Empire Ears HERO

Empire Ears Hero ($1349): What makes a hero, a hero?

Hero



Intro: The second of two I have on hand, with the Odin the other; the Hero is marketed kind of as a mini-LX. But it is so much more. With the single W9+ EE takes the LX’s legendary bass and ups the scale to a new version. The Odin has the same drivers but tuned a bit more tamely. After listening to both extensively, I thoroughly respect and appreciate the Odin; but it is the Hero, which stole my heart. Presenting extraordinary bass down low and sparkly but not grating treble up top, the Hero should be looked at on its own merits. This goes heard to head with some very well-known manufacturer models at this price (see below) and does so very well. In fact, I liked it so much, I found a Founder’s Edition for sale on HF and snatched it up.

This unit is part of tour organized by @Barra and I thank him profusely for both EE models. The Hero is spectacular in its own light and EE should be commended for clogging up the works and this price-point. A good thing in my mind. Even though I purchased a unit after hearing the tour model, I will still be objective and state who might like this and who may not. That is our obligation and we take it seriously.


Specs:

Technical Specifications

4 Proprietary Drivers, Hybrid Design
1 Next Generation W9+ Subwoofer - Sub-Bass/Bass
3 Proprietary Balanced Armature Drivers - 1 Mid, 1 Mid-High, 1 High
4-Way synX Crossover Network
A.R.C. Resonance Mitigation Technology
Impedance: 17.6 Ohms @ 1kHz
Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 40kHz
Sensitivity: 105dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
Handcrafted Alpha-IV 26AWG UPOCC Copper Litz Cable


In The Box:

• In Ear Monitor
• Empire Pandora Case
• Empire Cleaning Cloth
• Empire Cleaning Tool
• Final Audio Type E Tips - SS, S, M, L, LL

Gear used/compared:

Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 ($1499)
Empire Ears Legend X ($2299)
Campfire Audio Ara 2020 ($1299)

Shanling M6 Pro
Cayin N6ii mk2
MBP/iFi Zen CAN
HiBy R5 Saber
HiBy R3 Pro Saber


Songlist:

Alex Fox
Afro Cuban All-Stars
Buena Vista Social Club
Joey Alexander-Warna album and others
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
twenty one pilots album, Trench
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever
Elton John-yep, still good, still cool
Tidal MQA


Unboxing: Copied from the Odin...words changed of course...

As one would expect, the unboxing is a treat with the Hero. Coming in a white box instead of the typical black box of other EE wares, one thinks of purity as you slide the thicker than normal sleeve off. Carrying over thankfully is the trayed-effect of a jewelry box, with the tray below housing the aluminum case and aluminum plate, which carries the excellent Final Audio Type-E tips. Some things don’t change and that is for the good.

Typical Empire Ears, and I was not disappointed.



Build/Fit/Finish:

As per other EE models, the Hero is built to superb standards. The marble floor look of black and white on the faceplate makes for a fairly unique look without being garish as well. As with acrylic shelled models of any manufacturer, the shells are fingerprint magnets, but the white/black faceplate help to hide this. I have to say that this is among the better of what I have encountered. Three vent holes arranged in a triangle on the back side (back of your head) of the shell. Otherwise the shell is smooth and provides a nice fit.

The nozzle seems to have an “elevation change” like tiers on an Iowa corn field. This makes the actual nozzle a bit narrower providing good fit. Tips are still fairly hard to put onto the nozzle, but I find this a good thing. The Hero fits almost flush in my ear, on par with the LX.

The cable, labeled Alpha-IV made of UPOCC Litz Copper, 26 gauge, is specially built by EE, and looks very much like the Effect Audio Ares II, which used to be included with models such as this and the LX. Fit of the cable is good, and the over-ear guide makes for a comfortable fit. I had no issues. Not even with glasses. At the other end, the jack looks exactly like what you would find on the Ares II, fitted with a 2.5mm bal jack; because it does say “Effect Audio” on it. A nice feature on the IEM end is the “flattened” connection ending in their typical 2-pin. Flattened on the outside, I found this afforded better grip when changing cables. It’s as nice a cable as came with my LX, so I don’t mind it at all.

The build fit and finish of the Hero is quite fitting for this price, and as always EE sits right on the front row with their build quality.


