Empire Ears Tour Impression (July 5th 2016)
Preface
First of all, I would like to thank Jack (
@Jack Vang), Dean and the rest of the Empire Ears (EE) for not only graciously allowing me the opportunity to tour their facilities, but also tolerate my frequent intrusions into their work space and time, which granted me both a first-hand look into the work ongoing throughout the facilities and the privilege of listening to descriptions plus explanations simple enough for someone like me who had not prior experience regarding custom IEMs, except auditioning demo units, to understand.
Tour Experience
The day started off with me arriving at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport from the capital. Prior to my trip, I had contacted Jack expressing my interest in visiting EE to get a quick tour around the place and also audition some of the gear at hand. Now, just to be clear, I am a previous EE (or rather, Earwerkz maybe) customer, but my only interactions with Jack were purely business, and I had never met the man before. Not only did he immediately agree for a full-on exclusive tour to their office, he even offered to pick me up from the airport and bring me to their office, just one of few gestures Jack made that showcases a glimpse of the top notch customer service that was on offer from EE.
Stepping into the office I was immediately greeted with a smile, just signs of great things to come.
Since it was the first thing I saw coming into the room, I just had to take a shot at it. This, I remind you, is just a small array of the shells that EE could possible make for your customs.
After about a 40 minute drive from the airport, we eventually arrive at the office. To be greeted at the door with a big smile is always a great sign, and it instantly sent me a message: I was more than welcomed there. From there on, Jack gave me a quick tour of the office, and also introduced me to the rest of the EE team.
This was the main auditioning room for any potential customers or even people who are just interested to try the line. There were two separate cases with more than a couple of units for each model for anyone to try out. Disclaimer: The Ether C, Questyle QP1R, DX90 with Chord Mojo stack were mine.
Scenes from the IEM shell room as I would call it, which you could see the array of raw colour materials that are to be used to make those colourful shells you see from EE.
The wall of IEM cables I found from one of the rooms, including the in-house EE cables and the BTG cable that are supplied with the Apollo and the Zeus.
This is the laser engraving machine that is used for the serial numbers on your IEMs, the custom cases and maybe most importantly your custom artwork. I was not able to witness it in action though.
These were some of the completed IEMs that are ready for shipping sans the retail packaging. All the order sheets were placed in the box to ensure that each IEM is up to the request of each customer.
*Eagle-eyed readers may notice a box which contains impressions, but no IEMs. This, from what I learn, is possibly due to the customer requesting for the impressions to be sent back. The finished IEM may have been removed for a photo session.
I do have to admit that I was slightly disappointed that I could not meet with the IEM shell team. It was by no means the fault of EE as most of them were on holiday (it was the day after 4
th of July, which was perfectly understandable) so I wasn’t able to get an exact observation on that particular process. It was just a case of the schedule not fitting. However, I managed to catch glimpses of them soldering and working on the electricals of the IEMs, which I found pretty neat. I was even explained in a simplified manner how it was done. They had an organized system for how they handle each order which would ensure each order was dealt with in time and in the order they were made, as to conform to the amazing lead time for each IEM that EE is famous for.
Look at the amount of focus they put into each individual unit, that my intrusion did not even break it.
Okay guess not. But they were really into it until I made it known I was in the room. Apparently my ninja moving boots were on then.
*EE employees are supposed to wear their lab coats when in work. However, since this was a day after 4th of July, they were allowed to come in with casual wear.
Some of the impressions I found in the room, along with my amazing MS Paint skills to remove the names that I could see from the box, for just a little privacy. Cool to see that there was a couple of orders outside of the states, including Japan.
After a short run through of each of the rooms, and being introduced to the crew that was present that day, I was politely asked to leave the premise as soon as possible…….
Just kidding.
Of course, I would be lead back to the audition room. What’s the point of an audio company visit without having the chance to play with some gear right?
I was shown all the units that, well at least I think it’s all the units, that were either in production, or soon to be in production (more on that later). Jack left right after granting me the permission in wandering around the office to observe more of the manufacturing process, and asking any questions that I may have. I guess it was a case of “I’ll just let my products speak for themselves.”
The case holds the IEMs that I got to audition with that day. There were some others that I specifically requested from Jack and Dean. Some of these IEMs are not fully released yet, and thus my amazing MS paint skills are back to remove the names of certain IEMs.
