It’s that time… my Legacy 3’s connector is cracking and starting to break and I need to find a new set of IEMs. I absolutely loved these, both the sound and the comfort of them and was actually just planning on getting a new set, but they’re sold out. So I need some recommendations for a replacement. Music preferences are mostly electronic, tropical house, deep house, with occasional indie pop and even rock. My fiancé has ZSN Pros and ZS10 Pros from years ago, though I find those to be a bit too bloated and find they can drown-out the treble, they’re also not super comfortable, I live in San Francisco and find that they stick out of my ears too much and can hear the wind against the faceplates. I’ve read really great things about the Moondrop Aria so that seems to be at the top of the list right now, but I’d love to see what others have to recommend. Looking to spend no more than $120. Thank you so much in advance!
Moondrop Aria, Tin P1 Max, Simgot EA500.
based on graph hexa is amazing choices sub100$
the main issue is the dip from 3k to 6k compared to diffuse fields natural less aggressive fall in that area so instruments and note transients will sound slightly softer and a bit more distant compared to a set that doesn’t have that dip like the blessing 3 for example ( see the blessing3 graph from 3k to 6k and how well it follows df target in that area minus the 1.5k boost). still one of the better tuned iems sub100$.
A few questions: Do you want a similar sound to the Legacy 3 or do you wish to try a different sound signature? Any preferences when it comes to driver configuration? Going to pin @GooberBM as he is the man when it comes to value propositions.
As mentioned the Tin P1 Max is highly regarded, but a planar. I have the Raptgo HBB, which is also a planar with similar amounts of bass as the Legacy 3, but for electronic music I still prefer the following:
Simgot EA500 is an incredible 1DD unit. For 79$ this lil guy is who other companies aspire to beat right now.
I too listen to a lot of electronic, mainly house, techno and jungle/drum and bass and the EA500 works great for me. I slapped on a quick bandaid to cover up one of the vents, and increased the sub-bass so now it has an incredible sounding thump in the lowest frequencies.
Another worthy mention is the Whizzer HE10 70$. Single, quality DD. It’s very similar to my modded EA500. Incredible package for the price and I’d say the main difference between it and my modded Simgot is comfort. HE10 is very small and honestly one of the most comfortable sets I have tried. Between my modded EA500 and HE10, it’s honestly a toss-up.
Tripowin x HBB Kailua 79$. Similar graphs to the L3, but a dual DD setup of high quality (HBB said they use same drivers as Simgot). I haven’t tried this one, but I am very tempted at getting it because dual DDs sound amazing to my ears with electronic music. Think this would be a great all-rounder for a predominantly electronic library and would be my personal pick. Might still get this even though I have the EA500 and HE10.
Lastly, Simgot is releasing a 1DD + 4BA set for 110$; the EM6L. Assuming it’s coming out within the next couple of weeks. Graphs look like an EA500, but with changes based on feedback some had from the EA500, namely in the sub-bass. Simgot is currently doing some voodoo in terms of price to performance ratios. Here’s a pic of the graphs via Paul Wasabii on the new EM6L
Hopefully this wasn’t too long, and at least to some help!
This is the single most important question to answer before I can suggest something.
I’m looking for a similar sound. My exposure to different sound signatures is rather limited. I’ve had sennheiser hd280 pros years ago, thought they were a bit too shallow sounding. I currently use DT770 with an atom amp and dac and I love those. The Legacy 3 I’ve been super happy with, love the detail they offer and the low end is punchy enough to keep me happy. Ive been using the ZSN pro and I find them a bit bloated and the detail in the treble isn’t there for me.
I did forget to mention, I often fly from California to the east coast and will be using these during flights so comfort is really important. The Legacy 3s seems to fit my ears perfectly.
The HBB x Tripowin Kailua seems like a potential candidate for “similar but different”:
Maybe some people that have tried them/tried both can chime in, as I’ve never had the Kailua and I haven’t had a Legacy 3 in a dog’s age.
Thank you for all the replies! One thing I did forget to mention, as I use them primarily during travel, I do need something that can be powered by a Samsung s8. Does that remove any of the suggestions above?
As for the kailua, it looks like there’s a pretty big dip at 10k, one thing I loved about the legacy 3 is their ability to still capture detail and those high notes pretty well, will they still be able to provide those highs?
I had the same problem with my Legacy 3s. I solved it by applying a small amount of epoxy resin to all the cracked areas, and then fitting the cable whilst the epoxy was still wet. I can no longer swap out the cables, but I still have a fully functioning set of Legacy 3s at my disposal.