[Deezel177]

ah thank you so much for the feedback that's refreshing to hear, I was wondering how much of a difference it could possibly make! I was drawn towards the legend. so if files don't make a huge difference does the player/dac amp make a big difference??

Unfortunately, I haven't experimented to confirm. But, @Ethan Groover has apparently been really enjoying his custom Legend X with his phone and TIDAL/Spotify, so I'm sure you'll be fine.

EDIT: It's worth noting that when I talk about poorer recordings, I'm almost always talking about tracks that were recorded, mixed or mastered in a subpar manner; not poor file types. The production of a track has an infinitely larger role in determining the sonic quality of the track, so I'd worry more about that rather than whether the file's lossless or not. Just my two cents.

 

[Emerald Core]

Unfortunately, I haven't experimented to confirm. But, @Ethan Groover has apparently been really enjoying his custom Legend X with his phone and TIDAL/Spotify, so I'm sure you'll be fine.

EDIT: It's worth noting that when I talk about poorer recordings, I'm almost always talking about tracks that were recorded, mixed or mastered in a subpar manner; not poor file types. The production of a track has an infinitely larger role in determining the sonic quality of the track, so I'd worry more about that rather than whether the file's lossless or not. Just my two cents.

I tend to agree. Look at some of the well recorded tracks on youtube, which has less SQ than Spotify, Some of them sound quite immersive.

 

[Deezel177]

I tend to agree. Look at some of the well recorded tracks on youtube, which has less SQ than Spotify, Some of them sound quite immersive.

Star Wars in 720p will always look better than Birdemic in 4K.

 

[knopi]

hey guys totl in the range would play nicest with lower quality recordings like Spotify? legend x, phantom? Any other recommendations?

Do not worry, depends on recordings bad is bad good is good, there are many well recordings and on spotify it is not exception (depends on your taste if you know what to listen) for example lastly I listened Sophie Zelmani - Why, Pink Floyd - Pole Apart, EmmyLou Harris - Wayfaring Stranger, Michael Jackson - Human Nature, Axel Schultheiss - Floating, Tingvali Trio - Vagen etc. etc.. And it was still amazing (almost) as on hires and I guess my speaker is sure less forgiving and more revealing than big dollar iem/hp.
Just get something which is high quality as possible with good balance and maybe with a little more on warmer side and you will be sure happy which Phantom, Prelude etc. seems to be...

 

[ctsooner22]

Hate to say it - no, I don't- but I came of age in the mid-60's just across the GG Bridge in a place where all the bands moved to (or already lived in) and Sly lived in the next house up the road from my girlfriend. Never heard him practicing, though.

.

HOW COOL! Great story adn thanks for sharing. May I use YOU as my 6 degrees of separation for Sly? Please...

Apple earbuds?

Joking aside, I don't think make any sense investing in the TOTL and listening to low quality recoding.
Definitely not the Phantom, if you want to stick with EE I would suggest the Bravado.

Got the Bravado for the wife for that reason alone. She does Pandora I think. I can't get her to use my Tidal account no matter what I do. I'm hoping that once she gets the Bravado's that she'll want Tidal. At least she will love her music.

The thing is that, a Legend X will be forgiving per say. You will still love your music and get a ton out of the CIEM. It will sound worlds better than a lower CIEM I feel. I have spent most of my teens and and adult life auditioning and using high end 2 channel gear as well as cans. I'm new to the IEM world. My friend has had nearly ever under 1500 DAP in his house and he finally just went with a Hugo 2 for a portable solution. I have heard so many of the DAPs and couldn't go lower than teh AK380cu with matching amp (I don't use the amp as much as I thought I would). I also have mostly high res music from DSD to PCM. My home system is outstanding to say the least. I have found my PHantom's to be able to upscale is a big way. Ethan is going to address this topic soon I"m sure as his mind was blown this weekend at a top 2 channel store in Atlanta that I turned him onto. I know many dealers through out the US and will share if folks want to know where they can audition their IEM's with a. top DAC/Amp.

Bottom line is still the music and the enjoyment it gives us. I have MS and many days I can't leave the house. I have major cognitive issues too boot (these are worse than the physical ones for me and it's not close). I rely on my music as well as my silence. Both play a huge part in my life and keeping sane.

.

 

[Blommen]

.

The thing is that, a Legend X will be forgiving per say. You will still love your music and get a ton out of the CIEM. It will sound worlds better than a lower CIEM I feel.

I don't necessarily agree with this. Even though the Legend X is a great ciem, I would view it as foolish to spend that much money for Spotify quality with no amp nor balanced output. When you enter the big boy systems, and I am sure you know this, every part of the chain is crucial. You don't buy top-tier boutique speakers for an amp/dac from the supermarket, what would be the point?

And I am not trying to say that Spotify is bad, just that fidelity will be limited. I would get the Bravado, or similarly priced, and if that makes you want to delve deeper you can always upgrade. I am sure even the Bravado can scale a bit with the right source and the like.

 

[goodvibes]

I get most of that but balanced isn't automatically an upgrade.

 

[ctsooner22]

I don't necessarily agree with this. Even though the Legend X is a great ciem, I would view it as foolish to spend that much money for Spotify quality with no amp nor balanced output. When you enter the big boy systems, and I am sure you know this, every part of the chain is crucial. You don't buy top-tier boutique speakers for an amp/dac from the supermarket, what would be the point?

And I am not trying to say that Spotify is bad, just that fidelity will be limited. I would get the Bravado, or similarly priced, and if that makes you want to delve deeper you can always upgrade. I am sure even the Bravado can scale a bit with the right source and the like.

