[subguy812]

Hey I completely get you, and have total respect for what you guys do! Without you this hobby would be stillborn - I wish we had people like you where I live.

My comment was more tongue-in-cheek, wasn't looking to offend, so apologies if I did. I will say I dislike OTT hype about as much as I dislike.inaccurate and unfounded criticism. I get that new products are a labour of love for many, but when it comes to offering critical advice for hardworking people, there comes a point where comments from experienced users need to be more responsible than "oh this is just amazing guys, buy it!"

I think if you read @aminus's comments he was actually quite complementary of Odin, and although he came down on some of the others, I get why. But his is a particular type of review, and at least it's backed up by experience, thought and music examples. For me as a consumer, his type of review is more useful than the cheerleading that goes hand in hand with a new product launch.

Just my opinion, of course.

When a product is worthy, it warrants the "cheerleading". Most folks try to read past that, and cut to what matters most to them as a reader. There is always going to be hype for new products, nature of this beast. Hype train, as it is called. It is irresponsible shopping to buy based on one opinion.

I am not picking on any one or their review style, in this instance. I will say, that going against "the grain" sells for certain individuals. Look at your nightly news, if it isn't negative, it isn't going to be on there, it's what sells. To have a different style stands out from the rest. If that type of writing checks your boxes, read it. Everyone is free to read what they wish. Anyone that posts their dialogue about an item knows that eventually it will make it's way to the brand thread.

This is a hobby to me, nothing more. Lots of people disagree with me and I certainly disagree with lots of people. My existence in this hobby is controversial to some but that it is not going to thwart my ability to write my opinion or call anyone out that I don't agree with as well. If you are publishing something, you need to have thick skin and be open to critique, that applies to anyone that publishes, myself included. The internet is quite large and there is plenty of room for everyone's opinion.

My style is to spend time with something, before writing about it, and yes it does require funds to do that, maybe I am fortunate to be able to do that. I know I take a significant loss each time I sell something. Everyone has a different style.

It is the same criticism of cellphone reviews and their battery life. Most of the reviewers have the phone for a week and write about battery life. I do agree, you can formulate an "opinion" in that time, but it can't be taken as gospel. Android and manufacturer software is developed to learn your habits and adjust accordingly over time. Time, being the operative word here.

There are a lot of factors to how "experienced" an experienced user is. After all, every one who writes anything is "subjective". It is all opinion and conjecture. The facts involved are the specs, and what you receive in a package with your purchase. Beyond that, if I say there is lift in the upper mid-range, that's how I hear it and when I publish that, I open myself up to debate.

As far as Empire Ears "freshening up" their existing lineup, that is their business decision and they see a need. It appears they aren't touching one of their biggest sellers, the Legend X. I would like to hear the revisions for my own curiosity, not necessarily to write about them.

With regards hype train, it is great to have new options and exciting for the developer and consumer alike.

I would love to hear Hero, sounds like an interesting signature that is market priced.

ODIN is a very good IEM. The signature won't agree with everyone, but of course there are factors to that. No IEM agrees with everyone. Maybe it just isn't your signature, maybe it is a quick listen, maybe it hasn't been seasoned, whatever it is, it just isn't for you. For the folks that try it and love it, they will hype it. A little positivity in this world with it's current state of affairs is not a bad thing.

I notice some things about the ODIN signature the more I listen to it, and that is daily. I will touch on all points, positive and negative, in my review. The positives do outweigh the negatives, forgive me if that is feeding the hype.

 

[subguy812]

What about SE200?

I haven't heard that...sorry

 

[gLer]

When a product is worthy, it warrants the "cheerleading". Most folks try to read past that, and cut to what matters most to them as a reader. There is always going to be hype for new products, nature of this beast. Hype train, as it is called. It is irresponsible shopping to buy based on one opinion.

