Empire Ears Raven VS Fir Audio KR5

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

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Empire Ears Raven and Fir Audio KR5 are in-ear monitors. Empire Ears Raven costs $3,600 while Fir Audio KR5 costs $2,999. Empire Ears Raven is $601 more expensive. Empire Ears Raven holds a decisive 1.7-point edge in reviewer scores (8.6 vs 6.9). Empire Ears Raven has significantly better bass with a 1-point edge, Empire Ears Raven has significantly better mids with a 2-point edge, Empire Ears Raven has significantly better details with a 1-point edge and Empire Ears Raven has significantly better imaging with a 2-point edge.

Insights

Metric Empire Ears Raven Fir Audio KR5
Bass 8 7
Mids 8 6
Treble 6 6
Details 9 8
Soundstage 8.6 7.5
Imaging 9 7
Dynamics 8 6.9
Tonality 8.2 6.3
Technicalities 8.9 7.5
Take these comparisons with a grain of salt—we don't have enough Empire Ears Raven and Fir Audio KR5 reviews saved yet to provide an unbiased result.

Empire Ears Raven Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision Head-Fi.org
Jays Audio

Average Reviewer Score:

8.6

Excellent

Fir Audio KR5 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Shuwa-T

Average Reviewer Score:

6.9

Cautiously Favorable

Reviews Comparison

Empire Ears Raven (more reviews)

Empire Ears Raven reviewed by Jays Audio

Jays Audio 9 Reviewer Score
S Tuning
S Tech
YouTube video thumbnail
V/W Shaped. Energetic treble. Great tech. Fun bass and engaging signature. Overpriced?
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.

Jays Audio original ranking

Jays Audio Youtube Channel

Empire Ears Raven reviewed by Precogvision

Precogvision 8 Reviewer Score
A- Tuning
S- Tech
Sounds quite hi-fi and grand sounding, but coherency could use work - bass is distinct from the EST tweeters.

Precogvision original ranking

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

Empire Ears Raven reviewed by Head-Fi.org

Head-Fi.org 8.8 * score rescaled + normalized
3 community members have rated the Empire Ears Raven at an average of 4.7/5 on Head-Fi. Overall sentiment: Exceptional.

URL to full Review

Head-Fi.org original ranking

Fir Audio KR5 (more reviews)

Fir Audio KR5 reviewed by Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 6.9 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
A Tech
Comment: Silver model tested. W-shaped tuning with excellent clarity; detail-focused iem Midbass hump can interfere with the midrange on crowded tracks

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

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

Empire Ears Raven User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Fir Audio KR5 User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Empire Ears Raven Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

7.1

Gaming Grade

A-

Fir Audio KR5 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

5.6

Gaming Grade

B-

Empire Ears Raven 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+
Expect a gripping low-end presence that marries clarity with visceral impact. Dynamic swings land with thrilling force.
Mids A+
It offers a luxurious, resolving midrange that captures micro-detail beautifully. Every vocal inflection is captured.
Treble B
Highs sound lively and extended while remaining controlled. Detail retrieval keeps shimmer intact.
Dynamics A+
You get a masterful mix of slam and finesse across every track. Music breathes with realism.
Details S
Resolution reaches the limit of perception, exposing layers you didn't know existed. Clarity remains pristine regardless of complexity.
Imaging S
Reference-class imaging delivers perfectly pinpoint accuracy in 3D space with zero positional drift. Localization is pinpoint-perfect in 3D.
Gaming A-
Good fundamental spatial awareness for most gaming scenarios. Handles basic positioning well but may lack nuance in complex situations. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Fir Audio KR5 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

B
  • Tonality is generally agreeable, though a few bumps remind you of its limits. Certain tracks spotlight its tonal quirks.

Average Technical Grade

A
  • Overall technical control is strong, presenting instruments with clarity and sensible staging. Textures are portrayed with satisfying clarity.
Bass A-
Expect a commanding bass response that reaches deep without clouding the mix. There's both slam and nuance in equal measure.
Mids B
The mids are articulate and well-balanced, lending body to instruments. Instrument layering remains stable.
Treble B
Highs sound lively and extended while remaining controlled. Detail retrieval keeps shimmer intact.
Soundstage A
You hear both the breadth and the altitude of the mix, anchored by accurate positional cues. Immersion improves across genres.
Details A+
The tiniest inflections pop into view as if spotlit within the mix. Low-level details feel magnified yet natural.
Imaging A-
Each element locks into a steady coordinate even as the mix grows dense. Imaging holds even during busy segments.
Gaming B-
Moderate spatial presentation conveys general directionality. Suitable for casual play where precision isn't critical. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Empire Ears Raven User Reviews

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Fir Audio KR5 User Reviews

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