Let me introduce you to my latest audio companion and flavor-of-the-month (FOTM): the Grand Oriveti Eminency. I am splitting the review into three chapters because I think each deserves its own discussion.
Get all the basic information, marketing pitch and specifications from Oriveti directly:
Quick Navigation
Chapter 1: Beautiful Things Matter
Beauty doesn’t change the sound. It changes how willing we are to stop, pay attention, and enjoy it. In a hobby built entirely around enjoyment, that may matter more than we’d like to admit.
Why Looks Matter
Let’s be very honest here. Nobody needs a US$1,299 pair of earphones. But we invest because it gives us joy – for entertainment reasons. Back in 2020, I wrote a short editorial about what it’s like to be an audiophile. We chase that special moment in which everything comes together – the gear, the music, the timing, the mood, etc. The value of that is hardly measurable in monetary terms, as it will be different for everyone.
But my experience is that just a few years ago, before Apple and other consumer brands were pushing into the premium market with headphones, even a US$300 price tag seemed ridiculous to many. Nowadays, the price of acceptance is considerably higher. But for wired earphones, ‘outsiders’ will still quickly raise a brow when you mention how much you spent on your newest toy.
Price of Admission
Of course we don’t need to prove anything to others. On the contrary, it makes us stronger as a community, but in the end joy is best when shared. And it usually helps when the first immediate response is not “wow, you are all kinds of stupid”. Showing off a special item that looks its price tag, however, causes a lot of interest with non-audiophiles in my experience, which is a much preferred reaction for me. (You could very well have a much thicker skin than me and simply not care at all what others think; kudos to you. BTW, maybe you can find yourself in my Caricatures of Headphone Users.)
Maybe if we don’t even realize it, but (almost) every product has a visual language. Even products that intentionally look anonymous communicate something. Minimalism is just another design language. Different styles will resonate with different users, and that is an important aspect, because a term I like to use more often for this hobby is ‘personal audio’. It’s not just portable; it’s a part of me, and I (subconsciously) like to identify myself with the gear.
So when Oriveti is asking US$1,299 for the Eminency, it definitely helps that I consider it to be one of the most attractive ear pieces yet – next to the Supremacy.
Stabilized Wood
The majority of earphones use shells made of UV-treated acrylic or 3D-printed resin. In comparison, metal materials look more premium at first, though the comfort is poorer. A wooden IEM will stand out naturally. And also I remember how I drooled over the JVC/Victor HA-FX700 when I bought a unit back in 2011. Tooling and ROI have since improved considerably for IEM manufacturers, which now leads me to the Grand Oriveti IEMs, which use ‘stabilized’ wood shells.
Untreated wood absorbs moisture, causing it to swell, shrink, or crack. Stabilisation locks out moisture, resulting in a material that won’t warp and is resistant to humidity changes. It’s popular for knife handles and pens because it can turn soft, brittle woods into durable items. Resins are chosen because they have a low viscosity, which allows them to penetrate deeply into the wood’s cell structure. The wood is not just coated; it’s permanently “filled” with resin to become a new, high-performance material.
Fascination of Woodworking
In recent years, I have developed an interest in woodworking, and I especially enjoy the video content of skilled artists like Blacktail Studio, Foureyes Furniture or Pedulla Studio. Especially Cam from Blacktail made me understand and appreciate the concept of stabilized wood. It is a true show of craftsmanship and a highly durable composition.
Every piece of wood has a unique texture. The green and purple resin colours used on the Eminency fill out any gaps and create a natural flow that follows the wood’s grain. The gold logo and adornments harmonise exceptionally well with the underlying wood. Finished off with a final protective layer of clear acrylic, these IEMs will forever remain pieces of jewelry.
Unboxing
Oriveti doesn’t stop there, though. The first time using the Eminency is a whole experience. Just as with the Supremacy, Grand Oriveti’s packaging resembles that of a fine whisky or cigar – at least that’s my guess for what gave the design inspiration. In it, you will find the…
Accouterments
Using the term ‘accessories’ wouldn’t do the rest of the package justice. So I looked up the word ‘accouterment’ (Br. accoutrement), which suits these additional statement pieces much better. As did the Supremacy, the Eminency comes with two real leather cases, an abundance of various ear tips and a cable that others purchase separately as an upgrade.
Leather Cases
Most IEMs come with a protective travel case. Many are very similar and obviously come from the same OEM company. And the included round Oriveti probably does too, though this one sets itself apart by using genuine leather. It is functional, and the choice of materials undermines the exceptional visuals of the Grand Oriveti IEMs.
The real looker, though – and the reason why the packaging is huge – is the 4-partitioned travel case that can store multiple IEMs or other portable audio gear. It’s big, it’s heavy, and it will turn every IEM collection into a jewellery presentation.
