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Beauty and the Beast - Empire Ears Valkyrie Mkii Review
How come?
Because these in-ears offer stunning bass and at the same time offer very good details and clarity At a very, very attractive price for what's offered. I also love the "Dragonhide" faceplates. Absolutely excellent value for money!
Valkyrie MKII in 30 seconds
- Captivating, detailed, fun sound with massive bass and sub-bass
- Silky smooth highs
- Very good details and stage
- Beautiful (subjectively) and well-made IEM and very good cable
- Excellent price/performance ratio
Specifications
- 3 drivers, Tribrid IEM design:
- Universal in-ear monitor
- 1 next-generation subwoofer W9+ - Subbass/Bass
- 1 Proprietary Balanced Armature Driver - Mid
- 1 Premium Electrostatic Driver - High, Ultra-High
- 4-way synX crossover network
- EIVEC - Empire Intelligent Electrostatic Control Technology
- A.R.C. Anti-resonance connection technology
- Impedance: 3.0 ohms @ 1kHz
- Frequency response: 5 Hz - 100 kHz
- Sensitivity: 100dB @ 1kHz, 1mW
- Handcrafted Alpha Hybrid-IV (AH4) 26AWG UPOCC copper stranded, silver stranded 4-core cable
Test devices
- Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference (main test source)- Cayin N8 DAP
- Cayin N6 II DAP with E02 and R01 modules
Music selection/test playlist
Voices, Mids, Acoustic guitars etc.- Tenacious D - Tenacious D - Wonderboy
- 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
- Tenacious D - Tenacious D - Kielbasa
- 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, Upper Middle
- 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 EAST - 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 makes sense to me because it demonstrates consistency across the entire product range. You get a beautifully designed white cardboard box with the Empire Ears logo and the name or logo of the respective product. It's neither too big nor too small and exudes class and style. It consists of an outer "slider" sleeve and a sturdier inner cardboard box.Once you open the magnetic flap of the box, you'll find a compartment inside with a quick guide and a thank you card from EE congratulating you on your purchase.Underneath are the IEMs and the cable, ready to unpack and enjoy the music.
A sleek drawer underneath reveals an aluminum plate with various Final Audio silicone tips to choose from. The great thing is that Empire Ears offers not only the standard sizes S, M, and L, but also XS, S, M, L, and XL, giving you a wider selection of tips to fit your ears.
Since my ear canals vary slightly in size, it is easier for me to find a good fit.
Last but not least, you'll receive EE's fantastic Pandora case, a black aluminum capsule for safely transporting your valuable in-ears. It's built like a tank and engraved with the Empire logo and your product name.
Processing quality & fit
IEMs
The build quality of the VALKYRIE MKII is simply outstanding. They look flawless, with no visible seams between the front panel and the earbuds. The VALKYRIE MKIIs look stunning with their so-called "Dragonhide" front panel, which I believe is more or less the same as the first generation.
The fit and comfort are good, at least for my ears, and the included silicone eartips ensure a good seal. Those with small ears (mine are average) should test first, as these IEMs are quite large.
Cable
EE includes its Alpha Hybrid-IV (AH4) copper/silver hybrid cable. You can choose between 3.5 mm single-ended or 2.5 mm balanced. I always choose balanced, but that's my personal preference. It's a beautiful, classy, and well-made cable, and I particularly like the slim connectors and the attractive copper Y-split.
I think it's a great fit for the VALKYRIE MKII. Unlike the Alpha IV copper cable, this cable is quite flexible, making it comfortable and easy to use. The cable noise is also quite low.
sound
General tonality
The VALKYRIE MKII is a very engaging and emotional in-ear monitor (IEM), not an analytical one. It delivers massive bass and beautiful detail. The VALKYRIE MKII was clearly designed with the goal of being fun, and therefore is not for enthusiasts. absolute neutrality.
Heights
Acoustic and electric guitars, as well as other string instruments, sound beautifully clear and with good, silky-smooth detail. I've read about a certain harshness and sibilance in the first Valkyrie. That's absolutely not the case here. As I said, the entire upper frequency range is very smooth, resulting in a fatigue-free listening experience.
There seems to be a slight treble emphasis that highlights certain instruments like strings and guitars. I found it enjoyable listening to rock, acoustic rock, and metal in particular, but the VALKYRIE MKII seems to handle other genres well as well.
