[gLer]

What's up with the mixed impressions with that iem.

Same can be said for most IEMs. Heck part of the appeal of this thread is to see how differently Precog reviews IEMs to just about everyone else.

 

[H T T]

FWIW, here is my "review" playlist:

Spoiler: "Review" playlist

 

[omegaorgun]

Hey all, I know I haven't been very active here, which is mainly a combination of being bombarded with school work and not really having access to as much stuff as I did before. Anyways, I'm visiting home this weekend so I swung by MRS to catch up on some of the newer stuff that's come out this last month. I have units on the way for most of these IEMs, just on the slow boat as usual so I figured I'd get down my thoughts so y'all don't have to wait haha.

7Hz Timeless: I saw this a while ago and, probably like most people, I didn't really care about it until Crin gave it a cursory ranking of 5/5 in his unboxing video. The general tonality of the Timeless is neutral with bass boost; however, I can't say I'm particularly enamored by the tonality here. Yes, the Timeless is better in the tonal department than any planar I've heard to date, but that doesn't mean it's good tonality either. Noteweight on the Timeless generally skews toward the thinner side, almost like there's too much upper-midrange, and there's a similar phenomenon going on in the treble where the Timeless exhibits a strong peak at 7.5kHz. It's fatiguing to hear despite the perceived detail it lends, and the general timbre of the Timeless is overly dry in tandem with its characteristically planar transients. By this, I mean that notes generally decay a millisecond faster than they should; there's not sufficient "bloom" to notes. This is probably just a limitation of the driver type; however, timbre-heads really need to look elsewhere. I like the bass on this IEM, though, and it hits hard with remarkable control despite decaying a little quicker than I'd like.

Still, the Timeless' biggest strength would lie in its technical performance. It definitely sounds like a planar should in a good way. Notes are crisp - hell, more crisp than they have any right to be for $220 - and dynamics on the front of macro-contrast are strong. Imaging is really only the department with which the Timeless lacks. While localization is slightly above average, the general staging and ambiance of the Timeless sit somewhere within the realm of average. It stands that layering suffers as a result. So what are my concluding thoughts after demoing this IEM for about an hour? First, I definitely think it has a place in the $200 bracket, as it is probably the most technical IEM I've heard for the price. Second, props to 7Hz for making the world's first competent planar IEM. But third, I also don't find myself completely sold on it, and there's a nagging feeling that it's a tad unrefined.

Moondrop Kato: Moondrop's proclaimed successor to the Moondrop KXXS. I haven't shilled that IEM in a while, but I hope it's no secret that the Moondrop KXXS is one of my favorite single DDs (my first real IEM at that) so I had high expectations for the Kato. Let's see. It's definitely a slight technical improvement all-round while maintaining the general tonality of the KXXS. Slightly better resolution, bass slam, imaging, etc. The Kato's treble doesn't sound particularly more extended; however, it's eschewed the 13kHz peak of its predecessor for a less hazy response. So it's better than the KXXS; that was to be expected. Now how does the Kato stack up against its closest competitor, the Tanchjim Hana 2021? Well, I'm not a fan of the Kato's dynamics. They sound sluggish, as is typical of most DD IEMs of this price caliber, but most notably they lack aplomb - they sound slightly soft - in the macro-contrast department relative to the Hana 2021. Generally I get the impression that the Hana 2021 uses a slightly higher-quality driver; outside of this, I could see it going either way even if I prefer the stronger sub-bass focus of the Hana 2021.

Nicehck TopGuy: I got the review unit for this about a month ago and simply couldn't find the motivation to take it with me back to college. Why? Well, when you look at the FR of this IEM, it actually tracks scarily close to the dreaded Shuoer Tape Pro. I think that about says it all, but to be fair, I don't think the TopGuy's that bad. It's just really mediocre. The mid-bass is trash and the sub-bass rolls-off audibly, it's got what sounds like a weird, immeasurable dip the upper-midrange that makes everything sound veiled and slightly edgy, and the treble sounds like it has all sorts of tonal imbalances. Now, I feel like the imaging on this set is not bad at least in terms of diffusion; however, notes are blunted and there is nothing else remarkable (scratch that, acceptable for $250) about the TopGuy's technical performance. This thing needs to go back to the drawing board if it's being touted as a flagship IEM because it's not even playing in the $50 category for sound quality to be perfectly frank.

