End game V shaped IEM with sub bass emphasis.

[bland125]

Today, I decided to stop lying to myself and embrace my favorite sound signature: strong V shape with strong and rumbly sub bass when present and called upon.

It will be an IEM. I lost my fight with headphones. Can't find one with proper sub bass that I can wear long enough. Even the Aeon Flow Closed RT which are by far, the most comfortable headphone I ever tried and/or own, hurt the top of my head if I regularly wear them. I still have them for when I need to use headphones. They dont have the bass I need but hello EQ. There seems to be a pressure point on top of my head that won't tolerate headphones. I even bought the Sony MDR-Z7M2 and heck no, terrible comfort for me that is.

So IEMs it is. I currently own the Campfire Audio Polaris V2 recently discontinued. Yep, it's got sub bass and bass for days. It can easily be tamed down with EQ if needs be but I rarely do. While I truly enjoy it, it is not perfect to me. The low mids are a little too recessed and the treble is not natural enough to me, it's missing extension and has a bit of a metallic vibe to it. These are the areas I want to improve. Tonal and timbre accuracy are way more important than soundstage and imaging to me.

Harman-ish V shaped end game IEM, price no object. I mean I won't refinance my house but can sell one of my kids

I listen to rock, hard rock, metal, punk rock, folk, jazz, vocals, electronic and some EDM. A bit of classical when I feel like it.

My findings so far:

• 64 audio Nio: strong contender so far with the interchangeable apex modules. Hello M20. Cable looks like garbage but I don't mind and will invest in a 4.4mm cable no matter what.
• Campfire Audio new Vega or Dorado: they are quite new so it is missing info but from what I have read, could be contenders. Will they have enough bass? Are they what I could be looking for?
• Empire Ears Legend X: 2 subwoofers called Weapon 9? I like it already. Can't find a dealer in Canada and they look huuuge. My poor tiny ears. How are the mids and treble on those?
• Suggestions?

What I ruled out cuz I can:
Sony IER-Z1R: I don't trust people that don't know what an ear looks like. I'm sure I'd love it until I realize it won't fit my ears properly...
Chi-Fi: I want to buy locally/Canada/North America because crap happens and when it does, I like to make eye contact with the seller. If Chi-Fi can be bought and warranted locally, I will gladly consider it.
Anything you think has enough sub bass but clearly has not and can be verified on a simple FR graph. Of course graphs don't tell everything but they sure tell me about bass. Look at the Polaris V2 FR graph, you get it now.

All this will be driven off a marvelous Sony NW-ZX507. I love this DAP. I will get another cable and provide my own tips.

So any takers? Feel free to PM me if you are not yet assuming yourself and don't want anyone else to know. I won't tell I promise.

 

[mrjaybird]

Maybe not exactly v-shaped but check out Empire Ears Odin and 64 Audio Tia Trio.

 

[IEMusic]

My findings so far:

• 64 audio Nio: strong contender so far with the interchangeable apex modules. Hello M20. Cable looks like garbage but I don't mind and will invest in a 4.4mm cable no matter what.
• Campfire Audio new Vega or Dorado: they are quite new so it is missing info but from what I have read, could be contenders. Will they have enough bass? Are they what I could be looking for?
• Empire Ears Legend X: 2 subwoofers called Weapon 9? I like it already. Can't find a dealer in Canada and they look huuuge. My poor tiny ears. How are the mids and treble on those?
• Suggestions?

That’s already a great list. Maybe consider the Xelento or a lightly used CA Atlas?

 

[mrjaybird]

I just found Empire Ears Valkyrie is V-shaped and entertaining.

 

[bland125]

Maybe not exactly v-shaped but check out Empire Ears Odin and 64 Audio Tia Trio.

The FR graphs is not really aligned with my preferred sound signature. Not enough emphasis on sub bass and bass and the high mids seem a bit elevated. Treble is nice though. This would be a case of: "I need to try them first" which doesn't seem possible. At that price, I'm not buying blind.

That’s already a great list. Maybe consider the Xelento or a lightly used CA Atlas?

Oh I did forget to add the Xelento. I'm scared a little of the Beyer treble. Funny thing, I keep one of their older IEM just to remind me of the unnatural piercing treble everytime I'm tempted into trying something from Beyer. On paper, looks very interesting. The Atlas has a form factor I'm not interested in. I really dig the cable goes up and around the ear form factor.