I am not picking on any one or their review style, in this instance. I will say, that going against "the grain" sells for certain individuals. Look at your nightly news, if it isn't negative, it isn't going to be on there, it's what sells. To have a different style stands out from the rest. If that type of writing checks your boxes, read it. Everyone is free to read what they wish. Anyone that posts their dialogue about an item knows that eventually it will make it's way to the brand thread.

This is a hobby to me, nothing more. Lots of people disagree with me and I certainly disagree with lots of people. My existence in this hobby is controversial to some but that it is not going to thwart my ability to write my opinion or call anyone out that I don't agree with as well. If you are publishing something, you need to have thick skin and be open to critique, that applies to anyone that publishes, myself included. The internet is quite large and there is plenty of room for everyone's opinion.

My style is to spend time with something, before writing about it, and yes it does require funds to do that, maybe I am fortunate to be able to do that. I know I take a significant loss each time I sell something. Everyone has a different style.

It is the same criticism of cellphone reviews and their battery life. Most of the reviewers have the phone for a week and write about battery life. I do agree, you can formulate an "opinion" in that time, but it can't be taken as gospel. Android and manufacturer software is developed to learn your habits and adjust accordingly over time. Time, being the operative word here.

There are a lot of factors to how "experienced" an experienced user is. After all, every one who writes anything is "subjective". It is all opinion and conjecture. The facts involved are the specs, and what you receive in a package with your purchase. Beyond that, if I say there is lift in the upper mid-range, that's how I hear it and when I publish that, I open myself up to debate.

As far as Empire Ears "freshening up" their existing lineup, that is their business decision and they see a need. It appears they aren't touching one of their biggest sellers, the Legend X. I would like to hear the revisions for my own curiosity, not necessarily to write about them.

With regards hype train, it is great to have new options and exciting for the developer and consumer alike.

I would love to hear Hero, sounds like an interesting signature that is market priced.

ODIN is a very good IEM. The signature won't agree with everyone, but of course there are factors to that. No IEM agrees with everyone. Maybe it just isn't your signature, maybe it is a quick listen, maybe it hasn't been seasoned, whatever it is, it just isn't for you. For the folks that try it and love it, they will hype it. A little positivity in this world with it's current state of affairs is not a bad thing.

I notice some things about the ODIN signature the more I listen to it, and that is daily. I will touch on all points, positive and negative, in my review. The positives do outweigh the negatives, forgive me if that is feeding the hype.

Great thoughts written very eloquently. I enjoy these debates about the state of the industry and our reception to it. Adds context to the hobby.

Would you say the requirements for an IEM should be consistent with its retail price? In other words, should the Odin be held to a much higher standard than the Hero because it costs three times as much?

I appreciate the who argument about diminishing returns etc., but I personally expect significant return from a $1000 IEM nevermind one that costs $3000+. I'm not picking on any IEM here as I haven't heard the new beasts myself, just a general comment about how a higher price should raise the bar of expectations and lower the tolerance for mediocrity.

 

[vanhalen26]

Took a bit longer as my formatting wasn't copied when I pasted my post from Google Docs onto here. I hope you find it an entertaining read.

Nice review! I’m in toronto, I’ll have to give the shop a visit sometime down the line. I have UE 18 reshells that are starting to crack - crazy glue has held them together after one complete crack, but I see others forming.

Unique Melody did the reshell, but the quality was lousy (fit was good). And because the cracks started more than a year after the reshell, they washed their hands if it and said tough luck. They sound good (the UA 18), but never blew me away.

 

[mvvRAZ]

I've had the Founder Odin for several hours now and been listening non-stop - will be posting preliminary impressions in a few hours but will be holding off the review for when I have access to my Hugo 2 in two weeks time as per @Jack Vang's recommendation. I also really need to get my hands on a 2.5 to 4.4 adapter as I can't try the stock cable for the time being, but I'm really enjoying how it pairs with the Eletech Socrates for now

 

[Tristy]

Sooo ... any chance of any full fledged Hero reviews being published anytime soon? Like before they are in the hands of consumers?

