Empire Ears - Discussion & Impressions (Formerly EarWerkz)
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:02 AM Post #23,942 of 40,345
Again, you genuinely have to be an absolute dumbаss for that to be your take. If you don't understand measurements, or understand the claims being made by people that do understand them—or more likely, both—feel free to just say that instead of getting defensive about your own ignorance. Here is a great explainer for a version of you who's more interested in learning than in getting outlandishly dismissive about things that he doesn't understand.
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:10 AM Post #23,944 of 40,345
BBB8DBC9-8610-4C36-917C-172A454CF294.jpeg
OdinGraph.png
 
Last edited:
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:18 AM Post #23,945 of 40,345
For me personally it’s taken a little while to appreciate the reference/analytical tone in the midrange. It’s making me realise how warm basically every IEM that I’ve owned prior sounds. It’s definitely grown on me in the last 24 hours though :)

100% agree on your impressions. Straight out of the box, I could not listen to it for more than couple of mins. The “brightness” of the mids drove me nuts. Coming from the Elysium and Legend X plus the early impressions, this was something I was totally not expecting. However 8-10hrs of burn in and read more reviews and impressions from the rest, it’s def growing on me. I realize that the Odin was tuned to be an audiophile’s monitor with very neutral, reference signature. Some may ask well what is reference; the Odin to me is an extremely transparent and honest IEM that gives you what the recording was meant to sound like without adding any colors to it. The quality of the recoding matters quite a bit. Technicalities wise, EE has done an amazing job. Staging, imaging, separation, layering etc etc are all performing in excess of TOTL. Stormbreaker is still burning in and I’m listening to the Odin with the Code51 and the synergy to me is really good. Female Jazz vocals are simply sublime to me. It’s not the thick, liquid organic vocals I’m used to with the Elysium but it’s very real and extremely detailed. U can hear every single breath and nuances in the voices. So here are my early impressions. At this point I do not think it is for everyone or an all rounder, but for what it’s designed and tuned for, Its an amazing IEM. The legend X will be a good complimentary IEM, so those who are thinking of selling their Legend X and getting an Odin, please hold your horses and have an audition first before making any decisions.
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:24 AM Post #23,946 of 40,345
I know! It's madness! And because of that I expected nothing but mediocrity; I actually bought them in the hope of derailing the hype train that's followed these IEMs since launch, mainly due to HBB's review (for my own curiosity, not out of any vendetta or axe to grind). Colour me completely surprised (and humbled).

To be fair, Crin doesn't tip roll or cable roll with IEMs because he wants his impressions to be 'as purchased'. And the BLONs need serious tip and cable rolling, plus you have to be lucky in the ear shape department for them to fit well enough for a seal (I tried 5 different tips and 3 different cables before I found a combination that fit, let alone sounded good).

Also to be fair, these are not as technically proficient as my Nios, let alone the U12t or anything further up the ladder like Odin. Let's not get carried away now. But if you put these in my ears and told me they were worth $500 I'd believe you. They have an absolutely pleasing, wide, deep, ease-listening sound signature with superb bass impact and sub-bass rumble, decent albeit slightly recessed mids (that the Lotoo somehow cleans up and polishes superbly), and a relaxed treble with enough detail and air to satisfy.

Put it another way, I have two pairs of Andromedas here as well for review, and I absolutely prefer listening to the BLONs with each and every track I've sampled on both. Are the Andros more technically astute? Sure. Do I care? No.

