Empire Ears Legend Evo - Complete Review by Josh Chan

Starting today, guest authors will post their impressions and reviews of products here on the blog. I'd like to give our customers more of a voice in the future. So anyone who would like to share a review or impressions of a product is welcome to do so!

The first step is Joshua Chan, fellow audiophile and Audio Essence customer. Thank you, Josh, for your review!

introduction

Hello everyone,

I was lucky enough to see a demo of the Empire Ears Legend EVO (EVO) from Audio Essence/@TomKorn. I was able to listen to them for about 10+ hours (thanks TOM x1000!!). The unit I received already had 50 hours burned in. I realize I haven't reached the 100-hour threshold yet, so my impressions may change later.

I'm quite new to the world of IEMs, having only started this hobby in 2021. However, I'd like to share some of my first experiences with the EVO.

Disclaimer: These are solely my thoughts and opinions, which may not reflect the experiences of others. Music-wise, I enjoy listening to a wide range of genres, from EDM, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop/Rock, K-Pop, and even classical. My test artists include Illenium [Fallen Embers Album], Avicii [Wake Me Up], Arty [Avalanche], Dem Franchize Boyz [Ridin Rims], Eminem [You Don't Know], Linkin Park [One More Light REMIX ft Steve Aoki], Fallout Boy [My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark], and Hans Zimmer [Batman Dark Knight and Inception (!)].

source

I have the Cayin N6ii Ti with R01 board Initially, I used the standard Final E eartips and the Genesis cable, but later I rolled the eartips and cable a bit. For music playback, I used the USB Audio Player Pro app with Bit Perfect Mode and Tidal.

Comparison of IEMs

During my test I tested the Legend EVO with the ODIN, dem Valkyrie MK II and my memory of hearing the Legend X OG compared.

Overall impression

The Legend EVO is, at the time of writing, the most remarkable IEM for bass fans. It gave me the best bass experience of any IEM without compromising too much on overall sound quality. Empire Ears has really hit the nail on the head with this IEM, as they somehow managed to create an IEM that has such deep bass reproduction while still being able to accentuate other sound frequencies like the mids and highs. There's also an incredible soundstage and a high level of detail.

The bass is the star of the show. The quality, texture, and quantity of the bass are incredible. These IEMs were designed to produce the best bass, and they succeed. The mids and highs are a bit subdued for me personally, but in the right place to emphasize the bass. Overall sound quality is a series of compromises, and Empire Ears has definitely struck the right balance.

Based on the included materials (earplugs, cable, etc.), I would rate the EVO as follows (10=best):

• Bass: 10/10
• Middle: 9/10
• Highs: 9/10
• Imaging: 9/10
• Soundstage: 9/10

General sound signature

The overall sound signature of the EVO is that it's a bass-heavy IEM. The bass is noticeably more present than all other frequencies, and it's anything but neutral.It's definitely an IEM that's fun and immersive. There's a HUGE amount of bass.

PRO TIP

I first listened to the EVO right out of the box and then again 50 hours later when I received the demo unit. When I first heard the EVO, I wasn't a big fan of the mid and high frequencies, as I felt they were a bit recessed. After breaking it in, the mid and high frequencies improved significantly.

Out of curiosity, I connected Odin's Stormbreaker cable to the EVO. In my opinion, and based on my own sonic preferences, this was the best sound experience I've had with the EVO, and recently with any other IEM than the ODIN. The mids and highs were now a bit more present, while the bass presence of the EVO remained. pure MAGIC.

bass

Bass...is...KING.

The bass in the EVO is provided by two W9+ Dynamic Drives (DD) and a Weapon X (WX) driver. The combination of all these elements results in a remarkable bass response, something I've never heard in an IEM before. Overall, I'd say there's fantastic bass structure, quantity, and quality. When the bass is needed, it turns up full force, and when it's not, it fades into the background, but not so much that it overpowers the rest of the sound.

The bass structure and depth are always present when needed. Listening to "Hans Zimmer - Why so Serious (Batman, Dark Knight Album)," you can clearly feel the different layers, textures, and depths of the bass. All bass drivers push and pull on low bass notes when necessary, adding extra flavor to the instruments—you can practically feel the guitars being strung.

The introduction of the Weapon X has taken this IEM's bass to a new level, and you get a truly booming effect. While listening to "Linkin Park/Steve Aoki - One More Light Remix," the sub-bass reaches unimaginable depths. I had a similar experience while listening to "Arty - Avalanche." "Illenium - Crazy Times" features a fantastic bass drop in the final bridge of the song. With the EVO, the bass drop here is wonderful, as it plunges deep and manages to keep the background electric guitar in place.

