Empire Ears Raven VS 64 Audio U18T

Youtube Video Summary

Empire Ears Raven delivers the flagship gloss without pretending to be a value king. Expect deep sub-bass rumble, clean driver control, and a warmer mid-bass emphasis that puts extra weight behind kick drums and bass guitars. That tilt makes Raven a better fit for rock, metal, and live band mixes—grooves hit with authority and instruments carry more body, while treble stays extended without getting spicy or fatiguing.

Against strong $1K contenders, the step up is more refinement than revolution: a roughly 10–15% lift in resolution and texture, not a night-and-day transformation. For pure hip-hop subwoofer thrills, sets with stronger sub-bass focus edge it out; Raven trades some of that in-your-face thump for fuller mid-bass punch and an all-rounder presentation that scales well but isn’t about flexing quantity. Stunning set if the budget is open and rock-first bass weight is the priority; otherwise, mid-tier heavy hitters already capture most of the experience.

Youtube Video Summary

Positioned as a top-of-the-line “reference” set with 18 BAs and a ~$3,000 tag, the 64 Audio U18t brings a brighter tilt than its siblings. With the M15 APEX module, treble gains presence and vocals feel a touch more filled out than on U12t, but the upper range can push into fatigue—sibilant tracks (e.g., CHVRCHES “Graffiti”) come through a bit sharp. Bass emphasis skews mid-bass over sub-bass, adding body yet also a hint of bloat, so the overall balance reads more V/U-shaped than neutral-warm.

Technical ability is still strong—detail retrieval and extension impress without resorting to glare most of the time—but the tuning trade-offs blunt long-term comfort. Versus U12t, U18t is livelier up top yet less forgiving, and U12t’s cleaner, more dynamic low end feels better integrated. Build and fit are solid across the line; the stock cable, however, remains thin and tangle-prone.

End result: a premium, energetic take with sparkle and presence that will appeal to treble-tolerant listeners, but for many the combination of mid-bass thickness and occasional treble bite undercuts the value at this price—earning a moderate score compared with the smoother, more versatile U12t.