[CharlyBrown]

Yup, that’s pretty much why anything limited or special edition comes out! Of course, this is not to say it’s necessarily a bad thing, as consumers generally want it too. About the Erlkonig, and just VE IEMs in general, I would say I’m not a big fan of their house-sound which certainly doesn’t help in this case either.



*Supposedly* one is getting shipped out to my boss, Taron. Should work its way to me eventually, but no ETA.

Looking at the Erkönigs graph, I think I wouldn’t like it either. But each to their own. And yeah, it makes me truly wonder why they don’t keep on building them if they are so great that so many people will happily shell out more than 4K for them...

Think about it. Have you ever heard many negative comments from anyone who bought an IEM that cost over $3000? It's hard for the brain to handle the cognitive dissonance associated with spending over $4000 on something that sucks. At a minimum, they probably don't want anyone to know that they did it. If you are a professional reviewer, are you likely to trash a crappy IEM that cost over $4000? Probably not if you want them to ever provide you with another review unit. In addition, you are not likely to buy one at that price. So, the impressions of high end IEMs tend to skew toward shill levels.

edited to note: This is why I love @Precogvision. He's too young and naive to do anything but tell the truth about what he hears. He's honest and doesn't care much about politics. He is influenced by smart reviewers since he often times will hedge his comments in deference to differing professional opinions. But, he will always point out the negatives about what he hears. He does it in context, though, which differentiates him from some other reviewers who don't provide their negative comments in context. The truth is that every IEM has pros and cons and we should know what those are so we can make informed choices about what we buy.

I agree partially. Yes, I think most people wouldn’t talk bad about such a purchase. But I think some would. I am very sure, just as an example, if I found my purchased ODIN crappy, I‘d say it. But then again, I was lucky and paid below $3k

The situation with dependent reviewers is definitely a problem, though. This must be the reason why on some audio review websites pretty much everything gets praised to heaven.

 

[aaf evo]

Looking at the Erkönigs graph, I think I wouldn’t like it either. But each to their own. And yeah, it makes me truly wonder why they don’t keep on building them if they are so great that so many people will happily shell out more than 4K for them...




I agree partially. Yes, I think most people wouldn’t talk bad about such a purchase. But I think some would. I am very sure, just as an example, if I found my purchased ODIN crappy, I‘d say it. But then again, I was lucky and paid below $3k

The situation with dependent reviewers is definitely a problem, though. This must be the reason why on some audio review websites pretty much everything gets praised to heaven.

VE had said a week or two ago the cost to produce the erlkonig was too high due to having to source multiple parts from multiple manufacturers that they decided to discontinue the model.

As far as cost and value goes, that’s going to be something that’s different for everyone. The u12t gets praised to heaven and is called “worth it” by reviewers but to me that IEM lacks any ability to bring emotional engagement so it’s something I’ll never own.

 

[Precogvision]

Empire Ears Valkyrie MK.II Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

So a bunch of the new Gen. 2 Empire Ears stuff showed up today. I can't remember exactly how the original Valkyrie sounds at this point, so don't expect super in-depth, 1:1 comparisons.

Nonetheless, the Valkyrie MK. II slaps. I'm sure some have seen me raving about Empire Ears W9+ subwoofer in the EE thread before. For decay, texture, and slam; the way the Valkyrie MK.II articulate these qualities with such a bombastic, inflated quality - so much character - is something I cannot get enough of. Make no mistake that were talking GIGA bass levels with the Valkyrie MK.II, so basslets need not read any further. Oh, and it's most definitely bloated too.

Expectedly, the midrange of the Valkyrie MK.II is not the best. The lower-midrange is totally recessed. It has a similar, upper-midrange tilt to the Hero, but seems to stray away slightly from the sibilance that the Hero exhibited; this is probably most attributable to more bass. You still have that slight transient edginess to the midrange BA which exacerbates the lack of coherency relative to the bass. Again, I think this is a more "Asian"-centric tuning. Like the original Valkyrie, I loathe to imagine myself listening to country music or instrumentals on the Valkyrie MK.II. Oh, but this does fly pretty nicely with EDM too.

