We all know that product names based on ancient legends and mythology sound cool. Just in the IEM world we’ve had Odin, Loki, Zeus, Baldr, and Freya, to name a few, along with cables like Ares and Eros, each named for a different god or goddess of some significance. Triton might not be as well known as a Greek and Roman sea god as he is for being Ariel’s father in The Little Mermaid, but Empire Ears Triton ($1799) takes no small amount of inspiration for its sound from the mythological Triton. Triton dwells at the bottom of the sea, and blows a mighty trumpet that rumbles the depths, and this IEM certainly has no shortage of rumble, but is it more than just some hard hitting bass?
Build and Design
Triton follows in the footsteps of past high end Empire Ears IEMs with a resin shell and layered resin faceplate that gives you a three-dimensional holographic visual. The left side is emblazoned with a gold trident, while the right side features the Empire Ears logo. For a tribrid Triton feels about average size. It features two Bone Conduction drivers, one Dynamic, and one Balanced Armature driver. Four drivers isn’t a lot for a tribrid, but Triton makes good use of them
The package is the classic Empire Ears white box, featuring a metal case, cable, eartips and the rest of the standard accessory package. We received the “Launch Edition” for review, which included the upgraded Monarch cable, as well as an additional leather case. The Monarch cable has a feel similar to the cable included with the A&K x Empire Ears Novus IEMs, and with a blend of silver, gold, and palladium on the inside.
The upgraded package has a flagship feeling, while the standard package meets expectations, without being particularly exceptional. The IEMs themselves look great, and there is a little bit of magic in Empire Ears designs that help elevate their faceplates over the average $1000 resin IEM. The depth of the layering lets you get lost for a moment admiring how the light reflects and refracts off the different layers of the IEMs.
Sound
Triton is not an IEM for the faint of heart, or for those desiring reference accuracy above all else. Triton is a big, brash, fun basshead IEM that delivers energy, power, and physicality, with just the right sort of technical twist to justify the $1799 price tag.
Looking at the frequency response graph, you can see the bass towering over the rest of the sound, and you should expect excellent subbass extension from the dual bone conduction design. While many IEM designers have made a habit of pulling back the midbass a bit to keep any bass from bleeding up and getting in the way of genres that don’t need a lot of bass, Triton has some emphasis and elevation all the way up to the low mids. Triton hits hard, but it does remain pretty well under control. While you may notice an elevation in the bass in genres like folk and classical, bass connoisseurs won’t find it muddy or bloated.
The midrange has a nice, even sound to it, offering good detail and solid timbre, though there is a hint of darkness to the sound from the elevated bass. Vocals feel slightly set back in the imaging, but still stand out well in the mix. And the treble extends up nicely with a good sense of air and sparkle.
My first impression of Triton’s soundstage was that it wasn’t particularly wide, but as I listened to more tracks and tried more sources, I found it can present a seriously wide stage, but it’s weightier imaging doesn’t give off the same sort of airy space that IEMs with more diffuse sounding imaging often provide. Triton is definitely for those who like heavy note weight and a more tactile sort of imaging over a vast, expanded stage.
Triton features a very low impedance at 2.8 ohms, but the 99dB sensitivity rating makes them much less sensitive than many similar IEMs. This combo of low impedance and low sensitivity can create a lot of variability in the source pairing. As an example, with the iBasso DX320MAX, Triton hit with a very forward, hard hitting bass, while with Astell&Kern KANN Ultra, it “cleaned up” a bit more, offering more air and space and a tighter feeling (though still emphasized) bass.
If I had to choose one album to recommend with Triton, it would be Queen’s A Night at the Opera. Hard hitting rockers like “Death on Two Legs” and “I’m in Love with my Car” hit hard, with thick guitars, and articulate but powerful bass, while epic pieces like “The Prophet’s Song” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” have immersive dynamic range. Between the tuning balance and the realism in the guitars and vocals, Triton is possibly the best pure classic rock IEM I’ve heard since Campfire Audio Trifecta.
From the hard hitting kick and deep bass to the spacey guitars and breathy vocals Triton is equally adept at handling modern pop tracks like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bad Chem” as it is at classic rock. This sort of heavily produced pop makes for great audiophile test tracks, as each element of the mix is carefully placed in the mix, and Triton gives you both the ability to unravel each layer and the fun of rumbly bass and punchy dance beats. While they’re not the star of the show in Triton’s world, it still delivers clear vocals with power and precision.
“Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock shows off aspects of both what makes Triton excellent for classic rock and great for modern pop. The tight kick and lush bass provide the foundation, while each other element drops in with realism and precision, but also a sort of warmth that makes the whole song sound just a little bit smooth in exactly the way Hancock’s fusion of jazz, pop, and psychedelia should.
Comparison: Campfire Audio Astrolith, FlipEars Artha
If you’re looking for IEMs that combine technical prowess and powerful bass, there are a number of options out there, but I recently spent some time with FlipEars Artha ($1699) and Campfire Audio Astrolith ($2199) and thought they both did some things better than Triton while also demonstrating just what makes Triton Unique.
In terms of the build, design, and packaging, Triton – especially the Launch Edition – takes the cake here. The full package just hits as a little classier than Artha or Astrolith, but Artha gets points for the excellent stock cable, and I’m still a big fan of the unique aesthetic Campfire brings with their packaging. The visual comparison between Artha and Triton also highlights the next level artistry that Empire Ears brings with their resin faceplates.
In terms of sound, Artha makes for a unique comparison since its tuning switches offer a bass boost and a shift in the high frequency ranges that provides either a stronger vocal focus or more air. Considering the nature of the comparison, I just left the bass boost on, but compared the differences with the HF switch on and off. Artha has a tighter punch to the bass than Triton, with a faster decay and less rumble and depth. Artha’s vocals are more forward than Triton, and female vocals in particular can feel shouty. The HF switch shifted some of the vocal emphasis into more of the brilliance/air range, but I preferred Triton’s vocals in almost every case – though Artha is excellent for instrumental music, and offered a stronger highlight to lead instruments on jazz or fusion tracks.
Astrolith felt like a closer direct comparison with Triton, with a more similar overall tonality. Astrolith offered more texture and details in the bass, but with a similar faster decay to Artha without the same sense of lushness that Triton provides. Astrolith’s mids and highs land somewhere between Triton and Artha, with a vocal balance that’s closer to Triton, but a little more of Artha’s treble sparkle.
Ultimately what stood out with Triton was its lush, thick bass and weighty presentation, balanced with just enough of everything else. Astrolith hits almost as hard – and has the advantage in technical performance – but doesn’t have that same lush warmth. Artha – in spite of the tuning switches – didn’t sound as balanced or naturally versatile as Triton in any of the positions.
The Bottom Line
Empire Ears is no stranger to “flagship basshead” IEMs, with past efforts like the Legend X and Legend EVO being well-loved by audiophiles who crave a harder hitting low end. Triton builds on that legacy, achieving a sound that both steps up the hard hitting bass and delivers a stronger tonal balance. Put it all together and listening to Triton is like lying on a tropical island beach while the crystal clear water pummels you with tsunami-like force.
