A quick thanks to Creative Labs / E-MU Singapore for sending me the E-MU Walnut headphones to test in exchange for my honest review. I assure, honest this review will be.
Also, I do not work for either Creative or E-MU and I was not paid to do this review. With the disclaimers out of the way, let’s begin!
Gear Used for this Review
Home:
Foobar2000 > Wasapi Event > Fiio Q1 DAC/Amp > Headphones
Portable:
iPhone 5S > Headphones
Introduction
If you aren’t aware, Creative makes a fair amount of audio products like sound cards, speakers and headphones and E-MU is a subsidiary under Creative.
The Walnut is the baby of Creative / E-MU’s new Wood Series of headphones which use wood in their design – true to its name, the Walnut uses what E-MU states is solid walnut wood for the housing of the ear cups.
The E-MU Walnut headphones and the packaging it comes with
For more information on the Walnut and the E-MU Wood Series, here are some useful resources:
1) This Head-Fi thread discussing the E-MU Wood Series headphones, consisting of the Teak and the Walnut:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/781884/e-mu-wooden-series-headphones
2) E-MU’s website:
http://www.emu.com/
3) The E-MU Walnut on Massdrop:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/emu-walnut-lightweight-headphones
4) E-MU Walnut on Creative’s website:
http://sg.creative.com/p/headphones-headsets/e-mu-walnut
5) Tyle of InnerFidelity's Impressions + Comparison to Creative Aurvana Live video on YouTube:
Pricing & Availability
Creative Online Store (MSRP): SGD $199 (approx. USD $147)
Massdrop: ~USD $100
IT Fairs / Conventions (March 10, Singapore Suntec City IT Fair): SGD $149 (approx. USD $109)
To my knowledge, Creative and by extension, E-MU, does not have any physical retail presence. That said, as you can see from the above, the patient among us can get the Walnut at tech fairs, conventions and on Massdrop. To get the Walnut at any other time of the year, the Creative online store is your only other bet. Given the significant difference in cost, however, I’d recommend the wait for Massdrop drops.
Specifications
Wearing Style: On-ear
Weight: 210 g (Without Cable)
Color: Brown
Driver Size: 40 mm (1.57 inches) Neodymium Magnet with Bio-Cellulose Diaphragm
Frequency Response: 10 Hz ~ 30 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohms (drives well out of my iPhone 5S)
Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
Cable Length1.2 m / 3.9 ft
Cable Style: Oxygen-free Copper Cable (non-detachable)
Max Input Power: 1,300 mW
Warranty: 1 year
MSRP: SGD $199 (Singapore Dollars)
Taken from: http://sg.creative.com/p/headphones-headsets/e-mu-walnut
Sound
The Walnut has a general sound I’ll call relaxed and mellow yet technical in its ability. I’ll add that I didn’t notice significant changes in sound after burn-in.
Treble
To my ears, the Walnut has a light, airy yet extended treble section that is shockingly smooth. The Walnut hence has a very transparent, clear sound full of detail. Separation and imaging is very good but is not overly clinical, favouring a much more natural, relaxed yet detailed approach.
I should also note that since the Walnut uses a closed design, it doesn’t have a superbly wide sound stage. Sound width is more or less what I’d expect from closed headphones, though the extended treble, like I mentioned, makes positioning very precise and accurate.
Mids
The mids were what made me so enchanted by the Walnut. The mids are neither recessed nor forward, just there. I wouldn’t call it flat though, since the mid-range still retain a lot of detail and character.
To approach this from a different angle, think of the Walnut’s mids to be neither too smooth nor too thin to my ears. Subjectively, vocals in particular sound very accurate and life-like, especially with well mastered tracks. Other mid-band instruments like guitars also sound extremely realistic.
Overall, the mids sound crystal clear, detailed and organic yet never having harsh peaks that could’ve irritated me. Since I’m particularly sensitive to sibilance like ‘S’ notes and other peaks in the upper mids to low treble, I really really liked the Walnut’s smooth yet technical mid presentation. The mids just consistently sounded good without the nasty surprises in some other closed headphones like the uneven mid-range of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x or the too sharp for comfort ATH-MSR7.
If you can’t tell, I’m quite the fan of the Walnut’s mids.