I am not sure if Oriveti updated the case since I shared first impressions of the Supremacy or if that of the Eminency is purposely different. This time around, the case is slightly more compact, but the inside space is still the same. By description only, the differences hardly matter. On the outside, you have a generous real brown leather with a zipper. On the inside, soft lining protects the valuables. It’s luxury and probably the most useful accessory an IEM collector could want.
Ear Tips
The Grand Oriveti package includes two types of original silicone ear tips, of which the pre-installed option is designed for a deep fit. Should this not fit, the alternative option is much closer to the average tips you will find elsewhere.
Furthermore, you will find two types of aftermarket upgrade tips by Korean manufacturer AZLA. The SednaEarfit Xelastic 2 are considered one of the most comfortable silicone ear tips. They adapt to your individual anatomy and stick right to the skin, providing a very secure fit. If that is not soft enough, the SednaEarfit Foamax uses a high-density foam that’s soft as a cushion. I will go deeper into the various options in the sound section.
Grand Affinity
If you are interested in upgrade cables, or want to know my take on audio cables, I highly recommend my 2026 Upgrade Cable Guide. That will help you set expectations for the HP-OCC + HP-OCC-SPC with fabric jacket. While an Affinity cable is available for purchase separately from Oriveti, I believe the ‘grand’ version with dark brown nylon jacket is exclusive to the Grand Oriveti lineup.
This is a very thick cable. Fortunately, it is tangle-free and straightens out nicely. There was not one minute during my testing that I thought I should try different cables. Quite frankly, I have none in my drawer that would better suit the IEM’s aesthetics, and in the end, that is quite important to me.
Finally, looking at something beautiful changes the anticipation before the first note is even played. It slows you down. It makes you want to sit down, choose an album deliberately, and spend an hour listening instead of skipping through tracks. None of that changes the frequency response. Yet it absolutely changes the experience. Now let’s get into the sound.
Chapter 2: Listening
Tonality & Sound Performance
The Eminency sounds nothing like I expected. Having just covered the visual aesthetics and highlighted the luxurious wooden shell with gold accents, I was expecting a warm and rich sound. But while that is very true to the Grand Oriveti Supremacy (read my review here), the Eminency reminds me more of the precision tools used during the craftsmanship.
Tuning
The Eminency follows a fun-neutral tuning with a subtle touch of Oriveti’s house sound. It combines excellent tonal accuracy with an elevated sub-bass shelf and a lively, articulate treble, creating a technically impressive IEM without sounding clinical. Achieving this balance is no small feat. Oriveti employs a 10mm dynamic driver that covers the very low frequencies, 2x 4 custom balanced armatures that cover the midrange and 4 planars that replicate the high frequencies.
Eminency has a very prominent low-frequency shelf that boosts the sub-bass by up to 7dB. The elevation fades out early at latest 150 Hz. This gives the low end a strong physicality, but there’s no boom, warmth or mud despite the bass hitting hard.
Held against a theoretical neutral IEM curve, the Eminency nails the midrange in tonal accuracy. This is a stark difference to its flagship sibling Supremacy, and it brings it closer to the likes of tunings that remind me of studio accuracy like the Softears RS10 or ThieAudio MKIV. It’s not until the vocal presence region where Supremacy and Eminency align. A small boost at ~1.5 kHz allows for richness and a greater perceived dimensionality. Fortunately, the 3kHz pinna gain is reduced slightly to match the overall quantity of that region before the mids transition into treble according to the textbook.
Note that the treble on the measurement is distorted through a coupler resonance at 8kHz. Generally, the treble quantity matches the overall neutral approach, but it does have a distinct presentation.
Bass
Using a dynamic driver for the low-end has been a very popular choice in IEM designs. The reason is that low frequencies need amplitude, and many other single driver types fail to recreate that unless used in higher quantities. And even then, you could argue that the rebound and decay of a dynamic driver is closer to the sensation of listening to full-size speakers.
But the implementation of the dynamic driver in the Eminency is different to my ears. Usually I argue that especially strongly shelved low-ends in hybrids sound disjointed to me. With this implementation, the bass is not entirely handled by the dynamic driver but the upper bass and texture is added by balanced armatures. That doesn’t change the fact that the Eminency has considerably more “bottom” than a flat monitor, but the transition to the mids is flawless – speaking qualitatively – and doesn’t distract me from the music most of the time.
Rarely, I do feel like I am overwhelmed by the bass impact that I just did not expect from specific tracks. On especially bass-weak tracks, I double-check whether I have a good seal because my mind is expecting more warmth. However, most of the time, the bass provides pure driving fun. It’s impactful, visceral, and toe-tapping.
