# Empire Ears HERO **URL:** \ **Category:** Official IEM Model Discussion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506 "2020-09-22T17:47:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TylersEclectic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tylerseclectic/32/8751_2.png) [@TylersEclectic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/TylersEclectic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/1 "2020-09-22T17:47:03Z")
The place to discuss the Empire Ears HERO!!! Will you be my Hero? šŸ˜ šŸ˜… šŸ¤£ ---
**Author:** ![TylersEclectic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tylerseclectic/32/8751_2.png) [@TylersEclectic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/TylersEclectic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/2 "2020-09-22T17:47:30Z")
@Precogvision review of the Hero linked below! > **[Empire Ears Hero Review: Skewed Potential](https://www.headphones.com/blogs/news/empire-ears-hero-review-skewed-potential)** > > Review written by @Precogvision Preface Empire Ears - from highly questionable IEMs like the Wraith to surprisingly good, if not niche, IEMs like the Valkyrie and Legend X, you never know what theyā€™ve got cooking. When they announced a new wave of... ---
**Author:** ![ProfFalkin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/proffalkin/32/1399_2.png) [@ProfFalkin](https://forum.headphones.com/u/ProfFalkin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/3 "2020-09-22T17:55:17Z")
> [@TylersEclectic](#): > > Will you be my Hero? šŸ˜ šŸ™„ šŸ˜¶ No. But I will drink whiskey with you. ---
**Author:** ![TylersEclectic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tylerseclectic/32/8751_2.png) [@TylersEclectic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/TylersEclectic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/4 "2020-09-22T18:02:52Z")
LOLā€¦ I couldnā€™t resistā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![generic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/generic/32/61169_2.png) [@generic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/generic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/5 "2020-09-22T18:04:15Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/0/9/098d65317f1bb1d11c95da9d9e8ae435c9252020.jpeg "Ferris Bueller's Day Off #5 Movie CLIP - You're My Hero (1986) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WssvDwtWNo) ---
**Author:** ![TylersEclectic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tylerseclectic/32/8751_2.png) [@TylersEclectic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/TylersEclectic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/6 "2020-09-22T18:44:45Z")
One of my all time favorite movies! ---
**Author:** ![Gnahra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/gnahra/32/7161_2.png) [@Gnahra](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Gnahra)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/7 "2020-09-22T22:51:26Z")
Will be interested to see what the community thinks about thisā€¦I find it bright enough that I am trying to find the right cable to attenuate the treble, but enjoy the rest of the signature, particularly in the context of the rest of my IEM collection. ---
**Author:** ![Tchoupitoulas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tchoupitoulas/32/37432_2.png) [@Tchoupitoulas](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Tchoupitoulas)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/8 "2020-09-22T22:54:04Z")
> Heā€™s gotta be strong > And heā€™s gotta be fast > And heā€™s gotta be fresh from the fight > I need a hero > Iā€™m holding out for a hero 'til the morning light > Heā€™s gotta be sure > And itā€™s gotta be soon > And heā€™s gotta be larger than life! Bonnie Tyler Special Ltd. Edition. Coming soonā€¦ [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/3/e/3ebcd4b8617bd5e3a7e6cf237e549304b87d0c80.jpeg "Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWcASV2sey0) (best. music. video. ever.) ---
**Author:** ![taronlissimore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/taronlissimore/32/59_2.png) [@taronlissimore](https://forum.headphones.com/u/taronlissimore)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/9 "2020-09-23T03:25:02Z")
I think the Hero has a tough contender in the Nio. A couple hundred bucks more for similar bass quantity but module EQ. Personally I didnā€™t find the Hero treble to be too harsh but my use case was mostly while transiting so frequencies do get lost. Heroā€™s stock cable is definitely better than the Nio stock cable. No question there. ---
**Author:** ![Tchoupitoulas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tchoupitoulas/32/37432_2.png) [@Tchoupitoulas](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Tchoupitoulas)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/10 "2020-09-23T04:21:21Z")
A couple of quick thoughts. 1. After auditioning a bunch of Empire Ears IEMs at CanJam NYC this February, I was struck by three things: first, how great the EE representatives were; they genuinely went out of the way to be helpful and to select IEMs for me that might suit my sonic preferences; second, how busy they were, and how they attracted a loyal, devoted, and enthusiastic younger crowd (is it me or do IEM aficionados skew younger in terms of demographics?); and third, how diverse the tuning of the IEMs is - @Precogvision gets it exactly right when he writes about EE in the above-linked review that ā€œyou never know what theyā€™ve got cooking.ā€ There doesnā€™t seem to be a house sound, as there is with others like Campfire Audio. I wonder where the Hero sits in relation to its EE counterparts? 2. The competition among high-end hybrid IEMs is getting interesting, given the number of comparably-priced offerings on the market now. - Moondrop Solis: 4BA/2EST, $1100 - Empire Ears Hero: 1DD/3BA, $1349 (not to mention the Legend X and Valkyrie as other hybrids by EE) - Unique Melody MEST: 1DD/4BA/2EST/1 bone conduction, $1400 - Campfire Audio Solaris (2020): 1DD/3BA, $1500 - 64 Audio Nio: 1DD/7BA/1 tia driver, $1700 - Sony IER-Z1R: 2DD/1BA, $1700 And itā€™s cool to see ThieAudio and UM, with the MEST Mini (3BA/1 bone, $600), release more affordable offerings such as the Clairvoyance (1DD/5BA/2EST, $700) and the Monarch (1DD/6BA/2EST, $730). Exciting times. ---