I do not recall the treble of the original Valkyrie being as lower-treble oriented, but then again, I didn't care much for treble back then. The Valkyrie MK.II has a strong peak at roughly 5kHz which lends to a distinctive "chhh" sound on a lot of percussive hits. At least to my ears, this is the "percussion compression" that is so often cited by my fellow reviewer, Resolve. This is unavoidable to some degree, as there needs to be a peak somewhere in the treble to offset the gobs of bass. A tad abrasive and sheer extension is dubious, but nothing deal breaking to my ears.

Technicalities and tonal balance have always been something of a dichotomy with Empire Ear's IEMs. And yeah, despite its wholly unbalanced tonality, the Valkyrie MK.II is a decent technical performer. Solid resolution thanks to the upper-midrange and lower-treble tilt. Macrodynamics are surprisingly decent too. And no, I assure you it's not just the bass. The Bravado MK.II has more bass than this and somehow manages to sound flat as a board on dynamic swings. Imaging is pretty unremarkable with the Valkyrie MK.II, staging follows suit.

In case it's not clear, I like the Valkyrie MK.II. In fact, I like it quite a bit. You don't see a lot of competent V-shaped IEMs at the flagship level, and Empire Ears is the one of the first brands that comes to mind when I'm asked about a good V-shaped IEM. Good on them for fulfilling that niche. Similarly, though, don't expect anything remotely tonally balanced from the Valkyrie MK.II. Those seeking an all-rounder IEM would be better suited elsewhere.

Score: 6/10

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Empire Ears Valkyrie MK.II Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

So a bunch of the new Gen. 2 Empire Ears stuff showed up today. I can't remember exactly how the original Valkyrie sounds at this point, so don't expect super in-depth, 1:1 comparisons.

Nonetheless, the Valkyrie MK. II slaps. I'm sure some have seen me raving about Empire Ears W9+ subwoofer in the EE thread before. For decay, texture, and slam; the way the Valkyrie MK.II articulate these qualities with such a bombastic, inflated quality - so much character - is something I cannot get enough of. Make no mistake that were talking GIGA bass levels with the Valkyrie MK.II, so basslets need not read any further. Oh, and it's most definitely bloated too.

Expectedly, the midrange of the Valkyrie MK.II is not the best. The lower-midrange is totally recessed. It has a similar, upper-midrange tilt to the Hero, but seems to stray away slightly from the sibilance that the Hero exhibited; this is probably most attributable to more bass. You still have that slight transient edginess to the midrange BA which exacerbates the lack of coherency relative to the bass. Again, I think this is a more "Asian"-centric tuning. Like the original Valkyrie, I loathe to imagine myself listening to country music or instrumentals on the Valkyrie MK.II. Oh, but this does fly pretty nicely with EDM too.

I do not recall the treble of the original Valkyrie being as lower-treble oriented, but then again, I didn't care much for treble back then. The Valkyrie MK.II has a strong peak at roughly 5kHz which lends to a distinctive "chhh" sound on a lot of percussive hits. At least to my ears, this is the "percussion compression" that is so often cited by my fellow reviewer, Resolve. This is unavoidable to some degree, as there needs to be a peak somewhere in the treble to offset the gobs of bass. A tad abrasive and sheer extension is dubious, but nothing deal breaking to my ears.

Technicalities and tonal balance have always been something of a dichotomy with Empire Ear's IEMs. And yeah, despite its wholly unbalanced tonality, the Valkyrie MK.II is a decent technical performer. Solid resolution thanks to the upper-midrange and lower-treble tilt. Macrodynamics are surprisingly decent too. And no, I assure you it's not just the bass. The Bravado MK.II has more bass than this and somehow manages to sound flat as a board on dynamic swings. Imaging is pretty unremarkable with the Valkyrie MK.II, staging follows suit.

In case it's not clear, I like the Valkyrie MK.II. In fact, I like it quite a bit. You don't see a lot of competent V-shaped IEMs at the flagship level, and Empire Ears is the one of the first brands that comes to mind when I'm asked about a good V-shaped IEM. Good on them for fulfilling that niche. Similarly, though, don't expect anything remotely tonally balanced from the Valkyrie MK.II. Those seeking an all-rounder IEM would be better suited elsewhere.