From left to right: Supra-2s,Cerberus-3s and Spartan-4s.
From left to right: Hermes-6s, Athena-8s and Apollo-10s.
Right before I started listening to the large array provided, Dean, the Chief Engineer for EE, came in and we decided to have a little chat. Talking to Dean was a blast. Maybe it is due to our Asian roots that we clicked right off the bat. We went from talking CIEMs to our respective upbringing, and much more. Personally I thought it was great. If you had a chance to sit down and talk for a couple of minutes, which I had the fortune and luck to do so, you definitely have to as he is not only very knowledgeable about IEMs, but life experience itself. I assure you it would not be a bad decision.
Now, here we go to my impressions on the CIEMs.
Line-up Impressions
Missing from this impression list will be the Supra-2s, as having own them, I did not want to spend my limited listening time on them, but if you’re interested to know more about it, search under ‘Earwerkz Supra 2’, or PM me about it. I would say though it is one of the best 2-driver IEM I’ve ever heard, and would be a great starter for anyone trying to dip their toes into the CIEM realm.
Another thing that will be missing from the impression list (with some exceptions) is the relative size of the IEM. These are demo units, or universal fit units, which will (I think) make the IEMs smaller than what it would be when produced as a custom, with the size increasing due to the amount of drivers involved. However, if you are interested in knowing the size of the IEMs, here are a couple of reviews and impressions that briefly describe them and a great read in general, labelled according to their respective authors. Also, with the new website that has been launched, a mock-up of the sizes of each IEM could be found in the product page, which could be helpful.
Full credits to given to them for the time and effort made for each of these write ups.
@moedawg140 : View
here.
@Cotnijoe : View
here.
@shotgunshane : View
here.
I used my Questyle QP1R for the majority of the impression. For the Apollo and the Zeus family of IEMs, and at some points the Ares, I added in the DX90 + Chord Mojo stack as the hiss at that point become more noticeable. I also wanted to have a view on the flagship IEMs with a different rig.
Cerberus-3
The 3 to me was aiming for an overall neutral and balanced sound signature, but has a midrange emphasis that was much more prevalent than what I found in the Supra-2s. It was definitely more spacious and wider in soundstage than the Supra-2s, but the midrange focus, stronger and heavier than any IEM I found in the line, made it seem less balanced compared to his brothers, sounding slightly rolled off and less clear. The bass tilting towards lean, which is a lot coming from me who has lately shifted towards a preference for less bass. The treble, to me, was the best part of the IEM, as it was smooth and frankly quite good coming from a 3 driver. To be very honest, I prefer the Supra-2s, or the next in line, Spartan-4s, and would rather save up for the 4s or just keep some money and get the 2s. However, if you like you mids very forward and present, more akin to some Japanese IEMs I know, you may think this is your cup of tea.
Spartan-4
Now this is my jam. The 4s definitely hit the neutral and balanced sound signature, without the over-emphasis on the midrange I felt from the 3s. The soundstage width and depth felt very similar to the 3s, but as it no longer has that focus on the midrange, it became much clearer. Instruments, to my ears, could be precisely placed and positioned. It is slightly more detailed and resolves better than the two lower siblings. Bass quantity has just that enough oomph for me without going overboard, while the midrange is now much more natural to me, making the vocals sound beautiful. It is to me their most neutral offering in the line, and although I don’t believe it is completely flat, it should make for a good piece if you are aiming to use it as a studio monitor. It certainly is not dry or boring compared to some of the monitoring pieces that are on offer right now.
Hermes-6
This is the darkest IEM within the EE stable, and significantly at that. That kind of red flag me that the 6 would be my least favourite of the line, which is ironic as the unit I listened to, was red in colour, as if to warn me of what is to come. Funny, as the ones which ranked the lowest in my rankings, the 3s and the 6s, were both demoed in red.
