ctsooner22
1000+ Head-Fier
Dude, what until you hear what the Vandersteen's do!!!! I know that your ear is OUTSTANDING. For someone your age, that is incredible as most ears need to learn tuning a bit. Not yours. Guys, for those who don't know Ethan well yet, I can promise you that he has an old soul. Dude has a great ear and is so dedicated to music and it's transducers, that he will become one of those irreplaceable folks at EE SOON (probably already there!). Wait until you start to hear what top 2 channel systems do. It will give you a new reference that will help EE going forward as you can share what you are hearing wiht everyone. Sorry to go on, but YOU don't get enough props around here and you deserve it!!!!
Empire Ears Phantom - First Impressions
There was… an idea. An idea to bring together one of the most highly-regarded in-ear manufacturers in the world and one of the most timbre-tuned ears the industry has ever seen - to see if they could become something more; to see if they could build the one IEM that none of us ever could.
And thus... the Phantom was born.
Co-designed by THL’s very own @flinkenick, the Empire Ears Phantom is a five-driver flagship that captains their all-new Professional line-up. Nic first informed me of the Phantom late last year and the hype has only grown ever since. Needless to say, when I finally received them last week ago, my excitement took hold. It was an IEM I wanted to listen to instantly, but that was before I realised how much the Phantom valued patience. But, enough about that for now; let’s talk about build.
I ordered my pair dressed in caviar black and carbon fibre, finished with gold EE emblems cemented (or rather, lacquered) on top. Now, I’ve raved about Empire’s build quality in the past, but they’ve really outdone themselves with my Phantom. Spotlessly lacquered, glamorously glistened and smoothly finished, these IEMs really evoke the classy, suit-and-tie-esque motif I set out to achieve. Fit is - as always - absolutely perfect. Empire Ears make the best-fitting monitors I own, and they are by far the least noticeable in the ear; whether during long mixing sessions or casual listening. The only gripe I have with my pair is the asymmetry between the left and right faceplates. My right ear mould has been used once more than my left one, because I needed to reshell the right side of my Zeus-XR months ago. But, thankfully, that hasn’t affected fit in any way, and I should be sending Empire a fresh set of moulds for them to use for any purchases I make in the near future.
Now, onto…
Sound Impressions
The Phantom is an IEM tuned for utmost candour. While the words that immediately come to mind are natural, uncoloured and transparent, the most universal term I could possibly think of is honest. Through tonal balance, textural resolution and linearity, the Phantom is, essentially, the recording’s slave; rendering every tonal aberration with exceptional - and sometimes painful - accuracy. Now, as a recording engineer, this is a quality I value extremely highly. While IEMs like the Lime Ears Aether constantly tell me I’m doing a good job - even when I’m not - and transducers like the HD800S frustrate me with being unable to get a mix just right, pieces like the Warbler Prelude and the Phantom are capable of guiding me as I mix; confident, assured and motivated. But, with that said, the Phantom isn’t one to dazzle with clarity. In terms of apparent micro-detail retrieval, it isn’t the best I’ve heard. But, by virtue of its timbre-first tuning, it’s fully within its intended philosophy. The Phantom is probably the best IEM I’ve heard when it comes to textural - or bodily - resolution. Instruments carry weight, manifesting themselves as wholly physical beings within the soundstage. And - paired with a warm, gossamer and organic tone - those instruments take on the hue of real life. It’s a sound that’s constantly meaty, fleshy and lively - teeming in a harmonic balance between articulation and overtone. As a result, the Phantom constantly produces images that feel alive, yet understated and effortless. Its stage follows suit; adapting to the recording according to note forwardness, size, compression, etc. It’s a unique presentation that requires patience to adapt to - especially if you’re used to sparklier or crisper signatures. But, patience will be rewarded with immense gratification; a true appreciation for the Phantom’s sincerity, and a new dimension to the principles of aural reproduction as a whole.