A nicely, coherently-weaved tonality/soundscape can go a long way. :wink:
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:31 AM Post #23,948 of 40,345
100% agree on your impressions. Straight out of the box, I could not listen to it for more than couple of mins. The “brightness” of the mids drove me nuts. Coming from the Elysium and Legend X plus the early impressions, this was something I was totally not expecting. However 8-10hrs of burn in and read more reviews and impressions from the rest, it’s def growing on me. I realize that the Odin was tuned to be an audiophile’s monitor with very neutral, reference signature. Some may ask well what is reference; the Odin to me is an extremely transparent and honest IEM that gives you what the recording was meant to sound like without adding any colors to it. The quality of the recoding matters quite a bit. Technicalities wise, EE has done an amazing job. Staging, imaging, separation, layering etc etc are all performing in excess of TOTL. Stormbreaker is still burning in and I’m listening to the Odin with the Code51 and the synergy to me is really good. Female Jazz vocals are simply sublime to me. It’s not the thick, liquid organic vocals I’m used to with the Elysium but it’s very real and extremely detailed. U can hear every single breath and nuances in the voices. So here are my early impressions. At this point I do not think it is for everyone or an all rounder, but for what it’s designed and tuned for, Its an amazing IEM. The legend X will be a good complimentary IEM, so those who are thinking of selling their Legend X and getting an Odin, please hold your horses and have an audition first before making any decisions.
Going A/B from the Legend X to something like the Odin (I have done so myself) to me is like jumping from a hot tub into a pool or vice versa... the temperature of what you're going into from the other is always going to feel more extreme than it actually is. If that makes sense... The upper mids of Odin will seem like they are absolutely blasting you once your brain has normalized the sound of the LX. It actually isn't the case though and that's soon realized after your brain normalizes to the sound of the Odin. Then going from the Odin to the LX, the LX sounds wonky again for a bit. It's maddening.
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:34 AM Post #23,949 of 40,345
Going A/B from the Legend X to something like the Odin (I have done so myself) to me is like jumping from a hot tub into a pool or vice versa... the temperature of what you're going into from the other is always going to feel more extreme than it actually is. If that makes sense... The upper mids of Odin will seem like they are absolutely blasting you once your brain has normalized the sound of the LX. It actually isn't the case though and that's soon realized after your brain normalizes to the sound of the Odin. Then going from the Odin to the LX, the LX sounds wonky again for a bit. It's maddening.
That’s a perfect example of „brain burn in“ :wink:
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:35 AM Post #23,950 of 40,345
Going A/B from the Legend X to something like the Odin (I have done so myself) to me is like jumping from a hot tub into a pool or vice versa... the temperature of what you're going into from the other is always going to feel more extreme than it actually is. If that makes sense... The upper mids of Odin will seem like they are absolutely blasting you once your brain has normalized the sound of the LX. It actually isn't the case though and that's soon realized after your brain normalizes to the sound of the Odin. Then going from the Odin to the LX, the LX sounds wonky again for a bit. It's maddening.

True. If I listen to any of my IEMs for weeks at a time and go to another, it just not sounds right until I get in tune with its sound. My Tia Trio sounded lite in the mids after listening to my JH Audio Angie for extended days. After I listened to Trio for longer, it was burned into my brain and is seen as the fun IEM that I always knew.
 
Last edited:
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:37 AM Post #23,951 of 40,345
interesting thing is that Odin has less bass compared to Legend X and cleaner bass boost overall (it rises lower in the bass region) but Legend X has more upper treble energy despite the use of 4 electret tweeters on Odin
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:40 AM Post #23,952 of 40,345
Oh my god, it's a Crin graph. Now we all TRULY know how it sounds!! Yasssss
I don't use his graphs as the end all, be all, but I use them as a reference to check IEM's I know I like the sound of against other IEM's that I might go after. In looking at this graph of the Odin it appears to be in the ballpark of the sound I liked in the Trio with somewhat less aggressive treble. Unfortunately both the Trio and Odin are above my cost comfort range.
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:46 AM Post #23,953 of 40,345
I don't use his graphs as the end all, be all, but I use them as a reference to check IEM's I know I like the sound of against other IEM's that I might go after. In looking at this graph of the Odin it appears to be in the ballpark of the sound I liked in the Trio with somewhat less aggressive treble. Unfortunately both the Trio and Odin are above my cost comfort range.
Oh I use his graphs for the same, a point of reference. I was just goofing around being facetious.
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:48 AM Post #23,954 of 40,345
Oh I use his graphs for the same, a point of reference. I was just goofing around being facetious.
His graphs get you in the ballpark. Your ears have to do the rest. There are no shortcuts to listening in personal audio.
 
Aug 21, 2020 at 11:50 AM Post #23,955 of 40,345
True. If I listen to any of my IEMs for weeks at a time and go to another, it just not sound right until I get in tune with its sound. My Tia Trio sounded lite in the mids after listening to my JH Audio Angie for extended days. After I listened to Trio for longer, it was burned into my brain and is seen as the fun IEM that I always knew.
Exactly why I'd never listen to one IEM/headphone after another. It's either or. The only time I listen in sequence is when I'm reviewing, and then you WANT to hear differences/similarities.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top