2. best-of
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Happiness lies in the satifsaction

I will stay in Seoul, Korea for dental work another 2 weeks at 19th floor hotel room.

But I am quite happy with the sound out of Massdrop   Empire Zeus IEM (I paid 1K$) using my Dell Gaming Laptop and Youtube source.

https://youtu.be/3cn9yfdyZ78

It is quite musical with almost 75% of nuanced details and realistic soundstage of my high end 2 channel system.

Unless I wish to get subbass and full dynamics, it suit my need.

Actually it is pretty dynamic with 7 drivers.


128x128shkong78
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shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
You are right. Millercarbon

The Empire Zeus IEM with seven drivers is amazing with excellent nuanced details and realistic soundstage even without tube in the chain.

Another thing is that internet connection is very stable and fast in Seoul, Korea.

While in suburb of Seattle, I had some discontinuity of music through Youtube.

This IEM almost sounds like floor standing speaker except body slamming bass.

I have 87 years old mother in Seoul, Korea so I had come here for dental work to see her too.

Usually I used to stay in her place in Seoul.

But this time, it is too hot here around 95 degrees so I had decided to stay in hotel instead of my mom’s apartment.
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shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
Empire Zeus IEM technical Spec.

  • Transparent blue ABS plastic shell and faceplate
  • 14 balanced-armature drivers: 2 low, 6 mid, 6 high
  • Stainless steel canal with 4 sound bores
  • 7-way proprietary crossover network
  • Frequency response: 10 Hz–20 kHz
  • Impedance: 10 ohms at 1 kHz
  • Input sensitivity: 119 dB at 1 mW
  • Noise isolation: -28 dB +/- 2 dB
  • 48 in (122 cm) silver-plated copper insulated cable
  • 2-pin 0.78mm connectors
  • ⅛ in (3.5 mm) gold-plated TRS plug


It is amazing that 14 drivers are included in small enclosures and its tweeter sounds so clean and amazing considering I am very sensitive to clean treble having used plasma tweeter for 12 years.

Although I liked Hifiman Sundara headphone, this Empire Zeus IEM is another lever above it with nuanced details and dynamics.

I never imagined that IEM could sound so musical with gaming laptop.


Stax 009S and Carbon Amp is another level above Empire Zeus IEM in naturalness.

But Empire Zeus IEM is portable and not far behind Stax 009S.

If you have a chance, I would recommend you to try it.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Is this Zeus the one you got a while back, or did you just get it?
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
I had got it about 2 months ago from Massdrop for 1K$.

It is worth every penny.

Only few days ago, I found out that with stable streaming out of Youtube in Seoul, Korea, it sounds fantastic with gaming laptop without any additional amplifier.
gadios
94 posts
 
Miller,

If you had ever been to Seoul you would know why one
would take "every opportunity" to visit again. Beyond that
I may not be more specific.
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