were - for lack of a better word - wrong. I want to make it clear, here and now, that I consider subjective sonic impressions being “wrong” utterly impossible. My main disagreements were - and still are - with regards to his more technical statements. I was honestly bugged by his suggestion - not declaration; suggestion - that Empire IEMs do not use passive electrical components, and I let that agitation introduce a vague aggression into my post.

I want to emphasize the fact that new impressions - even ones I don’t fully agree with - are MORE than welcome on any thread; this one included. I’d hate for any of my recent comments to discourage folks eager to post their own personal impressions, out of fear that they be considered “wrong”. Again, I’d like to admit a fault on my end, and I look forward to more impressions on both EE line-ups from myself and others alike. Please excuse any offense I may have caused in the process.

- Daniel

OH MAN I gotta say I'm a little touched and pleasantly surprised. My post was pretty casual so I didn't expect such a nuanced and formal response from a reviewer.
It's a pity that I can't spend as much time and attention on audio as I'd like, but I do love it when my input here contributes to the general discussion or sets people thinking.
And Daniel, i've always liked to read your reviews, and I'd never take offence from any fair discussions.

 

[Gavin C4]

To be very honest, with more listening to Zeus-XR and after demo the Legend X for a few more times. I realize the importance of choosing the correct type of music to pair with an IEM. While the Legend X is extremely good with less complicated tracks, and might be able to get away with general pop music. While having the bass, Legend X's vocals and great highs are also very attractive. But the Legend X is simply not designed for detail reproduction of complicated music with multiple instruments shooting at you from different angles.

While Zeus-XR is extremely good for presenting all instruments in an organized manner with industry-leading detail and resolution, listening to vocals or folk music may be overkill or simply it does not require that level of detail and resolution while giving up the warm lower end (for example the natural timber and warm sound and vibration of the guitar notes). The tradeoff, in this case, is just not worth it.

Living in a city where I can have access to almost all earphones on this planet and have the luxury to afford one to two of them, I felt that am a really a lucky man. And Yes, I am also greedy. One iem is simply not enough to cover my music collection. However, I realized I must also slow down my pace in searching for a new love and start appreciating what I currently have, the Zeus-XR.

ps. this does not mean I am out of the audio game and not interested in the new line up especially the Legend X. When a feel I need more bass in my music, I might simply go down to town and demo it again. Until something new appears under my signature some day

 

[Wyville]

Hey guys,

In light of recent comments I made towards @Dingding123’s impressions post, I feel the need to address the following. In my reply to his post, I referred to his impressions as “interesting” with further elaborations stating that I disagreed with some of his opinions. Upon further reflection, I realised that my choice of wording and formatting have implied that his subjective sonic impressions were - for lack of a better word - wrong. I want to make it clear, here and now, that I consider subjective sonic impressions being “wrong” utterly impossible. My main disagreements were - and still are - with regards to his more technical statements. I was honestly bugged by his suggestion - not declaration; suggestion - that Empire IEMs do not use passive electrical components, and I let that agitation introduce a vague aggression into my post.

I want to emphasize the fact that new impressions - even ones I don’t fully agree with - are MORE than welcome on any thread; this one included. I’d hate for any of my recent comments to discourage folks eager to post their own personal impressions, out of fear that they be considered “wrong”. Again, I’d like to admit a fault on my end, and I look forward to more impressions on both EE line-ups from myself and others alike. Please excuse any offense I may have caused in the process.

- Daniel

To be honest, it didn't even occur to me that you meant anything other than you did. There are so many variables that every impression is informative, even if it differs from expected. Sometimes it has to do with preferences, the type of tips or source used, or it can be that biology plays a factor. We all hear differently and it can even vary from day to day. I sometimes have days where I need to avoid certain types of music because it feels fatiguing, despite really enjoying it on any other day.

That is also one of the reasons I am really looking forward to trying out different cables with the Phantom. I know they were tuned with Ares II in mind, but I love certain aspects of Lionheart that I think Ares II does not do quite as well and I am very curious to see if I end up with the same definition of natural/accurate as Nic. I am not really sure how I will end up pairing the Phantom, but it is really interesting to put that to the test to see where it ends up and get an even better feeling for how Nic's and my own preferences compare in the nuances of signatures. It would be rather boring if we were to always agree on everything.

 

[flinkenick]

I wonder where Zeus XR ranks now

If you are referring to the shootout, on the exact same place since that is a closed chapter.

Just realized that the description is a bit like if you would have the zeus and switch to the WM1Z from another more "analytical" source, added warmth, bass extension, bass impact is used to describe the WM1z in reviews. Just a thought.. (even if it will not transform your zeus to an phantom.. )
How much does a source like the WM1Z change/impact the zeus for instance, any comparisons made?
I have it myself but have not compared it to anything else.. But i love how my Zeus sounds out of it. currently actually experimenting with the excellent Eq adding a little bass and dropping 8khz slightly. Haven't reached any conclusions yet though... just for fun..

Oh definitely, WM1Z is one of the warmest sources. When you contrast it with an analytical source like the Ultima SS, the difference in warmth is prob going to be larger than between a relatively warm or bright iem, or the Phantom and Zeus for instance. But those two sources are pretty much polar opposites. Phantom and Zeus are not really opposites, Phantom is more or less one step in between Zeus and something warmer like Prelude or 5-Way.

It would be rather boring if we were to always agree on everything.

I disagree.

 

[Sound Eq]

from all I read about the new line, I decided to get the legend x, and I hope to get my hands on it soon. I might fall into the category as being an audiophile basshead, so I am excited to see what the legend x will offer. I owned some totl iems, and I hope the legend x will be better than any iem I have or had

On a total different subject, I really wish one of the highest end iem makers will for once look at how to solve the fit issue without having to go through the custom iem route.
I can not believe that after all the great success of making iems sound amazing, that still the tips are the bottleneck back draw to achieve great seal all the time. I was so excited to learn about the inflated tips by Adel or whatever the name of the company is / was, which I assume is now history. Which is a shame. And I really wonder why big name iem companies are not looking into the fit issue more . As to some going the custom route is not an option at all.

I literally bought maybe over 20 different types of tips and have a huge bag of different tips and sizes that I experiment with. So yes I can get now good seal with iems, but I feel that such an issue should have been solved long time ago. As fiddling with getting a seal is sometimes not that much of a fun thing to do

Anyway I am excited to be among the ones who will get the Legend X

 

[Mython]

On a total different subject, I really wish one of the highest end iem makers will for once look at how to solve the fit issue without having to go through the custom iem route.
I can not believe that after all the great success of making iems sound amazing, that still the tips are the bottleneck back draw to achieve great seal all the time. I was so excited to learn about the inflated tips by Adel or whatever the name of the company is / was, which I assume is now history. Which is a shame. And I really wonder why big name iem companies are not looking into the fit issue more . As to some going the custom route is not an option at all.

I have no horse in that particular race, and strategic alliances between various companies may come and go, over time. Purely for the sake of information, it is fair to point out that the company is not history and may be found here: asiustechnologies.com. I wasn't personally involved with any of the company's technologies, but, if I recall correctly, the inflatable idea was more specifically related to auditory transduction (of benefit to people with certain hearing issues) than to comfort, although comfort might have been a happy coincidence.