I just found Empire Ears Valkyrie is V-shaped and entertaining.

I prefer where the Legend X is going. If only I could try Empire Ears anywhere near my location. I would have made a weekend trip to NYC if I could to try em all but it's not possible. There is a>15 db diff between low and high mids, that is quite something. Hello female vocals!

Thx for helping out!

 

[bland125]

My findings so far:

In the lead: Empire Ears Legend X
Has anyone compared the custom with the universal? I'm leaning toward universal tbh, not sure I want to get into customs.

Runner up: 64 Audio Nio
I like what I see but it seems it is falling behind of the Legend X.

More basshead IEMs I found but discarded:
Thieaudio L9: Graphs looks super nice, getting poor reviews everywhere. No dealer anywhere in America.
Noble Tux 5: Mids look too recessed, people find the mids too recessed. 1+1= mids are likely recessed.

 

[cr3ativ3]

My findings so far:

In the lead: Empire Ears Legend X
Has anyone compared the custom with the universal? I'm leaning toward universal tbh, not sure I want to get into customs.

Runner up: 64 Audio Nio
I like what I see but it seems it is falling behind of the Legend X.

More basshead IEMs I found but discarded:
Thieaudio L9: Graphs looks super nice, getting poor reviews everywhere. No dealer anywhere in America.
Noble Tux 5: Mids look too recessed, people find the mids too recessed. 1+1= mids are likely recessed.

To my ears , empire´s Nemesis has even more Bass than LX , also more treble

 

[bland125]

To my ears , empire´s Nemesis has even more Bass than LX , also more treble

That's the thing though, I'm not so much after even more bass, I'm after a better implementation of a bass head IEM. I am also a little treble sensitive so that 6-8k mountain has me concerned, very much. Again, something I would try out if I could but not possible. Buying blind at that price point I quite something. Hopefully I can find something on the used market.

 

[silent-circuit]

I feel like there's a ton just on the forums here in the sort of upper-but-not-crazy-crazy range you're looking in. Worst case scenario, you buy one, try it for a couple weeks, maybe sell at $50-100 less than you paid, call it a rental fee and move on.

 

[Tristy]

I own / have owned the Legend X, Z1R and Atlas. I can tell you that the Z1R is the best quality bass I've heard from an iEM thus far. The Legend X is also very very good, don't get me wrong, but it isn't as 'textured' (?) or meaty I guess you could call it as the Z1R but there is certainly more of it. The Legend X could definitely be called basshead territory. The Atlas on the other hand has more of a Mid bass focus over the Sub bass of the Z1R and Legend X. It's a whole lot of fun and does what it does well. Not on the same technical level as the others but very fun and engaging none the less. I'd imagine the new Vega is in the same vein.

 

[bland125]

I feel like there's a ton just on the forums here in the sort of upper-but-not-crazy-crazy range you're looking in. Worst case scenario, you buy one, try it for a couple weeks, maybe sell at $50-100 less than you paid, call it a rental fee and move on.

Yup yup, found a $2100 CAD (1600USD) mint condition legend X closeby. Will be sleeping on it.

I own / have owned the Legend X, Z1R and Atlas. I can tell you that the Z1R is the best quality bass I've heard from an iEM thus far. The Legend X is also very very good, don't get me wrong, but it isn't as 'textured' (?) or meaty I guess you could call it as the Z1R but there is certainly more of it. The Legend X could definitely be called basshead territory. The Atlas on the other hand has more of a Mid bass focus over the Sub bass of the Z1R and Legend X. It's a whole lot of fun and does what it does well. Not on the same technical level as the others but very fun and engaging none the less. I'd imagine the new Vega is in the same vein.

The Z1R has me very concerned about the fit and also that while it might not quite be basshead territory. I love Sony but it might just not be what I really want. The Vega is interesting but I will need to wait up for reviews and info, that real ones after the hyped ones!

Arrrgh, I think I will go with the Legend X used so like @silent-circuit said, I can recoup and try again if it's not exactly what I wanted. it's not like if I haven't been doing it already for years! Hehe.

Thanks all.

 

[IEMusic]

The EE LX is still the bass head IEM king, and the L-shaped tuning is safer if you are sensitive to some treble peaks.