Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS VS Fort Ears Mefisto

IEM Comparison: Expert & Community Scores Side-by-Side

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Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS and Fort Ears Mefisto are in-ear monitors. Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS costs $5,000 while Fort Ears Mefisto costs $2,900. Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS is $2,100 more expensive. Fort Ears Mefisto holds a decisive 1-point edge in reviewer scores (8 vs 9). Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS has significantly better bass with a 1-point edge, Fort Ears Mefisto has better mids with a 0.5-point edge and Fort Ears Mefisto has better treble with a 0.5-point edge.

Insights

Metric Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Fort Ears Mefisto
Bass 9 8
Mids 8 8.5
Treble 8 8.5
Details 8.5 8.5
Imaging 8.5 8.5
Dynamics 8.5 8.5
Tonality 8.3 8.3
Technicalities 8.5 8.5
Take these comparisons with a grain of salt—we don't have enough Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS and Fort Ears Mefisto reviews saved yet to provide an unbiased result.

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Audionotions
Smirk Audio

Average Reviewer Score:

8

Strongly Favorable

Fort Ears Mefisto Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Smirk Audio
Head-Fi.org

Average Reviewer Score:

9

Outstanding

Reviews Comparison

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS reviewed by Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 8.4 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
S- Tech
Excellent bass dynamics and texture. Cold timbre and driver flex. Otherwise excellent technicalities and solid tuning. Cons: Driver flex, cold timbre.

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: S Mids: A+ Treble: A+ Dynamics: S- Details: S- Imaging: S-

Fort Ears Mefisto reviewed by Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 8.4 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
S- Tech
Demoed with "Temptation" cable.

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

Bass: A+ Mids: S- Treble: S- Dynamics: S- Details: S- Imaging: S-

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS (more reviews)

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS reviewed by Audionotions

Audionotions 7.5 Reviewer Score
Very engaging IEM. Bass extends deep and hits hard and fast, mids are clear and lush with very good weight and tactility. Treble is clear without fatigue. It's a pretty warm IEM but has clarity that you don't usually find with this sort of tuning. Instrument separation is pretty standout. Very expensive. Timbre is a bot off and overall is little bit brittle sounding. Very large IEMs and very heavy. And they have driver flex, which is not what you'd expect from something that costs this much. Nonetheless, a very fun IEM if you don't care about how natural it sounds.

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

Fort Ears Mefisto (more reviews)

Fort Ears Mefisto reviewed by Head-Fi.org

Head-Fi.org 9.5 * score rescaled + normalized
2 community members have rated the Fort Ears Mefisto at an average of 5.0/5 on Head-Fi. Overall sentiment: Masterpiece.

URL to full Review

Head-Fi.org original ranking

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Fort Ears Mefisto User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.9

Gaming Grade

B+

Fort Ears Mefisto Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

  • The gaming score is prioritizing technical capabilities of the IEM (Separation, Layering, Soundstage) and good value.

Gaming Score

6.9

Gaming Grade

B+

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A+
  • It delivers a coherent, natural timbre that remains captivating across genres. Acoustic instruments sound lifelike and textured.

Average Technical Grade

S-
  • The presentation is crisp and expansive, handling complex passages with impressive ease. Low-level details remain audible in quiet passages.
Bass S
The bass is breathtaking, pairing thunderous impact with absolute precision. Every rumble is rendered with realism.
Mids A+
The midrange sounds refined and revealing, balancing clarity with emotional weight. Timbre accuracy rivals studio monitors.
Treble A+
The treble performance feels luxurious, marrying air, control, and excitement. You can place every high-frequency element.
Dynamics S-
Dynamic range is superb, blending powerful impact with nuanced control. It captures both whisper and roar effortlessly.
Details S-
The tiniest inflections pop into view as if spotlit within the mix. Low-level details feel magnified yet natural.
Imaging S-
Exceptional imaging with holographic precision that creates a palpable sense of placement. It creates a near-holographic placement.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Fort Ears Mefisto Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A+
  • Expect a tasteful, well-judged response that feels both musical and true to the source. Great synergy with a wide range of genres.

Average Technical Grade

S-
  • The presentation is crisp and expansive, handling complex passages with impressive ease. Low-level details remain audible in quiet passages.
Bass A+
It delivers flagship-worthy bass, rich in both rumble and nuance. Reference tracks showcase its grip.
Mids S-
Midrange quality is superb, rich with resolving power and transparency. Micro-details leap out effortlessly.
Treble S-
It delivers superb treble brilliance that stays pure even in complex passages. It adds excitement while staying pure.
Dynamics S-
You get a masterful mix of slam and finesse across every track. Music breathes with realism.
Details S-
Complex productions unravel completely, letting you examine every thread. Textures are rendered with exquisite finesse.
Imaging S-
Exceptional imaging with holographic precision that creates a palpable sense of placement. It creates a near-holographic placement.
Gaming B+
Respectable environmental presentation favors atmosphere over precision. Detects obvious directional cues while conveying game world ambiance. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS User Reviews

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Fort Ears Mefisto User Reviews

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