Technicals:

With three balanced armatures handling everything above the W9+ bass, and a four-way crossover, the Hero is nothing new or groundbreaking, but thoroughly competent in HOW they all work together. Utilizing A.R.C. technology, the insides and the driver units are covered with a proprietary coating to dampen the whole unit. To me this is like properly insulating a home speaker and doing that insulation to provide the best dampening it can, not simply to throw a piece of insulation in and call it good. The coating helps dampen any unwanted vibrational forces from within, which also dampens any possible poor rebound sound.

While some earphones work well with that sort of reverb sound, the EE hold true, minimizing the distractions so that we may listen without any unwanted side-effects.



Sound:

Yes, yes indeed; the first thing to hit me was the bass. And it was good. Really good. Hitting hard and deep, the bass drove at me like the LX, much more upfront than the Odin. The tuning of the Hero is such that the bass is supposed to hit harder than the Odin, and it does. Mimicking the LX to me, I found that there was some bleed into the lower mids, but I did not care. That did not hinder my enjoyment of the sound emanating from within. Of course, it could be that the bass is so strong and with the V-shaped signature, that the mids might suffer. I still enjoy the mids, even with the added bass signature.

Male vocals such as those on the Afro Cuban All-Stars A toda Cuba le gusto come across as vibrant and rich. The Hero is definitively on the warmer side of life, but not like the LX. More subtle in the approach to the mids, at least with regard to warmness, those vocals are deep and rich. I feel the cigar smoke emanating from within that club on the sunny Gulf day, and my foot taps out to the rhythm. Instruments that should be present here makes for a solid sound, and I never felt the mids fell behind the sound presented. I might call this a somewhat-relaxed sound, especially with the subtlety of the sparkle presented up top. The mids are not lacking in my opinion, just not meant to be the “hero” of the show. Even with that “near-hidden” effect of what the W9+ does to the mids, the upper range vocals come across with that vibrancy of which I mention. Male vocals come across as clean, but when you move up the scale, there is a near-scintillating effect to those in the upper mid. Female vocals are quite good as a result.

Of the review details I read, the most polarizing comments were on the treble. As usual take what I say here with a grain. They are reported as too hot by some, countering the punchy, thumping bass, and this can be off-putting to some. I do like a bit of sparkle and have encountered some over the years that are definitely too hot for my taste. The Hero does not come across that way to me. I rather like the presentation as there is a good amount of sparkle without becoming grating or piercing. Certain percussives can come across as too bright such as high cymbals along with high pitched vocals, but I do not play that type of music too much. The tuning of the treble does not offend me, and others should not be put off either.


Soundstaging/layering/instrumentation:

The stage is one of a taller and deeper proportion than wide. I like it and this allows timbre from the mids (which are good, just not the highlight) to be very good. The signature as such is one of a rich vibrancy that is not too grating but can be enjoyed across the spectrum due to the expansive nature of width and height.

Layering is decidedly good, but not great as a result of the V-shape, but it does not become muddy or incoherent. Instead I would call it excitingly laid back. This plays especially well with guitar-oriented works and genre, which make you want to move. Trumpets come across as a bit thin, but not hindered. You simply accept that they are not the highlight of the show. Distinct would be a good word here. I would call this aspect of the Hero more vibrant than the excellent Solaris 2020. That provides the user with an exceptionally sounding unit, which is a bit more laid back, but to me presents the mids with a bit more forwardness and urgency. I’ll add to that below.

Separation of the instruments in the Hero is very good. On complex songs there is no miss-mash of opposition playing on your senses. This is not the detail monster that the Odin is, nor is it meant to be. Rather the Hero presents itself as quite competent with better than expected separation. It was not long ago that this rarity was of TOTL range only. Now since many manufacturers have rolled out their TOTL’s they are looking to descend that technology into their “mid-fi TOTL” range. I hate to use trickle down, but the family resemblance within the EE family is quite evident here, even if this is the X range of IEM’s.



Comparison:

Empire Ears Hero ($1349) v Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 ($1499):

I am lucky to have the latest trio of 2020 branded CFA models on hand, giving me an excellent chance to judge those wares against the Hero. I left the Andro 2020 out due to the price difference, and since it really is a different beast all together with its details galore.

