[Virtu Fortuna]

Here's my review of the Legacy 4: https://www.headfonia.com/thieaudio-legacy-4-review/

 

[Fat Larry]

Here's my review of the Legacy 4: https://www.headfonia.com/thieaudio-legacy-4-review/

The sound signature you describe sounds similar to my impression of the TRN v90. Scooped mids used to create a large sound stage.

Have you tried the v90?

 

[Virtu Fortuna]

The sound signature you describe sounds similar to my impression of the TRN v90. Scooped mids used to create a large sound stage.

Have you tried the v90?

No I haven't unfortunately.

 

[tiamor988]

Ok this time I want to share my experience with Legacy 4 and Linsoul. This have to be said to be used just as a warning to all of you who are considering to buy a Thieaudio product.
I didn't want to say anything earlier, I've waited for the resolution to this issue and now finally I have to say my piece.

Lest start from the beginning. I've ordered Legacy 4 custom shell from Linsoul on 6th of January about few day after it got available. Even though I didn't hear uiem first I was confident I would like the tuning based on BGGARs review and also few others. I wanted to try CIEM and L4 was the priced ok and Linsoul stood to me as a more or less reputable seller with the track of taking care of thier buyers. So I figured why not let's see what this L4 can do and later I'll probably invest in Monarch most probably.

25 days passed I received them. First of all, I'm not sure but nobody here or anywhere else mentioned this, but the smell of L4 box is awful. I cannot describe it like some kind of chemical I cannot name it. I'm ordering lots of things from China and Ali Express and nothing ever smelled as bad as L4 no matter how cheap the item was. I thought it doesn't matter iems are important I can always throw away the box.

Fast forward 3 days into using them and A-B with some of my other iems I came to a conclusion that L4 is the worst iem I ever heard in my life. Especially when directly compared to the cheapest and nastiest earbuds I have. Just to put it in perspective Blon 05 is realy badly tuned iem I don't like it at all, but it sounds like a TOTL compared to L4.

Main problem was in low treble area, there was so much energy there it made them sound very grainy, hollow, harsh... I cannot find the right words right now to describe what I heard. Since I'm over 40 now I'm not sensitive to high mids or treble at all but that was way too much. Also apparently I have very good hearing according to my audiologist based on the hearing test I took when I got ear impressions done.

After 3 days I contacted Linsoul about it saying that the tuning is not right among other things... Eventually we agreed that I send my L4 back to them and they will test it. And if I'm right they will refund me 65%....

Again fast forward we exchanged several e-mails, from my side long emails explaining everything into detail and even sending them BGGAR and Crin graphs just to prove them that tuning is not the same. They previously have send me thier graph of my set saying there is nothing wrong with my set other than "slight difference" in the graphs. What? Slight difference?........ Further down you can check the graphs I'm talking about.

Basically thier response was:
Earphones work, our engineers have said there is nothing wrong.... We don't allow refunds on CIEMs, they even refused my suggestion to reshell them into UIEM and re-tune them right so I could use them or maybe sell them if I wanted to, they refused. But they allow free reshelling ciems if the fit is not good. Fit was good in my case just tuning definetliy didn't match reviews and graphs.

They refused to do anything for me in this case. It was like I'm talking with the wall. They told me they will send L4 back to me after I replied with if they do L4 is going straight to garbage. Which is honest truth I cannot do anything with them. 2 weeks have passed of course they didn't send it back.

This is Linsoul customer service my friends. Representative told me that he informed his colleagues about my issue and that this is company policy.... I don't know who actually was informed, or does Lilian knows.

May I just add after all these countless e-mails I was extremely polite, respectful and understanding that mistakes can happen. I was just asking that we together find a good solution for both sides. They refused to do anything for me even after I told them I had previously reviewed positively some of thier other gear here on Head-fi and other audiophile groups. After I told them I'm still interested to buy Monarch in 2-3 months as soon as I save enough money. And what ever I get from this L4 deal would help me.... In between the lines thier response was basically thank you for your support now **** off we are busy we have enough orders, we don't need your pittifull business 1-2 iem per year. This last sentence yes I'm exaggerating, but when you look at it objetivly I'm not wrong here.

I'm down for the cost of iems, custom charge, impressions cost, import tax cost (20%europe), and the cost of shipping L4 back to them.

You know when I will order again from Linsoul? NEVER. I wanted to settle down with Monarch after one long conversation with one audiophile colleague, he convinced me Monarch is worth getting... Sorry buddy that is not happening anymore. I'll invest into real TOTL like UM, 64 Audio, EE... Or whatever, Linsoul never again.

These are the graphs I mentioned earlier. Tell me please who is crazy here?