HarmonicDyne Poseidon: LOL. Sorry, these are not good. They sound like they roll-off under 100Hz; there's no sub-bass at all to this headphone. Seriously, if you think the Sennheiser open-backs are bad for bass extension, this is way worse. This headphone also has an upper-midrange recession right around 3-4kHz which isn't doing resolution any favors. Now, I think treble would be OK if it weren't for the contrast of this recession to 5kHz which doesn't seem to work as well with headphones. The Poseidon's treble sounds overly sharp in the initial impact of percussive hits whereas, as I alluded to just above, the midrange sounds plain hazy. Don't get me wrong, there's still nothing really outright offensive about the Poseidon's tonality, but it's sooo far from sounding good. This is basically the textbook example of what mediocrity sounds like.

Scores:

7Hz Timeless	6/10
Moondrop Kato	6/10
Nicehck TopGuy	3/10
HarmonicDyne Poseidon	3/10

What did you use to amp the timeless? Try it balanced on something like an ifi zen DAC or Can. I even had it on a HPA-3B and it appears to scale well with amps.
I also disagree on timbre, I think it has adequate timbre and, actually, graphs close to a Tancjim Oxygen in bass and mids. Guitars and male vocals are amazing.

I was using the stock tips yellow/clear or similar misodiko s450. The x-bass on the ifi also really levels them up in the bass dept.

 

[Precogvision]

What did you use to amp the timeless? Try it balanced on something like an ifi zen DAC or Can. I even had it on a HPA-3B and it appears to scale well with amps.
I also disagree on timbre, I think it has adequate timbre and, actually, graphs close to a Tancjim Oxygen in bass and mids. Guitars and male vocals are amazing.

I was using the stock tips yellow/clear or similar misodiko s450. The x-bass on the ifi also really levels them up in the bass dept.

Hey, I ran them off of my iBasso DX300. I have to be honest when I say that I can't really hear power memes or scalability with IEMs. Sources definitely sound different to me, but I've never had an issue with sheer power when it comes to IEMs. The Apple dongle has adequately driven (to my ears) most all IEMs I've tried. Plus, if you're running IEMs off of a desktop amp, I feel like like that somewhat defeats the purpose of IEMs which are predicated on their portability. Full-size headphones are another matter for me when it comes to scalability, though

 

[redrol]

Id be interested to hear your impressions with something like a tube based preamp, a nice big boy class A something, and maybe something like the RME DAC. I hate DAPs and refuse to use them because they are nothing but compromises in my mind. Of course this is my own prejudice.

 

[firesign]

Hey, I ran them off of my iBasso DX300. I have to be honest when I say that I can't really hear power memes or scalability with IEMs. Sources definitely sound different to me, but I've never had an issue with sheer power when it comes to IEMs. The Apple dongle has adequately driven (to my ears) most all IEMs I've tried. Plus, if you're running IEMs off of a desktop amp, I feel like like that somewhat defeats the purpose of IEMs which are predicated on their portability. Full-size headphones are another matter for me when it comes to scalability, though

These words make a lot of sense to me.
Every time I read someone saying that for an IEM to sound like it should you have to use an amplifier...

 

[redrol]

These words make a lot of sense to me.
Every time I read someone saying that for an IEM to sound like it should you have to use an amplifier...

Its more just a nice assortment of flavors that might make something have better synergy.

 

[silent-circuit]

These words make a lot of sense to me.
Every time I read someone saying that for an IEM to sound like it should you have to use an amplifier...

I would have agreed until recently - my phone provided plenty of power for all the IEMs I tried with it, never had to turn it up past 3/4. Then I got the EE Bravado MK2, and regularly found myself at max volume, maybe one click below. It doesn't sound bad, but having zero headroom with amplification is rarely if ever a good idea.

I definitely prefer the sound from the D90/A90 combo, but I mean... A $1500 DAC/amp vs. a 3 year old phone. One would hope.

I've got a HIDIZS DH80S on the way. Guess I can update if it makes a significant difference.

 

[mndless]

Same can be said for most IEMs. Heck part of the appeal of this thread is to see how differently Precog reviews IEMs to just about everyone else.

I mostly appreciate that he doesn't pull his punches and give undeserved praise for a set.

