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It's evolution, baby: Empire Ears Legend Evo unboxing and first impressions
Yesterday the time had finally come: I was able to receive the Legend EVO.
What is immediately noticeable: Empire Ears have halved the size of their packaging. The basic styling is yellow-loving. Since I try to save paper and packaging as much as possible, I think this is a great idea. Better for the environment and certainly cheaper to produce for Empire Ears: Win-win.
But what to do with all the accessories? Did EE save money here?
Don't worry: it's all still there. Only the in-ears and the cable went into the Pandorabox. That's where they belong anyway!
Not only the in-ears are new, but also the use of the "Genesis" copper cable with 4.4mm Pentaconn termination, which was specially manufactured by PWAudio.
But let's take a closer look at the gems...
EVO is based on the classic design of the original LX. With two exceptions: A bold “EVO” logo is confidently emblazoned on the left in-ear.
And - these things are big, really big - even bigger than the Odin!
Well, the bone conduction driver probably takes its toll. 😅
And there's the good thing. As you can see, it takes up a lot of space in the EVO.
The new cable is quite stylish and impresses with blue accents and a special Y-split. It is also thicker than the other cables Empire Ears uses. What I personally don't like is that it's a little stiff. Not a big deal, especially since the look and sound match, but I personally prefer very flexible cables.
But how does the whole thing sound now?
The question is not that easy to answer. I tested with my favorite, the Cayin N6II-Ti, but I can certainly imagine that the EVO also work well with large headphone amplifiers. Since I'm still waiting for a 4.4mm TRRS to 4-PIN XLR adapter, I have to postpone this test for now.
Similar to the Odin, it obviously takes some time and patience to get to grips with the EVO. The sound signature is complex and I need to get used to it.
The first thing that struck me is the volume, the sheer power with which EVO works: I immediately had a few speakers in my head that I had the pleasure of hearing years ago and that were my introduction to the audiophile world - the B&W 802D - big and powerful bass monsters that made the music not only audible but also noticeable and at the same time sounded detailed and voluminous. Grandeur is probably the word I'm looking for.
Yes, the Legend EVO sound big. Here we don't mess around, we just dump!
What I only realize after listening to music for a few hours is that I have been listening for hours without any effort or exhaustion. Something that I don't always manage to do with the original Legend X.
The EVO are powerful but never strenuous. Very good!
I simply need more time for further details - and I have to compare with Legend X and Odin. But one thing is already clear: the EVO are not pure “basshead” in-ears. That would be too short-sighted and would not even begin to do them justice.
More blogs on the topic
Empire Ears Legend EVO - Complete Review by Josh Chan – Audio Essence
Photo - Wednesday Part 1: Empire Ears Legend X SE 2021 – Audio Essence