 

[mvvRAZ]

Here we go! I took half a day off work to be able to properly write up my initial thoughts on the Odin and then make a short comparison against the Thummim as that's been one of the most frequently requested shootouts - for now though we're giving the spotlight to the Odin and the Odin alone as it deserves the attention

To be entirely honest with you I had no idea what to expect initially. My very first thoughts, before any impressions rolled in were in the direction of a Legend X + that sweet estat treble (and I called the quad estats, just for the record - yes yes, I know I'm petty ). Truthfully, I still think that could be one hell of a release, and it absolutely should happen, maybe called Thor Odinson, with a blue abalone thunder faceplate, as an alternative co-TOTL along with the Odin

As to the whole burn-in and whatnot, I'm leaving the Odin to play 24/7 so by the time the full on official review is out and about it will be burned in, but I'm personally not a big believer at all in that, so feel free to disregard the impressions below and skip straight to the final review

Anyhow, to finally get back to the Odin - as a sort of most general summary of what the Odin is like, it is a super jacked up U/A18t (64Audio) - very similar midrange, with more and better bass (in terms of decay, texture and impact) and similar, but somewhat sparklier treble. They're similarly (and incredibly) detailed, with very good separation, dynamics and resolution. I'd say the Odin does have the upper hand here especially since the bass adds a whole new aspect to its ultra-resolving nature, and I've actually ranked down the A18t in my personal ranking as a result of that.

The Odin is what I'd say a sort of bright/reference audiophile monitor, with an extra dose of bass to escape the anaemic nature of reference IEMs - the twin W9+ drivers do a really good job at providing a good balance between decay, control and impact.

The midrange has excellent clarity, but is definitely more clarity than texture focused. I think this works well with the rest of the tuning of the Odin, though I do find a bit more warmth through the mids would be good - I'll experiment with some different sources and cables to see if I can get it there. As I said earlier it reminds me to a very large extent to that of the A18t, and is what I'd imagine the Zeus delivers. I haven't heard it myself though, so I'm just going off Head-Fi reviews here. I only have the LPGT on me at the moment which I fear may be a tad too neutral for the Odin.

The treble of the Odin delivers and then some. I've heard quad estats only in the MMR Thummim, and ever since I've been waiting to see how other manufacturers implement them - Empire Ears did an excellent job here and used them to deliver an excellent sense of air, space and extension. The Odin is definitely on the brighter side, and is notably brighter than the Thummim, but thankfully it is completely sibilance-free. Some higher register vocals do get a bit hot at times, which is relatively normal for brighter monitors and poorer recordings (happened on the IER Z1R all the time).

In order to pull off a reference monitor well the technical ability has to be absolutely on point, and in that respect the Odin doesn't hesitate - it has excellent depth, with decently good width - it isn't the widest I've heard a monitor stretch but it's definitely not intimate either (or well, narrow lol). The detail retrieval is excellent throughout the entire spectrum, and this is where the W9+ drivers will really make the difference for the Odin as a reference IEM - where most others mostly focus on detail in the midrange and treble, the Odin is able to do so for the entire FR, and that is a significant advantage.

Initial verdict? The Odin is most definitely an audiophile's monitor, in the more classic sense of that term. I'm definitely going to need a somewhat longer time to evaluate it as the majority of my collection currently has a much high degree of coloration and exaggeration, but I'm certainly excited to be spending loads of time with it in the weeks to come

 

[Deezel177]

Here we go! I took half a day off work to be able to properly write up my initial thoughts on the Odin and then make a short comparison against the Thummim as that's been one of the most frequently requested shootouts - for now though we're giving the spotlight to the Odin and the Odin alone as it deserves the attention

To be entirely honest with you I had no idea what to expect initially. My very first thoughts, before any impressions rolled in were in the direction of a Legend X + that sweet estat treble (and I called the quad estats, just for the record - yes yes, I know I'm petty ). Truthfully, I still think that could be one hell of a release, and it absolutely should happen, maybe called Thor Odinson, with a blue abalone thunder faceplate, as an alternative co-TOTL along with the Odin