 

[mndless]

Hey, I ran them off of my iBasso DX300. I have to be honest when I say that I can't really hear power memes or scalability with IEMs. Sources definitely sound different to me, but I've never had an issue with sheer power when it comes to IEMs. The Apple dongle has adequately driven (to my ears) most all IEMs I've tried. Plus, if you're running IEMs off of a desktop amp, I feel like like that somewhat defeats the purpose of IEMs which are predicated on their portability. Full-size headphones are another matter for me when it comes to scalability, though

There are a handful of sets like the Kinera NanNa 2.0 that just love power. If you're using a dongle, it probably provides more power than most internal dac/amp chips that companies use in their phones that still have headphone jacks. The NanNa required me to switch my Hiby R3 Pro Saber to high gain mode for them to sound like they are supposed to. So I got my friend who owns the NanNa a Hiby R5S as a gift so he could easily drive them on low gain mode if he wanted. Because that DAP can push an insane 1.04W per channel on balanced output. It's clearly meant for over-ear headphones with their significantly higher power demands, but it suits his needs perfectly.

 

[firesign]

I would have agreed until recently - my phone provided plenty of power for all the IEMs I tried with it, never had to turn it up past 3/4. Then I got the EE Bravado MK2, and regularly found myself at max volume, maybe one click below. It doesn't sound bad, but having zero headroom with amplification is rarely if ever a good idea.

I definitely prefer the sound from the D90/A90 combo, but I mean... A $1500 DAC/amp vs. a 3 year old phone. One would hope.

I've got a HIDIZS DH80S on the way. Guess I can update if it makes a significant difference.

We were talking about DAPs like the iBasso, not about phones.

 

[silent-circuit]

We were talking about DAPs like the iBasso, not about phones.

Fair enough, and sorry if it came off as confrontational or something, that wasn't the intent.

I've heard people make the same claim about IEMs from "any source" - if someone comes in a thread and says their phone (or laptop, or fairly low power DAP) is enough, there's invariably someone that tells them to get an amp. The opposite is also true - if someone recommends more power people come out to say how wrong they are and that 23mw or whatever "is plenty, look at the sensitivity specs, are you trying to go deaf?" Polarizing like so much else, sadly.

 

[Precogvision]

Empire Ears Legend EVO Impressions

Time for some more extended impressions on this guy. Prior to earlier this week, I’d listened to it for about half an hour (15 minutes the night before CanJam and 15 minutes on the show floor) only to find out upon returning that our unit got damaged during the show. But with the replacement here, I have a better feel for what I think.

Spoiler: FR Graph

First, let's establish that the EVO’s bone conduction is the real-deal. It’s not mind-blowing, it’s more subtle in the grand scheme of things, but it’s definitely doing something. I want to say it’s present in the bass to some degree, but it’s also apparent when I listen to the midrange. I find myself catching a quality with which vocalists, especially on trailing ends and when they take on a more ghastly quality, echo slightly throughout the stage. I first noticed this on Illenium & Excision's "Gold" when the vocalist Shallows enters, and it sporadically crops up throughout most other tracks (such as the "youuu" on Taeyeon's "I Found You"). Interestingly, I wouldn't quite characterize this phenomenon as a feeling, such as when you "feel" under the 20Hz frequencies, but rather something that is more tangible and that is heard.

Anyways, I think the best way of summarizing the EVO is that it’s a Legend X SE on steroids. The bass shelf of the EVO tracks very closely to its predecessor - meaning it’s still bloated with too much mid-bass - but it’s a noticeable improvement in the intangible department. To this end, some will recall that I criticized the LX SE for having a “stretched” quality to its bass. This gave me the impression that the subwoofer was being pushed beyond its capabilities, and consequently, I found the bass was lacking texture. Thankfully, this is no longer an issue with the EVO. Bass notes on the EVO sound thicker and considerably less plasticky, more reminiscent of qualities that I index for in a top-tier bass response. The EVO has also not sacrificed the characteristic swollen quality of the Weapon X driver, culminating in - to my ears at least - a bass response that is nearly all-round better than its predecessor. Major thumbs-up, I'd just like the mid-bass to be toned back more akin to the Odin.

The midrange of the EVO is definitely interesting. I actually don’t hear it as being particularly upper-midrange forward; generally, it comes across as more recessed to my ears with the lower-midrange falling even more behind. I would partly attribute this to the sheer amounts of bass, but I do feel that some of this effect is owing to the bone conduction driver. I perceive the center image (effectively where vocals are positioned on the stage) of the EVO as being distinct from my memory of the LX SE and the Odin. Those IEMs were more upfront and defined, whereas I find the EVO's center image to be more diffused. Not sure if I necessarily like that or not, but it's certainly playing a role in why I don't find the EVO to be overly forward. I also feel that the midrange of the EVO sounds less compressed than the LX SE, perhaps owing again to that bone conduction magic. There's definitely a certain texture to vocals that doesn't quite come across as the usual "BA timbre".