Bass
This is, by far, the weakest part of the Walnut’s sound. It is slightly warmer than neutral, though the mids and highs usually retain the spotlight. This slight bass elevation, however, isn’t the issue I have with the low-end.
To my ears, the issues with the bass lie in the fact that it is very loose and is rolled-off in the sub-bass region. One song that brought the Walnut’s bass deficiencies very clearly to attention was Round Table Rival by Lindsey Stirling. At the beginning of the song, just when the heavy bass notes start kicking in, you’ll hear a strange reverb on the Walnut with the bass notes, showing the looseness of the mid to upper bass.
Throughout the song, the sub-bass also lacks a lot of the impact I’ll find on my Panasonic RP-HTF600-S or even on IEMs like my Zero Audio Carbo Tenore. The Walnut just doesn’t have any hard slam, punch or visceral rumble in its bass due to its loose characteristics and lacking sub-bass extension.
With more power, turning on high gain on my Fiio Q1 does improve the definition of the bass, but I'd still classify it as loose and rolled-off regardless. Bass is not this headphone's strong suit, and if you really want a closed / semi-closed headphone that does excellent low-end for a premium price, I have bought (and would recommend) the bigger brother E-MU Teak.
Overall Sound
I think the Walnut works best with older genres and other modern music that doesn’t rely heavily on bass. For example, classical, rock, light pop, orchestral and acoustic are very good on the Walnut due to the great detail and liquid mids. These genres also don’t usually have bass notes as the emphasis of the songs; with these types of music, the enchanting mids and smooth yet resolving highs makes for a relaxing listening that’s easy on the ears yet technical enough to please the detail freaks in us.
The Walnut does fall on its face with electronic music due to its bass presentation. If very technical, resolving, punchy bass is what you’re looking for then the Walnut is going to disappoint. The same would be true if you’re looking for a basshead set of headphones to rock your world.
To sum up, the Walnut is a very good headphone, but has its weaknesses that are notable and are worth thinking about if you’re considering buying one. All that said, at the price, I think the Walnut performs very well. This is especially true at the lower “street prices”.
Extra Notes
Having owned the Walnut for about 3 weeks, I’ll also add some extra pointers other than the performance for music.
Pros:
• The Walnut is very light at 210 grams and has a small profile, which is great for comfort and storage.
• I personally found the Walnut rather comfortable due to the pads, moderate clamp and light weight. However, there are some comfort cons I’ll also discuss.
• Pads are soft and do not retain heat. Surprisingly little sweat after multiple hours of use, despite me living in the very very hot Singapore.
• Sound signature also works well for movies, TV shows, audiobooks and podcasts. I listened to several hours of the PKA podcast and some episodes of Death Parade (the show) using the Walnut and it does a great job due to the mid and treble presentation.
Cons:
• Isolation is on the poor side. In this regard, the Walnut is much better described as a semi-closed headphone than a closed one like Creative/E-MU states. @fjrabon also correctly pointed out that the poor isolation is not due to the "wood being too thin" as I initially thought, but is due to small ports between the plastic chrome and the plastic holding the pads.
• While the ear cups rotate slightly side to side and can flip forward and back, the ear cups do not fold flat or fold up. This is not a big deal for me, but may be for you if you want the Walnut as a portable headphone.
• Dual-entry cable that is not detachable raises potential durability concerns for the long-term. Wish it were like the detachable cable on the Xiaomi Mi Headphones (dual-entry, 2.5 mm for each side). In early 2017, I did yank the cable slightly too hard while it was connected to my laptop and now the left channel ceases to produce sound (easily fixed if I can be bothered to do so some day).
• Pads are on the small side, so it may sit on some people’s ears. My ears, however, fit in, albeit rather snugly.
• Headband is rather narrow in width. I personally develop a slight but manageable sore spot on the top of my head after about 3 hours, but those with larger heads and/or who are more sensitive may have issues.
• Did not come with any extra accessories. I can live with that but a pouch/case or an adapter would’ve seemed less miserly.
• Plastic chrome lining on the ear cups picks up fingerprints like it’s trying to be a detective or something. Can be rather annoying for neat freaks.
