LetShuoer Ember IEMs Review – Explosive Passion For Music Burning Bight
Letshuoer Ember is a $499 USD pair of Planar Magnetic Driver IEMs or In-Ear Monitors with a brand-new 14.8mm large driver at the core, crossover collaboration with Effect Audio, Titanium Alloy Front Chamber and a limited edition pair of IEMS with 999 units produced worldwide. Today we will review and explore the Ember as well as comparing it with other IEMs, including Moritz Aura (429 USD), ThieAudio Hype4 MKII (399 USD) and Xenns Mangird Tea Pro SE (449 USD).
Introduction
Letshuoer has been creating a high number of IEMS recently and the newest ones have been becoming true flagships, earphones loved by everyone, from the dandy S12 Ultra that everyone on a budget is raving about, all the way to the mighty Cadenza 12 which has been my daily driver for almost a year now. Letshuoer IEMs can be purchased from Amazon, Aliexpress, the Letshuoer shop as well as other hifi trade channels.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/45gvl8G
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4DW9oL9
Build Quality – Design
At their core, Ember was created as the flagship planar magnetic IEM from Letshuper, inspired by the Eastern legend that fire was humanity’s earliest gift, igniting civilizations, symbolizing wisdom and hope. Built to be the rebirth of sound and soul, Ember has three motives, the black shell, deep as the boundless sky, engraved patterns that resemble a fire immortalized in time and fire in the sound for the low to rumble like the heart of the earth, midrange to surge with tongues of flame and treble to shimmer like flying sparks.
It is a bit sad that Ember is limited to 999 units worldwide, each pair will feel special and unique, with a fully upgraded 14.8mm flagship planar driver, and with a cable designed by Effect Audio, experts in cable manufacturing, using UP-OCC 26 AWG and a reliable build for a fuller and more dynamic sound.
The outer shell is made from a Titanium Aluminium alloy with an aluminium alloy faceplate. You can also pair Ember with a balanced source thanks to the 4.4mm balanced plug, crafted with an LCDP and Gold Plated Brass Plug. Inside the package you can find the Ember, Warranty Card, Manual, Transport case, 9 sets of Ear Tips, the cable and the Ember shells. Technically, Ember has an Impedance of 30 OHMs, a SPL or Sensitivity of 103 dB and a 0.78mm 2-Pin connector at the IEM Side.
Subjective Usage
Ember feels heavy, and has a large driver inside, with a large sheel that feels metallic. This being said, it has a prolonged neck for the part that goes inside of your ear which makes it actually fairly comfortable, and has a really good position inside of my ears. Passive noise isolation is very good, at around -22 dB, with some variation depending on the frequency and white it is not quite as strong in isolation as Etymotic or customs, it is one of the IEMS that isolates better.
There is no driver flex that I can notice and the large planar driver inside is protected from flexing, and with the cable made by Effect Audio you know that it is going to last a lifetime, and the insertion depth is medium, so smaller eartips will work better with the Ember. Since there is no driver for bone conduction or unorthodox transmission of the low frequencies, a normal eartip like ddHIFI ST-35 will work really well, opposed to what we get with bone conduction IEMS that need sticky tips for the best sound in the sub bass.
The shell looks awesome in photos, but it looks a bit simpler in person, it is stealthy and cool rather than gaudy and the whole IEM looks and feels premium. I love the transport case because it does actually keep them safe and the cable made by Effect Audio is more ergonomic and feels more premium than what most IEMS come with, even if we’re looking at far higher prices.
Sound Quality
Pairings – For today’s review I have powered the Ember from multiple sources including FiiO K17, iBasso DX320 MAX Ti, Hiby W4, HIDIZS AP80 PRO MAX, FiiO M33. Acer Nitro 18 AI Laptop (with 3.5mm adapters), Luxsin X9.
Although on paper it looks really easy to drive, in practice it is a bit power hungry and likes quite a bit of juice to sound good. This being said, it is not a hard load for most sources and it is not sensitive to source noise either. It will pair well with most DAC AMPS as the bass has a low distortion and it achieves a good control easily.
Overall Signature – Letshuoer Ember is an impressionistic pair of IEMS with exceptional speed, punch and kick, but a warm bass, lots of weight and body to the sound. It is impressive for rock, EDM, Pop, but has a bit of extra bass volume which makes it super good for jazz and classical too, keeping a bright and sharp treble the way most planar drivers do. This being said, it is not a U-Shaped sounding pair of IEMS, but instead a V-Shaped, ultra enjoyable and playful one. The extreme dynamic range it possesses and the strong instrument separation make Ember perfect for both quiet and loud volumes.
Bass – At their bass, Ember reaches 20 Hz really well, but the bass has an emphasized presence up to about 120 Hz, so it has both depth, body, but also punch, kick, and even a bit of extra boom. This type of sound is deep, powerful and has around 10 dB of extra bass above the midrange, making Ember a good contender for the title of basshead. I can hear no boominess, it sounds controlled and clean, with a fast and highly dynamic, resolving bass that has extremely low distortion. Even with phonk and dubstep music, or music with a ton of bass distortion, it stays controlled and profound.
Voicing And Midrange – Vocal range is emotional and has similar strength and presence for both male and female voices. It has a beautiful presentation that is musical, the planar driver is really fast but in a juicy, vivid way rather than dry. You can expect female voices to be emotional and smooth, fluid, while male voices are also fluid, but deep. Ember does not emphasize with textures very much so music is exceptionally grain-free, as it renders a free flow of sound. Pianos and high-pitched guitars are magical, while ember is not designed for djent or death metal, as it is simply put too musical and too enjoyable for sadder metal.