Mids
As the bass doesn’t bleed into the mids, the timbre of voices and most instruments deserves a full score rating. Tonally, the mids remain lean rather than warm. The overall atmosphere is basically that of a treated studio and not of a jazz cellar. So while it’s equally homogenous, the presentation is distinctively different to that of the Eminency’s flagship brother Supremacy – but more on that comparison later.
Going up against monitoring references like the Softears RS10, the Eminency manages to flesh out instruments a little bit better and squeezes out more dimensionality. I have approved of Oriveti’s vocal presence tuning multiple times now, and I get to appreciate it once more on the Eminency, though it’s considerably less obvious this time.
While the midrange is comparably “flat” compared to the thumping bass and brilliant (note: descriptive adjective) treble, it stands out on its own. The resolution and detail retrieval are simply exceptional. That also means that you probably want to avoid playing Garage Rock, Punk, etc. on the Eminency when you have a fuller-sounding and mellower IEM in your collection. However, I especially enjoy modern Pop with the Eminency, and it helps me uncover small cues and creative decisions during the production or mastering stage. Yes, the midrange can be “technical” and pull the attention to smaller details, but at the same time it’s also correct.
Highs
I am using the default pre-fitted ear tips, which have a wide bore and short stem. I will discuss other ear tips later, but I do find these to be an overall good choice. Since the tips have a big influence on the treble quantity and tuning, I wanted to mention that first.
Oriveti opted for four planar drivers in the treble. Whether this character stems from the planar drivers themselves or from Oriveti’s tuning is difficult to determine, but the treble has a distinctly articulate texture. A calibrated monitor setup would sound duller, so I would categorize the treble as “fun” sounding, i.e. more sparkle, more definition, more details. And even though the treble isn’t pronounced, it keeps drawing my attention, and that makes the sound overall quite exciting.
I do find the treble quality to have an emphasis on definition, which brings out S-sounds better than softer SH-sounds. I’d describe it as slightly piercing but not sibilant. I find it engaging and not bothersome, but – if I wanted to – the impression can be significantly reduced through other ear tips. Most importantly, the Eminency is never dull or flat sounding.
Soundstage & Resolution
The Eminency is a master at separating layers in the music and applying micro details on every single track. Another strength is highlighting the texture of instruments, from bass to treble. The Eminency is an IEM that likes to flex and show off its technical prowess.
In terms of soundstage, it is neither distant-sounding nor in-your-face. Rather than placing the listener several rows back, the Eminency stretches the stage laterally, leaving plenty of air between instruments while maintaining intimate vocal placement. It never makes you feel closed-in, though, as the sound is quite airy and the neutral timbre evokes a sense of wide space.
Synergy
The Oriveti Eminency has a remarkable quality to adapt to the sonic characteristics of different sources. While I don’t want to overemphasise the impact, in the case of the Eminency it can make a noticeable difference whether the audio chain is warm, lean, fast, or detailed.
Since the midrange tonality is neutral, pairing with a warm source can give the tone more richness. Oriveti’s own Twin Revive dongle (featured here) is a good fit. Going even warmer, the Questyle M15i also doesn’t show its thickness and tendency to sometimes sound muddy – another good every-day carry combo.
However, I actually enjoyed the Eminency very much on devices that some consider analytical or “pure”, like the iBasso DX260 or RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE. In this case, the IEM’s strengths show even more, and it becomes an ultra-precise and fast-playing detail-monster without sounding sterile. It’s never “flat”; instead, it can get very exciting.
Recommended Ear Tips
The pre-installed ear tips in the box have a very short stem and a wide bore. I find the comfort excellent, especially because this allows for a very deep and snug fit without feeling like you penetrate the ear. Like mentioned earlier, my sound description is also based on these tips. So I noticed the following changes when mixing it up.
The included Azla Xelastec 2 tips, which consist of a sticky, rubbery silicone, sound less direct and create a stronger sense of space. They do soften the treble, though, and – IMHO – it takes some of this IEM’s enjoyment.
Also included in the box are Azla Foamax, which even further soften and dampen the treble. The foam tips also recess vocals – the overall sound becomes a little diffuse to me.
Radius Deep Mount tips will bring out more warmth. This could be a good option when you want a more relaxed approach.
I noticed that using a slightly longer stem and/or nozzle on ear tips creates a more reference treble – at least with my ear anatomy. The Eletech Baroque tips move in that direction. The JVC Spiral Dot EP-FX12 performs similarly. Personally, I settled for the Baroque because of its ultra-soft material, but if isolation is important to you, the JVC will perform better.
Preliminary Verdict
What surprised me most is how little the visual design prepared me for the sound. Looking at the stabilized wood and gold accents, I expected warmth and romanticism. Instead, the Eminency presents music with studio-like tonal accuracy, almost creating a disconnect between what the eye anticipates and what the ear receives. Yet after living with it for several weeks, that contrast became one of its defining charms. I have used the Eminency as a daily driver for the past 3 weeks straight, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.
