[NovaFlyer]

I was in CanJam SoCal today and had a chance to talk to Jack Vang. Especially I had a chance to listen to both Wraith and Valkyrie and my impression (to my ears) is going to Valkyrie which SQ is perfect fit to my taste. The high is smooth and liquid, the midrange is so lush and very defined and punchy bass. I fell in love right away with its SQ and light weight too and small compared to Wraith. Jack told me it comes with EA Eros II 4wire. Valkyrie will be my second best TOTL (I am considering that!) or maybe first to Phantoms I own.

I listened to the Valkryie as well today at CanJam, and immediately knew that I wanted to put it on my buy list. I think it's a great all-around IEM for the majority of music I listen too - rock, jazz, etc! Compared to the Phantoms I own, the bass has just a bit more rumble and the treble (cymbals and like instruments) have just a tad more presence / sparkle. If I had a choice between the two, I would pick the Valkryie. However, the other type of music I like is movie soundtracks (e.g. Star Wars, The Dark Knight, etc) and I think the Legend X is a better fit that type as I get more bass and sub-bass rumble, just like playing the move on a home system with subwoofers.

 

[420204]

Wraith was featured with first impressions in today's Picture Sunday post on Headfonia:
https://www.headfonia.com/picture-sunday-empire-ears-wraith/

 

[Fr_eak]

Well after days or even weeks of reading and debating between a Zeus XIV and the Phantom, I have gone with KuroKitsu's Phantom.

Hope I made the right choice. Coming from a Noble Encore which had great clarity and soundstage but too dry and clinical for my liking (I preferred the Katana) I'm hoping the Phantom isn't too much of a swing in the other direction.

Musically I like Olafur Arnalds, Max Richter, Johann Johannsson etc... so again I think these should be nice with that type of music.

The question is the cabling.. I have a Linsoul LSC09 silver plated copper cable but wonder if the full silver PW cable is the way to go.

I have both the Phantom and Katana. They are indeed pretty different but both have emphasis in the mid range (broadly speaking), but in a very different way IMO. Phantom is famous for its lush thick warm mids, while Katana focuses on clarity and forwardness. At first I did find Phantom veiled, but after a while of adjustment, I find myself immensely enjoying the more organic and full sound the Phantom is offering than the Katana. Both have its strength and weaknesses without a doubt.

Regarding cabling, I don't find pure silver cable a good match with Phantom, contrary to the general concensus I suppose. I tried pure silver, silver gold alloy, gold plated silver, but ultimately settled with a good pure copper cable instead. Why? Because the Phantom has a lower treble peak which I found silver cables pushed that a bit too far, and a bit the lushness in the mids.

I find tip rolling very important as well. I tried many (literally, including the latest spiral dot ++) but I find the AET07 strikes the best balance in terms of clarity, soundstage and warmth.

Of course just my 2 cents

 

[SBranson]

I have both the Phantom and Katana. They are indeed pretty different but both have emphasis in the mid range (broadly speaking), but in a very different way IMO. Phantom is famous for its lush thick warm mids, while Katana focuses on clarity and forwardness. At first I did find Phantom veiled, but after a while of adjustment, I find myself immensely enjoying the more organic and full sound the Phantom is offering than the Katana. Both have its strength and weaknesses without a doubt.

Regarding cabling, I don't find pure silver cable a good match with Phantom, contrary to the general concensus I suppose. I tried pure silver, silver gold alloy, gold plated silver, but ultimately settled with a good pure copper cable instead. Why? Because the Phantom has a lower treble peak which I found silver cables pushed that a bit too far, and a bit the lushness in the mids.

I find tip rolling very important as well. I tried many (literally, including the latest spiral dot ++) but I find the AET07 strikes the best balance in terms of clarity, soundstage and warmth.

Of course just my 2 cents

Thanks for th helpful information. I sold the Katanas mainly for fit issues. Even though I had the very small and unobtrusive Wizard model, (still don't know how they fit 9 BAs in that tiny tiny shell), the right one would sometimes block off in my ear if I lowered my head a certain way. I find that with the Encores a bit but less frequently. Never had that trouble with the Sage or Savant though.

I have several cables to try and got the silver because I knew I'd always wonder and will sell it if I don't like it's effects. Also, I'm approaching 50 in a few weeks so a little extra zing up top is not usually a detriment to my ears.
I have several tips to try, spinfit/spiraldots/Symbio/Final... but never heard of the the AET07.. I'll check them out.. thanks
Are the ++ version of the spiral dots that different?

 

[Vitaly2017]

I've got about a day and a bit with em before I ship em off to @SBranson.

