Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS VS Nostalgia Audio Tesseract

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

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Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS and Nostalgia Audio Tesseract use 2DD+5BA+4EST+2BC and 10BA+6EST driver setups respectively. Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS costs $5,000 while Nostalgia Audio Tesseract costs $3,700. Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS is $1,300 more expensive. Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS holds a slight 0.4-point edge in reviewer scores (8.5 vs 8.1). Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS has significantly better bass with a 1.3-point edge, Nostalgia Audio Tesseract has better mids with a 0.5-point edge, Nostalgia Audio Tesseract has slightly better treble with a 0.3-point edge, Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS has significantly better dynamics with a 1-point edge and Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS has better details with a 0.5-point edge.

Insights

Metric Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Nostalgia Audio Tesseract
Bass 9 7.8
Mids 8 8.5
Treble 8 8.3
Details 8.5 8
Soundstage 8.5 8
Imaging 8.5 8.5
Dynamics 8.5 7.5
Tonality 8.3 8.2
Technicalities 8.5 8.1

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Audionotions Smirk Audio

Average Reviewer Score:

8.5

Very Positive

Show all Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS reviews

Nostalgia Audio Tesseract Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Smirk Audio
Shuwa-T

Average Reviewer Score:

8.1

Very Positive

Show all Nostalgia Audio Tesseract reviews

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Details

Driver Configuration: 2DD+5BA+4EST+2BC

Tuning Type: bass-boosted neutral

Brand: Empire Ears Top Empire Ears IEMs

Price (Msrp): $5,000

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Nostalgia Audio Tesseract Details

Driver Configuration: 10BA+6EST

Tuning Type: bass-boosted neutral

Price (Msrp): $3,700

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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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Nostalgia Audio Tesseract User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

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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+

Nostalgia Audio Tesseract Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

6.6

Gaming Grade

B+

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A+
  • Refined execution with coherent frequency integration. Natural timbre reproduction and engaging presentation. Strong versatility.

Average Technical Grade

S-
  • Excellent clarity and detail. Precise imaging and expansive soundstage. Manages complex passages with minimal smearing and good transient speed.
Bass S
World-class bass performance. Perfectly balanced between visceral impact, texture, and depth with zero bleed into mids.
Mids A+
Superb midrange that's rich and resolving. Exceptional transparency and micro-details with perfect vocal/instrument balance.
Treble A+
Superb treble: effortless extension with crystal clarity. Perfect balance of sparkle and smoothness with exceptional detail.
Dynamics S-
Superb dynamic range - powerful yet nuanced. Exceptional transient response with lifelike impact and subtle volume gradations.
Details S-
Exceptional resolution that uncovers the deepest layers. Retrieves even the most minute details while maintaining natural timbre.
Imaging S-
Exceptional imaging with holographic precision. Creates a palpable sense of physical placement with perfect positional stability.
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

Nostalgia Audio Tesseract Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A+
  • Refined execution with coherent frequency integration. Natural timbre reproduction and engaging presentation. Strong versatility.

Average Technical Grade

A+
  • Very competent with articulate presentation. Well-defined layers and precise imaging. Soundstage is immersive and handles dynamics well.
Bass A
Strong, well-defined bass with good texture. Delivers satisfying punch and rumble without overwhelming other frequencies.
Mids S-
Superb midrange that's rich and resolving. Exceptional transparency and micro-details with perfect vocal/instrument balance.
Treble A+
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 S-
Exceptional imaging with holographic precision. Creates a palpable sense of physical placement with perfect positional stability.
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 Reviews

Reviewed by: Audionotions

Audionotions 8.5 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. Very large IEMs. And they have driver flex, which is not what you'd expect from something that costs this much. Nonetheless, a very fun IEM. Tour Unit

Audionotions original ranking

Website (Audionotions)

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-

Nostalgia Audio Tesseract Reviews

Reviewed by: Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 8.4 Reviewer Score
S- Tuning
A+ Tech
Midbass and midrange focused, while boasting very clear midrange Treble can be intense

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

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

Reviewed by: Smirk Audio

Smirk Audio 7.8 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A Tech
check links for more info:

Smirk Audio original ranking

Smirk Audio Head-Fi Profile

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

Astell&Kern x Empire Ears NOVUS User Reviews

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