O D I N
The universe needs icons. Those extraordinary few that stand clear of the rest. For these individuals who inspire greatness, only the purest formulation of Empire Ears will do. An icon like no other. A IEM that stands alone - so superlative as to be named after the god of wisdom, poetry, death, divination and magic. Odin has arrived. Its beauty leaves no room for doubt. Its power cannot be reasoned with.
Unquestionably, Odin sits at the pinnacle of the Empire Ears bloodline as our most legendary flagship in-ear monitor ever.
MSRP $3399
PURSUING EXTRAORDINARY
“ODIN is designed to make the most of every moment each listener spends in its company, promising instants of sheer listening euphoria. While conventional IEMs focus on simply reproducing sound, ODIN authoritatively delivers the exacting emotion of every nuance recorded through its extraordinary 5Hz-100kHz frequency response range. These inspirational, dreamlike moments are made possible by the utilization of the three best IEM driver technologies currently available, the most advanced crossover system in the industry, the most potent components we could possibly get our hands on and the masterful tuning by our founder, my father and CTO, Dean Vang.
ODIN is the personification of Empire’s DNA at its most extreme – in design, performance and breadth of capabilities. ODIN rediscovers the true meaning of engagement between listener and IEM.”
Jack Vang
VP of Empire Ears
A TRINITY IN UNITY
ODIN is the most powerful and exclusive IEM in Empire’s history. Boasting three of the industry’s most advanced driver technologies, ODIN is truly a standout tribrid flagship IEM with an uncompromising performance ethos focused on delivering the purest connection between listener and IEM.
Dual W9+ Subwoofers – Sub Bass, Bass
Our signature W9+ dynamic driver brought serious performance to the IEM world by combining the breakthrough of an enclosed woofer in a tuned bass-reflex system. Elevating the W9 design formula to its highest level, the W9+ boasts a larger internal coil diameter, more linear excursion envelope along with a more capable suspension to handle peak-to-peak excursion while mitigating distortion. W9+ extinguishes any limits the previous design had and delivers unparalleled bass on all fronts.
Five Precision Balanced Armature Drivers – Low Mid, Low Mid, Mid, Mid, Mid High
ODIN comes equipped with 5 proprietary balanced armature drivers to deliver the signature midrange that the world has come to know and love from Empire Ears.
Four Electrostatic Drivers – High, High, Ultra High, Ultra High
ODIN masterfully manipulates quadruple electrostatic drivers in unison with our proprietary EIVEC technology to effortlessly reproduce a remarkable 5Hz-100kHz frequency range. The ultralight moving membrane within Odin’s electrostatic drivers give the most accurate transient response, resulting in unparalleled clarity, separation and detail.
synX: Legendary Crossover Network
Genetically dissimilar from the rest of the IEM world, our synX crossover network truly stands out with countless bespoke methods and technologies protecting it as a unique masterpiece. A marriage of 3 different driver technologies become symphonized by a unique, proprietary 7-way synX crossover network designed to maximize performance from each and every driver.
EIVEC: Mastering the Electrostatics
The lightning-quick electrostatic drivers accommodates ODIN’s wide frequency range while remaining balanced and compact. A single bespoke transformer unites the quadruple electrostats via our proprietary EIVEC technology to all of the other components while eliminating any signs of phase incoherence and distortion.
ARC: Resonance Mitigation Technology
ARC (Anti-Resonance Compound) is a proprietary conformal coating that virtually eliminates unwanted vibrations and resonance from within IEMs. ARC effectively increases the mass of the components it’s applied to: every driver, crossover, and sound tube. This gives the internals more solidity while serving as a dampener to absorb the unwanted resonance instead of reflecting them out of phase. With A.R.C. clarity is increased substantially, bass is deeper, and the IEM becomes more efficient.
STORMBREAKER
At Empire Ears we believe that an extraordinary IEM requires an extraordinary cable. For the first time ever we’ve collaborated with bespoke cable manufacturer PWAudio and PENTACONN of Japan to forge a cable worthy of Odin. Introducing Stormbreaker, an ultra premium handcrafted cable comprised of a proprietary USA-sourced OCC Copper Litz configured in a quad conductor, dual guage design wrapped in an elegant black carbon jacket.