**Author:** ![mla7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/mla7/32/13680_2.png) [@mla7](https://forum.headphones.com/u/mla7)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/11 "2020-09-25T23:40:22Z")
I found them to be way too bright and hard to listen to. Very shouty to my ears and sibilant. I also didnā€™t find the bass to be all that impactful. The Nio on the other hand is near perfection to me. Better bass, easy going treble and nicely placed mids. The APEX modules also release some of that bass pressure so I never get fatigued listening to them. And I find that the Nio physically sits better in my ear than the Hero did. ---
**Author:** ![TylersEclectic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tylerseclectic/32/8751_2.png) [@TylersEclectic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/TylersEclectic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 6:26am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/12 "2020-11-17T06:26:15Z")
Early access pic from todays picture taking session =) ![EEHeroTM-8](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/headphones/original/3X/d/8/d8ec569766e0a58730c98f28113fd51d006a1f44.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![prfallon69](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/prfallon69/32/43781_2.png) [@prfallon69](https://forum.headphones.com/u/prfallon69)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 8:30am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/13 "2020-11-17T08:30:28Z")
Excellent picture sir. I have these winding their way to me as we speak. I got the Founderā€™s day Edition ones from the Lounge sale a few week ago. I shall let you know my impressions when I get them. ---
**Author:** ![taronlissimore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/taronlissimore/32/59_2.png) [@taronlissimore](https://forum.headphones.com/u/taronlissimore)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/14 "2020-11-18T02:14:23Z")
Looking forward to hearing what you think! @TylersEclecticā€™s live impressions today were great, felt like it did a great job of capturing the Heroā€™s sound. ---
**Author:** ![prfallon69](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/prfallon69/32/43781_2.png) [@prfallon69](https://forum.headphones.com/u/prfallon69)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 4:42am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/15 "2020-11-18T04:42:32Z")
Yes I really liked the format of the show. @TylersEclectic really seems to be taking to the role really well. It shows too heā€™s very relaxed in front of camera. Iā€™m really looking forward to trying something like the Hero. I think it will complement the rest of my stuff really well. ---
**Author:** ![TylersEclectic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tylerseclectic/32/8751_2.png) [@TylersEclectic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/TylersEclectic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/16 "2020-11-18T18:37:42Z")
Thanks @taronlissimore and @prfallon69 now if I could just do proper pre-filmed videos lolā€¦ but live streams are just more my style ha! I find it very difficult to do pre-recorded videos for some reason =( Plus I really enjoy interacting with the live chatā€¦ I also prefer having guests on =) or co-hosts makes for more interesting conversations and fun ---
**Author:** ![prfallon69](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/prfallon69/32/43781_2.png) [@prfallon69](https://forum.headphones.com/u/prfallon69)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/17 "2020-11-19T18:10:08Z")
Just taken delivery of my Hero iemā€™s. Had them 4 hours and then FedEx came back and said they wanted my parcel back. ā€˜Why?ā€™ I said ā€˜Donā€™t know the driver said.ā€™ Bugger off I said. So he did. I rang FedEx and eventually they told me the reason was that somewhere along the line it had missed a scan in the system. If I let them have it back then theyā€™ll get it back to me next week. Again ā€˜Bugger off said I.ā€™ In the end they saw it my way as I wasnā€™t going to give it back. Itā€™s just silly. I may never see it again. Hope I did the right thing, but Iā€™d already opened it. It had been handed over and delivered properly. Not great service from FedEx to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![generic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/generic/32/61169_2.png) [@generic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/generic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/18 "2020-11-19T18:13:10Z")
Give them the empty box and then file an insurance claim for missing items. šŸ˜¬ šŸ¤„ Joking for the humor impairedā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![prfallon69](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/prfallon69/32/43781_2.png) [@prfallon69](https://forum.headphones.com/u/prfallon69)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/19 "2020-11-19T18:17:49Z")
Iā€™m sure some actually would. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![Tchoupitoulas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/tchoupitoulas/32/37432_2.png) [@Tchoupitoulas](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Tchoupitoulas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506/20 "2020-11-21T22:19:42Z")
> [@prfallon69](#): > > Hope I did the right thing What a hassle over something so pointless. Itā€™s not your responsibility to fix their mistake, especially when doing so would create unnecessary inconvenience (as the customer!) and especially when doing so would deprive you of the very thing you were getting in the first place. Ludicrous. You did exactly the right thing - all the more so given the risk of losing your Hero, as you note. I hope they sound good! Would love to read a comparison withe your Andros! [Next page](https://forum.headphones.com/t/empire-ears-hero/8506.md?page=2)