Anyone have the Legacy 2 yet, or at least have one order? Looking forward to reading impressions, particularly regarding the beryllium coated DD implementation.
Also, for anyone interested, it is currently on Drop. The price is $99, but “Members who purchase earn 2178 Drop Rewards Points”. https://drop.com/buy/thieaudio-legacy-2-iem
I wasn't going to try it, but found it for a great price on eBay... I'm curious to compare it to the Fans, which have deep sub-bass but also detail and upper emotion. My opinion of the Fans is completely different with wide bore tips, and even motivated me to buy second hand Globes which are on their way.
Interested in how well the L2 will implement their impressive FR tuning with just the two drivers working overtime. Skeptical about coherence vs single DD but I'll see when they get here I suppose!
Anyone have the Legacy 2 yet, or at least have one order? Looking forward to reading impressions, particularly regarding the beryllium coated DD implementation.
Also, for anyone interested, it is currently on Drop. The price is $99, but “Members who purchase earn 2178 Drop Rewards Points”. https://drop.com/buy/thieaudio-legacy-2-iem
Just unboxed my set, will be testing it over the week.
First impressions are fairly positive. These are some lightweight IEMs with the translucent acrylic shells. Smaller in size than the L5, which is the only other ThieAudio Legacy IEMs I have here.
Measurement time, now with the typical burn-in period done (no change observed pre- and post burn-in). Sorry I don't have many sub-$100 IEMs tested yet:
Just unboxed my set, will be testing it over the week.
First impressions are fairly positive. These are some lightweight IEMs with the translucent acrylic shells. Smaller in size than the L5, which is the only other ThieAudio Legacy IEMs I have here.
Just got mine! First impressions right off the cuff, no more than 5 minutes of track skimming and skipping…
I can immediately hear a great tuning. Really stellar tuning by the people who made these. The upper bass/low mids slam very well, the mids are prominent and not recessed, and the treble seems apparent enough to give the set some lightness or air.
I don’t immediately get a mid or down to sub bass, but the hits I hear a bit higher in the low mids/upper bass still slams well enough to give these a nice thumpy taste without getting downsides elsewhere. No sibilance either in the treble.
*This is only after five minutes mind you, but I love sharing that out of the box reaction with little time to process a lot*
The downside to me so far, and likely due to the low price point, is the lack of stellar resolution to match the stellar tuning. The vocals and various instruments, on some of my test tracks, sound a tad raspy. As if….the details are trying to come out but they don’t have the smoothest depth to them. The effect is small, but after spending so much time with things up in the $500+ IEM area, the lower resolution is noticeable enough.
Even just after 5 minutes, I would probably recommend these at their price pretty well. On the impressions developed so far, I would rate my enjoyment at about B+. A strong recommendation considering what else may be hovering around that rank for me. (See ranking list)
At $100, these have the pleasing tonality I only get of an A ranked IEM, in terms of how I enjoy my audio. Maybe even A+ on just tonality actually. However, the low cost driver arrangement does make the resolution lower in enjoyment than the frequency tuning. I would have to put those other qualities of the technicals at around B-, perhaps C+. They do alright, but not like tribrids - which is what I’m coming from.
I would recommend these, at least on 5 minutes alone, above any other set under $200 that I’ve personally had the chance of trying thus far.
I have many more IEM’s coming though, so I’ll make a video on my channel about all of them. I’ll probably not do a dedicated Legacy 2 vid just yet though, until I can see if it wins out over at least 5 or more that I have coming at around this price. The L2, to have such a good impression after only 5 minutes, is a very good sign though!
I’ll try to remember to share the battle royales when it happens
P.S. I just realized to mention the comfort and looks. These thing actually fit more nicely in the ear than the ThieAudio Clairvoyanace, the Xenns UP, and the Unique Melody Mest MKI and MKII (from what I recall trying the MKII briefly, and for my ear shape). It makes sense given those more expensive sets have more stuff inside, so they’ll be bulkier and more challenging to make well fitting molds!
The looks are also great. I really dig the light blue color choice and making the shell so appealingly translucent, despite being apparently cheaper to produce. No metal nozzle, for example, just an extension of the resin chassis. Still, I have all love for the design regardless. Great work ThieAudio!
EDIT:: Forgot to mention that I will demo their sound on the video comparing them to others under $300 that I’ll be looking at.
Measurements from my Thieaudio Legacy 2 to Seeaudio Yume for my upcoming review.
I think the Legacy 2 is fine but I would definitely pay up for the Yume for its better tuning. On a technical level, they're really similar i.e. not amazing.
I know the L2 is still hot from the oven and I'm probably asking a little too early.. But..
Can anyone compare the L2 and the Tri Starsea? They're priced very similarly here and I'm a little intrigued.
I know the L2 is still hot from the oven and I'm probably asking a little too early.. But..
Can anyone compare the L2 and the Tri Starsea? They're priced very similarly here and I'm a little intrigued.
I don't have the L2 and have no intention of getting it as I am loving my Starsea. There is a certain analog nature to the tuning of the Starsea which is very satisfying. The Starsea is especially great with Jazz and Classical.
