Empire Ears
Wraith Universal IEMs
$1,649.50 USDFeatures
7 Proprietary Empire Balanced Armature Drivers
2 Low, 3 Mid, 2 High, 4 Super-High
EIVEC - Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control
5-Way synX Crossover Network
A.R.C. Resonance Mitigation Technology
Impedance: 4 ohms @ 1kHz
Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 100kHz
Sensitivity 117dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
UPOCC 26AWG Handcrafted Cable by Effect Audio
What's in the Box?
Warranty
**Demo Unit comes with Wraith IEMs and included cable**
Empire Ears is proud to present the World's First Quad Electrostatic IEM, The Wraith. The Wraith is Carnegie Hall built for one; a vast cathedral erected in the name of crystalline, pure sound.
Performances blossom in the enormous sound stage, so intimate you can brush them with your fingertips, yet so grand as to fill every corner, revealing and polishing the finest nuances. Every element of the music is arrayed before you, an orchestra lit in spotlights. No detail is overlooked, but instead is nurtured, given the space to grow and shine.
You will truly hear music like never before. World-leading treble extension dances atop rich and precise mids, all of which is grounded by the earthy, tight low end. The utterly unbelievable level of detail achieved by The Wraith is only possible through the freshly pioneered EIVEC - Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control - technology.
In The Wraith, EIVEC utilizes two transformers to bring the Quadruple Electrostatic Drivers into order, dividing the duties of the EST drivers, and blending them seamlessly with the seven balanced armature drivers which fill out the rest of the robust sound profile. The results are astounding, crafting a world around you with a clarity, texture, and detail that redefine what's possible.
The Wraith comes standard with our new and exclusive "Amethyst Infused Carbon Fiber" faceplate and an Effect Audio Cleopatra bespoke cable.
What Reviewers Are Saying
“It features a one-of-a-kind clean signature where every little note, no matter how loud or silent, gets produced effortlessly and clearly. I can hear the finest beeps with Wraith. People who adored Zeus will be pleasantly taken care of with Wraith, too, in my opinion.
A new introduction in terms of technology is EIVEC – Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control. It’s said to seamlessly harmonize the quadruple e-stat drivers in there. Whatever it is that EIVEC is doing exactly, it’s doing a great job.
Wraith does feature more body and weight in the low end, compared to Zeus, but hasn’t forgotten about the emotions, details, resolution, and sheer accuracy of the midrange. Wraith possesses a sound that is filled with information and richness. It’s a monitor that is always in control, an IEM that handles and organizes big orchestras like it’s just one person with a guitar playing. Wraith is the ultimate conductor.”
-Linus, Headfonia.com | June 2019
Proprietary Technologies
EIVEC Technology and Electrostatic Drivers
Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control Technology, or EIVEC for short, is a novel approach to incorporating electrostatic drivers into in-ear monitors. For all their incredible range and resolution, electrostatic drivers (ESTs) are notoriously difficult to control, often overpowering other drivers. EIVEC is our solution to that, and the degree of control provided by EIVEC is so precise that, in the case of Wraith, each EST driver operates independently, performing disparate tasks within the sound stage. The result is a seamless and rich sound signature layered in detail and texture, the likes of which you've never heard before.
ESTs are capable of stable production of the entire frequency range from 4kHz - 100kHz. Naturally, humans can't hear much above 20kHz, but a driver capable of reliably producing the extreme high frequencies possesses an agility requisite for levels of detail unmatched by any other driver technology.
synX Crossover Technology
How do crossovers work?
Think of a crossover network as an audio traffic officer, directing highs to your tweeters, midrange to your speakers, and bass to your subwoofers. This is essentially what a crossover does; it takes an input signal and splits it into separate audio bands. Could you imagine having numerous speakers with just a few dedicated audio bands? It would cause a massive audio pile-up, forcing the wrong speakers to reproduce the wrong frequencies constantly. We avoid all of this by utilizing specially designed drivers for designated frequency ranges and further maximizing their potential with our latest crossover technology, synX.
Introducing synX
synX is a supercharged crossover design that designates more individual audio bands per driver than any other crossover technology currently in existence. By creating an ultra-wide, multi-channel highway, our engineers can manipulate specific parts of the frequency range in order to precision craft the target response and eliminate any signs of phase incoherence between the drivers. Alternatively, mix engineers and audiophiles will have full control of the drivers when equalizing through a mixing console or digital audio player. synX is the industry’s most advanced IEM crossover technology with each model featuring its own uniquely designed synX network.
synX advantages
synX powered in-ear monitors have remarkably high stereo separation and smooth phase response, leading to more dynamic, realistic imaging and staging for both live and studio use. synX features a myriad of other advantages, including:
- Ultra-Wide Frequency Bandwidth: The Wraith produces a super-wide frequency range, offering listeners unparalleled sound quality and details that best even the most high-end headphones on the market.
