Empire Ears
Video
What's in the Box?
The Hero Experience
If you've been holding out for a hero, Empire Ears has you covered. One of the company's two new in-ear monitors in 2020, Hero has been hailed as a relative of Empire's earlier flagships, the Legend X and Zeus XIV. While Hero shares some DNA with its predecessors, it carries a smaller price tag at $1,349. I tested the Hero recently and quickly found that while its monetary footprint might be smaller, this is a stellar IEM that looms large in Empire's X Series lineup.
For some context, Empire Ears has been around for five years, springing from VP Jack Vang's previous EarWerkz company. Jack and his father, Dean, a veteran of hearing aid design and OEM IEM manufacturing, teamed up to form Empire Ears after Jack found himself over his head with the success of EarWerkz. Empire Ears handcrafts universal and custom IEMs across two product lines, one geared toward music professionals and the other geared toward audiophiles. Hero belongs to the latter lineup.
Driver Technology
Hero is a four-driver hybrid featuring three proprietary balanced armature drivers (mid, mid-high, and high) and one next-generation Weapon IX+ (W9+) subwoofer - Empire's solution to a dynamic driver that provides expansive low-end reach. It's safe to say that with the Weapon IX (and the newly updated Weapon IX+), Empire Ears has developed a technology that can handle subharmonic frequencies better than any other IEM drivers on the market.
Traditional dynamic drivers can suffer in low-octave frequencies and very much rely on internal shell enclosures for volume, limiting form factor, and vastly reducing efficiency with limited extension. The key to the W9's performance is that the woofer is enclosed in a tuned bass-reflex system with a front-firing port and rear-firing vent. This helps to reduce distortion and boost frequency extension.
Like other Empire models, Hero features a trademark synX Crossover Network and A.R.C. anti-resonance technology. Hero has a frequency response of 5Hz-40kHz, lending a good amount of detail and definition and lowering distortion; and an impedance rating of 17.6 Ohms @ 1 kHz. The Hero's sensitivity rating is 105dB @ 1kHz, 1mW, making a good pairing with devices that have low output impedance and a quiet power supply.
What's in the Box
Hero sits proudly in a stately and sturdy square black box. The main compartment contains the IEMs and stock cable, thank-you card, quick-start guide, and two stickers. A pull-out drawer holds a cleaning tool, 10 Type E ear tips in various sizes, and a round stainless steel storage case with a cleaning cloth.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Audio Specifications | |
| Frequency Response | 5 Hz - 40kHz |
| Sensitivity | 105dB @ 1kHz, 1mW |
| Impedance | 17.6 ohms @ 1kHz |
| Driver Configuration | |
| Driver Design | 4 Proprietary Drivers, Hybrid Design |
| Subwoofers | W9+ |
| Balanced Armature Drivers | 3 Proprietary Balanced Armature Drivers 1 mid, 1 mid-high, 1 high |
| Technical Features | |
| Technology | 4-Way synX Crossover Network A.R.C. Resonance Mitigation Technology |
| Cable | Handcrafted Alpha-IV 26AWG UPOCC Copper Litz Cable |