@Ethan Groover Can we buy a Bravado, or other universal models directly during CanJam SG?
Empire Ears - Discussion & Impressions (Formerly EarWerkz)
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PinkyPowers
Reviewer: The Headphone List
Legend X
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Legend X
They are so beautiful! How do the LegendX.sound with DX200? Anyone care of showing off your Phantom with DX200 or any DAPs as well?
PinkyPowers
Reviewer: The Headphone List
They are so beautiful! How do the LegendX.sound with DX200? Anyone care of showing off your Phantom with DX200 or any DAPs as well?
How do they sound together? Oh my!
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How do they sound together? Oh my!
Do you care to elaborate your “oh my?”
PinkyPowers
Reviewer: The Headphone List
After 15 minutes?
Just consider that my initial impressions. lol
Also, they fit perfectly!
Artistically, sonically... Pinky is impressed.
Those are nice Pinky! I was thinking similar for CIEM Bravado, white translucent shell dark marbled face plates.
Legend X
Sweet!!
Rin1990
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PinkyPowers
Reviewer: The Headphone List
Okay....
Tell me everything when you've the chance. lol
I can say this is the most detailed and resolving bass I've heard from IEM-size Dynamic Drivers. I'm used to Dynamics delivering perfect low-end timbre, but lacking some of the complexities. Not Legend X.
The signature is warmer than I'm used to with Encore and Fourté, yet very, very clear nonetheless.
I think I'm going to really love these things.
Rin1990
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I can say this is the most detailed and resolving bass I've heard from IEM-size Dynamic Drivers. I'm used to Dynamics delivering perfect low-end timbre, but lacking some of the complexities. Not Legend X.
The signature is warmer than I'm used to with Encore and Fourté, yet very, very clear nonetheless.
I think I'm going to really love these things.
Hmm...interesting.
Can't say I ever got a chance to audition Tia Fourte or Encore before so I can't judge.
But I will definitely like to do an A/B someday.
I've been hearing different stories left and right in between Legend X vs 64 TOTL IEMs.
from memory, how do they compare to the u12?
ryanjsoo
Reviewer for The Headphone List
ryanjsoo's Reviews
Received my Phantom and had some time to compare with my Portafes impressions. I thought it would also be interesting to discuss different kinds of "neutral" and the nature of modern TOTL IEMs. This is, in no way intended to offend anyone or draw favourable comparison to other brands. It is a statement on the importance of individual preference. As usual, expect weird and wonderful audio expression, but I hope the message is clear and, most of all, helpful!
Upon first listen, the Phantom did not “blow me away”, but really no IEM should. If that’s the case, there’s likely something wrong! Rather, the Phantom is an IEM best enjoyed over sustained critical listening; eyes closed, sinking into a cosy chair, sipping on a chilled beverage. Because, as aforementioned, it has an emphasis on timbre and tone over raw clarity and scrupulous micro-detail retrieval. When compared to diffuse-field neutral IEMs such as Etymotic’s ER4XR, it is noticeably warmer on account of its relatively elevated mid and upper-bass. Accordingly, I can’t help but liken the Phantom’s presentation to that of a live club as opposed to a studio, with a less clinical, more natural approach. Though not mind-bendingly revealing or airy, balance and linearity are a highlight, enabling a very natural vocal reconstruction and accurate positioning of instruments all the while maintaining pleasing separation.
Combined with excellent treble extension, the Phantom greatly impresses with its imaging. It doesn’t have the greatest sparkle and notes aren’t delivered with heightened attack, but it conveys a precisely layered stage teeming with fine texture. The Phantom excels especially with its midrange voicing on account of its linear tuning set to a very clean background. It’s slightly full-bodied to my ear, but even and realistic in timbre. Due to the nature of its tuning, the Phantom doesn’t provide the sense of scale, clarity and separation that many other TOTL IEMs do, but there's just as much coherence and detail conveyed within its dense vocals and well-bodied notes. Bass is also a strong performer, dynamic and well-extended. Notes are agile and controlled, keeping pace with rapid double bass drums and delivering a concise impact. I wouldn’t mistake the Phantom for a hybrid, but again, bass finds a nice middle-ground; not super hard-hitting, but far from soft or sloppy in its expression.
Ultimately, when buying a TOTL IEM, one has to consider what they’re searching for in this hobby, whether it be for maximum thrill or greater immersion. It's evident that the Phantom caters more towards the later, as a neutral-ish earphone pursuing maximum fidelity. But what exactly is neutral and what is a reference? The truth is that neither of these are concrete. Even the Harmon curve, is an idea of neutral and reference is, by nature and definition, relative. The Phantom has been called both, but it is not the perfect IEM. Rather, it’s an interpretation of perfection. It can also be considered Nic’s definition of neutral just as any high-end in-ear achieves subjective balance dictated by those behind their respective designs. With the Phantom, Nic didn’t listen to popular opinion and made what was ideal for himself. Arguably had he listened to everyone else, the Phantom would sound just like everything else, in a sense, mediocre. What we have instead, is a sound outside the norm but rewarding nonetheless.
The Phantom didn’t blow me away and, in the pursuit of accuracy, I couldn't be happier.
Upon first listen, the Phantom did not “blow me away”, but really no IEM should. If that’s the case, there’s likely something wrong! Rather, the Phantom is an IEM best enjoyed over sustained critical listening; eyes closed, sinking into a cosy chair, sipping on a chilled beverage. Because, as aforementioned, it has an emphasis on timbre and tone over raw clarity and scrupulous micro-detail retrieval. When compared to diffuse-field neutral IEMs such as Etymotic’s ER4XR, it is noticeably warmer on account of its relatively elevated mid and upper-bass. Accordingly, I can’t help but liken the Phantom’s presentation to that of a live club as opposed to a studio, with a less clinical, more natural approach. Though not mind-bendingly revealing or airy, balance and linearity are a highlight, enabling a very natural vocal reconstruction and accurate positioning of instruments all the while maintaining pleasing separation.
