[Mython]

Yeah, we just need to cut @Sound~Patriot some slack - he's new round here.

Give it a few more months and he'll learn how to feel continually dissatisfied without entertaining such foolish notions as 'endgame' or 'contentment'

We'll see. I doubt it.

Sigh.

Many have believed they would be the exception to the rule, only to have such hopes and dreams inexorably crushed! LOL

 

[Bubblejuice]

For anyone who has tried the Bravado, is it a bassy IEM?

and

How does it compare to other IEMs in its price range?

Empire Ears has always looked like an overpriced "pay for the brand/looks" kind of company to me. But I can't really say that since I've never tried a pair of their IEMs. Maybe they are a good value for their sound quality and they just happen to be smart about their visual/physical appeal too. This is considering that their cheapest IEM starts at $600 (which is about as expensive as a pair of Audeze LCD-2C).

 

[ctsooner22]

For anyone who has tried the Bravado, is it a bassy IEM?

and

How does it compare to other IEMs in its price range?

Empire Ears has always looked like an overpriced "pay for the brand/looks" kind of company to me. But I can't really say that since I've never tried a pair of their IEMs. Maybe they are a good value for their sound quality and they just happen to be smart about their visual/physical appeal too. This is considering that their cheapest IEM starts at $600 (which is about as expensive as a pair of Audeze LCD-2C).

My wife's should be here anytime this week. I was the one who auditioned it and I loved the sound signature of it. I didn't find it bass at all. I did find it to be a nicely dynamic IEM with a nice smooth high end that has plenty of 'sparkle' (I'm trying to use the adjectives you guys use over here, so I hope I'm getting it right). I can't fully comment on the full quality as the ones I heard were not broken in and I was told by someone who listens similarly to me, that once they get 75 hours or more, the bass tightens up a lot and it will free up the mid bass and lower midrange. It's a fun adn forgiving IEM to my ears based on the 70 and 80's rock I listened to since my wife will listen to this type of music.

I really enjoyed them and would love to have a pair, but I use my Phantom's with everything as they are sooooo good on everything. Are they worth it? Only a buyer can figure that out. I heard a non broken in pair at the show and felt they were better than the other IEm's near or above them up to the 1k range. I don't get caught up with numbers of drivers or anything like that adn honestly, I don't look at prices of gear either. I'm ignorant in personal audio in that I am new and know the companies, but not many of the names or costs of their transducers (I do know most of the cans though), so when auditioning at a show, I can just write down my thoughts in my phone and figure out what I like best with gear I'll be using (an ak380cu/wamp.

I'm not the biggest Audeze fan, so take that for what it's worth. it's almost too warm and it lacks some detail to my ears. I own and enjoy a pair of ZMF Ori's with the top Audio Art cable with the Furetech connectors (Pono) that I use exclusively on my Ayre QX5. I have had the Audeze in for a very extended period, but I mostly have had the LCD 4's, which are in a much different class, but not totally better than the Ori's (I have made other mods that Zach has talked about).

Not sure if that helps at all, but to me I fully believe that IF you like them, they are well worth what they are asking. The other thing that doesn't get spoken about enough is the quality of the fit and finish of the EE line. Just as good as it gets based on what I've seen. I will also add that the Phantom's are my first CIEM's and they fit like a glove from day one. I was in shock as it scared the heck out of me getting CIEM's. JMHO.

 

[koven]

I thought the LX was too bass heavy but did enjoy the Phantom, it reminded me of Andro signature in terms of a nice tonal balance... just not as airy and a bit warmer overall. LX was also much harder to drive (phone insuffcient). Ultimately I didn't see either as an SQ upgrade over the Andro, more of a sidegrade. But the aesthetics were best in class to me, the piano black finish and EA cables looked super classy and premium in person, better than all other flagship IEMs IMO. Was also nice of EE to offer 10-15% off as a show discount, almost pulled the trigger, maybe in the future.

 

[olddude]

To me EE is like Astell&Kern: expensive but you get what you pay for. Though AK is a big brand and EE is basically a boutique brand. It’s hard to understand what you get with this kind of equipment until you try it. And not everyone even wants to try it. I held off on AK for years thinking, eh, overpriced. Tried one, now on my 3rd. Worth every penny. I bought a Zeus and it is so good I bought a Phantom to keep it company. Worth every penny. If these cost too much, don’t get them. There are all kinds of choices out there. But there are very good reasons for shelling out this kind of money. I look back at how hard it was to go from a Triple-Fi to a Shure 846. A grand for an IEM? Then a UERM and an Angie at the same price point. Then the jump to the Zeus. Can it be that much better? Yeah, to me it is. That’s something each of us has to decide when we enter into this hobby. Five years ago an iPhone w/earbuds was good enough for me. Not anymore. Dangerous hobby.

 

[pfurey89]

I agree. Except the SE846 is overpriced, but the EE TOTL stuff is a great value especially compared to 64 Audio’s stuff.

