ThieAudio Legacy Series IEMs
Apr 30, 2020 at 2:26 PM Post #61 of 1,778
If you are looking just for a small dongle DAC to play sensitive IEMs off your phone I'm not sure what to recommend as most don't have the ability to eliminate hiss. AudioQuest has the DragonFly series, but people have reported hiss on some of those units with sensitive IEMs.

Anecdotally, I use the Dragonfly Cobalt ($299) with my iPhone 6 (yes, I know...) and Apple camera adapter, as recommended by AudioQuest, and have a perfectly clear playback with IEM's ranging from 14 to 19 ohm.
 
Apr 30, 2020 at 2:38 PM Post #62 of 1,778
Anecdotally, I use the Dragonfly Cobalt ($299) with my iPhone 6 (yes, I know...) and Apple camera adapter, as recommended by AudioQuest, and have a perfectly clear playback with IEM's ranging from 14 to 19 ohm.
Yes, Cobalt is a good choice! Forgot about their newest option as the DragonFly Black and Red series have been around for a long time. The Cobalt is going to be the best Dragonfly option with the lowest floor noise. These run $299 US.

Here's the discussion thread here on HeadFi:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dragonfly-cobalt-vs-discussions.910539/

If you are looking for a small dongle DAC off your smartphone this one of the best options available. Thanks for the Recommendation!
 
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Apr 30, 2020 at 4:01 PM Post #64 of 1,778
You may run into hiss issues with this Xduoo Link when paired with the L3's. Here's a reviewer that tested this and he made the comment about sensitive IEMs. He mentions his AudioSense T800 IEMs which are 9 Ohms impedance.

Here's his quote from the article "I feel comfortable recommending the Link for use with most sensitive, low-impedance hybrid IEMs. Use caution with outliers like the 9.2Ω AudioSense T800."

Here's the full review link:
https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews/xduoo-link-review-a16d1ab22efb

It's hard to say without testing this firsthand to see how much hiss you will encounter. Everyone's ears are different. Some listeners aren't bothered by hiss. Just depends on how sensitive your hearing is.

Based on the specs the L3's are going to be even more sensitive than the Audiosense T800's that this reviewer tested.

AudioSense T800: 9 Ohms, Sensitivity: 90dB SPL/mW
ThieAudio Legacy 3: 8.6 - 9.5 Ohms, Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW

Higher SPL per milliwatt means the L3's will be more sensitive.

I would say you are going to encounter hiss issues when using the Link with the L3's.
And what do you think about that with the L3 ?
 
Apr 30, 2020 at 10:24 PM Post #65 of 1,778
You may run into hiss issues with this Xduoo Link when paired with the L3's. Here's a reviewer that tested this and he made the comment about sensitive IEMs. He mentions his AudioSense T800 IEMs which are 9 Ohms impedance.

Here's his quote from the article "I feel comfortable recommending the Link for use with most sensitive, low-impedance hybrid IEMs. Use caution with outliers like the 9.2Ω AudioSense T800."

Here's the full review link:
https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews/xduoo-link-review-a16d1ab22efb

It's hard to say without testing this firsthand to see how much hiss you will encounter. Everyone's ears are different. Some listeners aren't bothered by hiss. Just depends on how sensitive your hearing is.

Based on the specs the L3's are going to be even more sensitive than the Audiosense T800's that this reviewer tested.

AudioSense T800: 9 Ohms, Sensitivity: 90dB SPL/mW
ThieAudio Legacy 3: 8.6 - 9.5 Ohms, Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW

Higher SPL per milliwatt means the L3's will be more sensitive.

I would say you are going to encounter hiss issues when using the Link with the L3's.
Sorry,that :
https://www.hilidac.com/product-page/atom-pro-usb-type-c-version-的副本
 
Apr 30, 2020 at 11:45 PM Post #66 of 1,778
Mine arrived today! I ordered directly from Linsoul on April 14. They took 16 days total to arrive (with delays coming from Linsoul) via DHL Express. I've only had them for a few hours, but here are some early impressions -

ThieAudio_Legacy3.jpg


They sound amazing out of the box! They seem to play all genres well and sound very good no matter what I throw at them. Tonality and timbre are excellent, which is most important to me. I've tried all the dip switch settings and I'll say that the differences are subtle, which I like. I'm listening now with both in the down (default) position.