This still have that nice soundstage and separation I found in all of the EE IEMs, but with the bass being heavy and thick for my taste, and the midrange, for once, not pushed forward at all, or maybe even covered by the bass, makes it overall too much punch for me. No, this is not a V-shape IEM, more like a……. \ _ _ curve (amazing graphical skills). The soundstage was surprisingly wide for me as I usually associate a bass heavy IEM with a narrower soundstage, possibly because I felt that the bass has covered part of it from me. It however, is the most ‘fun’ sounding IEM of the stable, with tons of detail to be found for an IEM, another thing that I don’t find from IEM that has over the top bass. It is not for me, but I could totally see how some may prefer it more than others. It is definitely a more audiophile take on a bass focused IEM.
Athena-8
If the 6s was a car, the 8s would be the same car with a better chassis and suspension. It is as if the 6s were given growth hormones so that they grow into what they should be. These are more detailed and wider sounding than the 6s, with the bass emphasis found on the 6s still present but toned down a couple of notches. The midrange sound forward again, maybe free from that extra rumble and grunt of the bass. It was definitely a more relaxing listening experience for me, and as this sounds much clearer, which is the biggest thing I need from my IEMs, I will not hesitate to recommend this over the 6s for any bass head around, even with the slight increase in price. Yes you lose that bass thump by a little, but for that you trade in more resolution and better balance.
Apollo-10
If you ever want to know how a wide soundstage can feel like on an IEM, which is hard to come by, you have to listen to the 10s. The soundstage width probably spreads as far as I can ever remember from an IEM, or at least it sounds like that. This IEM is aimed as the reference neutral monitor that seems to be the flavour of the month/year/decade that each CIEM company is aiming for. Now it is not completely neutral to me, that is more of the 4s signature. It had that slight V-tilt into the signature, not a stranger for those familiar with JH Audio’s take on a reference signature, but is less obvious than that. The bass is very clean, midrange having that nice tonality and texture, plus with that slight sparkle to the treble it made for an engaging listen for me. If I had joined the EE family at the time of its introduction, this would probably be the flagship that I would have went for as it is the less coloured of the two, and although it is slightly less resolving and detailed than the Zeus duo, it brings in a better balance than the original Zeus-14.
Zeus-R
Until the release of the new website, I was told that the R was going to be the standard of the Zeus duo. Now it is, to me, two completely different signatures, and I could understand if you choose one or the other. Let’s save that for later.
The Zeus-R was definitely the best I heard from the EE line up. It is not entirely flat, with the slight midrange forwardness appearing. This midrange is very transparent and lush, reminding me of some of the best mids I heard from CIEMs made in Japan. The bass thumps hard but never lack quality while the treble is absolutely fantastic. If the 10s are to be listened for the fantastic soundstage, the Rs are to be listened to for the treble. This IEM is kind of the best mix of the strengths of a Western IEM and an Eastern IEM.
I would write more about the R but as I am going to write a full on review when my unit comes back (actually from a refit), I don’t really want to write everything a blow it out right here. If you are interested in listening to an in-depth opinion from me of the R, look forward to the review in the near future.
R vs lower sensitivity R
Dean, just for kicks, brought out a Zeus-R demo that was capable of switching from the regular sensitivity to become less sensitive. The less sensitive version hissed less with my gear, but felt like it just loss a touch of clarity. I do not recommend this unless you are super sensitive to hiss, which I think I already am but could not get over that loss of clarity.
R vs non-R
As the Zeus demos provided on the table was of the R variant, I asked Jack and Dean if there were any demos of the original variant. To my surprise, they came out with this little gem: a demo with a switch on each side to convert the unit into the R or the original. I did not detect any disruptions over the crossovers when the switch was used.
I felt that the R sounds the more reference of the two, being the more refined and balanced edition. The R is just a tad bit clearer, maybe due to the more reference sound compared to the highly midrange focused original. That made the original highly coloured, and is closer to the Japanese CIEMs that I felt, in general, has a love for. More details can be found in the upcoming review.
Final Order
Upon deep thinking and much consideration, even going past a few of the crew’s working time, I decided to get the Zeus-R. Dean, who was still there, helped me with making my ear impressions while Jack thaw out the remaining details of my order.
(image missing)
The torture device…I mean impression equipment that was to be used on me.
Final inspections before the impressions are made. I highly suggest leaving out the team loyalty discussion out of this forum. I go somewhere else for that. Also, I do what I want.
Make sure that thread is perfectly place. Well, unless you want your ears to remain blocked. You can do that some other way, cheaper too.
