[hi-fi amateur]

Right now, my top three IEMs (that I own) are the se846, L3, and FDX1. If I had to choose one, for all types of music, and isolation were not an issue, the L3 would be my top pick. However, my overall favorite is still the se846, b/c I use it as a stage monitor, and it can provide an incredible amount of isolation.

Are the L3s airy? I also own the FDX1 but would like something with more treble extension.

 

[VICosPhi]

I am selling my L3 (Clockworks style) if any of you are interested. Ships from AZ. I only listened to it once and decided the sound signature is not for me. Received it just this morning, I am quick to judge lol. I'd just return it to Linsoul but thought I'd check with you guys first. PM if interested.

EDIT: Sorry it is sold already, should have updated the post.

 

[SteelCookie]

Alright, time for my write up on the L9 vs L3 (Day 1):
About me: I like bass guitar... a lot, not a treble head but I like my cymbals to be a little hot with splash and shimmer. Typically listen to Female vocals.

While these IEMs share the same series name, they can't be any more different. L3 can be described as a proper balanced IEM tuned similarly to TOTL IEMs with a small mid-bass bump and presents the music in a very natural way, a very laid-back IEM. The L9 shares about... none of those similarities. The vocals are much more intimate and thick in comparison, the cymbals splash and shimmer brilliantly on the L9s, the Sub-Bass rumbles hard, everything is thicker and denser for a lack of a better explanation, in some ways more fatiguing that the L3.

Treble:
The L9 has spectacular treble performance, cymbals sound full with plenty of air and shimmer. L3 can sound washed in some cases comparatively but they never sound veiled as I find in the Solaris. It's safe, for better or for worse. This is more of a testament to the L9 rather than a shot at the L3.

Mids:
This is more of a preference between the two. The L9 has very intimate forward mids, L3 has a more natural presentation of their mids being slightly recessed, not thin but no where as thick as the L9s. It's a toss up whether of not you prefer intimate or more natural mids.

Bass:
Now this is where the tables turn, I prefer the low-end on the L3 more than the L9. With the thick forward mids in the L9, a lot of the time, it blurs a bit with the bass guitar. This isn't the case with the L3 where the bass guitar is clearly separated. Slaps on the bass guitar sounds more clear on the L3 than the L9, with the texture on the bass guitar being more well defined on the L3 than the L9 which can get a bit muddy, the bass is punchier on the L3 and not as boomy as the L9.

Soundstage:
L3 is noticeably wider than the L9, with L9 noticeably having more depth.

Conclusion:
It feels like these IEMs were meant to compliment each other. The natural and light taste of the L3 is always a safe bet and edible, while the rich and thick taste of the L9 can overwhelm some people and will appeal to less people but can be seen as a treat for people trying to break the norm. With the weight of the both buds of the L3 clocking in at 7 grams total compounded with the laid-back tuning, it's great if you are just going about your day. If there was a way I can get the mids and treble of the L9, and the low-end of the L3, I don't think I would want for anything else in an IEM.
It depends on how you like your pancakes, some like it with just smooth melted butter while some like it topped with rich and thick maple syrup.

 

[IEMusic]

Are the L3s airy? I also own the FDX1 but would like something with more treble extension.

A few others have mentioned that the treble of the L3 seems rolled off to them, but to me, they are very airy. After listening to my usual 1/2 dozen treble test tracks, I find they have a lot more treble extension than the FDX1 w/ the bare nozzle. There is a good amount of >10KHz sound. But, I don‘t find them bright.

 

[psycle1]

Mine just arrived 20 minutes ago (9:45pm local time). First impressions are very good so far. I couldn’t even be bothered to let them burn in for a couple of days.

 

[IEMusic]

Mine just arrived 20 minutes ago (9:45pm local time). First impressions are very good so far. I couldn’t even be bothered to let them burn in for a couple of days.

I didn‘t really notice any change with burn in on these IEMs.

 

[psycle1]

I didn‘t really notice any change with burn in on these IEMs.

That’s good to know.

 

[calvin8902]

Alright, time for my write up on the L9 vs L3 (Day 1):
About me: I like bass guitar... a lot, not a treble head but I like my cymbals to be a little hot with splash and shimmer. Typically listen to Female vocals.

While these IEMs share the same series name, they can't be any more different. L3 can be described as a proper balanced IEM tuned similarly to TOTL IEMs with a small mid-bass bump and presents the music in a very natural way, a very laid-back IEM. The L9 shares about... none of those similarities. The vocals are much more intimate and thick in comparison, the cymbals splash and shimmer brilliantly on the L9s, the Sub-Bass rumbles hard, everything is thicker and denser for a lack of a better explanation, in some ways more fatiguing that the L3.

Treble:
The L9 has spectacular treble performance, cymbals sound full with plenty of air and shimmer. L3 can sound washed in some cases comparatively but they never sound veiled as I find in the Solaris. It's safe, for better or for worse. This is more of a testament to the L9 rather than a shot at the L3.

Mids:
This is more of a preference between the two. The L9 has very intimate forward mids, L3 has a more natural presentation of their mids being slightly recessed, not thin but no where as thick as the L9s. It's a toss up whether of not you prefer intimate or more natural mids.

Bass:
Now this is where the tables turn, I prefer the low-end on the L3 more than the L9. With the thick forward mids in the L9, a lot of the time, it blurs a bit with the bass guitar. This isn't the case with the L3 where the bass guitar is clearly separated. Slaps on the bass guitar sounds more clear on the L3 than the L9, with the texture on the bass guitar being more well defined on the L3 than the L9 which can get a bit muddy, the bass is punchier on the L3 and not as boomy as the L9.

Soundstage:
L3 is noticeably wider than the L9, with L9 noticeably having more depth.