The Solaris 2020 has been lauded and slapped around for some time. This is the first Solaris model I have heard, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time. Presented as having more control down low and more laid back above, I immediately fell for the Solaris. I do wish for more bass, but the sound was of such that I do not miss it. That laid-back tendency is sublime in quality and made for Cuban or Latin music. Vibrant where it needs to be (vocals) and mellow but rich and full where it needs to be as well (guitar work and the overall character), the Solaris 2020 is CFA’s answer to the critics who bashed it. I thoroughly enjoy the Solaris 2020, and it should be highly looked at in this range.

If you want more bass, reaching deeper than the Hero wins, but if you want more presence in especially male vocals and depth of sound in instrumentations, then that sensuousness of Cuban music carries in the Solaris 2020 better. I could easily listen to either of these all day and be thrilled with the different presentations. The Solaris would be the one to end the evening on. The Hero would be the one for your morning commute, preparing you for the day.


Empire Ears Hero ($1349) v Empire Ears Legend X ($2299):

I throw the grandfather in here because it is my all-time favorite. Period. Have I heard overall better IEM’s? Yes. Did they cost 2-3x the price? Yes again. Would I trade if I could for any of those “better” IEM’s if given the chance, even-steven? No. Period.

I came close when pairing the Thummim with the Eletech Socrates cable to moving on that duo. But I then applied the Socrates to the LX. Forget the Thummim. I ordered a Socrates cable instead. I am set. One often speaks of “end game,” and I can honestly state that this is the first time I can fully appreciate and “get it.” There is no desire to move into a higher rent category. The view is just grand here.

You can feel and hear the heritage through the LX what was given to the Hero. That superb bass and somewhat sparkling treble. And I will admit that the Socrates opened up the treble to me over the stock Ares II. Mids sound a fuller to me as well. Not quite as V-shaped as the Hero, there is a distinctness of sound that helps separate the LX from the Hero. You get the heritage of the LX, but feel a bit wanting in that mid department. Of course, I still ordered a Hero and it will complement the LX ever so well. I will say that the LX’s downfall is that it is harder to drive than the Hero by a good 25%. Coming out of my Shanling M6 Pro, I run the Hero on high gain and a volume of 17. The LX I bump up to 22-23 for the same sound level (seat of the pants).


Empire Ears Hero ($1349) v Campfire Audio Ara 2020 ($1299):

Pricewise, this is CFA’s closest offering and a new model. Take the vibrant transparency of the Andromeda and meld it with the character of the Solaris and you have the Ara 2020. My loanee friend likes the Ara the best of the three. I completely understand why and started with this of the three. But after hearing the Solaris 2020, I was set on that. The Ara is a fabulous unit of its own and worth a look at this price. But as stated, I preferred the Solaris.

Compared to the Hero, the Ara provides less bass, but better control of that bass. One cannot fault CFA for not providing the Ara as a bass monster (think Dorado or Vega for that). Presenting a much more balanced sound, I am engaged with the sound on a different level. Drawn to the superb mids through the song Habana del Este, the sound draws me in pouring me another Cerveza and I drink in that sublime taste of thoroughly satisfying percussive sound. With a bit more bite up top, clarity-wise but not as bright; the Ara present a phenomenal overall signature, which should also be respected at this price. If you are looking for one model, which typifies the CFA sound and history, the Ara could very well be it. Taking the best of the Andromeda’s superb clarity and melding it with the soul of the Solaris/Vega makes for a sensuousness that is pervasive throughout my body. While lighter of touch than the Hero (or Solaris), I respect it nonetheless for it lays bare the essence of sound from the song. Candela gives me each note separate and succinct as it should be, even if a bit lacking in warmth. This is not cold or analytical but rather clear and crisp. Had I the money for only one CFA model and could not afford the Solaris 2020, the Ara would be it. And I would be satisfied.



Cables:

Having the Satin Audio cables in for a listen as well, I tried a couple of what I thought would be good fits. Not that I mind the stock, but my Hero will most likely end up with a balanced Ares II or PW Audio Helix Initiale as standard listening. But those aren’t Satin...

Starting with the Kraken 6-wire ($259): 26 AWG, SP-OCC Silver coated-copper I stuck to copper cables, since they are my preferred listening pleasures. Please don’t go into “cAbLeS dOn’T mAtTeR” mode. You believe what you want...