No, I did not drool during the process of solidification. The napkin was given only for prevention.
As this was my first time making impressions for my CIEMs, I would not be afraid to admit that it was a little awkward before the process. I was a little scared, not helped as I previously had a surgery on my ear at a young age, and never liked my ears worked on. However, if you have ever made impressions for things such as braces and retainers, it is of a similar feeling, without actually biting the material. After a couple of minutes, the hardened impressions are pulled out.
For the first time in my life, I found out how my ears look like.
Next comes probably one of the hardest decision you will make in your life – how do you want them to look? It’s harder than you think, especially with my case where it was my first ever custom, and would like the look to be memorable. The shell colour was easy for me. I immediately told Jack that the shell must be of transparent orange, as orange has always been my favourite colour, and I had wanted my first custom to be orange in colour. The next step, as most of you would know, is to choose the perfect faceplates to compliment your shells, though some you would probably do it in reverse order. Before I could begin my thought process for the faceplates, Dean suggested to Jack that he should show me ‘the cabinet’, which Jack quickly agreed. Being as clueless as ever, I followed them into a room that I had previously entered, which I thought was just a utility and storage room. However, when they open the cabinet, my eyes enlarged, as if I just found the entrance to Mount Olympus.
This was the cabinet that I was referring to in the previous passage. As if what’s coming next was already predicted, Jack prepared a chair for me so that I could comfortably make the tough decision of choosing the right faceplate material for my customs.
If you think the amount of options that were available on the IEM maker on the EE website is large, this is just a whole new level. So, if you have a design in mind that you think might be achievable, you should definitely discuss it with Jack first as he might just be able to make it for you.
You can imagine the total awe that was found on my face, which quickly turn into pure confusion. How do I pick just one (as I wanted my IEMs to look similar on both sides) from this large array of options? Jack brought a chair over and asked me to take my time in choosing one, as he understands that I might have been more than a little overwhelmed by the options available to me. It really is not that simple, as even wood from the same family have multiple blocks that have a slightly different shade and tonality to it. I jokingly told Dean and Jack to leave me there for the night because I probably would not be done choosing by the time they arrive the next day.
If I had a choice, I prefer my stuff to look subtle with a touch of class, so I start to eliminate those that I felt was too extravagant for my taste. At long last, I laid my eyes on the magical wood that will be used for my faceplates – a block of amboyna burl, and knew it was definitely the choice for me. Dean had asked for the particular shade that I wanted but I told him that the decision would be left to him as that would just be too much to factor in for me.
What is left that I’m missing out? Ah, yes. It is time to design the artwork on my faceplates. Jack asked me if I wanted my own personal artwork, or to put on the EE logo on my faceplates. I went with the EE logo, and wanted it as large as possible because I want to proudly show everyone else the amazing job that EE had done with my customs. I chose the gold version of the EE logo, which I thought should add a touch of class to the IEM. And as Dean would tell me, the Apollo and the Zeus has traditionally used the gold version of the logo anyways. And that ladies and gentleman, was how my IEM order was made. All that is left is the wait.
(The IEM actually made it to my hands before I started writing this, but I had to send it back for a refit job. If you would like to see how it looks, you can always wait for my Zeus-R review, or just check out the EE thread as it already has some pictures posted
there.)
Final Remarks
Before I left the place, I remembered that I brought my Empire T-shirt I bought online that was too large for me, and asked if I could get an exchange. To my surprise, Jack decided to bring two (of different kinds) of the right size, and asked me to keep the original one I brought as a souvenir. What a lad.
Some Empire Ears swag can never hurt. I will proudly wear this anywhere; such is my love and respect for EE.
At the end of the day, Jack, as if he hasn’t done enough, sent me back all the way to Midtown in Atlanta to my hotel. That is an extra drive, not to mention another drive before he can get himself back to his lovely family. I am not sure too many people in the world would do this for anyone.
Once again, I would like to thank Jack and the Empire Ears crew for having me at their office. It was a great experience, and definitely a fun time. This write up will never ever be able to live up to the real experience I had during my trip there. I hope to see you guys soon, and visit the place again. Till then, much love from one of the newest members of the EE family.
P.S. If this write up leads to increased lead times because EE is entertaining more tours like this, I sincerely apologise on behalf of the EE team. LOL