Midrange
Male and female voices are slightly prominent, but less so than the instruments mentioned in the treble section. This can lead to the band/orchestra pushing itself somewhat to the forefront. The good thing about this is that the voices are never suppressed and remain nicely separated. I find the midrange to be rather balanced and unspectacular, in a good way.
Bass/Subbass
Empire Ears' implementation of their next-gen "Weapon-9+" subwoofer does its job in the VALKYRIE MKII, and boy, does it do it with full force. My first thought was, "This is direct competition to EE's excellent Legend X!"
Depending on the source, the VALKYRIE MKII pumps a surprising amount of sub-bass into your ear canals. I noticed this especially with the Cayin N8 and N6II. I even had to turn the volume down once or twice when listening to sub-bass-heavy music. With a more neutral source like my test unit, the Burson Conductor 3XR, this bass influence is significantly attenuated. Don't get me wrong: This is indeed pure fun. Call it a "guilty pleasure" if you like, but I personally don't use that term because there's no guilt in enjoying your music, right?
Soundstage
The soundstage is really good for an IEM. You get a good sense of the space around you and an idea of what/who is where in a live recording situation. However, it's not overly dramatic, so even more intimate recordings offer just the intimacy you need to enjoy them.
Channel separation
The channel separation is very good, but not excessive. Just the right amount for my taste. There's nothing more to say.
neutrality
The VALKYRIE MKII is far from a neutral IEM. Its massive bass and enhanced treble are designed for pure enjoyment. This isn't a sectional instrument, but something that wants you to move, stand on your feet, and simply enjoy your music.
Amplification/Adaptability/Scalability
The VALKYRIE MKII takes full advantage of the source it's connected to. This is also one of the few IEMs where different sources have a significant impact on the overall sound signature, so you should definitely test it with your existing equipment.
While Cayin DAPs like the N6II or N8 offer the full power and glory of VALKYRIE’s Weapon 9+ subwoofers, more neutral DAPs like those from Astell & core the bass a bit, resulting in a more relaxed sound signature. During testing, the Burson Desktop DAC/Amps delivered very good synergy with plenty of detail, well-controlled bass, and a nice soundstage.
Comparisons
Empire Ears Legend X
When I first listened to the VALKYRIE MKIIs, I thought, "Hey, these sound like the Legend X (LX) for less money." Did Empire Ears happen to build an in-house competitor that takes advantage of LX customers? Well, yes and no. Indeed, this is a good example of how memory can cheat you, and the only way to find out for sure is a quick memory refresher. Fortunately, I had my LX handy to do this.
Moving on to the Legend X, there are some similarities within the family, but the difference is obvious. The LX still delivers the most bass punch, even when using the older Weapon 9 subwoofers, because it has two of them per side!
The LX's soundstage is larger and almost three-dimensional. I've said it before: The LX is the most immersive listening experience with an in-ear monitor I've ever had. That can be good or bad, depending on your preferences.
Let me put it this way: The LX is pure adrenaline pumping through your veins as if you were an extreme sports junkie jumping out of a plane with bated breath.The VALKYRIE MKII also gives you an adrenaline rush, like you're speeding downhill, always knowing you're in control. Does that make sense?
So, this isn't about pitting a $1,599 IEM against a $600 more expensive one, with the latter winning. It's purely a matter of preference.
(One final point worth mentioning is that the LX is much smaller than the VALKYRIE MKII, which may make it a better choice for people with small ears.)
My conclusion
The VALKYRIE MKIIs are truly excellent IEMs for the asking price; in fact, I consider them excellent value for money! CHF 1,599 is by no means cheap, but for that, you get wonderful sound quality across all frequencies with an emphasis on sub-bass performance AND very good detail. Are you looking for an IEM that's fun to use without sacrificing audiophile quality? Grab this one and enjoy your guilty pleasure.
More on the topic
Empire Ears Legend EVO - Full Review by Josh Chan – Audio EssenceBattle of the Bass Gods: Comparison of Empire Ears Legend EVO with Legend X and Odin – Audio Essence
Truly divine - Empire Ears Odin – Audio Essence
The Pure Truth - Empire Ears ESR MKII – Audio Essence