The chrome on the Walnut Size comparison between Walnut pad (Above) and V-Moda pad (Below)
While not exactly a Con, you should also note that if you’re planning to buy the Walnut, you’ll have to protect the wood cups from moisture and stress. Water, drops, scratches are major no-nos. This would also apply to any other wood headphone, for example the also somewhat new Meze 99 Classics.
The Walnut wood ear cups
This is why I thought at least a case with the Walnut would’ve been nice to protect the headphones, specifically the wood cups.
Conclusion
While not a perfect headphone, I think the sound of the Walnut gives it some major points considering the price. The treble and mids are excellent, though the same can’t exactly be said for the bass.
I think SGD $150 // USD $110, where the Walnut sits at street prices, is a very fair price to pay. I don’t think the Walnut punches far above its price class, so if it were priced at USD $200 for example, I would’ve strongly suggested something else. There’ll just be too many other headphones, open and closed, and way too many IEMs to contend with by that point. But the way it is now makes for a very interesting product and a valid alternative to the sparse number of good closed headphones at the price.
The E-MU Walnut
So to conclude, if you’re looking at the upper stage of entry level headphones, around USD $100 to $150 and you don’t mind sacrificing the bass, I think the Walnut is a very worthy consideration.
*Update as of 2017: since writing this review, I have also bought and stil own the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. Priced slightly lower than the Walnut, I feel the M40x provides better comfort, a more solid build, and frankly better value. That said, the Walnut's sound signature is undoubtedly rather unique, and in my opinion, still is worth considering even though I'd personally recommend the M40x first.
About Me, Josh Tseng
A self-proclaimed “boring person”, I’m interested in audio gear, music, current events and having thought-provoking conversations with people I meet. Right now, SoundTown is a personal passion project of mine to improve my writing skills while being able to explore all things audio. I also happen to be visually impaired, which is why music has, for me, eventually become one of the most important forms of media I can consume.
If you want to talk to me, feel free to email me at soundtownmail@gmail.com or you can also find me on Twitter at @JoshSoundTown. PMs on Head-Fi, for now, would be rather challenging for me to access so that’ll have to be something I’ll have to work on. Oh and by the way, all feedback on my writing would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading and happy listening!
Also, I do not work for either Creative or E-MU and I was not paid to do this review. With the disclaimers out of the way, let’s begin!
Gear Used for this Review
Home:
Foobar2000 > Wasapi Event > Fiio Q1 DAC/Amp > Headphones
Portable:
iPhone 5S > Headphones
Introduction
If you aren’t aware, Creative makes a fair amount of audio products like sound cards, speakers and headphones and E-MU is a subsidiary under Creative.
The Walnut is the baby of Creative / E-MU’s new Wood Series of headphones which use wood in their design – true to its name, the Walnut uses what E-MU states is solid walnut wood for the housing of the ear cups.
The E-MU Walnut headphones and the packaging it comes with
For more information on the Walnut and the E-MU Wood Series, here are some useful resources:
1) This Head-Fi thread discussing the E-MU Wood Series headphones, consisting of the Teak and the Walnut:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/781884/e-mu-wooden-series-headphones
2) E-MU’s website:
http://www.emu.com/
3) The E-MU Walnut on Massdrop:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/emu-walnut-lightweight-headphones
4) E-MU Walnut on Creative’s website:
http://sg.creative.com/p/headphones-headsets/e-mu-walnut
5) Tyle of InnerFidelity's Impressions + Comparison to Creative Aurvana Live video on YouTube:
Pricing & Availability
Creative Online Store (MSRP): SGD $199 (approx. USD $147)
Massdrop: ~USD $100
IT Fairs / Conventions (March 10, Singapore Suntec City IT Fair): SGD $149 (approx. USD $109)
To my knowledge, Creative and by extension, E-MU, does not have any physical retail presence. That said, as you can see from the above, the patient among us can get the Walnut at tech fairs, conventions and on Massdrop. To get the Walnut at any other time of the year, the Creative online store is your only other bet. Given the significant difference in cost, however, I’d recommend the wait for Massdrop drops.