I'm about to pull the trigger for their new EST IEM. Not after reading this. It's too expensive to make the gamble. I decided to get the Dunu. Thanks for sharing your story. Sorry for your loss

 

[H T T]

OOTB, with brief moments listening to a good amount of my "usuals" tunes: The L5s are excellent. How this set is ignored in favor of the L4 and L3 has me scratching my head. Price? Maybe because, at least OOTB, they aren't detail/soundstage monsters? Great tonality and timbre. Nice and balanced with a slight tip toward warmth. Decent soundstage width and height, depth not so much. Instrument placement and layering are quite good. I need to repeat this, great tonality and timbre. Perfect fit with the included SpinFits. I only had the one set of SpinFits and some foam ear tips in my box. Seems skimpy on tips. The case is fairly nice protein leather. I am already quite happy with the purchase.

 

[yaps66]

OOTB, with brief moments listening to a good amount of my "usuals" tunes: The L5s are excellent. How this set is ignored in favor of the L4 and L3 has me scratching my head. Price? Maybe because, at least OOTB, they aren't detail/soundstage monsters? Great tonality and timbre. Nice and balanced with a slight tip toward warmth. Decent soundstage width and height, depth not so much. Instrument placement and layering are quite good. I need to repeat this, great tonality and timbre. Perfect fit with the included SpinFits. I only had the one set of SpinFits and some foam ear tips in my box. Seems skimpy on tips. The case is fairly nice protein leather. I am already quite happy with the purchase.

Nice! I love my L5s too. So underrated.

 

[H T T]

Nice! I love my L5s too. So underrated.

Definitely underrated. I think it is a set for those that prioritize tuning, timbre, and tonality over technicalities. Though its technicalities are certainly competent considering the price.

 

[Fat Larry]

How do the L5 compare to the L4?

 

[H T T]

How do the L5 compare to the L4?

With a bit of "artistic" hyperbole, going from reviews of the L4 and my experience with the L5:

L4:

L5:

 

[IEMusic]

OOTB, with brief moments listening to a good amount of my "usuals" tunes: The L5s are excellent. How this set is ignored in favor of the L4 and L3 has me scratching my head. Price? Maybe because, at least OOTB, they aren't detail/soundstage monsters? Great tonality and timbre. Nice and balanced with a slight tip toward warmth. Decent soundstage width and height, depth not so much. Instrument placement and layering are quite good. I need to repeat this, great tonality and timbre. Perfect fit with the included SpinFits. I only had the one set of SpinFits and some foam ear tips in my box. Seems skimpy on tips. The case is fairly nice protein leather. I am already quite happy with the purchase.

Glad you like the L5. Have you heard the L4 to compare with? Just curious, what made you chose the L5 over the Tea?

 

[H T T]

Glad you like the L5. Have you heard the L4 to compare with? Just curious, what made you chose the L5 over the Tea?

Thanks. No, I have not. I have read soooo many reviews of the L4 and L3 from respected reviewers. I just found it curious why the L3 and L4 are fairly hyped and the L5 is the forgotten one. I could bore you with a bunch of details, but a great set that checks all the boxes I need checked (warm-ish tonality hybrid, no dip in the lower mids, balanced response, musicality, fit, Sonion BA mids) at $50 cheaper is the one I chose. I am sure I would love the Tea as well, but now I have $50 to go toward the Penon cable that @Dsnuts convinced me to buy through posting about the cable in the Penon thread: PAC480

 

[Fat Larry]

With a bit of "artistic" hyperbole, going from reviews of the L4 and my experience with the L5:

L4:

L5:

Haha

I still want some customs sometime soon and it looks like there aren't many available (in my very limited research) that can compete with Thieaudio's price/performance combos.

 

[H T T]

The Legacy 5 has kicked the Yume to the curb as the Yang to the Penon Globe's Yin.

The Legacy 5 does not have the full-blown "technicalities" (narrower soundstage, full extension at both ends of the audio spectrum, and etched instrument separation) of some other higher-priced units, but it sure does sound entrancingly wonderful! So musical!

If you listen to music like this then the L5 is well worth (mandatory) seriously investigating:

 

[Fat Larry]

So the L4 has better separation/sound stage but colder timbre to the L5?

 

[AmericanSpirit]

Thanks. No, I have not. I have read soooo many reviews of the L4 and L3 from respected reviewers. I just found it curious why the L3 and L4 are fairly hyped and the L5 is the forgotten one. I could bore you with a bunch of details, but a great set that checks all the boxes I need checked (warm-ish tonality hybrid, no dip in the lower mids, balanced response, musicality, fit, Sonion BA mids) at $50 cheaper is the one I chose. I am sure I would love the Tea as well, but now I have $50 to go toward the Penon cable that @Dsnuts convinced me to buy through posting about the cable in the Penon thread: PAC480

It may sounds awkward, and may sounds offering down graded one, but 2BA hybrid of Tri Starsea is exactly what I found my peace with for laid-back listening. Tea is OK rich in mid, but still sometime 6khz harshness could trigger “eh...no...don’t wake me up from coma” kind of itch. Starsea provides perfect warm coma.