So you have your monster bass and your special-sauce midrange - nubbad. The treble, then, would probably be the most unremarkable aspect of the EVO's sound. Let me disclaim that it's by no means bad; in fact, it sports a relatively smooth tonality and acceptable extension. Only...acceptable doesn't cut it when we're talking about an IEM this expensive. Outside of the noticeable issue with extension, my criticism would mainly lie in the intangible performance of the treble. It sounds sort of flat and lifeless, devoid of character. When I listen to SNSD's "Into the New World", for example, the percussive hits seemingly blur together and I struggle to distinguish the nuance between them. Quite frankly, the Symphonium Helios and the 64A U12t - which I have on-hand for direct A/B comparison - make the EVO's treble sound compressed and like an afterthought. This is definitely one area which I think could still use improvement.

Moving on, the EVO is no slouch in the technical department at least. I think the EVO's imaging performance is what stands out most to me. The EVO has wonderful staging; the structure of the stage comes across with good amounts of size, ample soundstage width, and a good sense of encompassing the listener. There are obviously IEMs better in the layering department, such as aforementioned U12t and Helios, but no less an impressive showing given how much bass the EVO has. Dynamics; they're not bad, but they're also not best in class. They are better on the EVO than the LX SE at least. The LX SE had an obvious issue with which it sounded overly loud, and generally just plain flat, on more dynamic music such as the orchestral version of Yiruma's "River Flows in You". I still don't think the EVO is necessarily great for sheer contrast, but it sounds a little more tactful and heavy to the way it approaches dynamic swings. For sheer detail, the EVO is expectedly a strong performer; I'd comfortably place it at an 8/10 by my rankings in that department. Perhaps not quite up to par with something like the Odin, but definitely up there.

I think that's the general foundation of my thoughts on the EVO's sound. As for the bias score, I definitely prefer the EVO over the LX SE which I gave a 7/10. The real question is whether the EVO's in Odin territory, for which I think I'd need to A/B them directly to confirm. I suspect that the Odin's overall tonal balance would make me prefer it slightly more, at least as an all-rounder. Still, I can attest that I would want an EVO for myself (if I had the money to buy one) and it's got that special sauce I'm gauging for.

Score: 7.5/10

All critical listening was done off of the 4.4mm jack of my iBasso DX300 with the stock cable (frankly, I think this is a subpar quality cable that should be swapped) and ear tips.

 

[gLer]

Empire Ears Legend EVO Impressions

Time for some more extended impressions on this guy. Prior to earlier this week, I’d listened to it for about half an hour (15 minutes the night before CanJam and 15 minutes on the show floor) only to find out upon returning that our unit got damaged during the show. But with the replacement here, I have a better feel for what I think.

Spoiler: FR Graph

First, let's establish that the EVO’s bone conduction is the real-deal. It’s not mind-blowing, it’s more subtle in the grand scheme of things, but it’s definitely doing something. I want to say it’s present in the bass to some degree, but it’s also apparent when I listen to the midrange. I find myself catching a quality with which vocalists, especially on trailing ends and when they take on a more ghastly quality, echo slightly throughout the stage. I first noticed this on Illenium & Excision's "Gold" when the vocalist Shallows enters, and it sporadically crops up throughout most other tracks (such as the "youuu" on Taeyeon's "I Found You"). Interestingly, I wouldn't quite characterize this phenomenon as a feeling, such as when you "feel" under the 20Hz frequencies, but rather something that is more tangible and that is heard.

Anyways, I think the best way of summarizing the EVO is that it’s a Legend X SE on steroids. The bass shelf of the EVO tracks very closely to its predecessor - meaning it’s still bloated with too much mid-bass - but it’s a noticeable improvement in the intangible department. To this end, some will recall that I criticized the LX SE for having a “stretched” quality to its bass. This gave me the impression that the subwoofer was being pushed beyond its capabilities, and consequently, I found the bass was lacking texture. Thankfully, this is no longer an issue with the EVO. Bass notes on the EVO sound thicker and considerably less plasticky, more reminiscent of qualities that I index for in a top-tier bass response. The EVO has also not sacrificed the characteristic swollen quality of the Weapon X driver, culminating in - to my ears at least - a bass response that is nearly all-round better than its predecessor. Major thumbs-up, I'd just like the mid-bass to be toned back more akin to the Odin.