As to the whole burn-in and whatnot, I'm leaving the Odin to play 24/7 so by the time the full on official review is out and about it will be burned in, but I'm personally not a big believer at all in that, so feel free to disregard the impressions below and skip straight to the final review

Anyhow, to finally get back to the Odin - as a sort of most general summary of what the Odin is like, it is a super jacked up U/A18t (64Audio) - very similar midrange, with more and better bass (in terms of decay, texture and impact) and similar, but somewhat sparklier treble. They're similarly (and incredibly) detailed, with very good separation, dynamics and resolution. I'd say the Odin does have the upper hand here especially since the bass adds a whole new aspect to its ultra-resolving nature, and I've actually ranked down the A18t in my personal ranking as a result of that.

The Odin is what I'd say a sort of bright/reference audiophile monitor, with an extra dose of bass to escape the anaemic nature of reference IEMs - the twin W9+ drivers do a really good job at providing a good balance between decay, control and impact.

The midrange has excellent clarity, but is definitely more clarity than texture focused. I think this works well with the rest of the tuning of the Odin, though I do find a bit more warmth through the mids would be good - I'll experiment with some different sources and cables to see if I can get it there. As I said earlier it reminds me to a very large extent to that of the A18t, and is what I'd imagine the Zeus delivers. I haven't heard it myself though, so I'm just going off Head-Fi reviews here. I only have the LPGT on me at the moment which I fear may be a tad too neutral for the Odin.

The treble of the Odin delivers and then some. I've heard quad estats only in the MMR Thummim, and ever since I've been waiting to see how other manufacturers implement them - Empire Ears did an excellent job here and used them to deliver an excellent sense of air, space and extension. The Odin is definitely on the brighter side, and is notably brighter than the Thummim, but thankfully it is completely sibilance-free. Some higher register vocals do get a bit hot at times, which is relatively normal for brighter monitors and poorer recordings (happened on the IER Z1R all the time).

In order to pull off a reference monitor well the technical ability has to be absolutely on point, and in that respect the Odin doesn't hesitate - it has excellent depth, with decently good width - it isn't the widest I've heard a monitor stretch but it's definitely not intimate either (or well, narrow lol). The detail retrieval is excellent throughout the entire spectrum, and this is where the W9+ drivers will really make the difference for the Odin as a reference IEM - where most others mostly focus on detail in the midrange and treble, the Odin is able to do so for the entire FR, and that is a significant advantage.

Initial verdict? The Odin is most definitely an audiophile's monitor, in the more classic sense of that term. I'm definitely going to need a somewhat longer time to evaluate it as the majority of my collection currently has a much high degree of coloration and exaggeration, but I'm certainly excited to be spending loads of time with it in the weeks to come

Technically, you've also heard quad e-stats on the Wraith, but we all know how you feel about that one.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Technically, you've also heard quad e-stats on the Wraith, but we all know how you feel about that one.

I should’ve been more specific there haha - quad estat single transformer

 

[cr3ativ3]

Here we go! I took half a day off work to be able to properly write up my initial thoughts on the Odin and then make a short comparison against the Thummim as that's been one of the most frequently requested shootouts - for now though we're giving the spotlight to the Odin and the Odin alone as it deserves the attention

To be entirely honest with you I had no idea what to expect initially. My very first thoughts, before any impressions rolled in were in the direction of a Legend X + that sweet estat treble (and I called the quad estats, just for the record - yes yes, I know I'm petty ). Truthfully, I still think that could be one hell of a release, and it absolutely should happen, maybe called Thor Odinson, with a blue abalone thunder faceplate, as an alternative co-TOTL along with the Odin

As to the whole burn-in and whatnot, I'm leaving the Odin to play 24/7 so by the time the full on official review is out and about it will be burned in, but I'm personally not a big believer at all in that, so feel free to disregard the impressions below and skip straight to the final review

Anyhow, to finally get back to the Odin - as a sort of most general summary of what the Odin is like, it is a super jacked up U/A18t (64Audio) - very similar midrange, with more and better bass (in terms of decay, texture and impact) and similar, but somewhat sparklier treble. They're similarly (and incredibly) detailed, with very good separation, dynamics and resolution. I'd say the Odin does have the upper hand here especially since the bass adds a whole new aspect to its ultra-resolving nature, and I've actually ranked down the A18t in my personal ranking as a result of that.

