ctsooner22
1000+ Head-Fier
How much fun the is. Major roll out of so many upgrades. Loving the video's. Can't wait to see Jude's Odin review.
Empire Ears - Discussion & Impressions (Formerly EarWerkz)
- Thread starter Jack Vang
- Start date
I had a special opportunity today to hear all the new EE models courtesy of Empire Ears and BKK Audio. So I thought I'd drop some quick impressions in here.
I was actually the very first to hear these specific MKII models (Valkyrie, ESR, EVR, Bravado): not even the store owner had heard them. As such, they hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever so I'm not going to go into any details regarding the sound of those models yet.
However, the Odin and Hero models I listened to both have over 50 hours of burn-in so I'm comfortable to talk about my experience with those. First, I'd just like to say I absolutely love the ergonomics of these universal shells. Each has quite a long nozzle so I was able to actually use smaller eartips than usual (in this case Final Audio Type E), got a great fit/seal and found them really comfortable.
As I always say with brief impressions: take these with a grain of salt because I often hear things differently after spending several days with an IEM but in this case I only had a couple of hours.
Odin
First impressions are of a warm and very musical presentation. The general signature is balanced with a slight emphasis on mids. Despite being such a musical IEM it doesn't take long to realize Odin has exceptional technical ability especially in regards to instrument separation and overall resolution.
Bass is slightly emphasized in quantity but not in the least bit bloated. It has a great sense of authority without being boisterous or overbearing. Despite being not all that far north of neutral it delivers with loads of impact that can be felt as well as heard. The dual W9+ woofers are masters of control and bass is laced with texture and extension for days.
The midrange is slightly forward and has fantastic clarity. Resolution and instrument separation are some of the best I've heard in an IEM. I really appreciated the way Odin is able to emphasize the mids without needing to resort to the common over boosting of upper mid/pinna gain bands and shows no signs of harshness here.
Vocals are centre stage, textured and emotive and sound incredible for both male and female voices. The mids have what is (IMO) perfect note size and density making instruments and vocals sound simultaneously very accurate yet extremely musical - something that you'll rarely find with this type of presentation.
The soundstage is not what I'd call expansive but it is larger than average. What is NOT average about the soundstage is its incredible layering and imaging. It's a truly holographic stage that paints images in the mind's eye.
Treble is a great blend of energy and reserve. Treble notes are crisp and clear but incredibly smooth. It's light and airy but maintains good density and precision. There is ample detail and also a good amount of micro-details which are further enhanced by the nimbleness of the bass and the cleanliness of the midrange. Overall, it's an amazing treble with fantastic, accurate timbre and natural decay.
Hero
You can definitely detect the similarities in tonality between Hero and Odin. Like the flagship, Hero also has a balanced signature with a forward midrange, punchy bass and sparkly treble.
Bass quantity is similar to Odin but it doesn't have the same level of impact and authority. Odin's bass takes things to another level which has to be heard to be truly understood. Hero is more forward in the upper midrange/lower treble region compared to Odin. In order to reach the same level of clarity, it has to push harder in this area whereas Odin simply achieves it with its superior overall resolution.
The Hero doesn't have the same level of instrument separation and layering as Odin. It is still a fantastic IEM but as you would expect, it isn't on the same level as the Odin flagship. Lower treble is slightly starker and more pronounced than Odin's. Percussion instruments have a sharper attack and the treble is plenty lively and airy but doesn't have the extension heard on Odin.
I don't want it to sound like I'm bashing Hero: quite the contrary because I think it's brilliant. The problem is I listened to Odin first which is clearly in a class of its own.
MKII Variants
As I said above, I'm not going to talk in detail about the sound of the other models because all of them had literally come straight off the production line and hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed them all and think they have all evolved and improved over the previous versions with the exception of 1 model which I'm not going to call out until I can verify it after it has had some break-in.
I was actually the very first to hear these specific MKII models (Valkyrie, ESR, EVR, Bravado): not even the store owner had heard them. As such, they hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever so I'm not going to go into any details regarding the sound of those models yet.
However, the Odin and Hero models I listened to both have over 50 hours of burn-in so I'm comfortable to talk about my experience with those. First, I'd just like to say I absolutely love the ergonomics of these universal shells. Each has quite a long nozzle so I was able to actually use smaller eartips than usual (in this case Final Audio Type E), got a great fit/seal and found them really comfortable.
