The qdc Emperor ranks #967 out of 1369 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: qdc
Prices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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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#967 qdc Emperor: $2,831.00 Elise Audio $2,831.00 eBay
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: About 3 dB less bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, which can sound thin on pop, hip hop and electronic music. Treble about 5 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones. An uneven response, 2.9 dB standard deviation from target.
Is the qdc Emperor right for you?
Buy it if
- you are sensitive to bright or sharp treble (treble sits 4.9 dB below target).
- you are happy to use EQ: our preset lifts its Harman match by about 22 points.
Skip it if
- you want more bass (about 3 dB below target).
- you want the best value: the higher-rated EPZ G10 costs about $2,807 less.
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.92 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Tribrid |
| Drivers | 15 drivers (1 dynamic driver + 10 balanced armatures + 4 electrostatic drivers) |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 70kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 15 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB SPL/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 87 out of 100, up from 65.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 30 Hz | +1.6 dB | 1.45 |
| Peak | 109 Hz | -2.8 dB | 1.16 |
| Peak | 515 Hz | +3.5 dB | 2.14 |
| Peak | 1,260 Hz | -4.3 dB | 3.61 |
| Peak | 3,157 Hz | +3.6 dB | 4.10 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +5.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 6,935 Hz | -2.5 dB | 5.19 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -6.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 88 out of 100, up from 45.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 109 Hz | -3.0 dB | 1.04 |
| Peak | 515 Hz | +3.6 dB | 2.16 |
| Peak | 1,260 Hz | -4.3 dB | 3.61 |
| Peak | 3,157 Hz | +3.6 dB | 4.10 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +5.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 6,935 Hz | -2.5 dB | 5.19 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 85 out of 100, up from 29.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -6.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 131 Hz | -4.5 dB | 1.08 |
| Peak | 531 Hz | +3.1 dB | 2.01 |
| Peak | 1,259 Hz | -4.2 dB | 3.37 |
| Peak | 3,148 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.32 |
| Peak | 5,726 Hz | +4.8 dB | 6.00 |
Warm 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 Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 87 out of 100, up from 64.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 109 Hz | -2.6 dB | 1.19 |
| Peak | 516 Hz | +3.8 dB | 1.97 |
| Peak | 1,288 Hz | -4.2 dB | 3.56 |
| Peak | 3,223 Hz | +4.3 dB | 5.18 |
| Peak | 5,016 Hz | +4.2 dB | 0.85 |
| Peak | 5,718 Hz | +2.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -0.9 dB | 0.40 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -6.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 79 out of 100, up from 53.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 157 Hz | -1.8 dB | 1.74 |
| Peak | 512 Hz | +3.5 dB | 2.03 |
| Peak | 1,053 Hz | -1.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 1,260 Hz | -4.3 dB | 3.62 |
| Peak | 3,158 Hz | +3.6 dB | 4.10 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +5.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 6,936 Hz | -2.5 dB | 5.18 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 78 out of 100, up from 33.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 109 Hz | -3.0 dB | 1.03 |
| Peak | 519 Hz | +3.5 dB | 2.12 |
| Peak | 1,298 Hz | -4.3 dB | 2.79 |
| Peak | 2,241 Hz | -1.5 dB | 4.59 |
| Peak | 3,354 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.19 |
| Peak | 5,503 Hz | +4.2 dB | 3.76 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 74 out of 100, up from 50.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 70 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.08 |
| Peak | 465 Hz | +4.0 dB | 1.56 |
| Peak | 1,036 Hz | -1.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 1,276 Hz | -4.8 dB | 3.00 |
| Peak | 2,093 Hz | -1.4 dB | 2.06 |
| Peak | 3,148 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.16 |
| Peak | 5,359 Hz | +4.3 dB | 2.87 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the qdc Emperor measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the median of 3 independent measurements, so one odd sample or rig cannot skew it, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: median of 3 measurements from the squig.link databases of dchpgall, eliseaudio and sl0the. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.