In the review, I position the Legacy 2 as an alternative to IEMs like the Shure SE215 and Etymotic ER2XR. Tonally, it's much closer to the ER2 (see below), but I think both of these are (to different degrees) standards in "professional" application, and I think the Legacy 2 has qualities -- tuning and fit -- that make the Legacy a strong option for professional applications, e.g. stage monitoring.
The Legacy 2's tuning is roughly "neutral" to my ear, with a bit of sub-bass boost that makes it more fun than pure neutral, but without compromising my ability to pick out midrange tones.
Technical performance is adequate for the price range, though not standout. The DD bass provides a nice underlying depth to the sound field, but the 1xBA for the midrange and treble does seem limited in detail perception.
Treble does roll off significantly in the air frequencies (confirmed by ear with sine sweeps). A bit of EQ here really elevates the Legacy 2 IMO, if you're into EQ.
Build, fit, accessories, all quite standout for a sub-$100 IEM. This is among the best-fitting IEMs I have at any price, it looks nice, has a great cable, and even a nice little carry case.
vs. ER2XR, I still prefer ER2XR for listening, though obviously with the Ety fit caveat. ER2XR is smoother, treble extends better and reproduces midrange detail a bit more convincingly, while Legacy 2 does a bit better with clear separation of sounds.
vs. SE215, I'mma just say yikes, what an IEM. I know it's old and doesn't have much clout in audiophile circles, but it's seemingly still popular for professional usage, and I understand why people would prefer its fit and comfort to Ety. But tuning is just mud city. IMO, the Legacy 2 removes any good argument for still buying SE215. Let's pour one out for Shure.
In the review, I position the Legacy 2 as an alternative to IEMs like the Shure SE215 and Etymotic ER2XR. Tonally, it's much closer to the ER2 (see below), but I think both of these are (to different degrees) standards in "professional" application, and I think the Legacy 2 has qualities -- tuning and fit -- that make the Legacy a strong option for professional applications, e.g. stage monitoring.
The Legacy 2's tuning is roughly "neutral" to my ear, with a bit of sub-bass boost that makes it more fun than pure neutral, but without compromising my ability to pick out midrange tones.
Technical performance is adequate for the price range, though not standout. The DD bass provides a nice underlying depth to the sound field, but the 1xBA for the midrange and treble does seem limited in detail perception.
Treble does roll off significantly in the air frequencies (confirmed by ear with sine sweeps). A bit of EQ here really elevates the Legacy 2 IMO, if you're into EQ.
Build, fit, accessories, all quite standout for a sub-$100 IEM. This is among the best-fitting IEMs I have at any price, it looks nice, has a great cable, and even a nice little carry case.
vs. ER2XR, I still prefer ER2XR for listening, though obviously with the Ety fit caveat. ER2XR is smoother, treble extends better and reproduces midrange detail a bit more convincingly, while Legacy 2 does a bit better with clear separation of sounds.
vs. SE215, I'mma just say yikes, what an IEM. I know it's old and doesn't have much clout in audiophile circles, but it's seemingly still popular for professional usage, and I understand why people would prefer its fit and comfort to Ety. But tuning is just mud city. IMO, the Legacy 2 removes any good argument for still buying SE215. Let's pour one out for Shure.
I felt very similarly about the bass being elevated to give more enjoyment, but without significantly compromising the mids or overall ‘clarity’ too much.
In the review, I position the Legacy 2 as an alternative to IEMs like the Shure SE215 and Etymotic ER2XR. Tonally, it's much closer to the ER2 (see below), but I think both of these are (to different degrees) standards in "professional" application, and I think the Legacy 2 has qualities -- tuning and fit -- that make the Legacy a strong option for professional applications, e.g. stage monitoring.
The Legacy 2's tuning is roughly "neutral" to my ear, with a bit of sub-bass boost that makes it more fun than pure neutral, but without compromising my ability to pick out midrange tones.
Technical performance is adequate for the price range, though not standout. The DD bass provides a nice underlying depth to the sound field, but the 1xBA for the midrange and treble does seem limited in detail perception.
Treble does roll off significantly in the air frequencies (confirmed by ear with sine sweeps). A bit of EQ here really elevates the Legacy 2 IMO, if you're into EQ.
Build, fit, accessories, all quite standout for a sub-$100 IEM. This is among the best-fitting IEMs I have at any price, it looks nice, has a great cable, and even a nice little carry case.
vs. ER2XR, I still prefer ER2XR for listening, though obviously with the Ety fit caveat. ER2XR is smoother, treble extends better and reproduces midrange detail a bit more convincingly, while Legacy 2 does a bit better with clear separation of sounds.
vs. SE215, I'mma just say yikes, what an IEM. I know it's old and doesn't have much clout in audiophile circles, but it's seemingly still popular for professional usage, and I understand why people would prefer its fit and comfort to Ety. But tuning is just mud city. IMO, the Legacy 2 removes any good argument for still buying SE215. Let's pour one out for Shure.
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