The first thing I found was that the sparkly treble was turned down a bit, and the stage became a bit narrower. This would be a good counter to the stock. On the mentioned Candela song, there is a sound, which gives a holographic mention, but since the cable came as 4.4bal it could be that. I found this cable a bit harder to drive as well by about 2 on the volume knob compared to the stock. I like this cable a good bit, but the sound was almost too intimate for my tastes after listening to the stock Alpha-IV. I do really like the look and feel of the Kracken over the Alpha-IV though. With a gorgeous mix of copper and silver braided together and a tactility that is pretty much unmatched here, this would make a fine addition.

Switching to the Chimera 8-wire ($199): 26 AWG, SP-OCC Silver coated-Copper next, I immediately felt an increase in volume. Turning the knob down to the stock levels presents a pretty even draw here. I would also be hard pressed to differentiate anything else besides that due to my hearing. I will say that the treble here seemed to be tamed down a bit much like the Kracken as well. Since both come across as different from the Alpha in that regard, I think this is a valid point.

The PW Audio Helix Initiale ($410 retail, sale priced at $255 for my purchase) was a purchase for my LX. I really liked what it provided but found that the soundstage seemed to be compressed laterally too much. Of the aftermarket cables here, the Helix sounds closest to the Alpha-IV. On the Hero, there was no compressing of soundstage, and the treble push was present but a bit more subdued. Bass was quite good and a bit tighter in feel to me over the Alpha-IV. I also found the sound to be a bit lighter in touch. Less depth if you will. Mind you, this is pointing out minor “differences” based upon back-to-back listening. I really liked the pairing of the Helix with the Hero and could see this becoming a regular again when my Hero arrives. The one fault of the Helix is the over-ear treatment. There are no ear guides. The cable simply lays there using gravity and because of that and the longer 2-pin connection can come out from behind my ear. This is more prevalent in the left guide than the right, but I could not feel a difference to explain that discrepancy.



Finale:

Had you told me going in that I would like the model which cost roughly 38.5% of the Odin, I would have nodded in acknowledgement, and appreciation for your candor. This would not have been the first time you would have told me such a thing. I would have taken that into consideration, and afterwards called you to say, “you are right, I like the Hero more.” This is not a slap at the Odin, but rather two things: 1. How good the Hero really is, and 2. That the Hero fits my taste signature more, for it does.

Those two conclusions would make for an interesting conundrum were I in the need to recommend one to a friend. Had they the means, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Odin. But if my friends’ tastes were similar to mine and if they appreciated a “bargain” or were more “careful” with their money, then I would let them listen to my Hero before deciding. I would also give them the LX to try. They very would still come away with the Odin, but I would hope they gained an appreciation for the “lesser” model and could very well satisfy their needs with the Hero instead.

This is one of the true joys in this hobby. Finding that unknown jewel with which to clamor and fawn over. For to me it is those rarities of subtlest gems that catch my gaze the most and the Hero is the one I am smitten with here, and that isn’t bad at all. The Odin is spectacular at which to look and listen, but the Hero is the one I went home with tonight.

I again thank @Barra for the tremendous honor and listen of these fine wares. I also thank @empireears for the wares that steal my heart (and $...). Call me what you will, but the Hero and LX are my Epoch.

Preamble:
I had pretty high hopes for the Hero between: the marketing of it having DNA from the LX and Zeus and Jack Vang & Jude calling it an Odin Jr. Plus the price bracket it was aimed at, if it meet those claims would blow CFA out of the water and establish a place for Empire. Anyhow, I was HYPED for Hero, plus I didn't have any rich uncles or organs to sell for the Odin so if anything, the Hero would be the one entering my stable.