As I always say with brief impressions: take these with a grain of salt because I often hear things differently after spending several days with an IEM but in this case I only had a couple of hours.
Odin
First impressions are of a warm and very musical presentation. The general signature is balanced with a slight emphasis on mids. Despite being such a musical IEM it doesn't take long to realize Odin has exceptional technical ability especially in regards to instrument separation and overall resolution.
Bass is slightly emphasized in quantity but not in the least bit bloated. It has a great sense of authority without being boisterous or overbearing. Despite being not all that far north of neutral it delivers with loads of impact that can be felt as well as heard. The dual W9+ woofers are masters of control and bass is laced with texture and extension for days.
The midrange is slightly forward and has fantastic clarity. Resolution and instrument separation are some of the best I've heard in an IEM. I really appreciated the way Odin is able to emphasize the mids without needing to resort to the common over boosting of upper mid/pinna gain bands and shows no signs of harshness here.
Vocals are centre stage, textured and emotive and sound incredible for both male and female voices. The mids have what is (IMO) perfect note size and density making instruments and vocals sound simultaneously very accurate yet extremely musical - something that you'll rarely find with this type of presentation.
The soundstage is not what I'd call expansive but it is larger than average. What is NOT average about the soundstage is its incredible layering and imaging. It's a truly holographic stage that paints images in the mind's eye.
Treble is a great blend of energy and reserve. Treble notes are crisp and clear but incredibly smooth. It's light and airy but maintains good density and precision. There is ample detail and also a good amount of micro-details which are further enhanced by the nimbleness of the bass and the cleanliness of the midrange. Overall, it's an amazing treble with fantastic, accurate timbre and natural decay.
Hero
You can definitely detect the similarities in tonality between Hero and Odin. Like the flagship, Hero also has a balanced signature with a forward midrange, punchy bass and sparkly treble.
Bass quantity is similar to Odin but it doesn't have the same level of impact and authority. Odin's bass takes things to another level which has to be heard to be truly understood. Hero is more forward in the upper midrange/lower treble region compared to Odin. In order to reach the same level of clarity, it has to push harder in this area whereas Odin simply achieves it with its superior overall resolution.
The Hero doesn't have the same level of instrument separation and layering as Odin. It is still a fantastic IEM but as you would expect, it isn't on the same level as the Odin flagship. Lower treble is slightly starker and more pronounced than Odin's. Percussion instruments have a sharper attack and the treble is plenty lively and airy but doesn't have the extension heard on Odin.
I don't want it to sound like I'm bashing Hero: quite the contrary because I think it's brilliant. The problem is I listened to Odin first which is clearly in a class of its own.
MKII Variants
As I said above, I'm not going to talk in detail about the sound of the other models because all of them had literally come straight off the production line and hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed them all and think they have all evolved and improved over the previous versions with the exception of 1 model which I'm not going to call out until I can verify it after it has had some break-in.
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- Dec 26, 2019
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Annnnnd here come the Odin orders.I had a special opportunity today to hear all the new EE models courtesy of Empire Ears and BKK Audio. So I thought I'd drop some quick impressions in here.
I was actually the very first to hear these specific MKII models (Valkyrie, ESR, EVR, Bravado): not even the store owner had heard them. As such, they hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever so I'm not going to go into any details regarding the sound of those models yet.
However, the Odin and Hero models I listened to both have over 50 hours of burn-in so I'm comfortable to talk about my experience with those. First, I'd just like to say I absolutely love the ergonomics of these universal shells. Each has quite a long nozzle so I was able to actually use smaller eartips than usual (in this case Final Audio Type E), got a great fit/seal and found them really comfortable.
As I always say with brief impressions: take these with a grain of salt because I often hear things differently after spending several days with an IEM but in this case I only had a couple of hours.
Odin
First impressions are of a warm and very musical presentation. The general signature is balanced with a slight emphasis on mids. Despite being such a musical IEM it doesn't take long to realize Odin has exceptional technical ability especially in regards to instrument separation and overall resolution.
Bass is slightly emphasized in quantity but not in the least bit bloated. It has a great sense of authority without being boisterous or overbearing. Despite being not all that far north of neutral it delivers with loads of impact that can be felt as well as heard. The dual W9+ woofers are masters of control and bass is laced with texture and extension for days.
