Q ‘n A Saturday: Empire Ears

Empire Ears

HFN: What makes the Weapon 9 dynamic drivers so special?
JV: Dean and I went through a number of OEM dynamic drivers before ultimately deciding that the only way we were going to get it right is if we just designed it ourselves. So after two years of relentless R&D we’re proud to finally unleash the Weapon IX (W9). The W9 is a 9mm rare-earth magnet subwoofer with the ability to deliver extreme output, accurate dynamics and sublime sound quality all at the same time. The keys to these performance capabilities lie at the very core of its design, where the woofer is enclosed in a tuned bass-reflex system with a front-firing sound port and rear-firing vent for maximum efficiency.

Conventional dynamic drivers and passive radiators (a speaker without the magnet and coil) often suffer in low octave frequencies and are heavily dependent on internal shell enclosures for volume, limiting form factor and vastly reducing efficiency with limited extension. The W9 is superior in its custom port tuned design, reaching frequencies even lower than its target response while mitigating distortion as the woofer isn’t required to move as far near resonance frequency. Every W9 subwoofer is hand assembled to our exacting quality standards in our Norcross, Georgia laboratory.

HFN: The crossover design is something truly remarkable, can you explain why?
JV: Our all new synX crossover technology is something truly extraordinary. By dedicating individual crossover networks to each driver we have full control of every component and can manipulate them to work in unison in order to ultimately achieve our desired target response.

Empire Ears

Empire Ears

HFN: Will there be additional products featuring all this awesome technology in the near future?
JV: Definitely

HFN: Now with Legend X and Phantom available, what will happen to Zeus?
JV: Zeus will always hold a special place in our hearts alongside many EE fans. I truly believe that it was a design that was ahead of its time and even today folks are continuing to discover its magic. We’ll be allocating a special “Legacy” section on our new website for the Olympus Series‘ two best sellers, Spartan and Zeus.

HFN: Zeus is available in three different versions, why is that?
JV: Feedback is so critical to us which is why we ended up with 3 different iterations of Zeus. The original Zeus-XIV was a very mid-forward IEM that focused on intimacy and emotion whereas the Zeus-R was a more reference like signature with an emphasis on neutrality. The XR is a combination of both, allowing the user to switch between the two configurations via a switch on the faceplate. Up position for Zeus-R and down position for the Zeus-XIV. Initially we only made the XR prototype for artists to be able to A/B between XIV and R but shortly after it was shown there was a demand for a production model and the Zeus-XR was born.

HFN: What is your favourite part of the audiophile market?
JV: Without a doubt, the community. They’ve shown us so much love and we show it right back. We’re thankful for every supporter and couldn’t do it with you all. Love y’all!

Empire Ears

Empire Ears

HFN: What is your favourite DAP, earphone and headphone?
JV: WM1Z with the Legend X

HFN: What is your favourite IEM of another company and what makes it so special?
JV: EarWerkz Legend. It was the IEM that started it all and ultimately put us on the map as a force to be reckoned with.

Thanks Jack for being part of the series, we wish you and Empire the very best of luck and look forward to featuring your models on Headfonia!

 

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A daytime code monkey with a passion for audio and his kids, Linus tends to look at gear with a technical approach, trying to understand why certain things sound the way they do. When there is no music around, Linus goes the extra mile and annoys the hell out of his colleagues with low level beatboxing.

1 Comment

  • Reply March 5, 2018

    Dmitri

    I don’t understand why guys are charging for their crafts price of JH?!
    They are so cool, that their website does not even have a new line!

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