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Impressions and Reviews

Empire Ears Odin: High End Low End.

by SoundJedi 28 Jan 2022

The EE Odin has been on my radar for a while. Double DD (!) bass, EST treble, flashy faceplates and a hefty price tag make Odin stick in people’s memory. It looks like an audiophile’s dream come true. Does it deliver the goods?

It happened to be on display at Selfridges today and they kindly let me try it. They even lowered the surrounding music volume. They probably thought it was going to be quick. I spent an hour with it.

Let me get this straight: Odin has the best iem bass I have ever heard. It’s substantial, reaches deep, is perfectly controlled and doesn’t bleed into mids.

The bass elevation is also masterful. A bit more would have been too much for me (EVO I am looking at you). Any less wouldn’t have made Odin the beast it is. A perfect balance of quantity and quality make it utterly delicious.  

Bass was also probably the main reason why I wanted to keep listening to Odin.

Let’s look at a graph (borrowed from Crin).

 

Elise Audio Crinacle Empire Ears Odin ThieAudio Monarch MKII

A part of the Odin tuning was quickly problematic for me. The upper mids are just too much for my ears. Two minutes into the audition, I had to EQ the 1700hz area down by about 3db to make the listening tolerable. Vocals would otherwise sound too forward, borderline shouty. 

This is not necessarily a criticism of the iem or the tuning. Many people like those upper mids. I am just not one of them.

Treble on Odin is smooth and extends well. EST treble doesn’t necessarily sound lifelike but I enjoy it. This is a successful EST implementation. Another thing ESTs do is 3d stage perception. Odin delivers there too.  

Odin’s sound is engaging and shines in many areas other than bass. It has best in class dynamics, instrument separation and imaging. The stage size is good for an iem. These qualities made Odin shine with EDM and instrumental music such as jazz. 

In conclusion, Odin has one of the most masterful bass implementations out there. Any other iem with that tuning wouldn’t have lasted 5 mins in my ears. I listened to Odin for an hour and I kept wanting more. Enough said.

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Elise Audio has a standard 14-day return / exchange policy for electronic products (DAC/DAP): Must be returned in like-new factory condition Must include all original packaging and accessories Please note that the return shipping cost is to be paid by the customer. Returning products that raise hygiene concerns - Products that have contact with the ear, nose or throat can only be returned for a full refund if sent back sealed and in unused condition. This applies all in-ear monitors. If you are dissatisfied with your product please get in touch with us. We may be able to offer credit for another purchase (subject to inspection of the returned product) or to purchase the product back as used if we can dispose of the item as B stock. Please note the products would need to be inspected before any final offers are made but, as a guidance only, a 20% restocking fee will be applied on most in-ear monitors. 3) Custom made products - Products that have been custom made to the customer's specification cannot be returned for a refund or credit under this policy. By ordering from us, you agree to the following terms: if you claim a product is defective, we reserve the right to test it. If we cannot find or replicate the defect, we will treat the return like a standard return, which may include fees. Click here to read the full Terms & Conditions Policy.
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