The midrange of the EVO is definitely interesting. I actually don’t hear it as being particularly upper-midrange forward; generally, it comes across as more recessed to my ears with the lower-midrange falling even more behind. I would partly attribute this to the sheer amounts of bass, but I do feel that some of this effect is owing to the bone conduction driver. I perceive the center image (effectively where vocals are positioned on the stage) of the EVO as being distinct from my memory of the LX SE and the Odin. Those IEMs were more upfront and defined, whereas I find the EVO's center image to be more diffused. Not sure if I necessarily like that or not, but it's certainly playing a role in why I don't find the EVO to be overly forward. I also feel that the midrange of the EVO sounds less compressed than the LX SE, perhaps owing again to that bone conduction magic. There's definitely a certain texture to vocals that doesn't quite come across as the usual "BA timbre".

So you have your monster bass and your special-sauce midrange - nubbad. The treble, then, would probably be the most unremarkable aspect of the EVO's sound. Let me disclaim that it's by no means bad; in fact, it sports a relatively smooth tonality and acceptable extension. Only...acceptable doesn't cut it when we're talking about an IEM this expensive. Outside of the noticeable issue with extension, my criticism would mainly lie in the intangible performance of the treble. It sounds sort of flat and lifeless, devoid of character. When I listen to SNSD's "Into the New World", for example, the percussive hits seemingly blur together and I struggle to distinguish the nuance between them. Quite frankly, the Symphonium Helios and the 64A U12t - which I have on-hand for direct A/B comparison - make the EVO's treble sound compressed and like an afterthought. This is definitely one area which I think could still use improvement.

Moving on, the EVO is no slouch in the technical department at least. I think the EVO's imaging performance is what stands out most to me. The EVO has wonderful staging; the structure of the stage comes across with good amounts of size, ample soundstage width, and a good sense of encompassing the listener. There are obviously IEMs better in the layering department, such as aforementioned U12t and Helios, but no less an impressive showing given how much bass the EVO has. Dynamics; they're not bad, but they're also not best in class. They are better on the EVO than the LX SE at least. The LX SE had an obvious issue with which it sounded overly loud, and generally just plain flat, on more dynamic music such as the orchestral version of Yiruma's "River Flows in You". I still don't think the EVO is necessarily great for sheer contrast, but it sounds a little more tactful and heavy to the way it approaches dynamic swings. For sheer detail, the EVO is expectedly a strong performer; I'd comfortably place it at an 8/10 by my rankings in that department. Perhaps not quite up to par with something like the Odin, but definitely up there.

I think that's the general foundation of my thoughts on the EVO's sound. As for the bias score, I definitely prefer the EVO over the LX SE which I gave a 7/10. The real question is whether the EVO's in Odin territory, for which I think I'd need to A/B them directly to confirm. I suspect that the Odin's overall tonal balance would make me prefer it slightly more, at least as an all-rounder. Still, I can attest that I would want an EVO for myself (if I had the money to buy one) and it's got that special sauce I'm gauging for.

Score: 7.5/10

All critical listening was done off of the 4.4mm jack of my iBasso DX300 with the stock cable (frankly, I think this is a subpar quality cable that should be swapped) and ear tips.

Great impressions. Do you think you'd have scored it higher if you enjoyed the level of bass it offers? I for one would not be satisfied with Odin's more neutral bass, no matter the quality. Also, the stock tips (and cable) bloat the midbass big time, and attenuate the treble, excatly what you were hearing. Swap out some Acoustune AET07 tips and you'll hear what I mean. It's not subtle either. Swap out the cable for something more linear (anything with Cardas copper for example) and it'll push the EVO even further. Such is life at the high end, but I get that you can only review the baseline.

 

[Tristy]

Empire Ears Legend EVO Impressions

Time for some more extended impressions on this guy. Prior to earlier this week, I’d listened to it for about half an hour (15 minutes the night before CanJam and 15 minutes on the show floor) only to find out upon returning that our unit got damaged during the show. But with the replacement here, I have a better feel for what I think.

Spoiler: FR Graph

First, let's establish that the EVO’s bone conduction is the real-deal. It’s not mind-blowing, it’s more subtle in the grand scheme of things, but it’s definitely doing something. I want to say it’s present in the bass to some degree, but it’s also apparent when I listen to the midrange. I find myself catching a quality with which vocalists, especially on trailing ends and when they take on a more ghastly quality, echo slightly throughout the stage. I first noticed this on Illenium & Excision's "Gold" when the vocalist Shallows enters, and it sporadically crops up throughout most other tracks (such as the "youuu" on Taeyeon's "I Found You"). Interestingly, I wouldn't quite characterize this phenomenon as a feeling, such as when you "feel" under the 20Hz frequencies, but rather something that is more tangible and that is heard.