Design + Testing stuff:
I spent a bit of time looking at the shells as I got my tips on, and swapped out the 3.5 mm cable (from a prior demo) for the stock one in 2.5mm because I refuse to use the 3.5 on my WM1A. The shell is pretty thick, but par for a hybrid and the shape is a bit closer to the semi-custom shape that plays well with my ears. Still no lip on the nozzle and they're rather short, so a couple points docked there.The faceplates seemed a lot less appealing in person than in photographs for some reason and felt a bit cheap to me, but not a major issue since it's Empire. The stock cable was confirmed to be an Aries II with the Vogue hardware and some Empire branding by Jack Vang when I commented on it, oddly enough the feel of the cable seemed more like the Vogue series copper than the Aries II. Fit was really good, par for the course for Empire (excluding the Zeus R), good seal. Wasn't hard to drive, 55 on my 1A with low gain on the balanced, so far so good, par for the course with hybrids and tribrids.

Preamble Pt2:
My impression of the Hero having the DNA of the LX and Zeus was that it would put the best from the each and put that together in one franken iem (Cue Jack and Dean cackling about how the Hero is alive when they finalize the tuning) and it does that.... to an extent. Similar to the Phantom's bass and treble being an improvement of feedback from the Zeus, it does that, but doesn't really hit the bullseye and ends up in the vicinity. Then there was the Odin Jr claim, which was interesting considering the lack of estats on the Hero, could BA's really compete with well done ESTs? (Tia says yes). Before hearing the Odin, I could see that vein seeing that the Hero was tuned in the way of their house sound and the Hero really followed that to a T. After hearing the Odin, it becames emphatically no. The Hero and Odin are completely different signatures with the Hero being more of a mini Zeus than anything else.

Bass:
Subbass extension is sublime, the W9+ shows its chops and this addresses the biggest issue I've had with the Zeus being subbass anemic. I do wish it was slightly more prominent than it sits.The midbass has plenty of slam and impact and isn't shy about it, however it ends up being bloated and I heard some bleeding into the mids where midbass was a prominent feature of the track. As a whole, they're significantly more controlled than the LX's dual W9s, but still bleeding, this was either a tuning choice or how the W9+ was engineered (Clearly post Odin, this was the former than the latter). It ends up being a compromise being the bass cannon of the LX and the anemic subbass of the Zeus whereas I was expecting a controlled bass (This instead made it to the Odin, which I'm certainly not complaining).

Mids:
The mids are interesting, they're reminiscent of the Zeus's astounding middrange and you can hear an echo of it in the tunning. One of my complaints about the Zeus was the stage was some times too expansive and some tracks felt like there was a lot of space for certain tracks that couldn't take advantage of that or just needed a smaller stage.Hero's mids dials that down to a more reasonable size where it can handle both with ease, though at the opposite expense of resulting in more spacious tracks feeling just slightly squeezed for space. An acceptable compromise. Another issue with Zeus was with how forward the mids were, they could end up fatiguing for more extended listening sessions. Hero ends up taking a step back, the mids are slightly forward so that they're always clear but never to the point of fatigure, similar in vein to the Athena in the previous Olympus series. All in all, the mids really can't compare to the 6 BA's allocated on the Zeus, but it improves all the issues I had with the Zeus mids and that sounds like the "DNA of Zeus" that they seem to be alluding to despite my wildest fantasies in the extreme. Well done Empire.

Treble:
A lot of people seem to be finding the treble bright, I assume it's fit related, but I had no such issues even with the stock cable. While it ran close to the edge for me, it never crossed that line. Overall a huge improvment from the LX treble (Feels non existence once you've heard the dual W9s for the first time) and a big improvement of the Zeus treble being overly bright for certain tracks. I actually listened multiple times to the Hero on the tracks where Zeus had bright treble to make sure and I just couldn't here it. The treble seems to line up to my expectations of the "DNA" Empire alludes to much more than the bass or mids do. Very very well done Empire.

Conclusion:
When I step back and take a logical take at my notes, it really seems to be more of expectations being so high rather than a failing of Hero. It stepped out to produce a sound in the vein of the LX and Zeus, given it's price bracket and suceeded. The signature isn't my cup of tea, but true to the marketing, it does have the DNA of the LX and Zeus, it lives up to that claim. Overall it hits that sweetspot between the Zeus and LX at a lower price bracket than both and worth the consideration if you can get a good fit, even more certain is if you're looking for a lively v shaped tuning that doesn't scoop out the mids whilst snapping your fingers, tapping a pen ...etc to the music, the Hero is an excellent fit.

