NOVUS Review: A New Astell&Kern & Empire Ears IEM
A Premium In-Ear Monitor You'll Have to Hear to Believe
Alongside the groundbreaking release of the latest addition to Astell&Kern's prestigious A&ultima flagship player line: the SP3000T, Astell&Kern is thrilled to unveil NOVUS, the second collaboration In-Ear Monitor (IEM) with renowned manufacturer Empire Ears. These innovative IEMs (with the SP3000T) made their global debut at CanJam NYC 2024 earlier this month (March 9-10) at the prestigious New York Marriott Marquis in the heart of New York City.
Astell&Kern, renowned for their commitment to delivering uncompromising sound quality and exceptional design, has once again pushed the boundaries of portable audio with the NOVUS. The collaboration with Empire Ears has resulted in a sophisticated and meticulously crafted IEM that promises an unparalleled listening experience. This exciting duo represents the pinnacle of portable audio technology, embodying Astell&Kern's dedication to innovation and craftsmanship.
If you've been dying to find out how the NOVUS IEM sounds jump to the sound impressions!
PROS
- Great Bass Extension
- Engaging yet Detailed Sound
- Versatile with many Genres
CONS
- Premium Price Point
- Larger Shape. Not ideal for Small Ears
- Limited Edition, Low quantity... BOO We want more!
About Astell&Kern
Astell&Kern products stylistically stand out from the crowd with their modern metals aesthetic, sharp edges, and sleek designs. Their digital music players look like the future. They are best known for high-end music players, portable audio devices, or hi-res “iPods.” As the Financial Times notes, Astell&Kern, much like Chord Electronics, is committed to fidelity and quality. To say Astell&Kern media players are HOT would be an understatement. As consumers learn about the need for higher resolution music files to feed our high-quality media players, those made by Astell&Kern have thrived.
What makes AK different? Astell&Kern creates the best music players in the world as our customer reviews note plus their technology is easy to learn and navigate as a newbie or a technology wizard. Our founder, Drew Baird, P.E., and the staff at Moon Audio recommend Astell&Kern high-resolution music and media players for people who love “mobile audio.” Astell & Kern (A&K) music players are "iPods on steroids". If you love to listen to music “on the go” and want hi-fi sound AK Digital Audio Players (DAPs) are essential listening gear with Mastering Quality Sound (MQS).
MQS includes high-resolution digital music recording formats from 16-bit/44.1kHz to 24-bit/192kHz. Sound engineering tech-speak can be confusing. More is usually better. Higher amounts of information can mean better sound with crisper highs and fuller lows (bass). The trick is to process and play as much information as possible or as much information as your recordings started with in the first place. Playing all the high-res information captured during the music recording process is Astell & Kern’s expertise. You will not believe what your ears were missing once you try AK music players!
About the NOVUS IEM
Introducing NOVUS, the latest collaboration between Astell&Kern and renowned IEM manufacturer Empire Ears. As pioneers in the pursuit of pure, uncompromising sound, Astell&Kern and Empire Ears are united by a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of audio excellence. Following the success of their first collaboration, Odyssey, NOVUS represents the culmination of meticulous craftsmanship and visionary innovation.
Unrivaled Sound with 13 Drivers, Quadbrid Technology: NOVUS is a marvel of engineering, featuring a 13-driver configuration utilizing Quadbrid and Dual Conduction technologies. This includes the legendary Dual W9+ subwoofers by Empire Ears for unparalleled bass reproduction, complemented by five Balanced Armature Drivers featuring a Sonion driver and Quad Proprietary NOVA Drivers by Knowles. To further enhance the sonic experience, NOVUS incorporates Quad Electrostatic Drivers by Sonion and Dual Bone Conductors, delivering a level of detail and clarity that will captivate even the most discerning audiophiles.
Exquisite Design: The NOVUS shell is crafted from high-grade 6061-T6 aluminum, meticulously finished in Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) for durability and elegance. The faceplates are adorned with 24K Wet Gold-Plating, adding a touch of luxury to the sleek design. To protect the intricate components, NOVUS is fitted with sapphire glass, ensuring both beauty and resilience.
Premium Cable for Superior Transmission: Included with NOVUS is a custom-made four-wire hybrid cable, meticulously crafted with copper, gold, and silver for optimal conductivity. The cable boasts a 23.7AWG Litz Type 4S structure, reinforced with black macro-molecular fiber for durability. Terminated in a 4.4mm balanced jack, this cable ensures a seamless connection for an immersive listening experience.