Treble – Top end is sharp, crisp, but fluid and free of grain. This makes Ember bright, but relaxed in the textures, so it is not fatiguing, it is enjoyable for rock and even symphonic metal, without being fatiguing despite a sharp and punchy treble. You notice the bass body and presence more than you notice the treble as it is more of an impressionistic earphone.
Dynamics And Textures – Dynamic range is one of the strengths with Ember as it has an extremely wide dynamic range, interesting sound that is vivid and full of life. It does have a smoother texture that is grainless, but this makes the overall sound highly engaging and sharp, well-defined. Actual resolution is excellent, and Ember sounds great with most music styles without exception, being perfect for basically any style.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Ember handles low and medium volumes really well, and has a very low inherent distortion, with excellent control and punchiness. I noticed that at extreme volumes, the bass might become overpowering or it might become too strong, but at the same time I don’t know many people who listen above 120 dB for this to matter. Ember does not have a high ceiling, so EQing is not practical nor will improve the sound unless you want less bass which they can do, but which will kill some of their charm and magic in the sound.
Soundstage – Staging is very precise, with an extreme instrument separation, definition and lateral precision, excellent layering, but size is more limited, with a medium towards intimate soundstage size. This makes Ember exceptional if you want to hear every single instrument but are not looking for a grandiose presentation, and would rather have precision and crispness above a large size.
Comparisons
Letshuoer Ember vs Xenns Mangird Tea Pro SE (499 USD vs 449 USD) – Tea Pro SE is a really nice pair of IEMS also, comes with a thinner cable but Ember has a more flexible and premium cable, and while both have a medium insertion, the one for Ember is deeper and more comfortable with a better passive noise isolation, compared to the shallower insertion for the Mangrid Tea Pro SE. While for this latest generation Tea Pro SE went for a V-Shaped sound, Ember has a higher warmth, more body, more boom and more kick to its sound, it is also a bit sharper, but more juicy and less grainy. While both are highly revealing, I feel like ember reveals more details in general, while Tea Pro SE is more focused on the neutrality, it is a bit v-shaped but more neutral for sure.
Letshuoer Ember vs ThieAudio Hype 4 MKII (499 USD vs 399 USD) – Hype4 MK2 is most definitely more eye-catching for the design and has a reliable construction, but the cable of the ember is just more comfortable and feels more premium. Although both are comfortable, Hypoe4 has a shallow fitting so Ember delivers a more comfortable wearing style being medium in insertion depth, and Ember also has a more balanced overall fitting, being large and heavy, but staying more put inside of my ears than the Hype4. Sonically, Ember is much warmer, has more body, more mid bass, more upper bass, a more juicy midrange and more treble, although both are V-Shaped. Hype4 is more of a U-Shaped tuning, having more sub and more upper treble while the V shaped signature of the Ember includes more upper bass and lower treble, creating a more traditional sound that is easy to accept and which sounds immediately natural. Because Hype4 has less recess in the midrange, it can sound more vocal, but Ember has a higher instrument separation and precision. Resolution is higher on the ember.
Letshuoer Ember vs Moritz Aura (499 USD vs 429 USD) – Aura also goes for a warm bass and a vivid midrange with a sharp treble, but there are a couple noticeable differences, starting with the shell which Aura has more color in, and also the cable which is thicker on the aura but which is more ergonomic on the Ember, as it is more flexible and made by effect audio. Aura has more sub-bass and less midbass than Ember, so Ember has more body and warmth, Ember has much less sibilance and will sound better with most music, while Aura can become sibilant more easily, and Aura is best for ACG, Pop, EDM, while Ember is more universal. This being said, Ember has a more intimate and more precise soundstage, with better directionality and layering, while Aura goes for a bigger stage size with more blending between instruments. Resolution is equal, but ember has more detail in the bass region while aura has more detail in the midrange.
Value – Conclusion
Letshuoer Ember has a high value as for the rather midrange price they do come with premium cables already, are comfortable and don’t require any premium eartips to sound good, and in fact sounding best with the ones included in the package. It even comes with a super handy transport case and feels like a true premium product, with the only regret regarding the price being that it is a limited run item, and as I have around the serial number 700, there are not many left out there.
I feel like Letshuoer will continue to dominate the IEM market, they are making all the right moves, coming with the right sound for the right price to be competitive and over-deliver. Ember is a warm, vivid and dynamic sounding adventure they created and one that is outstanding, with hard shells, good cables and a fully recommended purchase today in our review.
PROs
- Warm sound with excellent instrument separation, delivering something no other IEMS did before
- Handy transport case with a rubber cap so the IEMS are protected during transport
- Hard shells that feel reliable
- Cable made by Effect audio with excellent comfort and build quality
- Large planar driver with very low distortion and high precision
- Sharp treble and no roll-off at either end of the sonic spectrum
- Vivid vocals with both male and female voices
- Excellent overall deal
- No driver flex or void, so it is comfortable for long periods of wear
- Scales really well with the source
- Excellent dynamic range
Cons
- It is a bit sad that it is a limited run IEM, as not everyone who desires one will be able to get one
- Although it is easy to drive, it needs a good source to sound best
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/45gvl8G
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4DW9oL9
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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