Score: 6/10

Very good. This means my ear is getting better. I reviewed it last week and I liked it as well. What is has is great bass and the distinctive tribrid timbre that I have grown to love. I usually don't like v-shaped FR curves, but this one works for some reason.

 

[CK Moustache]

@Precogvision I've been reading some of your reviews. Is there an output impedance that you prefer for the Andromeda 2020? Would you use high or ultra on iematch normally? Thank you!

Hey, I would say that I prefer a lower-impedance source for more bass. It might seem funny, but the High setting on the IEMatch is actually far too loud for me by the time sound starts coming from both channels, so I'm relegated to the Ultra setting by default. Most of my listening on the Andro 2020 gets done off of the Apple dongle these days. Hope this helps

Finally someone else who seems to listen at low volume levels as well (which seems to be a rarity) - at least it seems so, but my questions further below will show.

Just something that may be of interest for you, the iEMatch's "Ultra" setting would still result in around ~ 1.5 Ohms of output impedance even from a 0-ish Ohm source, and would therefore yield some tonal changes in combination with really low impedance stuff like the Andromeda (in their case, reduce the bass/brighten the sound, depending on from which direction one looks at this case).

If I may ask the following questions, since you've got the iBasso DX160 that I'm somewhat interested in as well, and also the Andro (although the newer, seemingly better-tuned 2020 version), of course without the iEMatch, is it possible to listen at volume levels just barely above the audible threshold with this combination (something that is super rare to achieve, especially when you add criteria such as very good hiss performance and very low output impedance)?
What are you using the Apple dongle with? When used with my Windows 10 desktop PC, 1% volume are still a good bit too loud for me, especially with IEMs as sensitive as the Andromeda, so I have to further reduce the volume digitally in the playback software. Do you also think that the combination Apple DAC dongle + Andromeda is too loud for you?

 

[CK Moustache]

VE had said a week or two ago the cost to produce the erlkonig was too high due to having to source multiple parts from multiple manufacturers that they decided to discontinue the model.

I don't have any insight into this, but it seems like the ongoing COVID-19 situation is stressing some audio manufacturers (not to mention other small businesses as well). For what it's worth, it seems like Rhines Customs (, the company led by the other original founder of Compact Monitors before the co-founders decided to go different directions and started their own, separate companies, Rhines and Vision Ears,) went bankrupt.

 

[Precogvision]

If I may ask the following questions, since you've got the iBasso DX160 that I'm somewhat interested in as well, and also the Andro (although the newer, seemingly better-tuned 2020 version), of course without the iEMatch, is it possible to listen at volume levels just barely above the audible threshold with this combination (something that is super rare to achieve, especially when you add criteria such as very good hiss performance and very low output impedance)?
What are you using the Apple dongle with? When used with my Windows 10 desktop PC, 1% volume are still a good bit too loud for me, especially with IEMs as sensitive as the Andromeda, so I have to further reduce the volume digitally in the playback software. Do you also think that the combination Apple DAC dongle + Andromeda is too loud for you?

Sure, I don’t mind. I would say no, it’s not possible to listen at volume levels just above the audible threshold with the DX160 and Andro 2020. It’s going to hiss a good deal anyways. I average 5-6/100 volume with the pair.

It depends on the Apple dongle. Using the Apple Lightning dongle, I run it straight off my iPhone. A little above one click - so 1/16 volume - is generally loud enough for me. Honestly, I’m pretty happy with this setup even if there’s still hissing because I use it on-the-go more.

The Apple USB-C dongle, however, is different. It hisses less, but I have to take it down to like, 1%, on the iPad Air, and even then it’s pushing it. On the Mac Air, though, I use the Option+Shift to ramp in 1/4 intervals. I think I sit around 3% total volume on that? Don’t really listen on the Mac.