- Best Signal-to-Noise: In order to ensure that all of the industry-leading sound quality is heard in your ears, we’ve worked to create a unique combination of handpicked resistors, electrolytic capacitors, and filters in order to ensure the cleanest signal path possible while offering an exceptionally low noise floor.
- Low Distortion: Extremely low distortion means that every nuance in your mix will be reproduced faithfully without audible artifacts.
- Maximum Signal Transfer: Every driver and crossover is individually wired and insulated with 7-strand, UPOCC Litz wires to eliminate acoustic feedback and further soldered with highly conductive, ultra-pure silver and gold Mundorf Supreme for maximum signal transfer.
Proprietary Drivers
The Wraith utilizes several proprietary balanced armature drivers by Knowles and Sonion, each one purpose-built for a specific target response. Our drivers feature specialized reeds and low-mass diaphragms to reproduce incredibly detailed, true-to-recording sound while remaining efficient enough to be powered by everyday devices.
Furthermore, each Empire driver utilizes a NASA-born ferromagnetic liquid technology, Ferrofluid, to dampen acoustic peaks and reduce vibrations in combination with our A.R.C. technology. The result is extraordinary clarity and increased shock durability.
Bespoke Handcrafted Cables
Every Wraith in-ear monitor includes a bespoke, handcrafted Ares II cable by Effect Audio. The Ares II boasts a proprietary blend of 26 AWG UPOCC Litz copper with ultra-flexible insulation for maximum signal speed transmission, performance, and ergonomics. Each cable is terminated in an ultra-durable 3.5mm, 24k Oyaide gold-plated right-angle plug.
Effect Audio’s extensive engineering and manufacturing background gives them the edge over all other cables. After extensive testing with numerous other cable manufacturers, Empire Ears is proud to announce our official partnership with Effect Audio to bring you some of the finest cables in the industry and to ultimately defeat the weak link in IEMs.
A.R.C. Technology
Balanced Armature (BA) drivers are widely used in the IEM industry due to their small footprint and ultra-efficient designs; however, they suffer from resonant behaviors that may cause peaks, unwanted vibrations, and distortion. To help mitigate this, our drivers utilize Ferrofluid between the magnets and armature to provide a wide range of damping values, eliminating the need for a damping screen in the port tube.
Despite this, a secondary peak can still occur from the other components interacting with the drivers. Driver peaks can cause fatigue, distortion, and ultimately affect the way music sounds. We sought out to create a remedy for this, and after years of relentless R&D, we’re proud to announce A.R.C. (Anti-Resonance Compound), a proprietary coating that virtually eliminates unwanted vibrations and resonance from within IEMs.
A.R.C. effectively increases the mass of the components it’s applied to: every driver, crossover, and sound tube. This gives the internals more solidity while serving as a dampener to absorb the unwanted resonance instead of reflecting it out of phase. With A.R.C., clarity is increased substantially, bass is deeper, and the IEM becomes more efficient overall.
What's 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
- 3.5mm Cable
Proudly Handcrafted In The USA
Empire Ears has long prided itself on home-grown craftsmanship, with artisans donning lab coats and honing years of OEM factory experience before being entrusted to handle the Empire lineage. While several of our competitors have taken their manufacturing overseas or have turned to automation, we’ve remained true to our handcrafted, made-in-USA roots to not only provide jobs to our local community but to ensure that quality is never compromised.
Every Empire Ears in-ear monitor is proudly designed, engineered, and manufactured in Norcross, Georgia, USA.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Audio Specifications | |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz - 100kHz |
| Sensitivity | 117dB @ 1kHz, 1mW |
| Impedance | 4 ohms @ 1kHz |
| Driver Configuration | |
| Electrostatic Drivers | 4 Electrostatic Drivers |
| Balanced Armature Drivers | 7 Proprietary Empire Balanced Armature Drivers 2 Low, 3 Mid, 2 High, 4 Super-High |
| Technical Features | |
| Technology | EIVEC - Empire Intelligent Variable Electrostatic Control 5-Way synX Crossover Network A.R.C. Resonance Mitigation Technology |
| Cable | 26AWG UPOCC Litz Copper Handcrafted by Effect Audio |