I agree that upgrading the source should be strongly considered, but for some reason, maybe someone doesn't want to do that. If money is not an objection, then the X would still give a better sound (subjectively, than the Bravado). Heck, I got the Bravado for my wife for this very reason. It's all just personal. Will the X give better sound than the Bravado with the same source? Most probably. Balanced is not always best. It totally depends on teh amp and how it's implemented. I have an AK380cu with matching amp and didn't get the balanced cable for my Phantom's. I will eventually get a balanced one for my Ayre QX5 if I don't sell it.

I get most of that but balanced is automatically an upgrade.

. See above comments on balanced. I know two folks who have tried my AK380cu in balanced with the Phantom's and felt single ended was the way to go. It's not always the best. My 2 channel gear from Ayre need to be run in balanced mode or you will lose the magic. That came directly from Charlie Hansen who was chief designer as well as my ear on many occasions using many different cables and inputs.

 

[tim0chan]

I don't necessarily agree with this. Even though the Legend X is a great ciem, I would view it as foolish to spend that much money for Spotify quality with no amp nor balanced output. When you enter the big boy systems, and I am sure you know this, every part of the chain is crucial. You don't buy top-tier boutique speakers for an amp/dac from the supermarket, what would be the point?

And I am not trying to say that Spotify is bad, just that fidelity will be limited. I would get the Bravado, or similarly priced, and if that makes you want to delve deeper you can always upgrade. I am sure even the Bravado can scale a bit with the right source and the like.

Like for me, I had the opportunity to get the vantage but I chose the bravado instead so as to get a contrasting signature in the spartans and leave some cash to upgrade my source

 

[Kerouac]

See above comments on balanced. I know two folks who have tried my AK380cu in balanced with the Phantom's and felt single ended was the way to go. It's not always the best. My 2 channel gear from Ayre need to be run in balanced mode or you will lose the magic. That came directly from Charlie Hansen who was chief designer as well as my ear on many occasions using many different cables and inputs.

I also have a AK380Cu (RedWine modded one) over here, and just like you I don't notice any improvement when listening balanced compared to SE (SE might even be better indeed) from that dap. On my Opus #1 I also hardly can't tell the difference between SE and balanced. But I also had the Pono (Ayre inside) player in the past and that one scaled up slightly (but absolutely noticeable) with the Sony ZBA-Z5 when going balanced and even enormous with the MDR-Z7. The latter even changed from a mediocre sounding, into a superb sounding headphone imo when used balanced from the Pono. So yeah, I agree with you: balanced can make a difference, when well implemented indeed.

 

[Ethan Groover]

hey guys totl in the range would play nicest with lower quality recordings like Spotify? legend x, phantom? Any other recommendations?

Legend X would be the slightly more forgiving model of the two, but I would suggest the Bravado if you want a totally forgiving signature. Nothing ever sounds bad on the Bravado!

If you're already going for fairly big bucks in gear, why not do your streaming using TIDAL... Bit more than Spotify, but higher quality files, make the equipment investment more worthwhile

Just got Tidal yesterday and I am thoroughly impressed with the step up in quality, imaging, and overall realism. I would highly recommend it and I'm probably going to cancel my Spotify subscription!

Wait until you hear them all burned it. Also, Ethan called me tonight as I turned him onto one of my favorite hi end audio stores in the US which is 20 minutes from your doors Jack. Hifi Buys in Hotlanta. If anyone goes, tell them Pete from CT sent you adn ask for Alan. I think Ethan is in total shock as he heard ((not sure which CIEM he was using) on the Ayre Codex and then my Ayre QX5. I'll let him share his days experience with you all if he wants to, lol....The words "can't believe they upscale that much' or something close to that is what I heard, LOL.....

Didn't know you are a reseller. What country are you in?

I still don't have words to describe all the things I heard there. Diminishing returns are not at all as bad as I thought in high-end two channel audio, and Ayre Acoustics makes the best DACs I've ever heard. I could ramble on for paragraphs upon paragraphs but I have too much work to do lol.

 

[teknorob23]

WARNING: MORE GRATUITOUS PHANTOM PORN... just to celebrate 100 hrs of burn in. Listening-wise, i put in a good few hours on day one and then left them to run in without me over the weekend. Coming back to them this afternoon, wow the soundstage has opened up while conversely the bass feels like its tightened and everything's just more lucid. They sound pretty awesome now, but I think theres probably still quite a bit more to come. Sorry none this is particularly insightful, hence pictoral over compensating

 

[Deezel177]

WARNING: MORE GRATUITOUS PHANTOM PORN... just to celebrate 100 hrs of burn in. Listening-wise, i put in a good few hours on day one and then left them to run in without me over the weekend. Coming back to them this afternoon, wow the soundstage has opened up while conversely the bass feels like its tightened and everything's just more lucid. They sound pretty awesome now, but I think theres probably still quite a bit more to come. Sorry none this is particularly insightful, hence pictoral over compensating

Your photos have just confirmed what I've suspected to be in my Phantom's all this time. Is... is... is Empire Ears using... FILTERS?! ...by the way, it's the green thing in the sound tube in the first photo.

 

[davidmolliere]

Your photos have just confirmed what I've suspected to be in my Phantom's all this time. Is... is... is Empire Ears using... FILTERS?! ...by the way, it's the green thing in the sound tube in the first photo.

I was wondering the exact same thing seeing the sound tube on the pic for a split second but then felt like it was from the background though

 

[Deezel177]

I was wondering the exact same thing seeing the sound tube on the pic for a split second but then felt like it was from the background though

Nah, it's definitely there. The only reason why I suspected it in the first place was because a green filter is visible when I shine a light into the Phantom's sound bore.