 

[proedros]

AK daps are overpriced , at least this is the idea i get from people comparing them with other TOTL daps who perform better/equal than AK and cost way less than AK

EE ciems are OK priced , so i can not say that EE is like AK

i agree that this is a dangerous hobby , 7 years ago i had a 50$ walkman and a 10$ sony buds to listen to music - now it's something like 2.5K ciem (zeus XR) + 1000$ dap (wm1a)

 

[Bubblejuice]

My wife's should be here anytime this week. I was the one who auditioned it and I loved the sound signature of it. I didn't find it bass at all. I did find it to be a nicely dynamic IEM with a nice smooth high end that has plenty of 'sparkle' (I'm trying to use the adjectives you guys use over here, so I hope I'm getting it right). I can't fully comment on the full quality as the ones I heard were not broken in and I was told by someone who listens similarly to me, that once they get 75 hours or more, the bass tightens up a lot and it will free up the mid bass and lower midrange. It's a fun adn forgiving IEM to my ears based on the 70 and 80's rock I listened to since my wife will listen to this type of music.

I really enjoyed them and would love to have a pair, but I use my Phantom's with everything as they are sooooo good on everything. Are they worth it? Only a buyer can figure that out. I heard a non broken in pair at the show and felt they were better than the other IEm's near or above them up to the 1k range. I don't get caught up with numbers of drivers or anything like that adn honestly, I don't look at prices of gear either. I'm ignorant in personal audio in that I am new and know the companies, but not many of the names or costs of their transducers (I do know most of the cans though), so when auditioning at a show, I can just write down my thoughts in my phone and figure out what I like best with gear I'll be using (an ak380cu/wamp.

I'm not the biggest Audeze fan, so take that for what it's worth. it's almost too warm and it lacks some detail to my ears. I own and enjoy a pair of ZMF Ori's with the top Audio Art cable with the Furetech connectors (Pono) that I use exclusively on my Ayre QX5. I have had the Audeze in for a very extended period, but I mostly have had the LCD 4's, which are in a much different class, but not totally better than the Ori's (I have made other mods that Zach has talked about).

Not sure if that helps at all, but to me I fully believe that IF you like them, they are well worth what they are asking. The other thing that doesn't get spoken about enough is the quality of the fit and finish of the EE line. Just as good as it gets based on what I've seen. I will also add that the Phantom's are my first CIEM's and they fit like a glove from day one. I was in shock as it scared the heck out of me getting CIEM's. JMHO.

Thank you for your impressions.

I actually like bassy IEMs haha. I'm an eclectic listener. So I listen to just as much Piano and Jazz, as I do Classic rock and thumping Pop music. So for me, Rumbling sub-bass, sparkly airy highs, and appropriately forward/crunchy vocals/guitars (not too forward) are what I like best.

I'm wondering how bassy these are because I really like rumble, but not to the point where it takes over the other frequencies.

I just mentioned the LCD-2C because it's a high end over ear headphone from a big company. And is probably much more expensive to manufacture (assumption). So I can only imagine the profit margin on the Empire Ears IEMs is pretty nice for them. That kind of profit margin makes me wonder if I'm really getting my monies worth when smaller chifi companies offer fantastic IEMs around $300. But maybe there is a massive premium for build quality/customer service with IEMs.

 

[pfurey89]

LX can slam, but it’s not at all V shaped or like the Vega (my least favorite IEM ever) in that it’s also got amazing mids. The LX has an amazing tone and range all around. Yes, it’s bassy, but it’s not overwhelming and mids and highs don’t suffer at their expense.

 

[Bubblejuice]

I agree. Except the SE846 is overpriced, but the EE TOTL stuff is a great value especially compared to 64 Audio’s stuff.

So you would only say that EEs TOTL IEMs are worth their weight? Their entry level stuff isn't competitive for its price?

 

[pfurey89]

I only know their TOTL stuff. I personally don’t know why someone would go entry level when you can get the best available used for 2x the cost. Just save up and never upgrade again. Mid-fi is hell, imo.

 

[Bubblejuice]

I only know their TOTL stuff. I personally don’t know why someone would go entry level when you can get the best available used for 2x the cost. Just save up and never upgrade again. Mid-fi is hell, imo.

$600 is mid-fi... Yikes.

 

[pfurey89]

It is, for IEMs. It’s a weird price point, imo. Andromeda is the best without question under $1k, just grab one used imo.

 

[pfurey89]

$600 used headphone is mid-fi, close to totl but not quite. Hd650ish? Not TOTL.

 

[ncristia]

I thought the LX was too bass heavy but did enjoy the Phantom, it reminded me of Andro signature in terms of a nice tonal balance... just not as airy and a bit warmer overall. LX was also much harder to drive (phone insuffcient). Ultimately I didn't see either as an SQ upgrade over the Andro, more of a sidegrade. But the aesthetics were best in class to me, the piano black finish and EA cables looked super classy and premium in person, better than all other flagship IEMs IMO. Was also nice of EE to offer 10-15% off as a show discount, almost pulled the trigger, maybe in the future.

Thank you for your comparison with Andro, would be a shame to think I was upgrading to a side grade>