Love the Zeus and Phantom still for pure BA models, they compliment each other well but I wished those things existed in one model. There were swaths of my collection for each of them where it was just hard to enjoy. I'm hoping that Wraith is that thing.

Im the meantime I have found that elusive signature in the form of the Noble Khan (so much for my pure BA mentality eh?)

I'm just waiting for that email from my dealer: "Wraith demos are in, come in and try it sometime"

I've also done a mountain of cable and dar rolling as well. Sucking up having to retag and reencoded embedded album art for the WM1A.

Ooo sad you didn't keep the phantoms but I understand. It is true that the phantom dont shine with all type off music specialy classic those instruments that need air and high extending notes into the 12k and above. phantom has reduced treble well for me its good but for classical genras....

I had a tia forte and it was really good at it but when listening to my regular edm and spotify darn that peaky treble just pierced my ears and i got rid of it...
Phantom won in the long run.

My huge surprise i heard the sennheiser h-1 and did not like it lol was not impressive enough for a 50 000 $ tag price lo lo lo. By no means it sounded good but not my type of sound signature see...

For me Zeus and phantom same story, this why I stick with phantom for now.


I wish I could throw that H-1 down the highway so you could pick it up lmao but it wasn't mine haha

 

[subguy812]

thank God I am broke , and thank Jack i still love my Zeus - but this description really made my spider senses go mad

btw , a friend of mine came by yesterday and knowing my head-fi craze ,he asked to see what the fuss is all about

so i let him try my Custom Zeus XR + Lionheart 4-wire 4.4mm + sony WM1A

i should have recorded him , i mean the guy was really MIND****ED by the experience - at some point he started going ' this is like being in the studio when the music was recorded' - he was also mesmerized by the 'soundstage' and how he heard things in the recordings he had not heard all these years 9i plaayed for him some albums which he also loves and knows by heart)

after hearing about 20 minutes , he just shook my hand and congratulated me about 'my vision'

then again , it must be something going from shi.tty apple buds to Zeus in a matter of seconds

we are now talking about him getting something cheap as an entry point in this hobby (maybe a clip+ and a re600?)

The Zeus can do that to you....creates slack jaw

 

[goodvibes]

Wraith was featured with first impressions in today's Picture Sunday post on Headfonia:
https://www.headfonia.com/picture-sunday-empire-ears-wraith/

Looks like a nice take. 2 transformers sounds like the stats are push-pull. If pulled off, it will be awesome to have this level of refinement without a dedicated power supply.

 

[rwelles]

Wraith was featured with first impressions in today's Picture Sunday post on Headfonia:
https://www.headfonia.com/picture-sunday-empire-ears-wraith/

The article mentions that the nominal impedance is 4 ohms. I'm wondering how this impacts amp noise...

 

[Deezel177]

The article mentions that the nominal impedance is 4 ohms. I'm wondering how this impacts amp noise...

It’s much less hiss-prone than the Phantom or the Zeus.

 

[rwelles]

It’s much less hiss-prone than the Phantom or the Zeus.

That's great news!! I've only had the Zeus for a few months, but in that time, I've fallen in love* with "R" tuning. My only two complaints are 1) a very small touch of sweetness in the lower treble which makes things sound a bit better than they actually are, and 2) it could stand a very small touch more of bass foundation. Based on early reports, I'm guessing that 1) is well addressed with the ESTs, but I'm hoping that the bass increase only very minor.


*yeah, I know it's a sad sign...

 

[Deezel177]

That's great news!! I've only had the Zeus for a few months, but in that time, I've fallen in love* with "R" tuning. My only two complaints are 1) a very small touch of sweetness in the lower treble which makes things sound a bit better than they actually are, and 2) it could stand a very small touch more of bass foundation. Based on early reports, I'm guessing that 1) is well addressed with the ESTs, but I'm hoping that the bass increase only very minor.


*yeah, I know it's a sad sign...

If that’s the case, the Wraith does sound like a promising proposition for you.

 

[rwelles]

If that’s the case, the Wraith does sound like a promising proposition for you.

My ears love you, but my wallet HATES you!!!

 

[mwhals]

So how does Wraith compare to Legend X and Phantom, since those are the only Empire Ears IEMs I have heard, which I had on loan from them?

 

[Vitaly2017]

So how does Wraith compare to Legend X and Phantom, since those are the only Empire Ears IEMs I have heard, which I had on loan from them?

Think of zeus on steroids haha and very powerful with huge striking thunders lmao

 

[mwhals]

Think of zeus on steroids haha and very powerful with huge striking thunders lmao

Thanks, but having never heard Zeus I have a hard time visioning it.