Short answer: both are discontinued, so this only matters if you are buying used. Used, the Empire Ears Valkyrie is the better pick: it ranks #598 of 971 in-ear headphones by sound quality (rated 3.4/5), against #661 (rated 3.1/5) for the Empire Ears Valkyrie MKII. If you want one new, the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII ranks #1 at $999.
What the Empire Ears Valkyrie does well: A tribrid with a dynamic woofer, armature and electrostatic tweeter that measures well for its class (Harman score 66), with about 3.5 dB of extra bass for a fuller low end. The catch: Discontinued, replaced by the Valkyrie MK II, and Empire Ears closed in 2026, so support is gone.
What the Empire Ears Valkyrie MKII does well: Bass is lifted about 6 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. The tradeoff: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used.
Buy the Empire Ears Valkyrie 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.
Specifications Side By Side
| Empire Ears Valkyrie | Empire Ears Valkyrie MKII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,099 Discontinued | $1,599 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #598 of 971 in In-Ear Headphones | #661 of 971 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | - |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Tribrid | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 9mm dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 1 x electrostatic | 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 1 x electrostatic |
| Impedance | 3 ohms | 3 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB at 1 kHz | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) | 63 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.40 dB standard deviation | 2.46 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.16 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.64 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+6.6 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+6.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Frequency Response | - | 5Hz - 100kHz |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 14, 2026 at 2:38 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Empire Ears Valkyrie: $1,099 Discontinued eBay
Pros: A tribrid with a dynamic woofer, armature and electrostatic tweeter that measures well for its class (Harman score 66), with about 3.5 dB of extra bass for a fuller low end.
Cons: Discontinued, replaced by the Valkyrie MK II, and Empire Ears closed in 2026, so support is gone. Treble runs about 3.4 dB above target and can sound sharp, and the 3 ohm load needs a very low output impedance source.
Full Empire Ears Valkyrie review and specifications →
| Released | 2019 (7 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.40 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x 9mm dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 1 x electrostatic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 66 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 3 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 96 dB at 1 kHz |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+6.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.16 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 787 Hz | +5.9 dB | 0.61 |
| Peak | 9,053 Hz | -4.5 dB | 1.71 |
| Peak | 1,662 Hz | -5.9 dB | 1.22 |
| Peak | 5,093 Hz | -4.4 dB | 4.18 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 74 Hz | +2.1 dB | 1.93 |
| Peak | 168 Hz | -0.7 dB | 1.67 |
| Peak | 9,211 Hz | +1.0 dB | 4.68 |
| Peak | 6,358 Hz | +0.9 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Empire Ears Valkyrie MKII: $1,599 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Bass is lifted about 6 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. Lower mids sit within about 1 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. It uses 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 1 x electrostatic with an easy 3 ohm load.
Cons: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used. A 9 dB peak near 8.6 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp. The 6 dB bass lift can sound boomy and mask midrange detail. A Harman score of 63 places it in the lower part of the in-ear rankings.
Full Empire Ears Valkyrie MKII review and specifications →
| Released | 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.46 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic + 1 x balanced armature + 1 x electrostatic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 100kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 63 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 3 ohms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+6.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.64 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 785 Hz | +5.4 dB | 0.85 |
| Peak | 1,683 Hz | -4.3 dB | 1.34 |
| Peak | 174 Hz | -2.0 dB | 1.76 |
| Peak | 4,267 Hz | -4.1 dB | 4.96 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 5,976 Hz | +4.9 dB | 3.84 |
| Peak | 71 Hz | +1.1 dB | 1.98 |
| Peak | 4,689 Hz | -2.6 dB | 5.94 |
| Peak | 121 Hz | -0.6 dB | 2.34 |