I've been listening to SNSD (Girls Generation for those of you newer Koreaboos) while writing this and my feelings as a fan as they are currently is an apt analogy to how I feel about the Hero. Been a fan since their debut and was pretty sad that they lost a couple of members, SNSD will always be the original nine to me, but as long as they continue, I will continue to be a fan. It's not the same without all nine girls, But SNSD will always be one of my favourites.

Intro

Meet the latest entry in Empire Ears (EE) broad range of in-ear monitors (IEMs), the Hero. At a retail price of $1349, it sits somewhere in the middle of their offerings.



The HERO belongs to EE’s X Series which is, as far as I understand, mainly targeted at consumers rather than professionals. Those are covered by EE’s
EP, or Empire Professional Series.


Specifications

4 Proprietary Drivers, Hybrid Design:

• Universal in-ear monitor
• 1 Next Generation W9+ Subwoofer - Sub-Bass/Bass
• 3 Proprietary Balanced Armature Drivers - 1 Mid, 1 Mid-High, 1 High
• 4-Way synX Crossover Network
• A.R.C. Resonance Mitigation Technology
• Impedance: 17.6 Ohms @ 1kHz
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz - 40kHz
• Sensitivity: 105dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
• Handcrafted Alpha-IV 26AWG UPOCC Copper Litz Cable

Disclaimer

My review consists solely of my own thoughts, opinions and impressions of the product. All pictures were taken by myself unless stated otherwise.


Review gear

• Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference (main testing source)
• Astell & Kern SP1000M DAP
• Cayin N8 DAP
• Cayin N6 II DAP with E02 module
• Empire Ears Alpha-IV cable (2.5mm balanced)
• Satin Audio Medusa II cable (2.5mm balanced)

Music selection/Testing playlist

Voices, midrange, acoustic guitars etc.

Marily Manson - The Pale Emperor - Day3
Chris Jones - Moonstruck
Sara K. - Hell or High Water - I Can't Stand The Rain, Stars
Ana Tijoux - 1977 - Partir de Cero

Channel separation

NIN - The Downward Spiral - Hurt
Johnny Cash - The Essential - Ring of Fire
Stephen Coleman - Westworld Season 2 Soundtrack - C.R.E.A.M.

Soundstage, treble, electric guitars etc.

Alice in Chains - MTV Unplugged - Rooster
Korn - MTV Unplugged - Freak on a Leash
Anneke van Giersbergen - Symphonized - Feel Alive
Howard Shore - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Blunt the Knives

Dynamics, bass, subbass

The Diary - The Gentle Storm - Endless Sea |Gentle Version|
Wardruna - Runaljod: Ragnarok - Tyr
Hans Zimmer - Man of Steel OST - Look to the Stars
Hans Zimmer - Pearl Harbor OST - Tennessee
Ice Cube - Raw Footage - Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It
Andreas Vollenweider - Vox - Enchanted Rocks


Packaging & Accessories

The packaging for all Empire Ears (EE) products is more or less the same which to me makes sense, because it shows consistency throughout their whole range.

You get a very nicely designed black or white cardboard box with the Empire Ears Logo and the name or logo of your particular product. It’s not too big or small and radiates class and style. It consists of an outer “slider” cover and a sturdier inside box.

Once you open the magnetic flap of the box inside you find a compartment with a quick manual and a “thank you” card from EE congratulating you to your excellent purchase Underneath looms the IEM and cable ready for you to rip out and enjoy the music. A classy drawer underneath reveals an aluminum sheet containing various Final Audio silicon tips to choose from. The great thing here is that Empire Ears not only gives you the standard S, M and L sizes but XS, S, M, L and XL instead, which simply gives you a wider range of tips to match to your ears. As my ear-canals are slightly different in size, it makes it easier for me to get a good fit. However, I would have wished for a selection of foam tips as I generally prefer foam over silicon. The included tips work well though.

Josh from EE told me that the tips were meticulously chosen for the best sound- and comfort experience through rigorous testing and since I had a lot of discussions with him, I can see that EE are very dedicated to delivering the best possible product to their customers. I could honestly feel the dedication which, at least for me, makes for a good brand experience.

Last but not least you get EE’s phantastic Pandora case, a black aluminum capsule to safely transport your precious in-ears. It’s built like the proverbial tank and is engraved with Empire’s logo and the name of your product.