The Odin is what I'd say a sort of bright/reference audiophile monitor, with an extra dose of bass to escape the anaemic nature of reference IEMs - the twin W9+ drivers do a really good job at providing a good balance between decay, control and impact.

The midrange has excellent clarity, but is definitely more clarity than texture focused. I think this works well with the rest of the tuning of the Odin, though I do find a bit more warmth through the mids would be good - I'll experiment with some different sources and cables to see if I can get it there. As I said earlier it reminds me to a very large extent to that of the A18t, and is what I'd imagine the Zeus delivers. I haven't heard it myself though, so I'm just going off Head-Fi reviews here. I only have the LPGT on me at the moment which I fear may be a tad too neutral for the Odin.

The treble of the Odin delivers and then some. I've heard quad estats only in the MMR Thummim, and ever since I've been waiting to see how other manufacturers implement them - Empire Ears did an excellent job here and used them to deliver an excellent sense of air, space and extension. The Odin is definitely on the brighter side, and is notably brighter than the Thummim, but thankfully it is completely sibilance-free. Some higher register vocals do get a bit hot at times, which is relatively normal for brighter monitors and poorer recordings (happened on the IER Z1R all the time).

In order to pull off a reference monitor well the technical ability has to be absolutely on point, and in that respect the Odin doesn't hesitate - it has excellent depth, with decently good width - it isn't the widest I've heard a monitor stretch but it's definitely not intimate either (or well, narrow lol). The detail retrieval is excellent throughout the entire spectrum, and this is where the W9+ drivers will really make the difference for the Odin as a reference IEM - where most others mostly focus on detail in the midrange and treble, the Odin is able to do so for the entire FR, and that is a significant advantage.

Initial verdict? The Odin is most definitely an audiophile's monitor, in the more classic sense of that term. I'm definitely going to need a somewhat longer time to evaluate it as the majority of my collection currently has a much high degree of coloration and exaggeration, but I'm certainly excited to be spending loads of time with it in the weeks to come

+1 for Thor Odins son !

 

[stephenkostas]

Sooo ... any chance of any full fledged Hero reviews being published anytime soon? Like before they are in the hands of consumers?

Just getting started on my serious listening right now. I’ll have a review by the end of the week. I’m bringing a few friends along for comparison...

 

[proedros]

Here we go! I took half a day off work to be able to properly write up my initial thoughts on the Odin and then make a short comparison against the Thummim as that's been one of the most frequently requested shootouts - for now though we're giving the spotlight to the Odin and the Odin alone as it deserves the attention

To be entirely honest with you I had no idea what to expect initially. My very first thoughts, before any impressions rolled in were in the direction of a Legend X + that sweet estat treble (and I called the quad estats, just for the record - yes yes, I know I'm petty ). Truthfully, I still think that could be one hell of a release, and it absolutely should happen, maybe called Thor Odinson, with a blue abalone thunder faceplate, as an alternative co-TOTL along with the Odin

As to the whole burn-in and whatnot, I'm leaving the Odin to play 24/7 so by the time the full on official review is out and about it will be burned in, but I'm personally not a big believer at all in that, so feel free to disregard the impressions below and skip straight to the final review

Anyhow, to finally get back to the Odin - as a sort of most general summary of what the Odin is like, it is a super jacked up U/A18t (64Audio) - very similar midrange, with more and better bass (in terms of decay, texture and impact) and similar, but somewhat sparklier treble. They're similarly (and incredibly) detailed, with very good separation, dynamics and resolution. I'd say the Odin does have the upper hand here especially since the bass adds a whole new aspect to its ultra-resolving nature, and I've actually ranked down the A18t in my personal ranking as a result of that.