Combined with excellent treble extension, the Phantom greatly impresses with its imaging. It doesn’t have the greatest sparkle and notes aren’t delivered with heightened attack, but it conveys a precisely layered stage teeming with fine texture. The Phantom excels especially with its midrange voicing on account of its linear tuning set to a very clean background. It’s slightly full-bodied to my ear, but even and realistic in timbre. Due to the nature of its tuning, the Phantom doesn’t provide the sense of scale, clarity and separation that many other TOTL IEMs do, but there's just as much coherence and detail conveyed within its dense vocals and well-bodied notes. Bass is also a strong performer, dynamic and well-extended. Notes are agile and controlled, keeping pace with rapid double bass drums and delivering a concise impact. I wouldn’t mistake the Phantom for a hybrid, but again, bass finds a nice middle-ground; not super hard-hitting, but far from soft or sloppy in its expression.
Ultimately, when buying a TOTL IEM, one has to consider what they’re searching for in this hobby, whether it be for maximum thrill or greater immersion. It's evident that the Phantom caters more towards the later, as a neutral-ish earphone pursuing maximum fidelity. But what exactly is neutral and what is a reference? The truth is that neither of these are concrete. Even the Harmon curve, is an idea of neutral and reference is, by nature and definition, relative. The Phantom has been called both, but it is not the perfect IEM. Rather, it’s an interpretation of perfection. It can also be considered Nic’s definition of neutral just as any high-end in-ear achieves subjective balance dictated by those behind their respective designs. With the Phantom, Nic didn’t listen to popular opinion and made what was ideal for himself. Arguably had he listened to everyone else, the Phantom would sound just like everything else, in a sense, mediocre. What we have instead, is a sound outside the norm but rewarding nonetheless.
The Phantom didn’t blow me away and, in the pursuit of accuracy, I couldn't be happier.
Rin1990
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Received my Phantom and had some time to compare with my Portafes impressions. I thought it would also be interesting to discuss different kinds of "neutral" and the nature of modern TOTL IEMs. This is, in no way intended to offend anyone or draw favourable comparison to other brands. It is a statement on the importance of individual preference. As usual, expect weird and wonderful audio expression, but I hope the message is clear and, most of all, helpful!
Upon first listen, the Phantom did not “blow me away”, but really no IEM should. If that’s the case, there’s likely something wrong! Rather, the Phantom is an IEM best enjoyed over sustained critical listening; eyes closed, sinking into a cosy chair, sipping on a chilled beverage. Because, as aforementioned, it has an emphasis on timbre and tone over raw clarity and scrupulous micro-detail retrieval. When compared to diffuse-field neutral IEMs such as Etymotic’s ER4XR, it is noticeably warmer on account of its relatively elevated mid and upper-bass. Accordingly, I can’t help but liken the Phantom’s presentation to that of a live club as opposed to a studio, with a less clinical, more natural approach. Though not mind-bendingly revealing or airy, balance and linearity are a highlight, enabling a very natural vocal reconstruction and accurate positioning of instruments all the while maintaining pleasing separation.
Combined with excellent treble extension, the Phantom greatly impresses with its imaging. It doesn’t have the greatest sparkle and notes aren’t delivered with heightened attack, but it conveys a precisely layered stage teeming with fine texture. The Phantom excels especially with its midrange voicing on account of its linear tuning set to a very clean background. It’s slightly full-bodied to my ear, but even and realistic in timbre. Due to the nature of its tuning, the Phantom doesn’t provide the sense of scale, clarity and separation that many other TOTL IEMs do, but there's just as much coherence and detail conveyed within its dense vocals and well-bodied notes. Bass is also a strong performer, dynamic and well-extended. Notes are agile and controlled, keeping pace with rapid double bass drums and delivering a concise impact. I wouldn’t mistake the Phantom for a hybrid, but again, bass finds a nice middle-ground; not super hard-hitting, but far from soft or sloppy in its expression.
Ultimately, when buying a TOTL IEM, one has to consider what they’re searching for in this hobby, whether it be for maximum thrill or greater immersion. It's evident that the Phantom caters more towards the later, as a neutral-ish earphone pursuing maximum fidelity. But what exactly is neutral and what is a reference? The truth is that neither of these are concrete. Even the Harmon curve, is an idea of neutral and reference is, by nature and definition, relative. The Phantom has been called both, but it is not the perfect IEM. Rather, it’s an interpretation of perfection. It can also be considered Nic’s definition of neutral just as any high-end in-ear achieves subjective balance dictated by those behind their respective designs. With the Phantom, Nic didn’t listen to popular opinion and made what was ideal for himself. Arguably had he listened to everyone else, the Phantom would sound just like everything else, in a sense, mediocre. What we have instead, is a sound outside the norm but rewarding nonetheless.
The Phantom didn’t blow me away and, in the pursuit of accuracy, I couldn't be happier.
Much appreciated for the feedback. Sounds like a killer to me -- the Phantom. But I will have to listen to it myself first before I judge. As always.
ryanjsoo
Reviewer for The Headphone List
ryanjsoo's Reviews
Thank you and most definitely. I can't say the Phantom caters perfectly towards my personal preferences, but its qualities are undeniable to my ear. Hope you have a chance to hear it soon.
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