Build quality & Fit

IEMs

The build quality of the HERO is simply excellent. They look flawless with no visible seams between faceplate and in-ear. In the past I refrained from anything IEM related that was not metal. I felt that plastics are just cheap. So when first buying an IEM made of resin, I was dumbstruck, as it did not look cheap at all, on the contrary. Same goes for the HERO. They just look classy in my opinion.



Fit and comfort, at least for my ears is very good with rather long nozzle enabling a good seal for me. Hence the IEMs do not sit flush in my ears but stand out a couple of millimeters, which is no problem for me.

Cable

EE are using a variation of Effect Audio’s Ares II which they call Alpha-IV or simply A4. You get to choose from 3.5mm single ended or 2.5mm balanced. I always go for balanced but that’s my personal preference. It’s a beautiful, classy and well made cable and I particularly like the sleek connectors and super small y-split. Yes, that cable looks gorgeous in my opinion.



What I don’t like so much is the rigidness of the cable. When I first removed it from the package, it took me some time to straighten it out. It’s still rigid and, for me, flexibility, especially for an IEM cable is an important factor. I clearly prefer softer, more flexible cables. I gave the feedback to EE and I am curious if other customers had similar remarks or I am the only one.

However, the cable noise is still at an acceptable level / no issue. Soundwise I have no complaints whatsoever. After all, EE tested A LOT of cables. I saw the pictures of their workshop with I-don’t-know-how-many cables hanging and lying around, so here again, they went through a lot of trouble to find the best match.


Sound

Let’s come to the bread-and-butter now, shall we?

Overall tonality

I consider the overall tonality of the HERO as musical/emotional rather than analytical with very good impact and detail. I believe the goal was to create an IEM that delivers a fun experience across various genres. It’s definitely not made to dissect music but rather to enjoy it.

Treble

Acoustic- and electric guitars sound clear and detailed throughout. I really enjoy the representation as I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar music and rock music in particular. There’s certainly no lack of sparkle and detail for sure. I would describe the treble representation as slightly forward/emphasized. Since I don’t do measurements, I cannot back that impression up with data though.

This slight treble emphasis occasionally leads to a certain sibilance, most apparent in “s”- sounds, depending on the music and source (DAC/AMP/DAP) that is used. Sometimes it’s barely noticeable and sometimes it is. It will also depend on how sensitive a person is in that regard.

Midrange

Voices, male and female alike, are just so slightly pronounced and overall quite enjoyable. The midrange to me seems rather balanced and unspectacular in a positive sense. I don’t miss anything and I don’t hear anything special there, apart from the aforementioned slightly forward voice representation. It’s certainly enjoyable to listen to acoustic/unplugged recordings with the HERO.

Bass/Sub-bass

Thanks to the excellent “Weapon-9+” subwoofer that is also found in the Odin, the HERO naturally excels in this department.

There’s not too many IEMs out there with this kind of impact and sub-bass rumble for sure, making orchestral soundtracks, live sessions, Hip-hop and basically any kind of recording with a good dynamic range a treat. If you’re the kind of person that enjoys just having some fun time without worrying about a neutral representation, the HERO will tick all boxes in that regard. It’s almost on a similar level with EEs Legend X here, being (in)famous for punching deep and hard.

Soundstage

I would describe the soundstage on the Hero as rather average than large. Recordings like Alice in Chains “MTV Unplugged” from 1996 feel like you are part of the audience standing right in front of the stage in a small club rather than being in a large theatre. This gives me a more intimate feeling which I quite enjoy. Listening to Anneke van Giersbergen’s “Symphonized” album, the stage is larger but not huge.
I guess it depends on a person's preferences really.

Channel separation

Channel separation is good, slightly above average I would say. I heard in-ears with a much more pronounced separation making for an almost uncanny listening experience at times (EEs own Legend X for example). Again: this is very much up to personal preference. I personally like the HEROs capabilities in that regard.

Neutrality

The HERO certainly is not an in-ear that I would consider neutral. It emphasises bass and treble but leaves the midrange pretty much untouched making for a colorful, fun experience.


Amplification/Matchability/Scalability

The Hero certainly scales well with the source and is not particularly hard to drive. I would recommend using a rather “warm” source over a more neutral one mitigating the effect of the occasional sibilance.

