qdc Anole V14 VS Empire Ears Raven

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

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qdc Anole V14 and Empire Ears Raven use 10BA+4EST and 2DD+5BA+4EST+1BC driver setups respectively. qdc Anole V14 costs $3,000 while Empire Ears Raven costs $3,600. Empire Ears Raven is $600 more expensive. Empire Ears Raven holds a decisive 1.5-point edge in reviewer scores (7 vs 8.5). Empire Ears Raven has better bass with a 0.8-point edge, Empire Ears Raven has significantly better mids with a 1-point edge, qdc Anole V14 has better treble with a 0.5-point edge, Empire Ears Raven has significantly better dynamics with a 2-point edge, Empire Ears Raven has better details with a 0.8-point edge and Empire Ears Raven has better imaging with a 0.8-point edge.

Insights

Metric qdc Anole V14 Empire Ears Raven
Bass 7.3 8
Mids 7 8
Treble 6.5 6
Details 8.3 9
Soundstage 8 8.5
Imaging 8.3 9
Dynamics 6 8
Tonality 7.1 8.2
Technicalities 7.7 8.9

qdc Anole V14 Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision Super* Review
Shuwa-T Crin

Average Reviewer Score:

7

Cautiously Favorable


Empire Ears Raven Aggregated Review Score

Average Reviewer Scores

Precogvision
Jays Audio

Average Reviewer Score:

8.5

Excellent


Reviews Comparison

qdc Anole V14 reviewed by Precogvision

Precogvision 6.5 Reviewer Score
B Tuning
A- Tech
Fixes Anole VX's bass texture and plastickyness, but comes with its own quirks in the metallic treble.

Precogvision original ranking

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

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

qdc Anole V14 (more reviews)

qdc Anole V14 reviewed by Shuwa-T

Shuwa-T 7.9 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A+ Tech
Comment: Bass heavy for BA with no strange timbre. Great detail retrieval and technicalities Almost comes across as somewhat messy with that much clarity that it ruins the cohesiveness

Shuwa-T original ranking

Shuwa-T Website

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

qdc Anole V14 reviewed by Crin

Crin 7.5 Reviewer Score
A Tuning
A Tech
Rather bassy even in stock form; fun and engaging, though at the expense of sheer technical performance.

Crin original ranking

Crin Youtube Channel

qdc Anole V14 reviewed by Super* Review

Super* Review 6* * score normalized

Empire Ears Raven (more reviews)

Empire Ears Raven reviewed by Jays Audio

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

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

qdc Anole V14 User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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Empire Ears Raven User Review Score

Average User Scores

Average User Score: n/a

Based on 0 user reviews

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qdc Anole V14 Gaming Score

Gaming Score & Grade

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

Gaming Score

6

Gaming Grade

B

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-

qdc Anole V14 Scorings

Average Technical & Tuning Grades

Average Tunign Grade

A-
  • Pleasing tonal balance with good technical control. Minor quirks present but not distracting. Demonstrates decent genre versatility.

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 B+
Good treble response - clear and detailed without fatigue. Well-extended with proper air and sparkle.
Dynamics B
Good dynamic expression with solid impact. Handles volume contrasts well while maintaining good transient snap.
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+
Exceptional imaging with holographic precision. Creates a palpable sense of physical placement with perfect positional stability.
Gaming B
Decent spatial awareness for fundamental positioning. Creates satisfying atmosphere in story-driven games while handling basic directional cues. Bad value-to-cost for gaming purpose - not recommended

Empire Ears Raven 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 A+
Excellent bass response - powerful yet controlled. Deep extension with authoritative slam while maintaining clarity.
Mids A+
Superb midrange that's rich and resolving. Exceptional transparency and micro-details with perfect vocal/instrument balance.
Treble B
Good treble response - clear and detailed without fatigue. Well-extended with proper air and sparkle.
Dynamics A+
Superb dynamic range - powerful yet nuanced. Exceptional transient response with lifelike impact and subtle volume gradations.
Details S
Reference-class detail: microscopic resolution with perfect texture reproduction. Nothing is lost, revealing the absolute truth of the recording.
Imaging S
Reference-class imaging: perfectly pinpoint accuracy in 3D space. Utterly realistic placement with zero positional drift.
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

qdc Anole V14 User Reviews

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Empire Ears Raven User Reviews

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