Stormbreaker is standard equipped with a CNC silver Valknut y-split featuring a .78 2-pin connector with a 2.5mm balanced termination. 2.5 to 3.5mm & 4.4mm Empire adapters are available.
BIFROST – A Visual Masterpiece
The Bifrost is an ultra-exclusive, one-of-a-kind faceplate designed to optically simulate the mythogical rainbow bridge between Midgard and Asgard, the realm of the gods. The Bifrost features nine individual polymer layers in three proprietary lamination steps and each lamination is unique in its ability to filter and reflect specific wavelengths of light. This results in a faceplate that will produce breathtaking color transitions as the viewing angle changes -- literally shifting before your very eye.
The Bifröst is masterfully handcrafted in the USA by an award winning chemist that currently holds two patents in polymer science for high solids coating chemistry.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
1 – Sub-Bass
1 – Bass
2 – Low Mid
2 - Mid
1 – Mid High
2 - High
2 - Ultra High
108 db SPL @ 1kHz
5Hz – 100Khz Frequency Response
3 Ohms @ 1kHz Impedance
H E R O
Hero is relentless, fierce and unapologetic – a renunciation of rules, preconceptions and everything that’s expected from it. It represents a tour de force of Empire’s expertise and craftsmanship, elevating musicality presentation to a level non-existent in its tier. With DNA sourced directly from Legend X and Zeus XIV, Hero reveres our past to emulate flagship levels of performance without the flagship admission.
The heart of Hero is a proprietary quad hybrid configuration comprised of proprietary triple balanced armatures and a next generation W9+ subwoofer. This staunch combination generates legendary bass response while delivering lush, intimate vocals and supreme detail retrieval via a 4-ways synX crossover network backed by ARC resonance mitigation technology.
Every element of Hero is a combination of reminiscence to our history and it embodies our relentless quest to push the limits of possibility. Its sophisticated design, proprietary technology and extraordinary audio reproduction capabilities make it a class-dominating masterpiece.
MSRP $1,349
A HEROIC HYBRID
Boasting two of the industry’s most advanced driver technologies, HERO is truly a standout hybrid IEM with an uncompromising performance ethos focused on delivering the purest connection between listener and IEM.
W9+ Subwoofer – Sub Bass/Bass
Our signature W9+ dynamic driver brought serious performance to the IEM world by combining the breakthrough of an enclosed woofer in a tuned bass-reflex system. Elevating the W9 design formula to its highest level, the W9+ boasts a larger internal coil diameter, more linear excursion envelope along with a more capable suspension to handle peak-to-peak excursion while mitigating distortion. W9+ extinguishes any limits the previous design had and delivers breathtaking bass on all fronts.
Three Precision Balanced Armature Drivers – Mid, Mid-High, High
Hero comes equipped with 3 proprietary balanced armature drivers to deliver the signature midrange that the world has come to know and love from Empire Ears.
LEGENDARY CROSSOVER SYSTEM
Genetically dissimilar from the rest of the IEM world, our synX crossover system truly stands out with countless bespoke methods and technologies protecting it as a unique masterpiece. A marriage of 2 different driver technologies become symphonized by a unique, proprietary 6-way synX crossover system designed to maximize performance from each and every driver.
ALPHA-IV
At Empire Ears we believe that an extraordinary IEM requires an extraordinary cable. We’re proud to introduce Alpha-IV (A4); a premium handcrafted 4 core cable comprised of a proprietary 26AWG UPOCC Litz Copper with multi-size stranding. The advantage of multi-sized stranded design within the same encapsulations enables A4 to achieve distinct highs and details due to the signal transmission speed in thinner cable strands, while the thicker size cable strands deliver smoother bass and mids.
A4 features a durable, overmolded .78 2-pin connector offered with either a 3.5mm right angle or 2.5mm balanced termination and improves upon the previous cable design. 2.5mm to 4.4mm adapters are available.
BLACK TIDE
Donning a monochromatic black on white theme, Hero features our exclusive “Black Tide” faceplate with the classic Empire wings spanned on the right and “HERO” on the left.
