Empire Ears / RAVEN

RAVEN is a new flagship IEM with dual conduction, quad hybrid 12 drivers and a motif of Odin's eye and Empire Ears' wings.

■[The Eye of Odin, A New Flagship IEM] Equipped with quad-brid 12 drivers
・Empire Ears, a custom IEM brand based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, has developed the universal IEM "RAVEN", which will be the new flagship of 2024, using the latest technology and knowledge. Empire Ears' commitment to excellence has led them to develop and manufacture several in-house drivers, even in small quantities. This allows them to break new ground in technology without being bound by industry constraints or compromises. And the latest flagship of 2024, RAVEN, is a symbol of Empire Ears' extraordinary engineering. RAVEN is equipped with dual conduction, quad-brid 12 drivers. It is composed of 12 drivers per side, including two "W9+" (WEAPON 9+) dynamic drivers for the low range, five custom BA drivers designed in cooperation with Knowles and Sonion for the mid range, four Sonion electrostatic tweeters, and one "W10" (WEAPON 10) bone conduction driver.

■Dual W9+ (WEAPON 9+) dynamic drivers
- Equipped with a dual configuration of Empire Ears' proprietary bass-reflex type 9mm diameter subwoofer (dynamic driver) "W9+ (Weapon Nine Plus)", it achieves a thunderous sense of power and unparalleled bass reproduction.

- 5 BA drivers
The important midrange is reproduced by five custom BA drivers designed in cooperation with industry-leading Knowles and Sonion. They produce a captivating and pure midrange.

・Quad electrostatic driver
RAVEN is equipped with four Sonion electrostatic drivers (tweeters) with ultra-lightweight diaphragms. It provides extremely accurate transient response, allowing for unparalleled clarity, separation, and beautiful sound detail.

・W10 (WEAPON 10) bone conduction driver
Equipped with the proprietary "W10 (Weapon Ten)" bone conduction driver. This revolutionary driver transmits sound through bone conduction, providing ultra-low frequencies that cannot be perceived by sound waves, otherworldly imaging, complex nuances, and rich timbre, providing an immersive sound experience that captivates listeners.

■Dual conduction architecture for air conduction and bone conduction
・RAVEN uses a unique dual conduction architecture to take advantage of the best of both air conduction and bone conduction.

・Air conduction
The mechanism of hearing is divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Air conduction utilizes all three areas by directing sound collected by the outer ear along the ear canal to the eardrum, vibrating the auditory bones in the middle ear and stimulating the hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear. This stimulation creates electrical nerve impulses that are carried by the auditory nerve to the brain and converted into sound.

-Bone conduction
Bone conduction bypasses the outer and middle ear entirely, sending vibrations directly from the skull to stimulate the hair cells in the cochlea. Bone conduction generally allows the perception of lower, deeper tones because the skull conducts lower frequencies more efficiently than air.

-Dual conduction
RAVEN brings the best of both worlds with its dual conduction architecture. The full-range frequency response of 5Hz to 100KHz is reproduced by air conduction with dual W9+ dynamic drivers, five BA drivers, and quad electrostatic drivers, while imaging, sound stage, detail, low-frequency extension, and reverb are further improved in the 5Hz to 40KHz frequency range by the W10 bone conduction driver. RAVEN reproduces immersive and pure stereophonic sound like never before.

■First to use 316L stainless steel faceplate and HRC
・RAVEN is the first Empire Ears to use a 316L stainless steel faceplate and HRC (harmonic resonance core). The use of metal plates not only enhances the beauty of appearance, but also brings out the performance of the W10 bone conduction driver, creating a synergistic effect by helping with sound wave resonance, amplification, and diffusion, improving the acoustic performance of RAVEN.

・HRC (Harmonic Resonance Core)
Through careful engineering, we placed a dedicated polymer sound stage called the Harmonic Resonance Core (HRC) between the shell and the plate. Vibrations reverberate through these structures, culminating in the internal polymer basin that holds the plate. This arrangement and the metal plate enhance the vibration effect, further improving the acoustic performance.

＜Specifications＞
■Product name: RAVEN
■Driver: Hybrid type (Quad hybrid / Dual conduction)
■Number of drivers: 2DD+5BA+4EST (electrostatic) +1BC (bone conduction) / 12 drivers (per side)
■Driver configuration:
[Ultra-high frequency] Sonion electrostatic driver x 4
[High frequency / mid frequency] Sonion custom BA driver x 1, Knowles custom BA driver x 4
[Low frequency] "W9+" dynamic driver x 2
[Ultra-low frequency] "W10" bone conduction driver x 1
■Format: Closed type
■Playback frequency: 5Hz-100KHz
■Sensitivity: 108.1dB @ 1KHz, 1mW
■Impedance: 2Ω @ 1KHz
■Materials/design:
・316L stainless steel faceplate (satin gold)
・3D printed/hand polished ARC chassis
■Cable: Custom PW Audio OCC dual gauge cable "R7" (approx. 120 cm)
■Connector: IEM 2pin (0.78 mm)
■Plug (straight): Rhodium-plated 4.4 mm balanced
■Accessories: 4.4 mm balanced cable, 5 pairs of silicone ear pieces (XS/S/M/L/XL), leather carrying case, leather cable clip
■Country of origin: USA
■Manufacturer's warranty: 1 year for main unit / 90 days for cable and accessories