The midrange is slightly forward and has fantastic clarity. Resolution and instrument separation are some of the best I've heard in an IEM. I really appreciated the way Odin is able to emphasize the mids without needing to resort to the common over boosting of upper mid/pinna gain bands and shows no signs of harshness here.
Vocals are centre stage, textured and emotive and sound incredible for both male and female voices. The mids have what is (IMO) perfect note size and density making instruments and vocals sound simultaneously very accurate yet extremely musical - something that you'll rarely find with this type of presentation.
The soundstage is not what I'd call expansive but it is larger than average. What is NOT average about the soundstage is its incredible layering and imaging. It's a truly holographic stage that paints images in the mind's eye.
Treble is a great blend of energy and reserve. Treble notes are crisp and clear but incredibly smooth. It's light and airy but maintains good density and precision. There is ample detail and also a good amount of micro-details which are further enhanced by the nimbleness of the bass and the cleanliness of the midrange. Overall, it's an amazing treble with fantastic, accurate timbre and natural decay.
Hero
You can definitely detect the similarities in tonality between Hero and Odin. Like the flagship, Hero also has a balanced signature with a forward midrange, punchy bass and sparkly treble.
Bass quantity is similar to Odin but it doesn't have the same level of impact and authority. Odin's bass takes things to another level which has to be heard to be truly understood. Hero is more forward in the upper midrange/lower treble region compared to Odin. In order to reach the same level of clarity, it has to push harder in this area whereas Odin simply achieves it with its superior overall resolution.
The Hero doesn't have the same level of instrument separation and layering as Odin. It is still a fantastic IEM but as you would expect, it isn't on the same level as the Odin flagship. Lower treble is slightly starker and more pronounced than Odin's. Percussion instruments have a sharper attack and the treble is plenty lively and airy but doesn't have the extension heard on Odin.
I don't want it to sound like I'm bashing Hero: quite the contrary because I think it's brilliant. The problem is I listened to Odin first which is clearly in a class of its own.
MKII Variants
As I said above, I'm not going to talk in detail about the sound of the other models because all of them had literally come straight off the production line and hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed them all and think they have all evolved and improved over the previous versions with the exception of 1 model which I'm not going to call out until I can verify it after it has had some break-in.
proedros
Headphoneus Supremus
my thoughts, exactly - i am drooling myself (even though i am unable financially to get one)
looks like EE has a grand-slam HR (to use a baseball term) in their hands
Homrsimson
500+ Head-Fier
Has anyone done an out of warranty repair for EE for IEMs? Curious how that went and how expensive (say for driver repair or replacement).
Finally after 7 weeks of wait my Plusssound X6 Silver+Gold arrived.
Really like the synergy. Sounds very spacious now.
Its hard to believe such a small things can sound so big.
Really like the synergy. Sounds very spacious now.
Its hard to believe such a small things can sound so big.
ctsooner22
1000+ Head-Fier
Thanks so much Crabdog. That was awesome. So glad you to to play. So much fun to be first at certain things. I just got to drive the first two Genesis GV80 SUV's here in the US (Korean spec of course). The guy son the Genesis forum I'm on really cared about my thoughts, just like we care about hearing anyone's thoughts on the new IEM's. It's a fun time for us all when a company comes out wiht so many new as well as a TOTL IEM or even DAP's.
I can't wait to hear the Odin and share as I read everyone else's thoughts. That's why this hobby is a blast as we will all hear different things. My biggest take away is how comfy such a packed IEM is. Not being able to get it in CIEM form was freaking me out a bit, but I'm calming down now, lol.
Thanks guys.
I can't wait to hear the Odin and share as I read everyone else's thoughts. That's why this hobby is a blast as we will all hear different things. My biggest take away is how comfy such a packed IEM is. Not being able to get it in CIEM form was freaking me out a bit, but I'm calming down now, lol.
Thanks guys.
I had a special opportunity today to hear all the new EE models courtesy of Empire Ears and BKK Audio. So I thought I'd drop some quick impressions in here.
I was actually the very first to hear these specific MKII models (Valkyrie, ESR, EVR, Bravado): not even the store owner had heard them. As such, they hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever so I'm not going to go into any details regarding the sound of those models yet.