On the hip-hop classics "Dem Franchize Boyz - Ridin Rims" and "Eminem - You Don't Know," the bass drop at the beginning of these songs is incredibly dense, with a great deal of punch and thump. Despite all the bass presence, it doesn't overpower the other sound frequencies, nor does it result in a muddy sound. Overall, the bass in the EVO is truly amazing. Interestingly, the presence of the Weapon X makes for an even richer sound experience, immersing you in certain tracks.

Mids and highs

To my surprise, the mids are very well detailed, given the strong bass presence. Instruments and vocals are well-placed and blend naturally into the overall sound. I'm very happy with this setup, but I can understand that some people prefer the mids and highs a bit more forward or a bit more crisp. This becomes very clear, for example, if you first listen to the ODIN and then immediately switch to the EVO. In my opinion, the setup is so impressive that you can really hear the details of all the instruments and vocals without them being too "lost" in the bass.

Illenium combines many different instruments in his EDM tracks, similar to Avicii's "Wake Me Up." In Avicii's "Wake Me Up," you can really hear and feel the guitar while the bass thrums in the background.The vocals are pleasant and well-placed in every song I listened to. On more technical tracks, such as Hans Zimmer, the instruments sounded fantastic, and the fantastic imaging and soundstage create a truly immersive listening experience.

For rock/pop music, I played "Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" and found the EVO to reproduce this song very well. The electric guitars and vocals sounded fantastic and well-placed. The additional bass in the background gave the song more body and energy. If I were to be really picky here, the bass might be too much for some, especially when compared to the ODIN.

Regarding the highs, I felt they were a bit more relaxed compared to the mids and bass, but since this is a bass-head IEM, they were where they should be. It's important to note that some might find the mids and highs too relaxed or slightly restrained. In my opinion, they are placed where they need to be and therefore fit the overall sound signature of the EVO. I didn't notice any sibilance with the EVO.

Soundstage and Imaging

The soundstage and imaging of the EVOs are excellent. The soundstage is definitely wide, offering enough space in terms of width and height to truly understand what's going on in a piece. The imaging is also impressive, and the EVO offers the listener a detailed experience. The EVO is definitely a technical IEM.

Comparisons

EVO vs. ODIN:

In my opinion, these two IEMs are impressive in their own way, with their similarities and differences. They complement each other very well and will coexist perfectly in anyone's IEM collection.

The biggest difference between the two is that, compared to the EVO, the ODIN has a significantly more prominent sound characteristic in the mids and highs, and less bass. The bass quality is very similar to my ears, but with the Weapon X in the EVO, you get significantly more sub-bass and volume.

However, when it comes to sound reproduction and imaging, the ODIN and the EVO are more similar than many people think. The EVO's soundstage is almost on par with the Odin, regardless of bass presence. The ODIN still has the edge when it comes to soundstage, imaging, and technical specifications—but only just.

With standard earbuds, cables, etc., I prefer the Odin for less bass-heavy music, such as classical music, but that depends on your preferences. For example, the Odin reproduces all the details in classical music with sufficient bass emphasis. However, there are also people who prefer classical music or film soundtracks with more bass presence and depth, and therefore the EVO is a better fit.

For bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip hop, the ODIN is a fantastic IEM, but the EVO gives these tracks that extra "thump." At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference.

EVO vs. Valkyrie MK II:

No one has mentioned this comparison yet, and I thought it would be interesting to highlight it. The Valkyrie MK II is a V-shaped IEM, but in my opinion, it's not a classic V-shaped IEM where the sub-bass overwhelms everything. Rather, it's a more technically refined V-shaped IEM where the mids and highs also have a chance to shine. The Valkyrie MK II is one of my favorite IEMs for bass-heavy music due to its energy and the positioning of the mids and highs in the overall sound signature.In my opinion, the EVO takes a leaf out of the Valkyrie MK II's book and improves everything it does exponentially (1000x)—bass quantity and quality, soundstage, and imaging are all taken to the next level. Combining this with my comments comparing the ODIN, the EVO inherits some of the ODIN's DNA in terms of soundstage and imaging qualities, and you get a fantastic bass head IEM. That's not to say the Valkyrie MK II is a bad IEM—it's actually a fantastic IEM—it's more that there are some similarities between it and the EVO that you might not be aware of.