The Phantom’s organic signature all starts at the low-end. Serving as a foundation for both its (usually) intimate soundscape and its full-bodied, weighty midrange, the Phantom’s bass is bold, exceptionally extended and admirably linear. Sub-bass quality ranks among the best I’ve ever heard from a balanced-armature driver, reproducing excellent rumble with size - extending this physicality all throughout the stereo image. Though, that’s not to say it’s intrusive in any way, shape or form. The Phantom’s low-end is euphonic and rich, but it remains a supporting character - rather than a star. It barely plays second fiddle to the midrange, but - again - this only goes to show how well the Phantom blends its different compartments together. It’s a symbiotic ebb-and-flow that allows this range to shine equally whether in individual parts or in the collective whole. This is further embodied in the mid-bass. Impact is full and satisfying, with a natural decay by way of an accentuated upper-bass. Notes here come through with a realistic amount of energy, and bass tone and resolution excel with aplomb. Uprights and kick drums particularly shine. This isn’t the kick-y, cut-y and slap-y kind of bass that something like the A18 or the Samba is known for. This is a slower, richer and thicker response that beautifully emulates a smoky jazz club; reverberating all throughout the room with a musical finesse. The upper-bass has a slightly larger role to play (depending on the recording), providing a fullness that’s crucial for reproducing harmonic decay. Overtones ring through with glee and give instruments a bodily weight all too often ignored when tuning a reference IEM. Overall, the Phantom is equipped with a bass appreciable both on its own merits and as a player in the ensemble. As an individual, its extension, definition, tone and texture all deserve mighty praise. And as a whole, its resolution (relative to the overall image) and balance allow it to shine without stepping on anyone’s toes. Again, it won't wow you with gobs of clarity, neither will it kick as hard as EE's dynamic offerings. But, as a tonal piece, it is - to me - one of the all-round best-performing BA basses on the market right now.
The midrange is where the Phantom shows its true colours. Tuned with utmost respect for timbre and organicity, the Phantom is almost obsessed with reproducing a note to its fullest extremities. While reference IEMs have become stereotyped throughout the years as articulative machines (to the point where any company can boast a “reference” signature as long as they have tons of treble and upper-midrange sparkle), the Phantom places as much - or as little - emphasis on the fundamental note, as it does the overtones that follow. Instead of glamorising the leading note like the quarterback of an American football team, the Phantom’s instrumental presentation is a team effort - bolstered by an intricate balance that crafts a whole, live and complete note effable from beginning to end; from its transient to its last decay. This is the kind of transparency that the Phantom was entirely made for. Although it’s capable of excellent detail retrieval due to bidirectional extension, it never overstates nor stylises its presentation. It remains steadfast in an honest portrayal of music through colour and texture. Nic and Empire Ears have achieved this through a palpable - yet even-handed - rise throughout the lower-midrange into the upper-midrange. The former - with added warmth from the mid-and-upper-bass - is responsible for the fullness of the image, while the latter prevents any sense of diffuseness or veil. Again, it’s an honest and delicate balance that can get irked by the wrong pairing - whether in tracks, cables or sources - but its sincerity is crucial for its earnest philosophy: A true portrayal of the producer’s intentions. Particularly poor tracks usually incite little more than harshness and sibilance, but truly any mix is capable of deciding the Phantom’s tonal balance and texture - resulting in a plethora of responses that may range from wet to dry, from congested to splashy, from open to compressed, etc. This particular quality is why I spent almost a full hour re-EQ-ing drums at church, and it’s why I deeply appreciate producers like David Foster infinitely more. The Phantom is where “bad” and “good” - to a degree - suddenly disappear. Instead, you hear different textures, sizes, shades and nuances, varying wildly from one track to another; a true manifestation of transparent or colourless - where the track itself decides the signature of the IEM - the likes of which I’ve never experienced before.