The good news is that they sound great out of many different DACs. There's a fantastic synergy with the Fiio BTR5, which is what I use a lot when on the road. Both of my Audioquest Dragonflies (Black and Cobalt) also sound good and present their own flavors, with the Black being on the fun side with deeper bass and more forward mids and treble, and the Cobalt's more analytical, smoother sound with better detail and separation.

The stock tips (not pictured) are nothing special at all. They seem kinda cheap in quality. The L3's nozzles are not perfectly round (as someone else mentioned) and average 5.5mm on my digital calipers. If you prefer SpinFits, the CP100 tips (pictured below) fit the best. The CP145 tips are too large and come off too easily. The tips I like the best so far are the XCESSOR silicone tips (pictured on the L3s) purchased on Amazon. I purchased two sets, red for right ear and blue for left. I know tips are a very personal choice, so try all types to see what works best for you.

I'll quickly mention the sound, which I think is on par with what others have said. Overall, they seem fairly balanced, with a slight U shaped sound. Bass and Sub-bass are tight and very well controlled. The amount of bass is just right for my tastes, but may not be enough for bassheads. For example, the Blon BL-03 has more bass, but is nowhere near as controlled. The bass sounds similar in amount to the Shozy Form 1.4, but I think the Shozy may win in sub-bass. Maybe this will change over time with sufficient break-in of the L3's DD driver. I can still enjoy genres such as rap and EDM with no issues.

The mids sound neutral to me, not really warm or cool, although the overall tone of this set I'd say would be slightly on the warm side. I love the placement of vocals which is forward without being too forward. The separation and layering of instruments is very good for this price point. The level of detail retrieval is just about perfect. They have plenty of detail to draw you in while still remaining highly musical. I wouldn't call them detail monsters by any means even with the DIP switches in the Detail setting, but I thoroughly enjoy the level of detail they present. Overall, I wish they had a little more weight or percussion in the mids, as they come across just slightly lean, but I'm being really picky at this point. Like I said above, the tonality is really good and it's refreshing to hear instruments such as pianos and guitars sound like they should. Very natural.

The treble is also excellent and I haven't come across anything that sounds sibilant. It's fast, smooth and will present a hint of air at the top on better quality recordings. Texture at the top is very good with cymbals, violins, and saxophones sounding very realistic.

Soundstage width is the one area that could be better. I find this set just okay when compared others. I love the imaging and layering from front to back, but from side-to-side the stage is fairly narrow and never sounds psycho-acoustic.

I also own other iems such as the KZ ZSX, Blon BL-03, Tin Hifi T3, Shozy Form 1.4, and Ikko OH10, and this is the best all-around iem out of the bunch by far.

I hope this has been somewhat helpful. Let me know if there are any questions I can answer.
 
Apr 30, 2020 at 11:53 PM Post #67 of 1,778
Mine arrived today! I ordered directly from Linsoul on April 14. They took 16 days total to arrive (with delays coming from Linsoul) via DHL Express. I've only had them for a few hours, but here are some early impressions -

ThieAudio_Legacy3.jpg

They sound amazing out of the box! They seem to play all genres well and sound very good no matter what I throw at them. Tonality and timbre are excellent, which is most important to me. I've tried all the dip switch settings and I'll say that the differences are subtle, which I like. I'm listening now with both in the down (default) position.

The good news is that they sound great out of many different DACs. There's a fantastic synergy with the Fiio BTR5, which is what I use a lot when on the road. Both of my Audioquest Dragonflies (Black and Cobalt) also sound good and present their own flavors, with the Black being on the fun side with deeper bass and more forward mids and treble, and the Cobalt's more analytical, smoother sound with better detail and separation.