“Black Tide” is proudly handmade in the USA.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
1 – Sub-Bass/Bass
1 – Mid
1 – Mid High
1 - High
105 db SPL @ 1kHz
5Hz – 40kHz Frequency Response
17.6 Ohms @ 1kHz Impedance
Founder's Editions
From the very beginning of our history, IEMs have represented dreams, hopes and aspirations. For Empire, a brand that aims to provide customers enlightened moments of pure listening euphoria, the development of Odin and Hero was an indispensable step. As a further highlight of over 30 years of excellence and our 5th anniversary year, we’re ecstatic to present the Founder’s Editions as a sincere, heart-felt Thank You to all those whom helped us come this far in The Pursuit of Extraordinary.
Each Founder’s Edition Hero and Odin will receive the following personal touches:
Serialized Plaque
Serialized IEM
Production Photograph Autographed by Dean Vang (Founder & CTO), Jack Vang (VP), and Catherine Young (CEO)
Packaging Box Autographed by the entire Empire Ears team
Dean Vang’s signature on each shell
Odin will be limited to 200 units
Hero will be limited to 100 units
Where can I purchase Odin and Hero?
The universe needs icons. Those extraordinary few that stand clear of the rest. For these individuals who inspire greatness, only the purest formulation of Empire Ears will do. An icon like no other. A IEM that stands alone - so superlative as to be named after the god of wisdom, poetry, death, divination and magic. Odin has arrived. Its beauty leaves no room for doubt. Its power cannot be reasoned with.
Unquestionably, Odin sits at the pinnacle of the Empire Ears bloodline as our most legendary flagship in-ear monitor ever.
MSRP $3399
PURSUING EXTRAORDINARY
“ODIN is designed to make the most of every moment each listener spends in its company, promising instants of sheer listening euphoria. While conventional IEMs focus on simply reproducing sound, ODIN authoritatively delivers the exacting emotion of every nuance recorded through its extraordinary 5Hz-100kHz frequency response range. These inspirational, dreamlike moments are made possible by the utilization of the three best IEM driver technologies currently available, the most advanced crossover system in the industry, the most potent components we could possibly get our hands on and the masterful tuning by our founder, my father and CTO, Dean Vang.
ODIN is the personification of Empire’s DNA at its most extreme – in design, performance and breadth of capabilities. ODIN rediscovers the true meaning of engagement between listener and IEM.”
Jack Vang
VP of Empire Ears
A TRINITY IN UNITY
ODIN is the most powerful and exclusive IEM in Empire’s history. Boasting three of the industry’s most advanced driver technologies, ODIN is truly a standout tribrid flagship IEM with an uncompromising performance ethos focused on delivering the purest connection between listener and IEM.
Dual W9+ Subwoofers – Sub Bass, Bass
Our signature W9+ dynamic driver brought serious performance to the IEM world by combining the breakthrough of an enclosed woofer in a tuned bass-reflex system. Elevating the W9 design formula to its highest level, the W9+ boasts a larger internal coil diameter, more linear excursion envelope along with a more capable suspension to handle peak-to-peak excursion while mitigating distortion. W9+ extinguishes any limits the previous design had and delivers unparalleled bass on all fronts.
Five Precision Balanced Armature Drivers – Low Mid, Low Mid, Mid, Mid, Mid High
ODIN comes equipped with 5 proprietary balanced armature drivers to deliver the signature midrange that the world has come to know and love from Empire Ears.
Four Electrostatic Drivers – High, High, Ultra High, Ultra High
ODIN masterfully manipulates quadruple electrostatic drivers in unison with our proprietary EIVEC technology to effortlessly reproduce a remarkable 5Hz-100kHz frequency range. The ultralight moving membrane within Odin’s electrostatic drivers give the most accurate transient response, resulting in unparalleled clarity, separation and detail.
synX: Legendary Crossover Network
Genetically dissimilar from the rest of the IEM world, our synX crossover network truly stands out with countless bespoke methods and technologies protecting it as a unique masterpiece. A marriage of 3 different driver technologies become symphonized by a unique, proprietary 7-way synX crossover network designed to maximize performance from each and every driver.