However, the Odin and Hero models I listened to both have over 50 hours of burn-in so I'm comfortable to talk about my experience with those. First, I'd just like to say I absolutely love the ergonomics of these universal shells. Each has quite a long nozzle so I was able to actually use smaller eartips than usual (in this case Final Audio Type E), got a great fit/seal and found them really comfortable.
As I always say with brief impressions: take these with a grain of salt because I often hear things differently after spending several days with an IEM but in this case I only had a couple of hours.
Odin
First impressions are of a warm and very musical presentation. The general signature is balanced with a slight emphasis on mids. Despite being such a musical IEM it doesn't take long to realize Odin has exceptional technical ability especially in regards to instrument separation and overall resolution.
Bass is slightly emphasized in quantity but not in the least bit bloated. It has a great sense of authority without being boisterous or overbearing. Despite being not all that far north of neutral it delivers with loads of impact that can be felt as well as heard. The dual W9+ woofers are masters of control and bass is laced with texture and extension for days.
The midrange is slightly forward and has fantastic clarity. Resolution and instrument separation are some of the best I've heard in an IEM. I really appreciated the way Odin is able to emphasize the mids without needing to resort to the common over boosting of upper mid/pinna gain bands and shows no signs of harshness here.
Vocals are centre stage, textured and emotive and sound incredible for both male and female voices. The mids have what is (IMO) perfect note size and density making instruments and vocals sound simultaneously very accurate yet extremely musical - something that you'll rarely find with this type of presentation.
The soundstage is not what I'd call expansive but it is larger than average. What is NOT average about the soundstage is its incredible layering and imaging. It's a truly holographic stage that paints images in the mind's eye.
Treble is a great blend of energy and reserve. Treble notes are crisp and clear but incredibly smooth. It's light and airy but maintains good density and precision. There is ample detail and also a good amount of micro-details which are further enhanced by the nimbleness of the bass and the cleanliness of the midrange. Overall, it's an amazing treble with fantastic, accurate timbre and natural decay.
Hero
You can definitely detect the similarities in tonality between Hero and Odin. Like the flagship, Hero also has a balanced signature with a forward midrange, punchy bass and sparkly treble.
Bass quantity is similar to Odin but it doesn't have the same level of impact and authority. Odin's bass takes things to another level which has to be heard to be truly understood. Hero is more forward in the upper midrange/lower treble region compared to Odin. In order to reach the same level of clarity, it has to push harder in this area whereas Odin simply achieves it with its superior overall resolution.
The Hero doesn't have the same level of instrument separation and layering as Odin. It is still a fantastic IEM but as you would expect, it isn't on the same level as the Odin flagship. Lower treble is slightly starker and more pronounced than Odin's. Percussion instruments have a sharper attack and the treble is plenty lively and airy but doesn't have the extension heard on Odin.
I don't want it to sound like I'm bashing Hero: quite the contrary because I think it's brilliant. The problem is I listened to Odin first which is clearly in a class of its own.
MKII Variants
As I said above, I'm not going to talk in detail about the sound of the other models because all of them had literally come straight off the production line and hadn't had any burn-in whatsoever.
I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed them all and think they have all evolved and improved over the previous versions with the exception of 1 model which I'm not going to call out until I can verify it after it has had some break-in.
Hero actually sounds a lot like the signature of the M4 I was looking at but EE are more established and Hero is cheaper. Looking forward to receiving them.
Would love to hear your impressions vs the Solaris and LX once you've had a chance to give them a listen!
Coincidently, I should also have the Z1R and Dunu Luna at the same time so I’ll try to get some sort of shoot out written up!
Fantastic!
I did love the Z1R for the few minutes (!!) I had them, just couldn't get the fit quite right unfortunately.
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I am also intrested in Hero vs Solaris 2020 comparison since both are on my radar
I’m afraid I’ve had no experience with the 2020 version, only the SE... I’ll be sure to get impressions.
davidcotton
X-CANs and HDAMs
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Something timeless about the gold wings and black faceplate combo.Finally after 7 weeks of wait my Plusssound X6 Silver+Gold arrived.
Really like the synergy. Sounds very spacious now.
Its hard to believe such a small things can sound so big.
Finally after 7 weeks of wait my Plusssound X6 Silver+Gold arrived.
Really like the synergy. Sounds very spacious now.
Its hard to believe such a small things can sound so big.
Love my X8 silver + Gold on the Legend! Great combo.
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