Anyways, I think the best way of summarizing the EVO is that it’s a Legend X SE on steroids. The bass shelf of the EVO tracks very closely to its predecessor - meaning it’s still bloated with too much mid-bass - but it’s a noticeable improvement in the intangible department. To this end, some will recall that I criticized the LX SE for having a “stretched” quality to its bass. This gave me the impression that the subwoofer was being pushed beyond its capabilities, and consequently, I found the bass was lacking texture. Thankfully, this is no longer an issue with the EVO. Bass notes on the EVO sound thicker and considerably less plasticky, more reminiscent of qualities that I index for in a top-tier bass response. The EVO has also not sacrificed the characteristic swollen quality of the Weapon X driver, culminating in - to my ears at least - a bass response that is nearly all-round better than its predecessor. Major thumbs-up, I'd just like the mid-bass to be toned back more akin to the Odin.

The midrange of the EVO is definitely interesting. I actually don’t hear it as being particularly upper-midrange forward; generally, it comes across as more recessed to my ears with the lower-midrange falling even more behind. I would partly attribute this to the sheer amounts of bass, but I do feel that some of this effect is owing to the bone conduction driver. I perceive the center image (effectively where vocals are positioned on the stage) of the EVO as being distinct from my memory of the LX SE and the Odin. Those IEMs were more upfront and defined, whereas I find the EVO's center image to be more diffused. Not sure if I necessarily like that or not, but it's certainly playing a role in why I don't find the EVO to be overly forward. I also feel that the midrange of the EVO sounds less compressed than the LX SE, perhaps owing again to that bone conduction magic. There's definitely a certain texture to vocals that doesn't quite come across as the usual "BA timbre".

So you have your monster bass and your special-sauce midrange - nubbad. The treble, then, would probably be the most unremarkable aspect of the EVO's sound. Let me disclaim that it's by no means bad; in fact, it sports a relatively smooth tonality and acceptable extension. Only...acceptable doesn't cut it when we're talking about an IEM this expensive. Outside of the noticeable issue with extension, my criticism would mainly lie in the intangible performance of the treble. It sounds sort of flat and lifeless, devoid of character. When I listen to SNSD's "Into the New World", for example, the percussive hits seemingly blur together and I struggle to distinguish the nuance between them. Quite frankly, the Symphonium Helios and the 64A U12t - which I have on-hand for direct A/B comparison - make the EVO's treble sound compressed and like an afterthought. This is definitely one area which I think could still use improvement.

Moving on, the EVO is no slouch in the technical department at least. I think the EVO's imaging performance is what stands out most to me. The EVO has wonderful staging; the structure of the stage comes across with good amounts of size, ample soundstage width, and a good sense of encompassing the listener. There are obviously IEMs better in the layering department, such as aforementioned U12t and Helios, but no less an impressive showing given how much bass the EVO has. Dynamics; they're not bad, but they're also not best in class. They are better on the EVO than the LX SE at least. The LX SE had an obvious issue with which it sounded overly loud, and generally just plain flat, on more dynamic music such as the orchestral version of Yiruma's "River Flows in You". I still don't think the EVO is necessarily great for sheer contrast, but it sounds a little more tactful and heavy to the way it approaches dynamic swings. For sheer detail, the EVO is expectedly a strong performer; I'd comfortably place it at an 8/10 by my rankings in that department. Perhaps not quite up to par with something like the Odin, but definitely up there.

I think that's the general foundation of my thoughts on the EVO's sound. As for the bias score, I definitely prefer the EVO over the LX SE which I gave a 7/10. The real question is whether the EVO's in Odin territory, for which I think I'd need to A/B them directly to confirm. I suspect that the Odin's overall tonal balance would make me prefer it slightly more, at least as an all-rounder. Still, I can attest that I would want an EVO for myself (if I had the money to buy one) and it's got that special sauce I'm gauging for.

Score: 7.5/10

All critical listening was done off of the 4.4mm jack of my iBasso DX300 with the stock cable (frankly, I think this is a subpar quality cable that should be swapped) and ear tips.

Nice impressions! It’s great to hear impressions from someone who has actually heard both EE monitors, most of the remarks I’ve read have been from people who feel qualified to remark hypothetically without having heard both.