The Empire Ears ESR ranks #1131 out of 1253 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Empire Ears
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#1131 Empire Ears ESR: $899 Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Empire Ears ESR Mk2, ranked higher, rated 3.2/5, released 2019 (also discontinued). See every Empire Ears ESR generation.
Pros: A published AutoEQ preset corrects its response toward the Harman target, so a few minutes of EQ setup closes most of the gap.
Cons: Measures far from the Harman target (preference score 49), so most listeners will hear it as colored; EQ can correct much of this. Discontinued.
Is the Empire Ears ESR right for you?
Skip it if
- you want a neutral sound without EQ (Harman score 49).
- you want to buy it new: it is discontinued.
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired (3.5mm) |
| Deviation From Target | 4.17 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced Armature |
| Drivers | 3 Balanced Armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 49 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.2 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 | +2.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 178 Hz | -5.3 dB | 0.59 |
| Peak | 5,522 Hz | +6.8 dB | 2.82 |
| Peak | 6,259 Hz | -6.7 dB | 0.87 |
| Peak | 3,541 Hz | +8.3 dB | 0.83 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +4.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 896 Hz | +2.1 dB | 1.68 |
| Peak | 1,498 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.19 |
| Peak | 9,254 Hz | -2.0 dB | 2.49 |
| Peak | 367 Hz | -0.7 dB | 1.87 |
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