Empire Ears
Norcross, Georgia, United States · founded 2015
A summit-fi IEM manufacturer that pushed multi-driver architecture to extremes — its Odin (tribrid) and Raven (12-driver quadbrid with bone conduction) were among the most complex universal IEMs on the market. The company grew out of Jack Vang's EarWerkz brand and his father Dean Vang's medical/hearing-aid acoustic engineering background. It shut down abruptly on February 27, 2026; co-founder Jack Vang subsequently launched a new venture, Volk Audio.
Empire Ears was a US boutique, family-owned manufacturer of high-end universal and custom in-ear monitors, based in Norcross, Georgia (metro Atlanta). It was launched in 2015 when Jack Vang merged his earlier custom-IEM brand EarWerkz with the acoustic-engineering/OEM company of his father, Dean Vang, a longtime hearing-aid and medical-device engineer. The company became a prominent name in summit-fi IEMs, known for multi-driver tribrid and quadbrid designs. Empire Ears ceased operations on February 27, 2026, citing health challenges, changing market conditions, and rising operational costs.
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At a glance
- Type
- Manufacturer
- Founder
- Dean Vang and Jack Vang
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- Norcross, Georgia, United States
- Price range
- Summit-fi
- Makes / sells
- universal in-ear monitors, custom in-ear monitors
- Known for
- multi-driver tribrid IEMs (dynamic + balanced armature + electrostatic), quadbrid IEMs adding bone-conduction drivers, proprietary synX crossover networks, W9/W9+ dynamic subwoofer drivers, both universal and custom-fit IEMs
- Website
- empireears.com
Notable products
- Odin — Tribrid universal flagship (2 dynamic, 5 balanced armature, 4 electrostatic drivers); priced around $3,399
- Raven — 12-driver quadbrid dual-conduction flagship (2 dynamic, 5 BA, 4 electrostatic, 1 bone conductor); priced around $3,599
- Legend EVO — 8-driver tribrid with W9+ subwoofers and Weapon X bone-conduction driver; priced around $3,099
- Legend X — Earlier hybrid flagship in the Legend series, a signature Empire Ears model
- Valkyrie — Mid-tier tribrid IEM from the X-Series
- Bravado — Entry hybrid model in the lineup
Sources: Empire Ears official site (closure notice) · About Audio Reviews — The Betrayal of Empire Ears: What Happened? · Headfonia — Q 'n A Saturday: Empire Ears (EarWerkz/Vang history) · Head-Fi — Empire Ears Discussion (Formerly EarWerkz) · Bloom Audio — Empire Ears Odin product page · Bloom Audio — Empire Ears Raven (12-driver quadbrid) product page · Headfonics — Empire Ears Legend EVO Review · Headphonesty — 6 Audio Brands Collapsed in Six Months · TNT-Audio — After 10 years, Empire Ears closes