In general, I would say I sit at around 65-70dB listening volume having tested off of my coupler and using the meter in the AirPod Pros as a reference. ~80dB when I’m jamming out.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

@Precogvision When are you going to review the Unique Melody 3DT? This IEM is loved by its owners and it really isn't getting that much attention by the reviewer community. I like it better than the Blessing 2 Dusks. It's a 3 dynamic driver design and therefore has very nice timbral accuracy which is important to some segment of the audiophile community.

Actually, I am going to be in the Bay area next week. If you want to listen to mine, I am up for meeting up. I would like you to listen to it also with the Fiio UTWS3 to get your impressions of that TWS solution. I'll provide both.

 

[Precogvision]

@Precogvision When are you going to review the Unique Melody 3DT? This IEM is loved by its owners and it really isn't getting that much attention by the reviewer community. I like it better than the Blessing 2 Dusks. It's a 3 dynamic driver design and therefore has very nice timbral accuracy which is important to some segment of the audiophile community.

Actually, I am going to be in the Bay area next week. If you want to listen to mine, I am up for meeting up. I would like you to listen to it also with the Fiio UTWS3 to get your impressions of that TWS solution. I'll provide both.

I appreciate the offer! tgx kindly offered as well, but I had to refuse as I’m just so far behind with other stuff. School’s sucking up pretty much all my free time nowadays, so I’m lucky to get out of the house on weekends even. I’ll let you know if that changes, though.

A not-so-glamorous behind the scenes shot of my desk right now:

(I think I need to invest in a storage organized, but I’m not sure what I’d do with all the stock cases!)

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I appreciate the offer! tgx kindly offered as well, but I had to refuse as I’m just so far behind with other stuff. School’s sucking up pretty much all my free time nowadays, so I’m lucky to get out of the house on weekends even. I’ll let you know if that changes, though.

A not-so-glamorous behind the scenes shot of my desk right now:



(I think I need to invest in a storage organized, but I’m not sure what I’d do with all the stock cases!)

You need something like this which is a watch display case for your IEMs. Put the cases in an Amazon box until you need it. That will hold all of your IEMs and cables. Then, you need a fishing tackle box of sorts to store your tips, extra cables and accessories. And, a pelican case for all of your DAPs, DACs and other sources.

 

[Strifeff7]

You need something like this which is a watch display case for your IEMs. Put the cases in an Amazon box until you need it. That will hold all of your IEMs and cables. Then, you need a fishing tackle box of sorts to store your tips, extra cables and accessories. And, a pelican case for all of your DAPs, DACs and other sources.

is there a case like that, but with an individual door to each compartment?
that would be nice,

 

[RikudouGoku]

I appreciate the offer! tgx kindly offered as well, but I had to refuse as I’m just so far behind with other stuff. School’s sucking up pretty much all my free time nowadays, so I’m lucky to get out of the house on weekends even. I’ll let you know if that changes, though.

A not-so-glamorous behind the scenes shot of my desk right now:



(I think I need to invest in a storage organized, but I’m not sure what I’d do with all the stock cases!)

I feel ya with school bro.


You should get something like this (the one I have): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M7QUL2Z

Or something bigger like this (wished I gone for this one instead...): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raaco-RAA126762-Parts-Storage/dp/B0001JZYAG


Then you can also store the stuff you almost never use with something like this: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07Y1BYZW1


As for what to do with all those stock cases/bags...try to make an eiffel tower or something (I have 0 organisation for them lol).

Still really bad organized lol.

 

[SBranson]

Empire Ears Valkyrie MK.II Impressions

Spoiler: FR Graph

So a bunch of the new Gen. 2 Empire Ears stuff showed up today. I can't remember exactly how the original Valkyrie sounds at this point, so don't expect super in-depth, 1:1 comparisons.

Nonetheless, the Valkyrie MK. II slaps. I'm sure some have seen me raving about Empire Ears W9+ subwoofer in the EE thread before. For decay, texture, and slam; the way the Valkyrie MK.II articulate these qualities with such a bombastic, inflated quality - so much character - is something I cannot get enough of. Make no mistake that were talking GIGA bass levels with the Valkyrie MK.II, so basslets need not read any further. Oh, and it's most definitely bloated too.