Conclusion:
It feels like these IEMs were meant to compliment each other. The natural and light taste of the L3 is always a safe bet and edible, while the rich and thick taste of the L9 can overwhelm some people and will appeal to less people but can be seen as a treat for people trying to break the norm. With the weight of the both buds of the L3 clocking in at 7 grams total compounded with the laid-back tuning, it's great if you are just going about your day. If there was a way I can get the mids and treble of the L9, and the low-end of the L3, I don't think I would want for anything else in an IEM.
It depends on how you like your pancakes, some like it with just smooth melted butter while some like it topped with rich and thick maple syrup.

May i know what kind of source u are using? dac and amp? balance or se ?

 

[Codename john]

Another question for the group. Are these considered to be Harman curve oriented? If they aren’t, how would you describe them on an absolute level and relative to Harman.

My perception is that these are close to Harman but I don’t have the measuring rig to verify such a claim.

 

[SteelCookie]

May i know what kind of source u are using? dac and amp? balance or se ?

Modi to 887 -> Balanced to L9, Single Ended to L3
Mobile Source (since we aren't only using IEMs at home) BTR5 -> Balanced to L9, Single Ended to L3

 

[Codename john]

They sound pretty close to Harman...

Alright, time for my write up on the L9 vs L3 (Day 1):
About me: I like bass guitar... a lot, not a treble head but I like my cymbals to be a little hot with splash and shimmer. Typically listen to Female vocals.

While these IEMs share the same series name, they can't be any more different. L3 can be described as a proper balanced IEM tuned similarly to TOTL IEMs with a small mid-bass bump and presents the music in a very natural way, a very laid-back IEM. The L9 shares about... none of those similarities. The vocals are much more intimate and thick in comparison, the cymbals splash and shimmer brilliantly on the L9s, the Sub-Bass rumbles hard, everything is thicker and denser for a lack of a better explanation, in some ways more fatiguing that the L3.

Treble:
The L9 has spectacular treble performance, cymbals sound full with plenty of air and shimmer. L3 can sound washed in some cases comparatively but they never sound veiled as I find in the Solaris. It's safe, for better or for worse. This is more of a testament to the L9 rather than a shot at the L3.

Mids:
This is more of a preference between the two. The L9 has very intimate forward mids, L3 has a more natural presentation of their mids being slightly recessed, not thin but no where as thick as the L9s. It's a toss up whether of not you prefer intimate or more natural mids.

Bass:
Now this is where the tables turn, I prefer the low-end on the L3 more than the L9. With the thick forward mids in the L9, a lot of the time, it blurs a bit with the bass guitar. This isn't the case with the L3 where the bass guitar is clearly separated. Slaps on the bass guitar sounds more clear on the L3 than the L9, with the texture on the bass guitar being more well defined on the L3 than the L9 which can get a bit muddy, the bass is punchier on the L3 and not as boomy as the L9.

Soundstage:
L3 is noticeably wider than the L9, with L9 noticeably having more depth.

Conclusion:
It feels like these IEMs were meant to compliment each other. The natural and light taste of the L3 is always a safe bet and edible, while the rich and thick taste of the L9 can overwhelm some people and will appeal to less people but can be seen as a treat for people trying to break the norm. With the weight of the both buds of the L3 clocking in at 7 grams total compounded with the laid-back tuning, it's great if you are just going about your day. If there was a way I can get the mids and treble of the L9, and the low-end of the L3, I don't think I would want for anything else in an IEM.
It depends on how you like your pancakes, some like it with just smooth melted butter while some like it topped with rich and thick maple syrup.

Great review. I totally agree with everything you said.. L3 are very very close to world class apart from a few caveats. The tuning maybe a bit too safe at times. On the other hand for the price and Thie audios first attempt they are very impressive.

 

[Codename john]

I am curious. For those of you who own quite a few IEMs and also these, where do they fit into your lineup? I mean how do they stack up and when you would pull these out versus others in your collection. For me; they have a stronger bass profile and really serve up rock well; not that they aren’t good for classical or jazz. My FLC 8D is good for rock but amazing for jazz and classical. They also comfortable for sleeping whereas the ThieAudio is less so. The right tip sticks in my ear during removal every so often (its a JVC). The FLC8D is a bit more on the hyper detailed side of things; every instrument has its place in jazz and small ensemble classical. The L3 is a bit more “organic”.

I do like the natural feel of them. Not hyper detailed but I don't think that is the way the are tuned. Put it this way the sound better than the dunu dk 2001 and final audio e5000 both cost a bit more... I listen to a lot of jazz funk and soul so the lushness is perfect in my ways. For rock etc I can imagine there are better options

 

[SteelCookie]

They sound pretty close to Harman...

Great review. I totally agree with everything you said.. L3 are very very close to world class apart from a few caveats. The tuning maybe a bit too safe at times. On the other hand for the price and Thie audios first attempt they are very impressive.

Absolutely, you can get these as CIEM for under $200 I don't think you can do any better for the price.

 

[calvin8902]

Modi to 887 -> Balanced to L9, Single Ended to L3
Mobile Source (since we aren't only using IEMs at home) BTR5 -> Balanced to L9, Single Ended to L3

Could you try switch L9 to se and L3 to balanced? 887 too powerfull for iem. I tested my L9 in big amp i found sub bass and mid bass rise immediately.
Btr5 or dap is more enough to fire L9 full potential sound. If single-ended output should lower down L9 bass level.
I'm more intrested to know L3 balanced from 887. Please let me know the result. Thank you.

 

[Soundstageluvr]

For those with L3's listen to Oh, Linda by Gordon Lightfoot. Please let me know what you think. (Mind blown)