Thieaudio has launched a growing collection of in-ear monitors that have seemed to improve in quality in every which way with each release. While I have yet to try the Oracle or the Excalibur at the time of writing this, today, I will discuss their latest budget release: the Legacy 2.
The Legacy 2 is a two-driver hybrid featuring a 10mm beryllium dynamic driver and a Knowles ED29689 Balanced Armature. This set is priced at just $99 and is attempting to change the under $100 marketplace, but will it? Let's find out.
First off, I'd like to thank Linsoul for providing me a chance to try and write about the Legacy 2 with a free review sample. The unit is exclusive to their store at http://www.linsoul.com.
The Legacy 2 has a new smaller boxed packaging than the other Thieaudio products I have tried before, but it's still packed with accessories. It includes a very similar package to the Legacy 4 with a silver-braided cable, sets of tips, and a blue carrying case that's made of a plastic/fake-leather material.
The shell design is small and similar, if not the same, as the Legacy 3 and 4's size. The unit I was provided has a translucent inner shell, and a blue/white sea-shell kind of look for the face plate. There's a hole near the 2-pin connectors that is the vent for the dynamic driver.
Overall, I am very happy with the lightweight design and the fit is really good for my ears. I can have problems with many in-ear monitors, but these ones are a set that I could wear for hours at a time with no problem. I've worn this at home, in the office, on an airplane and walking around the large urban park in Madrid without any complaints of pain and fatigue. It also does a nice job of canceling out noise during my walk, though only does a so-so job on the airplane.
Sound
The Legacy 2 has a sound signature that is right up against my personal preferences. It has a slightly elevated bass from what I consider neutral, with a flat lower mid-range and elevated, but relaxed upper mid-range and a generally smooth treble response. It does not have the brighter and sometimes harsh nature of the Legacy 4, and does not have an overly warm and slightly dark sound of the Legacy 5. Tonally, I think the Legacy 2 is really good to be used as an all-arounder. For the most part, the Legacy 2 really nails it in the tonality department.
The technical performance of the Legacy 2 is solid for $99. It does not beat out its older and more expensive siblings in resolution, but I think it hits it better with depth and layering, and just overall better improvements over the Legacy 3. The Legacy 2 does not have the same issues with super-blunted bass response, and really poor depth perception as the 3 did.
The one thing I do think the Legacy 3 does a little better, though, is in the bass impact. While its bass driver is pretty rounded, it's transient response is slower and feels in some ways a little more natural than the faster and more agile driver inside the Legacy 2. But that's what I've typically found is a compromise in these lower priced offerings.
Quicker decay and faster transients versus lengthier decay times that can sound more organic and realistic. I personally, can live with the former, and would love the latter if it didn't lose out on the resolution. The Legacy 2 doesn't fail in this department, but it is not the Dunu Zen, which is one of my more favorite dynamic driver responses for the low end.
The Legacy 2 sounds especially good for my typical musical preferences at the moment -- a mix of bluegrass and jazz with the occasional indie pop thrown-in. I think this IEM does well for these genres, but I can also see those who prefer more bass pop-heavy songs to feel like it can be a little lacking in the thumping bass department.
Overall
The Legacy 2 is a really solid new product for the under $100 price point. I think it fits well in this area and its main competitor will be the single dynamic-driver, Moondrop Aria, which presents a similar sound, but at a slightly lower price. While the Aria is cheaper, I do feel the Legacy 2 beats it in resolution and detail retrieval, but both are two strong recommendations at this price point. You can't go wrong with either.
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