The Dynasty!

PROS: solid build with a beautiful faceplate design, coherent tuning of 15 drivers in a tribrid config, neutral sound sig with a clear resolving tonality, finetuned variation between the Emperor and Empress models, modular plug cable, and premium packaging.

CONS:  larger size shells with a short nozzle, neutral bass tuning (if you prefer more weight in the bass).

The product was provided to me free of charge for review purposes in exchange for my honest opinion.

Manufacturer website:  qdc.  Available for sale from authorized retailers like Musicteck, Emperor and Empress.

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Intro.

While I heard many positive things in the past about VX and V14 IEMs, including the VX review by one of our Twister6 contributors, I was not intimately familiar with these flagship IEMs from qdc except for a brief CanJam auditioning.  However, one thing I found interesting in everything I read was the enthusiasm about the neutral tuning quality of these monitors.  With so many fine IEMs in today’s audiophile world, the art of neutral tuning gets lost among colored sound tonality.  Perhaps, even qdc recognized that while offering tuning switches on VX and V14 for users to add the optional coloring.

Now, seems like the latest release from qdc, their flagship Emperor and Empress models, took a different approach by offering a fixed tuning in two separate IEMs.  While my original plan was to review Emperor only, I also got a chance to spend a little bit of time with an Empress loaner and decided to focus my review on sound analysis and comparison of these latest qdc releases, to help my readers decide which one going to suit their sound preference.  So, let’s see what I found after spending the last few weeks with the latest dynasty releases from qdc, their Emperor and Empress IEMs.

Unboxing and Accessories.

Since I received the full Emperor packaging for review, I can only describe it but have a feeling the unboxing experience of Empress would be similar.  Out of curiosity, I also looked up qdc V14 packaging and found it to be identical to the Emperor.  The packaging box, inside the exterior sleeve, is rather big, about the size of a shoebox.  As you lift the cover of the box, it first extends and then elevates the inside tray with IEMs and accessories, propping it up angled to create a clever display presentation.  The top cover is lined on the inside with soft spongy material while the tray has a velour-covered foam with cutouts to keep IEMs, storage case, and other accessories securely inside.

Besides the IEMs with an attached cable, you will find a custom round-puck leather case with a clever spool design on the inside, allowing you to wrap the cable around it.  The top cover of the storage case attaches magnetically to the core of the spool which, btw, is removable (you can unscrew it).  You will also find a small display setting with three modular L-shaped cable plugs, 4.4mm, 3.5mm, and 2.5mm.  Underneath there is a small box with the remaining accessories, such as a 6.35mm adapter (for a 3.5mm connection), a cleaning brush, an airplane adapter (for a 3.5mm connection), two sets of silicone (S/M/L) and double-flange (S/M/L) eartips, users guide, and a warranty card.

It was a bit weird to see a 6.35mm and airplane adapters included with high-end flagship IEMs considering most of the users are probably going to use it with a 4.4mm BAL plug.  But the overall unboxing experience was impressive, clearly showing you are dealing with a flagship-level product.

Cable.

The stock cable has a total of 12 conductors, 6 per side, very soft, pliable, and non-microphonic.  Every wire has a soft rubbery black coating, combined in a tight rounded braid.  The wires use pure sterling silver and pure copper conductors and feature a modular 3-in-1 multi-plug connector which allows an easy switch between the included L-shaped plugs.  A compact Y-split has a diamond-cut design that matches the plug, and the chin slider is just a transparent plastic piece.  Molded IEM connectors were angled, having a non-recessed design, and came with a standard universal 2pin connector.  I’m aware some of the previous qdc IEMs used a different connector with reversed polarity 0.75mm pins, but I believe they also offered an option of standard 0.78mm pins.  My review unit (Emperor) and loaner (Empress) used universal 2pin connectors, so perhaps it is standard now, making it convenient for cable rolling.

Design.

According to qdc, the design of the Emperor/Empress was developed in collaboration with Aiuto Japan, trying to capture the elements and colors of the Oriental traditional culture.  The faceplate uses a unique gold-plated corner-coating process with beautiful swirling colors inspired by the scenic spots in China, surrounded by a golden metal frame and a new sun and moon golden logo design.  The darker muscular undertones of the Emperor’s faceplate were complemented by the softer white pearl finish of the Empress’s faceplate.

The Emperor shell comes in a pearl-gray dark finish, while the Empress is in white, and has a custom-like contour shape for a more comfortable fit.  The shell size is big enough to host all 15 drivers and it was sticking out a bit from my ears.  The metal nozzle with a mesh cover is rather short, so you will need to be sure to pick the right type of eartips to keep these shells secure in your ears.  I had no issues with the fit, but be aware if you have small ears or require a deeper insertion of IEMs.  Also, each shell has a quad-vent next to the flush mounted 2pin socket with the vent being in red/blue to distinguish between the Right and Left sides, a nice detail.

Inside, qdc used 15 drivers with 1DD (10mm) for ultra-lows, 4BA lows, 2BA mids, 4BA highs, and 4EST for ultra-highs, a tribrid design implemented with 5 sound channels, 5-way crossover, and multi-tube filtering and multi-channel divider.  4EST drivers and 10BA use multi-tube filtering qdc first introduced in their V14, allowing adjacent frequency bands to be precisely tuned without interference and crosstalk suppression.  Then, an independent acoustic chamber cavity enclosure with a custom conduit, similar to the one in their Dmagic 3D IEMs, was used for a higher sensitivity ultra-low frequency 10mm DD, keeping it isolated from other drivers.

The fit.

Page 2 – Sound Analysis, Eartips selection.
Page 3 – Cable pair up, Source pair up, and Conclusion.