EIVEC: Mastering the Electrostatics
The lightning-quick electrostatic drivers accommodates ODIN’s wide frequency range while remaining balanced and compact. A single bespoke transformer unites the quadruple electrostats via our proprietary EIVEC technology to all of the other components while eliminating any signs of phase incoherence and distortion.
ARC: Resonance Mitigation Technology
ARC (Anti-Resonance Compound) is a proprietary conformal coating that virtually eliminates unwanted vibrations and resonance from within IEMs. ARC effectively increases the mass of the components it’s applied to: every driver, crossover, and sound tube. This gives the internals more solidity while serving as a dampener to absorb the unwanted resonance instead of reflecting them out of phase. With A.R.C. clarity is increased substantially, bass is deeper, and the IEM becomes more efficient.
STORMBREAKER
At Empire Ears we believe that an extraordinary IEM requires an extraordinary cable. For the first time ever we’ve collaborated with bespoke cable manufacturer PWAudio and PENTACONN of Japan to forge a cable worthy of Odin. Introducing Stormbreaker, an ultra premium handcrafted cable comprised of a proprietary USA-sourced OCC Copper Litz configured in a quad conductor, dual guage design wrapped in an elegant black carbon jacket.
Stormbreaker is standard equipped with a CNC silver Valknut y-split featuring a .78 2-pin connector with a 2.5mm balanced termination. 2.5 to 3.5mm & 4.4mm Empire adapters are available.
BIFROST – A Visual Masterpiece
The Bifrost is an ultra-exclusive, one-of-a-kind faceplate designed to optically simulate the mythogical rainbow bridge between Midgard and Asgard, the realm of the gods. The Bifrost features nine individual polymer layers in three proprietary lamination steps and each lamination is unique in its ability to filter and reflect specific wavelengths of light. This results in a faceplate that will produce breathtaking color transitions as the viewing angle changes -- literally shifting before your very eye.
The Bifröst is masterfully handcrafted in the USA by an award winning chemist that currently holds two patents in polymer science for high solids coating chemistry.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
1 – Sub-Bass
1 – Bass
2 – Low Mid
2 - Mid
1 – Mid High
2 - High
2 - Ultra High
108 db SPL @ 1kHz
5Hz – 100Khz Frequency Response
3 Ohms @ 1kHz Impedance
H E R O
Hero is relentless, fierce and unapologetic – a renunciation of rules, preconceptions and everything that’s expected from it. It represents a tour de force of Empire’s expertise and craftsmanship, elevating musicality presentation to a level non-existent in its tier. With DNA sourced directly from Legend X and Zeus XIV, Hero reveres our past to emulate flagship levels of performance without the flagship admission.
The heart of Hero is a proprietary quad hybrid configuration comprised of proprietary triple balanced armatures and a next generation W9+ subwoofer. This staunch combination generates legendary bass response while delivering lush, intimate vocals and supreme detail retrieval via a 4-ways synX crossover network backed by ARC resonance mitigation technology.
Every element of Hero is a combination of reminiscence to our history and it embodies our relentless quest to push the limits of possibility. Its sophisticated design, proprietary technology and extraordinary audio reproduction capabilities make it a class-dominating masterpiece.
MSRP $1,349
A HEROIC HYBRID
Boasting two of the industry’s most advanced driver technologies, HERO is truly a standout hybrid IEM with an uncompromising performance ethos focused on delivering the purest connection between listener and IEM.
W9+ Subwoofer – Sub Bass/Bass
Our signature W9+ dynamic driver brought serious performance to the IEM world by combining the breakthrough of an enclosed woofer in a tuned bass-reflex system. Elevating the W9 design formula to its highest level, the W9+ boasts a larger internal coil diameter, more linear excursion envelope along with a more capable suspension to handle peak-to-peak excursion while mitigating distortion. W9+ extinguishes any limits the previous design had and delivers breathtaking bass on all fronts.
Three Precision Balanced Armature Drivers – Mid, Mid-High, High
Hero comes equipped with 3 proprietary balanced armature drivers to deliver the signature midrange that the world has come to know and love from Empire Ears.