Specifications
Wearing Style: On-ear
Weight: 210 g (Without Cable)
Color: Brown
Driver Size: 40 mm (1.57 inches) Neodymium Magnet with Bio-Cellulose Diaphragm
Frequency Response: 10 Hz ~ 30 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohms (drives well out of my iPhone 5S)
Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
Cable Length1.2 m / 3.9 ft
Cable Style: Oxygen-free Copper Cable (non-detachable)
Max Input Power: 1,300 mW
Warranty: 1 year
MSRP: SGD $199 (Singapore Dollars)
Taken from: http://sg.creative.com/p/headphones-headsets/e-mu-walnut
Sound
The Walnut has a general sound I’ll call relaxed and mellow yet technical in its ability. I’ll add that I didn’t notice significant changes in sound after burn-in.
Treble
To my ears, the Walnut has a light, airy yet extended treble section that is shockingly smooth. The Walnut hence has a very transparent, clear sound full of detail. Separation and imaging is very good but is not overly clinical, favouring a much more natural, relaxed yet detailed approach.
I should also note that since the Walnut uses a closed design, it doesn’t have a superbly wide sound stage. Sound width is more or less what I’d expect from closed headphones, though the extended treble, like I mentioned, makes positioning very precise and accurate.
Mids
The mids were what made me so enchanted by the Walnut. The mids are neither recessed nor forward, just there. I wouldn’t call it flat though, since the mid-range still retain a lot of detail and character.
To approach this from a different angle, think of the Walnut’s mids to be neither too smooth nor too thin to my ears. Subjectively, vocals in particular sound very accurate and life-like, especially with well mastered tracks. Other mid-band instruments like guitars also sound extremely realistic.
Overall, the mids sound crystal clear, detailed and organic yet never having harsh peaks that could’ve irritated me. Since I’m particularly sensitive to sibilance like ‘S’ notes and other peaks in the upper mids to low treble, I really really liked the Walnut’s smooth yet technical mid presentation. The mids just consistently sounded good without the nasty surprises in some other closed headphones like the uneven mid-range of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x or the too sharp for comfort ATH-MSR7.
If you can’t tell, I’m quite the fan of the Walnut’s mids.
Bass
This is, by far, the weakest part of the Walnut’s sound. It is slightly warmer than neutral, though the mids and highs usually retain the spotlight. This slight bass elevation, however, isn’t the issue I have with the low-end.
To my ears, the issues with the bass lie in the fact that it is very loose and is rolled-off in the sub-bass region. One song that brought the Walnut’s bass deficiencies very clearly to attention was Round Table Rival by Lindsey Stirling. At the beginning of the song, just when the heavy bass notes start kicking in, you’ll hear a strange reverb on the Walnut with the bass notes, showing the looseness of the mid to upper bass.
Throughout the song, the sub-bass also lacks a lot of the impact I’ll find on my Panasonic RP-HTF600-S or even on IEMs like my Zero Audio Carbo Tenore. The Walnut just doesn’t have any hard slam, punch or visceral rumble in its bass due to its loose characteristics and lacking sub-bass extension.
With more power, turning on high gain on my Fiio Q1 does improve the definition of the bass, but I'd still classify it as loose and rolled-off regardless. Bass is not this headphone's strong suit, and if you really want a closed / semi-closed headphone that does excellent low-end for a premium price, I have bought (and would recommend) the bigger brother E-MU Teak.
Overall Sound
I think the Walnut works best with older genres and other modern music that doesn’t rely heavily on bass. For example, classical, rock, light pop, orchestral and acoustic are very good on the Walnut due to the great detail and liquid mids. These genres also don’t usually have bass notes as the emphasis of the songs; with these types of music, the enchanting mids and smooth yet resolving highs makes for a relaxing listening that’s easy on the ears yet technical enough to please the detail freaks in us.
The Walnut does fall on its face with electronic music due to its bass presentation. If very technical, resolving, punchy bass is what you’re looking for then the Walnut is going to disappoint. The same would be true if you’re looking for a basshead set of headphones to rock your world.
To sum up, the Walnut is a very good headphone, but has its weaknesses that are notable and are worth thinking about if you’re considering buying one. All that said, at the price, I think the Walnut performs very well. This is especially true at the lower “street prices”.
Extra Notes
Having owned the Walnut for about 3 weeks, I’ll also add some extra pointers other than the performance for music.