The Odin is what I'd say a sort of bright/reference audiophile monitor, with an extra dose of bass to escape the anaemic nature of reference IEMs - the twin W9+ drivers do a really good job at providing a good balance between decay, control and impact.

The midrange has excellent clarity, but is definitely more clarity than texture focused. I think this works well with the rest of the tuning of the Odin, though I do find a bit more warmth through the mids would be good - I'll experiment with some different sources and cables to see if I can get it there. As I said earlier it reminds me to a very large extent to that of the A18t, and is what I'd imagine the Zeus delivers. I haven't heard it myself though, so I'm just going off Head-Fi reviews here. I only have the LPGT on me at the moment which I fear may be a tad too neutral for the Odin.

The treble of the Odin delivers and then some. I've heard quad estats only in the MMR Thummim, and ever since I've been waiting to see how other manufacturers implement them - Empire Ears did an excellent job here and used them to deliver an excellent sense of air, space and extension. The Odin is definitely on the brighter side, and is notably brighter than the Thummim, but thankfully it is completely sibilance-free. Some higher register vocals do get a bit hot at times, which is relatively normal for brighter monitors and poorer recordings (happened on the IER Z1R all the time).

In order to pull off a reference monitor well the technical ability has to be absolutely on point, and in that respect the Odin doesn't hesitate - it has excellent depth, with decently good width - it isn't the widest I've heard a monitor stretch but it's definitely not intimate either (or well, narrow lol). The detail retrieval is excellent throughout the entire spectrum, and this is where the W9+ drivers will really make the difference for the Odin as a reference IEM - where most others mostly focus on detail in the midrange and treble, the Odin is able to do so for the entire FR, and that is a significant advantage.

Initial verdict? The Odin is most definitely an audiophile's monitor, in the more classic sense of that term. I'm definitely going to need a somewhat longer time to evaluate it as the majority of my collection currently has a much high degree of coloration and exaggeration, but I'm certainly excited to be spending loads of time with it in the weeks to come

great (initial) writeup , your opinion matters a lot as you tell it raw/don't sugarcoat and you also have a big arsenal of TOTL iems

the bold part has sold me 100% (not that i wasn't already sold) , now the quest to find those elusive 3.5K.........

 

[szore]

Here we go! I took half a day off work to be able to properly write up my initial thoughts on the Odin and then make a short comparison against the Thummim as that's been one of the most frequently requested shootouts - for now though we're giving the spotlight to the Odin and the Odin alone as it deserves the attention

To be entirely honest with you I had no idea what to expect initially. My very first thoughts, before any impressions rolled in were in the direction of a Legend X + that sweet estat treble (and I called the quad estats, just for the record - yes yes, I know I'm petty ). Truthfully, I still think that could be one hell of a release, and it absolutely should happen, maybe called Thor Odinson, with a blue abalone thunder faceplate, as an alternative co-TOTL along with the Odin

As to the whole burn-in and whatnot, I'm leaving the Odin to play 24/7 so by the time the full on official review is out and about it will be burned in, but I'm personally not a big believer at all in that, so feel free to disregard the impressions below and skip straight to the final review

Anyhow, to finally get back to the Odin - as a sort of most general summary of what the Odin is like, it is a super jacked up U/A18t (64Audio) - very similar midrange, with more and better bass (in terms of decay, texture and impact) and similar, but somewhat sparklier treble. They're similarly (and incredibly) detailed, with very good separation, dynamics and resolution. I'd say the Odin does have the upper hand here especially since the bass adds a whole new aspect to its ultra-resolving nature, and I've actually ranked down the A18t in my personal ranking as a result of that.

The Odin is what I'd say a sort of bright/reference audiophile monitor, with an extra dose of bass to escape the anaemic nature of reference IEMs - the twin W9+ drivers do a really good job at providing a good balance between decay, control and impact.