Sound Quality
Nothing gets a group of audiophiles more riled up than being one of the few to listen and test out brand-new gear. Between the HiFiMan SUSVARA Unveiled Headphones and NOVUS IEMs, we've been busy putting in the listening hours—fangirling between listening sessions. The well-anticipated NOVUS IEMs didn't disappoint with my colleague running over to my desk practically in hysterics over how good they sound. "You've got to listen man. These things are SWEET. They're unreal." Okay, that's enough for me to bite. Now, I'm not a big IEM listener, I prefer the old-school over-ear cans and wireless headphones (I can feel the eye rolls). But every once in a while a pair of IEMs comes around and gets everyone so hyped up that I've got to see what all the fun's about. And I'm glad I did.
The NOVUS IEMs were right up my alley. Dynamic, engaging, detailed, great bass extension. They checked about every box for me as a warm and musical listener. Immediately I noticed an uncanny similarity to the RAVEN—an Empire Ears IEM. If you haven't gotten a chance to listen to the RAVEN IEMs they deliver a big, bold sound that's dynamic, full of energy, and slammed with bass. If you love bass and your favorite genres are all bass-heavy, you'll love the RAVEN. The NOVUS took everything great about the RAVEN and enhanced it. The NOVUS delivers a great balance of bass and detail. It is not overly obnoxious, leaving enough room for details to shine through. They had a better bass extension with more control than the RAVEN, packing a punch on genres like EDM and hip-hop while being fast enough on tamer genres like jazz, roots reggae, and country.
With highly detailed tracks like In My Life by the Beatles and some Hall and Oates tracks, I noticed excellent imaging with a three-dimensional soundstage that wraps around your head—an enveloping sound. Going back to that phrase balanced, the NOVUS IEM is just that. You can jump from high-energy songs to nuanced, emotive tracks. It's a versatile, fun-sounding IEM that can cater to all kinds of listeners—warm and musical, detail-oriented, laidback, you name it. Sound-wise the NOVUS isn't fatiguing on the ears. My only complaint, and it's a personal one, is comfort and fit. IEMs have always been a challenge for me in the fit department and the NOVUS' size isn't on the small side. If you have this problem, try to audition them before you purchase, but if you're well-versed in IEMs and have no trouble with universal fits, they'll be a great fit for you.
Who is the NOVUS for: At $5,000 the NOVUS isn't an entry-level IEM by any means. It's got some crazy technology in it supporting that price point and the sound quality helps justify the price point. If you love Empire Ears IEMs and didn't get your hands on the RAVEN, the NOVUS is a great choice for you. From the design to the sound, the NOVUS had a lot of the qualities present in Empire Ears IEMs. The NOVUS has a lifelike, emotive sound to it that pulls on the heartstrings of vocal-centric songs and breathes life into more neutral presentations. It's a great choice for the versatile listener who jumps around and doesn't really stick to one genre over another.
In My Life
by The Beatles
(Rubber Soul)
Prisoner
by Miley Cyrus
(Plastic Hearts)
Birds of a Feather
by Billie Eilish
(Hit Me Hard and Soft)
Head Over Heels
by Tears for Fears
(Songs From the Big Chair)
Dragon Audio Cable Recommendation
To give the NOVUS as fair of a chance as possible I paired it with three cables: The included stock cable, Bronze Dragon IEM Cable, and Silver Dragon IEM Cable. I'll just go ahead and say it—it sounded fine with the stock cable. However, if you're going to pony up and spend $5,000 on an IEM, what's another $350 for a premium IEM cable? In case you didn't already know we make premium audio cables, custom made-to-order everyday in our headquarters. If you've been looking for an audio or digital cable with a certain connector that you just can't find anywhere, or a stable, reliable network cable—choose Dragon Audio Cables. Trust me, we're bound to have the solution for you.
So which IEM Cable sounds best with the NOVUS? Ultimately it comes down to personal preference and what tonality you're looking for. The Silver Dragon IEM Cable complemented the NOVUS IEMs the best, adding top-end resolution and further accentuating the already fine details. I felt that the Bronze Dragon, our warm and full-bodied cable added too much warmth to the NOVUS, mudding up the low end on certain songs. If you want more detail go for the Silver Dragon. If you want more body and bottom-end weight, choose the Bronze Dragon.
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