The stock tips (not pictured) are nothing special at all. They seem kinda cheap in quality. The L3's nozzles are not perfectly round (as someone else mentioned) and average 5.5mm on my digital calipers. If you prefer SpinFits, the CP100 tips (pictured below) fit the best. The CP145 tips are too large and come off too easily. The tips I like the best so far are the XCESSOR silicone tips (pictured on the L3s) purchased on Amazon. I purchased two sets, red for right ear and blue for left. I know tips are a very personal choice, so try all types to see what works best for you.

I'll quickly mention the sound, which I think is on par with what others have said. Overall, they seem fairly balanced, with a slight U shaped sound. Bass and Sub-bass are tight and very well controlled. The amount of bass is just right for my tastes, but may not be enough for bassheads. For example, the Blon BL-03 has more bass, but is nowhere near as controlled. The bass sounds similar in amount to the Shozy Form 1.4, but I think the Shozy may win in sub-bass. Maybe this will change over time with sufficient break-in of the L3's DD driver. I can still enjoy genres such as rap and EDM with no issues.

The mids sound neutral to me, not really warm or cool, although the overall tone of this set I'd say would be slightly on the warm side. I love the placement of vocals which is forward without being too forward. The separation and layering of instruments is very good for this price point. The level of detail retrieval is just about perfect. They have plenty of detail to draw you in while still remaining highly musical. I wouldn't call them detail monsters by any means even with the DIP switches in the Detail setting, but I thoroughly enjoy the level of detail they present. Overall, I wish they had a little more weight or percussion in the mids, as they come across just slightly lean, but I'm being really picky at this point. Like I said above, the tonality is really good and it's refreshing to hear instruments such as pianos and guitars sound like they should. Very natural.

The treble is also excellent and I haven't come across anything that sounds sibilant. It's fast, smooth and will present a hint of air at the top on better quality recordings. Texture at the top is very good with cymbals, violins, and saxophones sounding very realistic.

Soundstage width is the one area that could be better. I find this set just okay when compared others. I love the imaging and layering from front to back, but from side-to-side the stage is fairly narrow and never sounds psycho-acoustic.

I also own other iems such as the KZ ZSX, Blon BL-03, Tin Hifi T3, Shozy Form 1.4, and Ikko OH10, and this is the best all-around iem out of the bunch by far.

I hope this has been somewhat helpful. Let me know if there are any questions I can answer.
Thank you and congratulations with purchase! Have you tried them from balanced with BTR5? And also is L3 stage narrower than BLONs?
 
Apr 30, 2020 at 11:59 PM Post #68 of 1,778
Hi Kasmur, I have not tried them balanced with the BTR5 because I don't have a balanced cable or adapter. I'm also a little bit disappointed that they terminated these with QDC connectors because all the high-end cables I own are 2 pin .78mm. And yes, the sound stage is indeed narrower than the Blon BL-03, but there are so many other areas that shine it doesn't bother me. These are really good. I'm very satisfied with my purchase.
 
May 1, 2020 at 12:26 AM Post #69 of 1,778
How is the isolation? I know they’re vented, but all drivers are also tubed, so hopefully isolation is still quite good.
 
May 1, 2020 at 7:31 AM Post #71 of 1,778
Received mine and I like them more than DM6. Any recommendations for tips? I’m using the smallest stock one and they feel really stiff in my ears and uncomfortable. My carry case was borne btw, would’ve preferred the black
 
May 1, 2020 at 10:12 AM Post #72 of 1,778
I would also love to see some recommendations for the tips. L3 seems to have a pretty long stem also no lip for the tips to sit on. Spinfits cp100 might be a good choice, probably M or even S size. But I'm just guessing atm, my L3s are still on the way.
 
May 1, 2020 at 10:22 AM Post #73 of 1,778
Received mine and I like them more than DM6. Any recommendations for tips? I’m using the smallest stock one and they feel really stiff in my ears and uncomfortable. My carry case was borne btw, would’ve preferred the black
If the Spin Fit CP100s fit, as mentioned above, then there are quite a few options. Final Audio Type E tips and Sedna Earfits should also fit, with that diameter.
 

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