The midrange has excellent clarity, but is definitely more clarity than texture focused. I think this works well with the rest of the tuning of the Odin, though I do find a bit more warmth through the mids would be good - I'll experiment with some different sources and cables to see if I can get it there. As I said earlier it reminds me to a very large extent to that of the A18t, and is what I'd imagine the Zeus delivers. I haven't heard it myself though, so I'm just going off Head-Fi reviews here. I only have the LPGT on me at the moment which I fear may be a tad too neutral for the Odin.

The treble of the Odin delivers and then some. I've heard quad estats only in the MMR Thummim, and ever since I've been waiting to see how other manufacturers implement them - Empire Ears did an excellent job here and used them to deliver an excellent sense of air, space and extension. The Odin is definitely on the brighter side, and is notably brighter than the Thummim, but thankfully it is completely sibilance-free. Some higher register vocals do get a bit hot at times, which is relatively normal for brighter monitors and poorer recordings (happened on the IER Z1R all the time).

In order to pull off a reference monitor well the technical ability has to be absolutely on point, and in that respect the Odin doesn't hesitate - it has excellent depth, with decently good width - it isn't the widest I've heard a monitor stretch but it's definitely not intimate either (or well, narrow lol). The detail retrieval is excellent throughout the entire spectrum, and this is where the W9+ drivers will really make the difference for the Odin as a reference IEM - where most others mostly focus on detail in the midrange and treble, the Odin is able to do so for the entire FR, and that is a significant advantage.

Initial verdict? The Odin is most definitely an audiophile's monitor, in the more classic sense of that term. I'm definitely going to need a somewhat longer time to evaluate it as the majority of my collection currently has a much high degree of coloration and exaggeration, but I'm certainly excited to be spending loads of time with it in the weeks to come

I find the Odin less than compelling in all descriptions I have read so far. $3,400? Plus tax? And the SS isnt that wide? Warm but detailed mids? Too bright?

 

[aaf evo]

I find the Odin less than compelling in all descriptions I have read so far. $3,400? Plus tax? And the SS isnt that wide? Warm but detailed mids? Too bright?

As someone who has the Odin on pre order I am also feeling a bit underwhelmed by a lot of stuff I am reading. Particularly what’s written about the mids (I’m a big fan of the erlkonig’s mids which this seems to be rather different from based off of what I have read) seems it won’t really fit in line with my current preferences nor will it offer me something drastically different than my A18s, however, I’m still excited to receive it and I’ll let my ears decide ultimately.

 

[mvvRAZ]

great (initial) writeup , your opinion matters a lot as you tell it raw/don't sugarcoat and you also have a big arsenal of TOTL iems

the bold part has sold me 100% (not that i wasn't already sold) , now the quest to find those elusive 3.5K.........

The Odin is a bit tougher for me than it is usually, since I haven’t really played with as many reference monitors recently. I think as you’re a huge fan of the Zeus, the Odin is the most natural upgrade there is for you.

I find the Odin less than compelling in all descriptions I have read so far. $3,400? Plus tax? And the SS isnt that wide? Warm but detailed mids? Too bright?

The midrange is very detailed but i wouldn’t call it warm personally. I was mentioning that I’d like to experiment with some more sources to infuse some warmth into it. The Eletech Socrates already did a good job in that respect

Honestly having owned the majority of the TOTLs that this market has produced I can definitely say the Odin is an easy recommendation where neutral/brighter IEMs are sought out

As someone who has the Odin on pre order I am also feeling a bit underwhelmed by a lot of stuff I am reading. Particularly what’s written about the mids (I’m a big fan of the erlkonig’s mids which this seems to be rather different from based off of what I have read) seems it won’t really fit in line with my current preferences nor will it offer me something drastically different than my A18s, however, I’m still excited to receive it and I’ll let my ears decide ultimately.

You and I have somewhat different impressions of the A18S but I’d say the Odin and the A18S are very, very different where tonality is concerned