The Valhalla is a 19 driver, all balanced armature IEM from Thieaudio, and it's available for preorder at
Linsoul.
THIEAUDIO Valhalla TLDR
19 Driver Flagship In-Ear Monitor. $1999.00. Titanium shell. Innovative tuning via in-lab created acoustic chambers and traditional tubing. This set takes a long time to make and each set is meticulously built by hand, by one master technician.
Pinnacle of THIEAUDIO’s Achievements
The R&D behind the THIEAUDIO Valhalla took over 2 years with inputs from engineers from multiple countries contributing to its development. The goal of the Valhalla was three parts: (1) Push the limits of driver capacity in an IEM format; (2) Achieve the highest degree of technical performance; (3) Substantiate THIEAUDIO’s tonal superiority. In this sense, the Valhalla is the culmination of every technological and artistic advancement THIEAUDIO’s has made in the last 5 years as a leading name in the global IEM industry.
Pushing the Limits: 19 Drivers Per Side
We aimed to utilize as many drivers as possible while maintaining a comfortable IEM shape. In the IEM format, we have learned that a greater number of drivers significantly enhances the audio quality by reducing the strain on each driver. With a total of 19 drivers in each ear, the Valhalla demonstrates the highest degree of resolution amongst any of our products so far.
Genuine Imported Drivers
The Valhalla utilizes genuine drivers from Knowles and Sonion, which are imported from the USA and Europe, respectively. The Valhall features: Four Sonion 38D1XJ007 sub-woofers, Ten Sonion E50DT0005 low-midrange drivers, Four Knowles RDE 33729 mid-treble drivers, and One Knowles WBFK 30095 ultra-treble tweeter.
PBS: Precision Bass System
PBS (Precision Bass System) is THIEAUDIO’s newly developed solution for true subwoofer-like experience in an IEM. It took close to a year to develop the PBS with numerous iterations to calibrate the chamber dimensions to fit our tuning profile. The PBS features a resonance chamber for the integration of multiple low-frequency drivers, which was shaped to provide the optimal volume for our targeted bass shelf, enhancing its depth and clarity. The resonance chamber is then ported to a separate low-frequency filter cavity prior to its tubing, of which the interval volume was mathematically computed to achieve our target bass shelf of 200Hz. This cavity is designed with a meticulously calculated diversion tube and pressure relief valve that has been calibrated to target the ultra-low frequencies between 5Hz to 20Hz.
PBS - Engineering You Can Hear
The PBS achieves two functional feats: (1) Mathematically, the cavity design and pressure relief valve system achieves our tuning goals of a 200Hz bass shelf with a sharper transition from the lows to the mids (2) Acoustically, the PBS significantly extends the sub-woofer range to provide deeper and more resounding sub-woofer impact. The PBS simply outperforms most traditional dynamic drivers used in IEMs. Furthermore, the pressure relief valve not only enhances the acoustic properties of the lows, but it also reduces ear fatigue from built-up pressure within the ear canal. These combinations of acoustic, technical, and ergonomic achievements makes the Valhalla a standout in delivering both superior sound quality and user comfort.
A Feat of Acoustic Engineering
As THIEAUDIO’s flagship IEM, the V19 also features THIEAUDIO’s best-in-class tuning strategy. A combination of passive and acoustic crossover strategies have been utilized to achieve Valhalla’s tuning target. The Valhalla features a 4-way passive crossover network paired with a 4-bore multi-tubing acoustic network. Unlike typical 1st order passive crossovers used in IEMs, the Valhalla utilizes multiple 2nd order complex crossover networks to pinpoint specific frequency bandwidths. Impedance neutralization strategies have also been incorporated to ensure that the Valhalla sounds consistent regardless of your music source.
Tonal Superiority
The Valhalla follows THIEAUDIO’s famous signature tuning style, which has forever changed the global IEM industry. The bass is focused on sub-woofer-like impact, with a 10dB bass shelf that has a quick decay and cutoff at 200Hz. This allows powerful rumble in the bass without any signs of muddying or bleed into the low-mids. The midrange has a mild 1dB delta decay slope from 200Hz to 800Hz, which provides the perfect balance between neutrality and a hint of warmth, perfect for both professionals and music enthusiasts. The treble is capped at a 8dB pinna curvature at 2.8kHz, which perfectly aligns to the frequency perception of the human ear and follows a natural decay curvature into the ultra-treble range. Notably, we have optimized the tweeter driver through careful positioning and tuning to substantially increase the ultra-treble output all the way to 40kHz, outperforming even most EST tweeters found in IEMs.
A Promise to Quality
THIEAUDIO has prioritized its dedication to delivering the highest quality of IEMs. Particularly for the Valhalla, each unit is handmade by a single dedicated engineer, which takes an entire day to complete a single pair. The shells are precision printed and finished by hand, as is each individual faceplate. The Valhalla undergoes a three-stage inspection system: Each driver in the Valhalla is painstakingly measured and hand paired prior to assembly. After assembly, each left and right unit of the Valhalla are measured and tested again. During the packaging stage, a final cosmetic and accessory inspection is performed. The Valhalla is guaranteed a two-year warranty from the factory.
EliteNoir Cable
The Valhalla comes standard with the EliteNoir cable, THIEAUDIO’s highest quality cable. The cable core is composed of 7x7x0.08mm Silver-Plated 5N LCOFC wire and 16x7x0.06mm Silver-Plated 4N LCOFC wire, all insulated with Smoke Black-Blue Soft PVC sourced from the USA. Each cable contains 161 individual wires, with a 20AWG specification, and is assembled using Mundorf Supreme Solder. The design includes a newly developed bi-furcation, barrel, and multi-plug (3.4mm and 4.4mm), along with a refined multi-process finish. Featuring Spiral Shielding and Litz Type 2 construction, the cable ensures lossless audio transmission. The EliteNoir offers a vast soundstage, elastic and powerful bass, and crystal clear treble with delicate overtones and precise imaging. The THIEAUDIO EliteNoir isn’t just a cable; it’s crafted to enhance your audio experience. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, it meets the needs of those seeking high-quality sound. By combining advanced performance with precision craftsmanship, EliteNoir delivers a uniquely refined auditory experience.
THIEAUDIO Valhalla Specifications
Frequency Response Range: 10Hz - 44kHz
Impedance (
@1kHz): 9Ω
Sensitivity (
@1kHz): 103dB
Driver Configuration
Ultra-high Frequencies: 1 Knowles WBFK-30095
High Frequencies: 4 Knowles RDE-33729
Mid Frequencies: 10 Sonion E50DT
Low Frequencies: 4 38D1XJ
Crossover and Tubing Design
Crossover: 4-way
Tubing: 4 tubes
Precision Bass System (PBS)
