For almost two weeks, FlipEars' Legions kept popping up in forums and as ads/recommendations and finally, armed with a modest coupon, I took the dive and bought them -- almost completely blindly...

...and I really couldn't be more impressed or satisfied; the Legions are a stone-cold gem inside and out. They look even better in person -- they're a classic in the making.

Most importantly, they sound extraordinary. If I had to aliken them to another few pairs of IEMs for context, I'd say that they're nestled snugly between Empire's Tritons (like the brilliantly tuned soundstage of the Tritons, the Legions truly envelop you in/with your music) and Thieaudio's Monarch MKIVs (the Legions run on the bass-ier side, recalling the sub-rumble that the MKIV switch summons). It's worth pointing out that both of those are IEMs often referred to as peoples' "endgame" choices -- and they each retail for well over the $749 I paid for the Legions ($1,800 for the Tritons and $1,299 for the Monarch IVs, respectively).

I've been a trained audio engineer for almost ten years, and while I don't quite have "golden ears," I've got a solid, sharply tuned ability to hear everything, both big and detailed. If you were to have blindfolded me and played the Legions for me for the first time I heard them, my jaw would have been on the floor after learning their shockingly low price point -- especially with reference to those other two IEM powerhouses. Let me put it this way: there's certainly a seat at the proverbial "table" for the FlipEars Legion, arguably between the Tritons and MKIVs. (Pretty good company, no?)

A few other things that I love about the Legions:

* Unlike the majority of the ~40 other pairs of IEMs I own, these arrived ready to play as is -- there's virtually no burn-in time required.

* While I wouldn't call myself a "bass head," I'm not scared of a healthy dose of low-end. The Legions don't dole out bass to the point of creating an overwhelming, aggressive rattle that ultimately distorts and distracts from my music, but they definitely don't disappoint if you're seeking accentuated low-end. (If this sounds like you and you take the dive on the Legions, a tip: upgrade your cable right away -- the cable that accompanies the Legion is perfectly workable, if a bit limiting, and after just a few hours of use, I felt that these deserved a cable worthy of their oomph. So, I plugged in the Effect AxC, which really succeeds in wringing out both the nuance of the high-end and upper-mids as well as giving the sub-bass/bass more room to breathe.)

* Genre wise, I'd argue, in under just one month's testing, the FlipEars Legions don't really have a noticeable, agreeable weak spot -- in terms of the types/speed of music. They certainly excel at conjuring space and filling that space -- late 90s hip-hop, big band or classic jazz, classical/orchestral, pop (the more "produced," the better for these...) Really, the diversity of this IEM's strengths is a testament to its overall appeal. (The heavy-yet-lithe boom of Beastie Boys' classic "Intergalactic" is equalled by the massive, dour lushness of Hans Zimmer's score for "Inception" -- you can really feel those low, churning strings and horns in the latter example, yet when the score becomes frenzied, on the verge of cacophonous, the Legions never allow the bass to seep in and overshadow the more delicate passages. The same is true, naturally, for even more standard orchestral music -- Yuja Wang's soul-stirring rendition of Rachmaninov with the LA Phil gave me goosebumps, as did Annie Clark/St. Vincent's genre-bending "All Born Screaming." If there was one genre-area where I felt a tad underwhelmed, it would be that of spare indie rock (think Geese or The Rapture) and one or two pieces of live music (Depeche Mode's much-lauded "Live in Mexico City" concert ("Memento Mori") sounded only "good" -- but not particularly special. Yet these are just two examples among hundreds and hundreds of tracks and dozens of albums that sounded like absolute fire using the Legions.)

* Lastly, the aesthetic appeal is not insignificant... The rose-plated brass / hand-painted enamel is wonderful, evocatively detailed -- FlipEars didn't have to go to these lengths -- they already had a home-run IEM on their hands -- but their detail-oriented drive, both aurally and visually, is much appreciated. The satisfying metallic 'clink' that set these apart from the veritable sea of IEMs with plasticky, rainbow-colored acrylics and resins is unique and welcome. (And the Legions are surprisingly light and small, especially considering the metallic aspect of their plating.)

Truly, these are the only sub-$1,000 IEMs I own that sound better than most of my collection (much of that collection having cost significantly more than the Legions). Without reservation, they deserve your attention.

There is really nothing more to say about legion other than its sooooooo fun. Most exciting mid bass that rumbles your ears. Just note that you do need to find your perfect pair of eartips to enjoy the most of that as it is important to the BC driver inside the legion.

I instantly fell in love with the face plates when I first saw these and after watching YouTube vids, I decided to take the plunge. I was blown away with the soundstage, incredible bass, and clarity. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.