And, with this trend in mind, the treble gleefully follows suit. Aside from a light rise in the lower-treble for a touch of articulation, the Phantom’s top-end is smooth beyond reproach. Many have mistaken this tuning choice for a supposed lack of extension, but that could not be further from the truth. Despite a mere dab of upper-treble sparkle (frugal, compared to thedazzle-y and pizzazz-y treble responses that have become commonplace in the modern TOTL market), the Phantom is more than capable in terms of transparency, detail retrieval and stage stability - due to its exceptionally linear and well extended top-end. The Phantom’s stage may shift if the recording asks it to, but nothing can take away its organically black background (not the man-made ones bred out of pure contrast between an attenuated lower-midrange and an accentuated treble). With a rock-solid, beautifully defined and precisely organised soundstage, the Phantom makes use of its lively, physical instruments to create an engaging, natural and - most of all - balanced image. The top-end’s tuning contributes to this in - ironically - its restraint. Placing just enough energy to shine a soft light upon the stage, the Phantom’s treble takes a back seat in its presentation. But, this shouldn’t be perceived as a lack of clarity. In fact, this laid-backed-ness and lack of microscope-ism is what gives the Phantom organicity - a presentation where instruments are detectable through colour and texture, rather than sheer articulation and micro-detail; a natural, smooth and life-like three-dimensional image from the eye, rather than a 4K, ultra-crisp, 48-FPS computer render. Although enthusiasts of a crisper, contrast-y-er and cleaner treble response will thirst for more energy, the Phantom utilises a tuning that’s rarely sincere; confident in its subtlety, mature in its refinement. This is - by no means - a treble meant for all to enjoy, but it is technically outstanding nonetheless. Professionals will admire its adaptability, honesty and balance, while its achievements in extension, linearity and stability shall hopefully usher in a new era of listening where treble performance is judged by more than just sparkle.
Closing Thoughts… For Now
The Empire Ears Phantom ushers in a new dimension of portable listening. As buzz-y as that may sound, the Phantom is truly the first flagship I’ve heard in years that doesn’t place its sole focus on sheer clarity - instead, it venerates honesty in tone and colour. Doing away with any theatrics for timbre’s sake, the Phantom’s signature fully embodies its namesake - an incorporeal spectre that bares the recording in its truest form. Engineers will - in my experience - automatically appreciate the Phantom’s sincerity; portraying every aberration within the recording with excellent accuracy. However, only time will tell how the Phantom stands among the audiophile crowd. Conditioned by years and years of extra clarity and extra precision, the Phantom will have its merits doubted. But, if one finds themselves patient enough to question what they know about music and the qualities they appreciate from it, the Phantom will open you up to a whole new world: A world full of colours and textures that shift in stunning succession, and one that resurrects what reference should absolutely be all about.
Daniel, you and the other reviewers on the boards are just outstanding. I so enjoy your posts, but when I read the reviews I am blown away. In the 2 channel world, most of the reviewers make their living off of selling the gear they are given or sold as less than 50% off. I only know a few over the years who I trust and you can tell that they are not getting money as their reviews aren't always positive. In any component, you have a compromise. ALL components have this regardless of cost.
What I appreciate most, as do others, is that we can read the review and tell HOW things sound. Not just to your ears, but it's easy to see what you value and when you also own a piece that you are reviewing, it's easy to see how my ears and yours differ and how they are similar. I know that I hear similarly to many of you guys. Just awesome. I need to take a lot of time with a review as it's hard for me to do them now with the MS. Sorry to drone on, but SPOT ON.....(Oh, wait until you get MORE HOURS on them!
. ).Another 2 channel convert new to this head-fi business, new to this thread and new to these, my first set of CIEMS.
With just 3 hours burn in i'll keep my counsel for now and just leave it at Wow! but thank you all for a thoroughly entertaining no to mention educational thread.
Oh and thank you to Ethan and DJ at EE for so efficiently emptying pockets: ordered/impressions delivered last Thursday, arrived in UK last night and i'm sure i'll take them off at some point to go to sleep
Tek: don't want to say I told you so, but when you have so many 2 channel guys Loving these as much as we do, you know they are very very special. So glad that you love them, but you ain't heard nothing yet. Wait for 100 hours and the bass will tighten up and go a bit deeper. The whole spectrum will relax even more. The mids are what start to become very very special. Very few Phantom's have enough hours on them so everything we have heard about or read about gets MUCH better to my ears. I'm using these on my 9k Ayre QX5. Not even in balanced mode, which is what makes the Ayre special. Many folks know the Chord Dave DAC/amp and I purchased the Ayre over it. The Ayre has much more micro and macro detail. It's much deeper and tuneful in the bass and the sound stage and imaging are also better. The Dave has a glorious mid range, but to me the highs have a bit of a boost. The Ayre goes higher in a more realistic way for me. Anyways, when you upscale the components, the Phantoms gets THAT much better. I have a friend who is building a very high end HP amp and I asked him to send me a prototype so that I can help him wiht voicing as I've done for many in the 2 channel realm over the years. It may take me much longer to do this now, but it's still fun on days I'm not able to move around the condo. It's great having other new, 2 channel guys around here. Thanks for posting man.
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and you see the wonder...
