Symphonium Helios VS Empire Ears ESR

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

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Symphonium Helios and Empire Ears ESR use 4BA and 3BA driver setups respectively. Symphonium Helios costs $1,100 while Empire Ears ESR costs $1,000. Symphonium Helios is $100 more expensive. Symphonium Helios holds a decisive 2.9-point edge in reviewer scores (7.9 vs 5).

Insights

Metric Symphonium Helios Empire Ears ESR
Bass 7 5
Mids 7.9 5
Treble 8.6 5
Details 8.1 5
Soundstage 8 5
Imaging 7.8 5
Dynamics 7.5 5
Tonality 7.8 5
Technicalities 7.8 6

Symphonium Helios Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Smirk Audio Nymz Precogvision Crin
Shuwa-T Z-Reviews

Average Reviewer Score:

7.9

Strongly Favorable


Empire Ears ESR Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Crin

Average Reviewer Score:

5

Mixed to Negative


Reviews Comparison

Symphonium Helios reviewed by Crin

Crin 7.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A Tech

Empire Ears ESR reviewed by Crin

Crin 5 Reviewer Score
C+ Tuning
B Tech
Has the technical chops but is sharp and fatiguing.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

Symphonium Helios (more reviews)

Symphonium Helios reviewed by Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 8.1 Reviewer Score
A+ Tuning
A+ Tech
Clean-sounding monitor with great bass decay Occasional splashy cymbals due to the treble extension

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

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

Symphonium Helios reviewed by Z-Reviews

Z-Reviews 8 * score normalized

Symphonium Helios reviewed by Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 7.9 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Exceptional treble with solid bass. Great techs. Some may find the midrange a bit clinical. Fit will be a dealbreaker to some. Cons: Poor fit.

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

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

Symphonium Helios reviewed by Nymz

Nymz 7.9 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Top tier clarity and great technicalities, other than a hint of BA timbre plasticness to it. Mid-bass recession is the con in the tuning, turning it into a dry IEM. Top performer nonetheless.

Nymz original ranking

Nymz Website

Bass: B Mids: A+ Treble: S Details: A+ Imaging: A+

Symphonium Helios reviewed by Precogvision

Precogvision 7.7 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A- Tech
Great technicalities. Lacking that last leg of refinement in terms of coherency.

Precogvision original ranking

Precogvision Youtube Channel
Bass: A- Mids: A+ Treble: A+ Dynamics: A- Details: A+ Imaging: A-

Symphonium Helios User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Empire Ears ESR User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

No user reviews yet. Be the first one who writes a review!

Symphonium Helios Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

6.8

Gaming Grade

B+

Empire Ears ESR Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

4.7

Gaming Grade

C

Symphonium Helios Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A
  • Well-executed tonal character. No major flaws with good technical control. Smooth presentation works with multiple genres.

Average Technical Grade

A
  • Good technical performance. Clear separation and decent detail retrieval across various tracks. Soundstage shows reasonable width and depth.
Bass A-
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids A
Excellent midrange with natural timbre and great detail retrieval. Vocals are forward and emotive with lifelike instrument reproduction.
Treble S-
Superb treble: effortless extension with crystal clarity. Perfect balance of sparkle and smoothness with exceptional detail.
Dynamics A
Excellent dynamics with great contrast and speed. Transients are crisp and micro-details are clearly articulated.
Soundstage A+
Exceptional soundstage with holographic imaging. Creates a truly three-dimensional space where instruments float naturally around you.
Details A+
Exceptional resolution that uncovers the deepest layers. Retrieves even the most minute details while maintaining natural timbre.
Imaging A
Excellent imaging: precise and stable placement. Instruments occupy specific points in space with tangible positions.
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

Empire Ears ESR Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

C+
  • Generally enjoyable tonal character with some noticeable unevenness. Maintains listenability while showing room for refinement in frequency balance.

Average Technical Grade

B
  • Satisfactory technical performance. Handles basic detail retrieval adequately in most tracks. Maintains reasonable cohesion in simpler arrangements.
Gaming C
Minimal environmental definition provides only general audio cues. Suitable for games where positioning isn't critical. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Symphonium Helios User Reviews

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Empire Ears ESR User Reviews

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