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Battle of the Bass Gods: Comparison of Empire Ears Legend EVO with Legend X and Odin
A few days have passed since I got the Legend EVO and since then it has run for around 50 hours, so it has undergone its first "burn-in".
Time to compare the EVO with the other two TOTL (top of the line) in-ears from Empire Ears: The Odin and of course the "sister model" Legend X.
Test sources
- Cayin N6II-Ti
- Cayin N8 + Cayin C9 (Class A + transistor mode)
EVO vs. LX (Legend X)
- requires less power than LX
- much better detail and height extension than LX
- more shine in the treble range than LX
- Voices are more prominent, more natural and more sonorous than LX
- significantly more, faster and harder bass than LX!
- much better channel splitting and overlay than LX
EVO vs. Odin
- approximately the same power requirement as Odin
- much, much more bass than Odin
- Similar general sound signature to Odin
- Odin is still superior in terms of detail and definition
- Odin is overall more balanced and better suited for long listening sessions
Conclusion after 50 hours of break-in time
The sound of the Legend EVO is significantly clearer than that of the original Legend X. The highs and upper mids are wider, the voices are more prominent and pronounced. In comparison, the Legend EVO's sound signature is just much more open, "bigger" and more powerful!
I feel like Odin and EVO are much more closely related in terms of sound signature than EVO and LX. In fact, I think the original Legend X and the Legend EVO are very different overall. Aside from both having more bass than Odin, I don't see any real relationships between LX and EVO.
If Empire Ears had called the EVO "Thor", son of Odin, I think that would have been more appropriate. Thor (EVO) has similar characteristics/genes as his father, but is younger and wilder and sometimes over-the-top (BASS!), while Odin is wiser and more controlled and goes about his work with more finesse and sophistication.
Like Odin EVO also seems to get better over time. I burned in my demo unit for about 50 hours and the sound improved significantly. Voices became more pronounced and natural. The treble, which seemed a bit "tame" at first, now seems well extended and offers just the right amount of detail and sharpness. I'm sure the EVO will get better with time.
More blogs on the topic
It's evolution, baby: Empire Ears Legend Evo unboxing and first impressions – Audio Essence
Photo - Wednesday Part 1: Empire Ears Legend X SE 2021 – Audio Essence