Short answer: both are discontinued, so this only matters if you are buying used. Used, the Empire Ears ESR Mk2 is the better pick: it ranks #915 of 1253 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 3.2/5), against #1131 (rated 2.0/5) for the Empire Ears ESR. If you want one new, the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII ranks #1 at $999.
The Empire Ears ESR Mk2 is the better-sounding choice. Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. Watch for: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used.
What the Empire Ears ESR does well: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap. Watch for: Measures far from the Harman target (preference score 49), so most listeners will hear it as colored; EQ can correct much of this.
Buy the Empire Ears ESR Mk2 only if you find one used in good condition; both are discontinued, and it is the better rated of the two. For a new speaker, start with the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII instead.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
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A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Empire Ears ESR Mk2 | Empire Ears ESR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099 Discontinued | $899 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #915 of 1253 in In-Ear Headphones | #1131 of 1253 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Connection | Wired | Wired (3.5mm) |
| Driver Type | Hybrid | Balanced Armature |
| Drivers | 3 x balanced armature + 2 x electrostatic | 3 Balanced Armature |
| Impedance | 3.9 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 111 dB/mW | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 100kHz | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) | 49 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.15 dB standard deviation | 4.17 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.04 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-5.2 dB at 30 Hz) | - |
| Back | - | Closed |
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