LEGENDARY CROSSOVER SYSTEM
Genetically dissimilar from the rest of the IEM world, our synX crossover system truly stands out with countless bespoke methods and technologies protecting it as a unique masterpiece. A marriage of 2 different driver technologies become symphonized by a unique, proprietary 6-way synX crossover system designed to maximize performance from each and every driver.
ALPHA-IV
At Empire Ears we believe that an extraordinary IEM requires an extraordinary cable. We’re proud to introduce Alpha-IV (A4); a premium handcrafted 4 core cable comprised of a proprietary 26AWG UPOCC Litz Copper with multi-size stranding. The advantage of multi-sized stranded design within the same encapsulations enables A4 to achieve distinct highs and details due to the signal transmission speed in thinner cable strands, while the thicker size cable strands deliver smoother bass and mids.
A4 features a durable, overmolded .78 2-pin connector offered with either a 3.5mm right angle or 2.5mm balanced termination and improves upon the previous cable design. 2.5mm to 4.4mm adapters are available.
BLACK TIDE
Donning a monochromatic black on white theme, Hero features our exclusive “Black Tide” faceplate with the classic Empire wings spanned on the right and “HERO” on the left.
“Black Tide” is proudly handmade in the USA.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
1 – Sub-Bass/Bass
1 – Mid
1 – Mid High
1 - High
105 db SPL @ 1kHz
5Hz – 40kHz Frequency Response
17.6 Ohms @ 1kHz Impedance
Founder's Editions
From the very beginning of our history, IEMs have represented dreams, hopes and aspirations. For Empire, a brand that aims to provide customers enlightened moments of pure listening euphoria, the development of Odin and Hero was an indispensable step. As a further highlight of over 30 years of excellence and our 5th anniversary year, we’re ecstatic to present the Founder’s Editions as a sincere, heart-felt Thank You to all those whom helped us come this far in The Pursuit of Extraordinary.
Each Founder’s Edition Hero and Odin will receive the following personal touches:
Serialized Plaque
Serialized IEM
Production Photograph Autographed by Dean Vang (Founder & CTO), Jack Vang (VP), and Catherine Young (CEO)
Packaging Box Autographed by the entire Empire Ears team
Dean Vang’s signature on each shell
Odin will be limited to 200 units
Hero will be limited to 100 units
Where can I purchase Odin and Hero?
In order to satisfy the extraordinary global demand (thanks to all of you!) we have allocated all of our initial shipments to our incredible dealer and distributor network who will assist us in making sure we get Odin and Hero into every corner of the globe! You can demo and pre-order units from:
(Addresses will be added shortly)
USA
Bloom Audio (New Jersey) @Andrew DiMarcangelo
The Source AV (California) @TSAVAlan @TSAVJason
Moon Audio (North Carolina) @MoonAudio
Audio46 (New York) @Audio46
Headphones.com @lissimore @TaronL
CANADA
The Headphone Shop (Toronto)
Headphones.Ca
AUSTRALIA
MiniDisc
UK
SCV Distribution
GERMANY
Headphone Company
NETHERLANDS
HiFi Solutions
THAILAND
BKK Audio @Seth Warshavsky
HONG KONG
ECT (Dealers to be listed soon)
TAIWAN
MyIEM
JAPAN
E-Earphones
SINGAPORE
Zeppelin & Co.
KOREA
Scheherazade
USA
Bloom Audio (New Jersey) @Andrew DiMarcangelo
The Source AV (California) @TSAVAlan @TSAVJason
Moon Audio (North Carolina) @MoonAudio
Audio46 (New York) @Audio46
Headphones.com @lissimore @TaronL
CANADA
The Headphone Shop (Toronto)
Headphones.Ca
AUSTRALIA
MiniDisc
UK
SCV Distribution
GERMANY
Headphone Company
NETHERLANDS
HiFi Solutions
THAILAND
BKK Audio @Seth Warshavsky
HONG KONG
ECT (Dealers to be listed soon)
TAIWAN
MyIEM
JAPAN
E-Earphones
SINGAPORE
Zeppelin & Co.
KOREA
Scheherazade
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