Expectedly, the midrange of the Valkyrie MK.II is not the best. The lower-midrange is totally recessed. It has a similar, upper-midrange tilt to the Hero, but seems to stray away slightly from the sibilance that the Hero exhibited; this is probably most attributable to more bass. You still have that slight transient edginess to the midrange BA which exacerbates the lack of coherency relative to the bass. Again, I think this is a more "Asian"-centric tuning. Like the original Valkyrie, I loathe to imagine myself listening to country music or instrumentals on the Valkyrie MK.II. Oh, but this does fly pretty nicely with EDM too.

I do not recall the treble of the original Valkyrie being as lower-treble oriented, but then again, I didn't care much for treble back then. The Valkyrie MK.II has a strong peak at roughly 5kHz which lends to a distinctive "chhh" sound on a lot of percussive hits. At least to my ears, this is the "percussion compression" that is so often cited by my fellow reviewer, Resolve. This is unavoidable to some degree, as there needs to be a peak somewhere in the treble to offset the gobs of bass. A tad abrasive and sheer extension is dubious, but nothing deal breaking to my ears.

Technicalities and tonal balance have always been something of a dichotomy with Empire Ear's IEMs. And yeah, despite its wholly unbalanced tonality, the Valkyrie MK.II is a decent technical performer. Solid resolution thanks to the upper-midrange and lower-treble tilt. Macrodynamics are surprisingly decent too. And no, I assure you it's not just the bass. The Bravado MK.II has more bass than this and somehow manages to sound flat as a board on dynamic swings. Imaging is pretty unremarkable with the Valkyrie MK.II, staging follows suit.

In case it's not clear, I like the Valkyrie MK.II. In fact, I like it quite a bit. You don't see a lot of competent V-shaped IEMs at the flagship level, and Empire Ears is the one of the first brands that comes to mind when I'm asked about a good V-shaped IEM. Good on them for fulfilling that niche. Similarly, though, don't expect anything remotely tonally balanced from the Valkyrie MK.II. Those seeking an all-rounder IEM would be better suited elsewhere.

Score: 6/10

I'm curious about this line: "The Bravado MK.II has more bass than this and somehow manages to sound flat as a board on dynamic swings."

I have the Bravado Mk2 which I'm really enjoying and wondered if the Valkyrie is on the upgrade path or if the tuning is a bit different in philosophy. I find the Bravado 2's bass very strong but never imposing on the mids which is unlike the original version and also find it quite balanced considering the elevated bass.

 

[Precogvision]

I'm curious about this line: "The Bravado MK.II has more bass than this and somehow manages to sound flat as a board on dynamic swings."

I have the Bravado Mk2 which I'm really enjoying and wondered if the Valkyrie is on the upgrade path or if the tuning is a bit different in philosophy. I find the Bravado 2's bass very strong but never imposing on the mids which is unlike the original version and also find it quite balanced considering the elevated bass.

For sure, I can understand why that might be confusing. So here, I’m talking about macrodynamics. In a given track, there are decibel peaks and valleys where the song goes from quiet to loud, vice versa. Macro-dynamics are a reference to how an IEM scales these gradations or "dynamic swings".

IEMs that scale these gradations higher - "upwards-compressed", "stately", "gun-to-the-head"
IEMs that scale somewhere in the middle - "flat", "boring", "dull"
IEMs that scale these gradations lower - "downwards-compressed", "smothered"

This is just how I describe what I'm hearing, but in general, you want an IEM that scales both quiet and loud gradations; none of these descriptors. An IEM that does both would have good dynamic contrast.

To answer your second question, I would say that the (V)alkyrie represents a V-shaped tuning whereas the (B)ravado sounds simply bassy to my ears. They sound very different despite them graphing similarly. I'd be hesitant to say the Valkyrie's an upgrade, at least in terms of tuning, if you already enjoy your Bravado MK.II. The Valkyrie will (or should) definitely sound more technical, though, as it's brighter and more upper-midrange oriented.

 

[KevinS2020]

Hey Precogvision, where did you rate the Softears RSV in your ranking?