Pros:
• The Walnut is very light at 210 grams and has a small profile, which is great for comfort and storage.
• I personally found the Walnut rather comfortable due to the pads, moderate clamp and light weight. However, there are some comfort cons I’ll also discuss.
• Pads are soft and do not retain heat. Surprisingly little sweat after multiple hours of use, despite me living in the very very hot Singapore.
• Sound signature also works well for movies, TV shows, audiobooks and podcasts. I listened to several hours of the PKA podcast and some episodes of Death Parade (the show) using the Walnut and it does a great job due to the mid and treble presentation.
Cons:
• Isolation is on the poor side. In this regard, the Walnut is much better described as a semi-closed headphone than a closed one like Creative/E-MU states. @fjrabon also correctly pointed out that the poor isolation is not due to the "wood being too thin" as I initially thought, but is due to small ports between the plastic chrome and the plastic holding the pads.
• While the ear cups rotate slightly side to side and can flip forward and back, the ear cups do not fold flat or fold up. This is not a big deal for me, but may be for you if you want the Walnut as a portable headphone.
• Dual-entry cable that is not detachable raises potential durability concerns for the long-term. Wish it were like the detachable cable on the Xiaomi Mi Headphones (dual-entry, 2.5 mm for each side). In early 2017, I did yank the cable slightly too hard while it was connected to my laptop and now the left channel ceases to produce sound (easily fixed if I can be bothered to do so some day).
• Pads are on the small side, so it may sit on some people’s ears. My ears, however, fit in, albeit rather snugly.
• Headband is rather narrow in width. I personally develop a slight but manageable sore spot on the top of my head after about 3 hours, but those with larger heads and/or who are more sensitive may have issues.
• Did not come with any extra accessories. I can live with that but a pouch/case or an adapter would’ve seemed less miserly.
• Plastic chrome lining on the ear cups picks up fingerprints like it’s trying to be a detective or something. Can be rather annoying for neat freaks.
The chrome on the Walnut Size comparison between Walnut pad (Above) and V-Moda pad (Below)
While not exactly a Con, you should also note that if you’re planning to buy the Walnut, you’ll have to protect the wood cups from moisture and stress. Water, drops, scratches are major no-nos. This would also apply to any other wood headphone, for example the also somewhat new Meze 99 Classics.
The Walnut wood ear cups
This is why I thought at least a case with the Walnut would’ve been nice to protect the headphones, specifically the wood cups.
Conclusion
While not a perfect headphone, I think the sound of the Walnut gives it some major points considering the price. The treble and mids are excellent, though the same can’t exactly be said for the bass.
I think SGD $150 // USD $110, where the Walnut sits at street prices, is a very fair price to pay. I don’t think the Walnut punches far above its price class, so if it were priced at USD $200 for example, I would’ve strongly suggested something else. There’ll just be too many other headphones, open and closed, and way too many IEMs to contend with by that point. But the way it is now makes for a very interesting product and a valid alternative to the sparse number of good closed headphones at the price.
The E-MU Walnut
So to conclude, if you’re looking at the upper stage of entry level headphones, around USD $100 to $150 and you don’t mind sacrificing the bass, I think the Walnut is a very worthy consideration.
*Update as of 2017: since writing this review, I have also bought and stil own the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x. Priced slightly lower than the Walnut, I feel the M40x provides better comfort, a more solid build, and frankly better value. That said, the Walnut's sound signature is undoubtedly rather unique, and in my opinion, still is worth considering even though I'd personally recommend the M40x first.
About Me, Josh Tseng
A self-proclaimed “boring person”, I’m interested in audio gear, music, current events and having thought-provoking conversations with people I meet. Right now, SoundTown is a personal passion project of mine to improve my writing skills while being able to explore all things audio. I also happen to be visually impaired, which is why music has, for me, eventually become one of the most important forms of media I can consume.
If you want to talk to me, feel free to email me at soundtownmail@gmail.com or you can also find me on Twitter at @JoshSoundTown. PMs on Head-Fi, for now, would be rather challenging for me to access so that’ll have to be something I’ll have to work on. Oh and by the way, all feedback on my writing would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading and happy listening!
Last edited:
