[wolfstar76]

sounds about right, the final type E tips do reduce trebles and boost bass. Soundstage is a bit smaller as well.

Never have CIEM, but I assume CIEM doesn't need tips?

 

[mwhals]

Never have CIEM, but I assume CIEM doesn't need tips?

CIEMs do not need tips.

 

[Stu Paddasso]

Hi, I have to eat some Crow Here I was using brand new Smybio W tips last night and they were still very stiff. Today I went out for a walk and It's Hot so tips softened right up and Very definitely cut out the vibrations from the bone driver thus significantly reducing base!!!!! I would not recommend using any kind of foam tip on Evo. 1 bonus is that with reduced bass the mids & treble really shine

 

[jlemaster1957]

So now after my long search and many hours of listening to so many different IEMs, I finally have two TOTL IEMs that will keep me more than satisfied for a long time to come. I will end my IEM search there for now, and begin my DAP search instead. It would be perfect if I could find one DAP that shines with both the Legend X and the IE900. Unfortunately, my local store doesn't have as big a range of DAPs as they do IEMs, mostly stocking Astell & Kern which all sound too neutral for my tastes, and FiiO which while the M17 sounds ridiculously amazing, it is very much on the bigger side. It is the best local option though, besides maybe the Sony WM1Z which I should go and have a demo of soon. Will also go and demo the M17 again now that I have both IEMs.

From reading through hundreds of pages of this thread and the IE900 thread, the best DAPs seem to be:

HiBy R8 -> Legend X
HiBy RS6 -> IE900

Would love to have one DAP to rule them all, but if I need to get them both to unlock the true potential of these IEMs, then that is what I will do. Would still prefer to get one for both though.

Any feedback on how the Legend X pairs up with the WM1Z? Would it also pair up nicely with the IE900?

What about the Cayin N8ii? With all its different modes, I'm sure it should pair up nicely with both the Legend X and the IE900. Any feedback on these pairings?

Any other suggestions of DAPs that should pair nicely with both IEMs? Or should I just get both of the HiBy babys?

Wish I had some more DAPs to demo locally... Any help would be appreciated.

Weighing in here since I actually have the items you are considering (except I have Legend X universal, which I am truly satisfied with given my set up).

So it pairs excellently with Hiby R8 especially in Turbo mode.

I also have Cayin C9, which has Korg NuTubes like N8ii but is just the amp segment. I have tried R8 connected by LO 4.4 mm port to C9 in line (not Pre-amp) mode. This works very well (especially C9 Tubes + AB Mode) but I find the bass is a bit more impactful and textured with R8 on its own (don’t forget Turbo mode). This is not quite comparable to N8ii bit is almost equivalent to R8 DAC chipset + N8ii amp. It would be an interesting A/B to compare my setup with N8ii but I don’t have that.

One more thing- the peripherals matter. You have CIEMS so tips are no matter to you. For universals it’s important to have a good seal whatever tips work for you for that - I prefer Azla Xelastics. I read a lot and dared to try my Legend X system with Eletech Socrates cable. This made a very definite and clearly audible difference. My review of Socrates vs stock Ares II cable is here. As ever, YMMV. I find LX now quite comparable to 64 Audio U12T in terms of treble quality and detail retrieval and better for soundstage, but with more analog, visceral and textured (read: sick good) bass. Not for everyone perhaps.

Enjoy your LX CIEM. Totally agree- we may be a bit old school, we die-hard LX lovers who refuse to move on. But personal end game is just that … at least for now, until we see what else Uncle Jack has in store for us.

 

[fanteskiller]

Never have CIEM, but I assume CIEM doesn't need tips?

Yes, CIEM doesn't need tips.

 

[CL14715]

As I sit here listening to my custom LX, I wondered... At what point do we no longer consider bass being thunderous by nature, reference? If you remove that characteristic, it is neutering accurate reproduction. Isn't that what we strive to deviate from? This, to me, sounds pretty balanced and true to form as far as levels, depth and impact.

Genuinely curious and since the LX was hotly contested as 'bloated' and 'too bass heavy' at one point. Considering EE has the best bass in the IEM space, figured I would throw out the question here.

 

[Deezel177]

As I sit here listening to my custom LX, I wondered... At what point do we no longer consider bass being thunderous by nature, reference? If you remove that characteristic, it is neutering accurate reproduction. Isn't that what we strive to deviate from? This, to me, sounds pretty balanced and true to form as far as levels, depth and impact.

Genuinely curious and since the LX was hotly contested as 'bloated' and 'too bass heavy' at one point. Considering EE has the best bass in the IEM space, figured I would throw out the question here.

Per my definition of reference, something loses that descriptor when its flavor or color is detectable across multiple tracks. The ideal reference IEM should be colorless, and that means very few - if any - traits should carry over from one track to the next. The example I often use is low-end between an EDM and a jazz mix. The former usually has a lot more low-end than the latter, and a reference IEM should reflect that. So, if you play tracks from those genres back-to-back on, say, IEM A, and you get similar amounts of lows, then IEM A clearly isn't reference. The same goes for imaging, dynamics, etc.

A great example from EE's very own stable would be the ODIN. I said on my review that it would reflect when tracks were compressed. They'd sound small, dull and like a scrunched-up ball in the middle of the stage, while more dynamic tracks sounded more open and expansive. That made its dynamics reference-class to me. However, it's also widely-established to have an upper-mid elevation. Some like it, others don't, but the coloration is present either way. So, I can't call the ODIN a fully-reference IEM. I think the answer to your question lies in whether or not the LX's thunderous bass adheres to the changes inherently present between mixes of different kinds. Can it discern when the track isn't as bass-heavy? Is it a trait that follows it from song to song? Etc.

I think it's also important to remember that everyone has their own personal reference as well; a vague idea of where something is considered well-balanced, despite what the track test I mentioned above might say. When I'm mixing personally, I prefer a bit more bass, because the fatigue I'll inevitably experience after hours of working tends to tilt my ears a bit brighter. So, I need that oomph to even it out, which makes my reference a bit warmer than others, perhaps. But, again, that's independent of the objective scale of reference-ness, which I've outlined above.

 

[jlemaster1957]

Per my definition of reference, something loses that descriptor when its flavor or color is detectable across multiple tracks. The ideal reference IEM should be colorless, and that means very few - if any - traits should carry over from one track to the next. The example I often use is low-end between an EDM and a jazz mix. The former usually has a lot more low-end than the latter, and a reference IEM should reflect that. So, if you play tracks from those genres back-to-back on, say, IEM A, and you get similar amounts of lows, then IEM A clearly isn't reference. The same goes for imaging, dynamics, etc.

A great example from EE's very own stable would be the ODIN. I said on my review that it would reflect when tracks were compressed. They'd sound small, dull and like a scrunched-up ball in the middle of the stage, while more dynamic tracks sounded more open and expansive. That made its dynamics reference-class to me. However, it's also widely-established to have an upper-mid elevation. Some like it, others don't, but the coloration is present either way. So, I can't call the ODIN a fully-reference IEM. I think the answer to your question lies in whether or not the LX's thunderous bass adheres to the changes inherently present between mixes of different kinds. Can it discern when the track isn't as bass-heavy? Is it a trait that follows it from song to song? Etc.

I think it's also important to remember that everyone has their own personal reference as well; a vague idea of where something is considered well-balanced, despite what the track test I mentioned above might say. When I'm mixing personally, I prefer a bit more bass, because the fatigue I'll inevitably experience after hours of working tends to tilt my ears a bit brighter. So, I need that oomph to even it out, which makes my reference a bit warmer than others, perhaps. But, again, that's independent of the objective scale of reference-ness, which I've outlined above.

This is very helpful, and makes sense- I haven’t read another reviewer who wrote this - thanks! It seems to me also that an IEM may fully token all my preferences and still not be a reference IEM objectively- but may be my personal reference ie that to which I compare all others as a matter of taste.

 

[CL14715]

Per my definition of reference, something loses that descriptor when its flavor or color is detectable across multiple tracks. The ideal reference IEM should be colorless, and that means very few - if any - traits should carry over from one track to the next. The example I often use is low-end between an EDM and a jazz mix. The former usually has a lot more low-end than the latter, and a reference IEM should reflect that. So, if you play tracks from those genres back-to-back on, say, IEM A, and you get similar amounts of lows, then IEM A clearly isn't reference. The same goes for imaging, dynamics, etc.

A great example from EE's very own stable would be the ODIN. I said on my review that it would reflect when tracks were compressed. They'd sound small, dull and like a scrunched-up ball in the middle of the stage, while more dynamic tracks sounded more open and expansive. That made its dynamics reference-class to me. However, it's also widely-established to have an upper-mid elevation. Some like it, others don't, but the coloration is present either way. So, I can't call the ODIN a fully-reference IEM. I think the answer to your question lies in whether or not the LX's thunderous bass adheres to the changes inherently present between mixes of different kinds. Can it discern when the track isn't as bass-heavy? Is it a trait that follows it from song to song? Etc.

I think it's also important to remember that everyone has their own personal reference as well; a vague idea of where something is considered well-balanced, despite what the track test I mentioned above might say. When I'm mixing personally, I prefer a bit more bass, because the fatigue I'll inevitably experience after hours of working tends to tilt my ears a bit brighter. So, I need that oomph to even it out, which makes my reference a bit warmer than others, perhaps. But, again, that's independent of the objective scale of reference-ness, which I've outlined above.

I hear the emphasis on bass change from track to track. I don’t feel anything is extracted that doesn’t exist as intended. I guess I was
Implying that bass ‘reference’ inherently should be present, and elevated to a level that represents what it’s portraying.

If you were to listen to thunder on the LX it would sound true to life. Take that same track and put it on something with less bass and it would sound, incorrect. So is that, accurate? Reference? Hard to say since there’s other frequencies in the mix. I just don’t understand anemic bass in this industry. When is it preferable?

This is why bass has been intriguing to me, especially regarding EE and their obvious understanding of it.

 

[TheRH]

Hello All,

Are there any Valkarie MK II owners? If so, what are your thoughts?

 

[fanteskiller]

Hello All,

Are there any Valkarie MK II owners? If so, what are your thoughts?

Almost same as Valkyrie MK I...

 

[Spidermanxd]

CIEMs do not need tips.

Really damn noone ever telling me that, I been using tips for all my ciems

 

[wolfstar76]

Really damn noone ever telling me that, I been using tips for all my ciems

I hope you will find a new world once you take off all the tips fromyour CIEMS

 

[LoryWiv]

I've been eyeing Empire Ears IEM's for several years, but apropos of the discussion above about "reference" signatures found most models a bit too far from my definition of reference. So I was intrigued by the ESR (Empire Studio Reference) MK II, auditioned it at the Canjam Chicago last month and purchased a set. My initial impressions support what I heard during audition, a relief as show conditions are quite different from real-word listening.

ESR MK II is indeed "reference" tuned as expected. Bass is of typical refined, lucid balanced armature quality but perhaps a bit de-emphasized. Mids are quite forward, female vocals VERY present which is good up to a point but leaves the supporting instrumentation a bit recessed on some tracks. The forward mids at times can also overshadow the electrostatic treble, which is of very high quality, perhaps just needs to be a tad forward in the mix.

The shining strength of ESR MK II is technicalities, superb at this price range. Detail retrieval is abundant, imaging and instrument separation wonderfully precise, soundstage quite compelling. Layering and coherence is also very impressive.

Conclusion: The ESR is a pleasure to listen to as is, and I will do some tip and/or cable rolling with goals of bringing bass and treble a small bit forward if it can be done without compromising the engaging mids and beautiful vocal frequencies.

Suggestions welcomed!

 

[fanteskiller]

I've been eyeing Empire Ears IEM's for several years, but apropos of the discussion above about "reference" signatures found most models a bit too far from my definition of reference. So I was intrigued by the ESR (Empire Studio Reference) MK II, auditioned it at the Canjam Chicago last month and purchased a set. My initial impressions support what I heard during audition, a relief as show conditions are quite different from real-word listening.

ESR MK II is indeed "reference" tuned as expected. Bass is of typical refined, lucid balanced armature quality but perhaps a bit de-emphasized. Mids are quite forward, female vocals VERY present which is good up to a point but leaves the supporting instrumentation a bit recessed on some tracks. The forward mids at times can also overshadow the electrostatic treble, which is of very high quality, perhaps just needs to be a tad forward in the mix.

The shining strength of ESR MK II is technicalities, superb at this price range. Detail retrieval is abundant, imaging and instrument separation wonderfully precise, soundstage quite compelling. Layering and coherence is also very impressive.

Conclusion: The ESR is a pleasure to listen to as is, and I will do some tip and/or cable rolling with goals of bringing bass and treble a small bit forward if it can be done without compromising the engaging mids and beautiful vocal frequencies.

Suggestions welcomed!

ESR MKII is good for vocal but not enough bassy for rock.