So at CanJam London, I started with Bravado and worked my way up through the X-series.
All were excellent in their own ways, but it was when I got to the second-from-the-top Nemesis (ignoring the new Valkyrie lol) that my eyes opened wide.
I kept it pretty simple, listening to the same 3 tracks with which I'm very familiar on every IEM (including other tracks later once I wanted to narrow down the differences, strengths and weaknesses). I listened with DX220 AMP1 Mk II on high gain.
The main track is by Norwegian singer-songwriter Marit Larsen (formerly of teen girl group M2M). 'Please Don't Fall For Me' (16/44 FLAC). Shimmering pop music (in this song; she has a broad repertoire!) but with a thumping drum beat at just after 28 seconds in.
That was the key test for me; I wanted to really feel that drum. I knew from previous testing that if I could find something that really rocked my world with that 2 seconds of drum beat, then this would very likely provide the physicality I was looking for on a huge variety of other tracks. So bear this in mind when reading my impressions; although I was also looking for an overall outstanding audiophile IEM,
this bass response was the key deciding factor in order to obtain the specific sound signature for which I was searching.
I also listened to The Ataris track 'So Long Astoria' (melodic rock - and acoustic - with good songwriting, 16/44 WAV). Apparently they record all their stuff on vintage instruments and equipment, as well as mastering it all to analogue. So it has a certain sound, but not an especially powerful mastering of the bass and drums, so again, I was just looking for something that could give some extra physical kick and drive to this high energy track.
Finally, Hong Kong opera singer Alison Lau's rendition of "Handel: Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a / Part 2 - Lascia la spina" (rolls off the tongue, don't you know?)
(24/96 HDTracks FLAC) I like this for critical listening for many reasons; timbre, soundstage, imaging and separation, female vocals, musicality.
Plus it floods me with tranquility, and restores my senses after a lot of high energy rock and pop
I'll post links below for anyone interested.
So, moving steadily up the X-series, the Nemesis was the first one that truly made me stop with astonishment. That 2 second drum beat presentation was the most physical, tactile, and satisfying I've ever heard. I checked the other 2 songs too, and was extremely happy with what I heard.
Then went over to the Legend X.
If I say the Nemesis bass was 9 out of 10 in terms of that physicality, slam and rumble, then the LX would be around 8 out of 10.
It's a key distinction here. The LX had a gloriously powerful and impactful low end, but *compared with the low end of the Nemesis*, it just slightly lacked that final 10% that really takes things from 'excellent' into 'jaw dropping'.
I heard the argument from a couple of people that LX has the same amount of low end power and impact, but the overall tuning just means that it's not pushed to the fore and hence I am not perceiving it as much as I do on the Nemesis. Experientially, I'm not sure I agree with this. Because I was specifically focusing on that 2 seconds of low end response with repeated critical listening, I categorically felt a significantly greater low end strength and impact with the Nemesis when A/B testing between the two. Am happy to be corrected, but just saying how I heard it
Now, objectively, these are both terrific, TOTL IEMs.
Objectively, I think the LX is overall the superior IEM. When I consider other factors such as soundstage, separation, detail, precision and so on, I feel the LX has the edge in these areas.
However, both IEMs are outstanding in these areas and can hold their own against any other TOTL IEM's I've heard (which is quite a few by now).
The general edge that I feel LX has over the Nemesis is relatively minor though.
In an ideal world, I'd have LX for general everyday listening, Nemesis for when I need that low end hit, and my U9, or Zeus or Wraith or similar for classical, acoustic and so forth.
However, since I had to make a choice (and had already decided I was going to buy customs), I chose to stick to my original mission and thus chose Nemesis.
Not only was the low end exactly what I was looking for, but there was a small difference in the tuning; it seemed like a little more warmth and body coming through.
This just added a delightful extra tinge of richness and musicality to the tracks I listened to.
There's times when I love to just soak in the joy of a true audiophile experience; noticing previously unheard details, revelling in aspects of the sound signature and tuning.
There are other times when I just want to feel the music and emotion (and power, where appropriate).
Comparing LX and Nemesis, I'd say the LX is 9.5 out of 10 for the former and 8 out of 10 for the latter (relative to each other).
Nemesis, 8 out of 10 for the former and 9.5 out of 10 for the latter.
Finally, I spoke with Suyang, illustrious bossman of Effect Audio at the stand next door. I outlined my mission and asked him which alternative cable he would recommend to get an even more ideal result (maximising low end slam and impact). Again, based on prior Head-Fi reading and reviews, I imagined he would suggest the Ares II 8 wire or Thor II (in some variant or other).
However, he proposed the Ares II+, 4 wires with a thicker gauge.
I tried it (as well as the other cables mentioned, which brought their own excellent tweaks to the sound signatures) with the Nemesis and the slam and impact which had been 9.5 out of 10 was now a solid 10. Or even, the dials were turned up to 11
The difference was significant enough to be immediately noticeable, and it was love at first listen.
The same with the LX, but still not quite enough to elevate it for me to the levels of low end power of the Nemesis. With the LX, and bearing in mind the more general purposes for which I'd be buying it in future, I'd probably go for Ares II or Thor II in the 8 wire variants.
It also occurs to me that I haven't tried an Ares II+ 8 wire; must check that out with the Nemesis and LX in future
Anyway, I want to finally stress that of course these are my subjective opinions, posted with the intention of helping and informing others who may be curious about these IEMs or looking for what I was looking for (or looking for something more like the LX as I've described it).
All respect to the different opinions out there, and to the giants on whose shoulders I am humbly standing (or rather, continuing to learn at their feet)
Music links as mentioned:
Apologies for the size of the post, but I hope it may be of help (or at least enjoyment!) to some