EVO vs. Legend X:

I have experience with the Legend X OG, and in my opinion, the Legend EVO is a clear upgrade over the Legend X. The bass of the EVO is simply technically better in terms of both quantity and quality. With the Legend X OG, I felt the sub-bass was a bit too present and in places where it shouldn't be. The EVO corrects this and controls the sub-bass. The soundstage is also wider, and the imaging capabilities are definitely better, in my opinion.

Experimenting with different earplug cables

earplugs

I tested the EVO with the standard Final E Tips, CP 155, and JVC Spiral Dots. I used sizes M through L. In my opinion, the EVO requires a tight fit around the earpiece to allow for proper use of the Weapon X bone conduction system.

Without a tight fit around the nozzle, the effect of the Weapon X is attenuated and thus reduced. In this sense, the CP 155 has a looser fit around the EVO muzzle and therefore doesn't bring out the best bass from the EVO. The JVC spiral tips, while slightly better, still don't deliver the same amount of bass as the Final E Tips. Thus, the Final E Tips brought out the best bass response and thus the best sound from the EVO.

Cable

I have tested many cables with the Legend EVO. In particular, I have tested the EVO with the stock Genesis cable, the ODIN Stormbreaker, and the Satin Audio Chimera II X8 Overall, the best cable for me was the STORMBREAKER.

With the Stormbreaker, the mids and highs were brought a bit more to the forefront, resulting in one of the best listening experiences I've ever had with an IEM. For my ears and sound preferences, there was a perfect balance between the mids, highs, and gigantic amounts of bass. It was a pleasure, and the Stormbreaker kept its place on the EVO for a while.

Of course, the detail and gradation don't reach the level of the ODIN, but that's not what the EVO is designed for anyway, as they're different in that regard. What I appreciated most was that the highs and mids were sufficiently prominent for my sonic preferences. The Genesis cable gave the EVO arguably its most unique sound signature, and that was definitely a good pairing.

The Satin Audio Chimera II X8 is a copper and silver cable, which had an interesting effect on the EVO. The mids and highs were very slightly forward, and the bass quantity and quality were still present, but the soundstage and imaging were reduced compared to the Genesis cable and Stormbreaker.

As for the quality of the cable, the Genesis cable is really comfortable to use, although some might find it a bit stiff. It doesn't bother me, and it doesn't cause any problems with cable noise, but I've had experiences with other cables (z.B.from PlusSound, Satin Audio, PWA Stormbreaker), which are softer to handle and use.

Fit

The Legend EVO is a BIG IEM. It is the biggest IEM I know from the Empire Ear product range. The earcup itself is larger than those of the Odin, Valkyrie MK II, and Legend X OG, but the tip length is slightly longer. The EVO fit my ears well, and I was able to wear them for 3 hours without pain. This may be due to the Final E-Tips, which provide a better fit on the EVO compared to deep-set eartips (e.g., CP 155). If you have trouble with the fit of the ODIN, I think you'll also have trouble with the EVO. Your best bet is to try them out for yourself.

Other considerations

Right out of the box, the Legend EVO didn't sound the way I expected. The bass was a bit overblown, and the mids and highs were subdued. As time passed and I listened to the IEMs past the 50-hour mark, it sounded like a new IEM to me. The mids and highs came forward and into place, and the overall sound signature was improved. It's important to give these IEMs some break-in time before attempting to fully appreciate what they're trying to achieve.

Technical data

• 2 W9 + Subwoofer
• 5 precision balanced armature drivers
• Weapon X Bone Conduction Transducer Ultra Driver
• 9-way synX crossover
• Two-line architecture
• ARC resonance reduction technology
• Impedance: 4.5 ohms @ 1kHz
• Frequency response: 5Hz-35kHz
• Sensitivity: 103dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
• Empire X PWAudio "GENESIS" Ultra Pure OCC copper cable, 4.4 Pentaconn connectors

Conclusion

The Empire Ears team has developed one of the most impressive IEMs to date. While the EVO is tailored for bassists, it's definitely an IEM that can be admired by all audiophiles. If you love BASS BASS BASS BASS, you'll love the Legend EVO.

Well done - @Jack Vang !! In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed my initial review of the Legend EVO, and I hope to share more reviews on other Empire Ears IEMs like the ODIN in the near future.

By Joshua Chan

More blogs on the topic

It's evolution, baby: Empire Ears Legend Evo Unboxing and first impressions – Audio Essence

Battle of the Bass Gods: Comparison of Empire Ears Legend EVO with Legend X and Odin – Audio Essence