Going from the Burson to a Cayin N8, in balanced mode there is noticeably more bass and sub-bass impact. Moving to tube-output, the bass is tamed a bit and becomes more civil. As one would assume, sibilance becomes less of an issue here as the tubes do what they’re supposed to do. In single ended (solid state) mode, some of the massive energy from balanced is lost, retaining the same overall tonality.

When I first listened to the HERO on my Astell & Kern SP1000M, I did not particularly like the synergy as the Sp1000M, while being an excellent device, has a tonality that leans closer to neutral than, say, the Cayin DAPs. I guess the Burson desktop DAC/Amp sits somewhere in between. That being said, I did listen with the SP1000M with the HERO fresh out-of-the-box, so no burn-in time.

I did a little cable-rolling as well and switched from EE’s Alpha-IV cable to Satin Audio’s Medusa II (259,-$), just out of curiosity. I don’t want to go into details here, but let’s just say that you can tune the sound of the HERO further to your liking with a bit of experimenting on that side.

As of the time of writing this review, the HERO still has below 10 hours of usage, so I will give it a bit more time for either my ears to adjust and/or the IEMs to burn-in, however one might prefer to call it.


Comparisons

Shozy & AAW Pola39 (950,-US$)

The Pola39 at 950$ is somewhat in the price range of the HERO. It features a proprietary 10 mm dynamic driver plus DUAL electrostatic drivers. It features a crazy 10Hz-100kHz frequency range due to the electrostatic drivers. It needs significantly more power than the HERO hence is a bit harder to drive.

The treble is not what you would expect here given the specs but rather soft and silky vs. the much more forward treble on the HERO. Detail retrieval is good on the Pola39 but better still with the HERO. Voices are more pronounced on the HERO too. Both IEMs have a nice bass- and sub-bass impact but HERO just punches a bit harder and goes a bit deeper. I would describe the sound of the Pola39 as more relaxed and laid back vs. the more engaging presentation on the HERO.

The Pola39 is a fair bit smaller than the HERO and also has a more shallow insertion depth making it more suitable for small ears. For my medium sized ears, the Pola39 just disappears after a while making it more comfortable to wear.

Both IEMs certainly have their merits and as often, it comes down to preference or maybe the mood you’re in while listening.


Empire Ears Legend X (2199,-US$)

Switching to the Legend X (LX), there are quite some similarities within the family. The bass and sub-bass reproduction are not that far apart with a slight edge maybe for the LX in terms of impact and tonality. Overall, there’s more bass “foundation” noticeable on the LX, defining the whole sound signature while the bass on HERO is a bit more contained and separated from the rest of the spectrum.

The perceived stage on LX is larger, actually pretty much everything on LX seems larger due to that voluptuous bass elevating everything. Treble on the LX is smoother with pretty much the same detail retrieval than on HERO. There is no sibilance noticeable on LX.

It’s really hard to describe the differences as the basic sound signature is quite similar but also different. The overall experience, at least for me, is superior on the LX. It feels more refined, coherent and effortless which is no surprise given the +850$ surcharge on the LX.


Empire Ears Odin (3399,-US$)

Going to the Odin, this one is just a very different beast from everything else I know.
The adjectives coming to mind are satisfying, effortless, natural. The last bit of artificial tonality is gone, this is pure bliss, really. Yet the inheritance is undeniable.

You get a similar tonality and overall sound signature with HERO. I think it could very well be Thor, the son of Odin. While Thor (HERO) is brimming with energy and enthusiasm and once in a while does something stupid, Odin is just that more well controlled, wise and well matured - it’s perfection. I can almost taste the guitar strings in Alice in Chains “Rooster” on their MTV Unplugged album and it instantly makes me smile.

Again: at 2050$ more, that should be no surprise. Both IEMs are great in their own right and market segments.


Verdict

The HERO is a fun IEM rather than a surgical instrument. Still, there is plenty of detail to be discovered. It inherits some of the DNA from Odin as well as the fun factor of the Legend X. Is it as good as those two? No, but at 1000 or 2000 $ less respectively, I guess that cannot be expected.

The HERO scales well, so “more power” certainly does not hurt and with the right source (and cable), you can pretty much tailor the sound to your liking quite a bit.