The Grand Oriveti Eminency adds just enough spice and an extra pinch of salt to the dish that makes the sound presentation very exciting and unique. There is a little bit of leeway as to which recordings actually bring out the strengths, so the technical performance is not something I ever managed to completely blend out. But then again, why should it?
Chapter 3: How Many IEMs Do We Really Need?
This section started as a detailed comparison between the Grand Oriveti Eminency and the Supremacy. However, I quickly noticed that I won’t be able to pick one over the other, but instead I realized how well the two complement each other. It opened up the question of why our hobby rarely ends up in having a single favorite IEM.
For this chapter, I don’t want to discuss different applications and consider physical and technical aspects like portability, isolation, or sensitivity. I want to go straight to listening to music. But even then, one headphone or earphone rarely feels satisfactory.
Why We Need More than One
I can claim that I know how IEMs measure that are transparent to my ears. But there are two important aspects to consider. Firstly, I don’t always want to listen to music at the same volume. So that target curve effectively varies depending on my current listening mood. Secondly, ear fatigue is real, and I notice it every day. Blood pressure, stress, and humidity directly impact the ear drum’s flexibility. My listening preference in the morning might be very different to the evening. I have days where a bright headphone sounds perfect, but the next day it’s unbearable.
To keep it simple, let’s assume people (myself included) always want a neutral-sounding IEM in the sense of being transparent and not adding colour or flavour to a publication. Now, of course, during the mastering stage of a record, the engineer already created atmosphere and added colour. However, the mastering reference might not have been the same – music production does not have industry standards like cinema, for example. Even if every engineer strives for transparency, records are mastered differently. Some lean warm, others bright, others compressed. No single playback system can magically become the ideal partner for every recording. Considering basically no master is perfect, having two IEMs that slightly deviate from an average can, in theory, always have one of the two sound better than a single one that is in-between.
If someone wants to experience a record as close to “the engineer’s intent” as possible, a single IEM is at a disadvantage. By owning two or three slightly different IEMs, you are not chasing “colouration” but creating a complementary toolkit to normalise the chaotic variations of the music industry and your own biology.
And that was exactly my experience when comparing the Grand Oriveti Eminency with the Supremacy.
Complementary Relationship
I am in the fortunate position to not have to choose between the two Grand Oriveti flagship IEMs. And throughout this review process, I was constantly asking myself which of the two I would rather recommend. And the solution is quite simple: I don’t have to! The Supremacy and Eminency are complementary to each other.
Both IEMs are versatile and are generally good all-rounders when it comes to music genres. However, their approach to tonality is quite distinct. The Eminency is definitely the one that will draw more focus on technical qualities of a production, while the Supremacy helps to smooth out imperfections. In a way, the Supremacy is more rounded and pulls instruments closer together to present a complete whole. The Eminency will take the same information and dissect it and lay it apart.
The interesting part to me is that when I use different listening volumes, I can make the midrange of both IEMs sound nearly identical. Not only identical, but also tonally correct in the best way possible. Over the past couple of weeks, I carried both IEMs in my bag and really appreciated experiencing an album with one of the siblings first before re-experiencing it with the other anew. And this really put the records in two different lights, giving me a larger appreciation of any recording. It helped me expand my perspective and better understand the artist’s intent. And the more tracks I experienced this way, the more I noticed that the ‘truth’ is not between Eminency & Supremacy but the sum of both. And it makes perfect sense. Many engineers work with multiple monitor systems because each reveals different aspects of a mix.
Picking One over the Other
But what if you have to start somewhere and can’t afford both? You will appreciate each’s strengths in different ways. Regarding listening volume, the Eminency fairs better at higher volume, and the Supremacy basically has an integrated adjustment for lower sound pressure levels. In regard to mood, the Eminency is the one that works as an energizer, and it can really make your heart work on high BPM tracks, while the Supremacy is more relaxed and can take the edge out of aggressive Metal tracks. I seriously couldn’t tell you which is better.
The Eminency is the one that makes me lean forward. The Supremacy is the one that lets me sink into the music.
However, after going through almost all of my music library, I have developed two distinct preferences. The Eminency’s clarity shines especially well with multi-layered studio Jazz tracks by labels like ECM or ACT. On the other hand, the Supremacy is the flagship to raise your hair on intimate vocal tracks.
Verdict
The Grand Oriveti Eminency captivates me on multiple layers. It is not only a strikingly beautiful IEM, but it sounds terrific as well and is highly capable in terms of sonic reproduction. Somehow it also made me appreciate the Supremacy even more and made me realise that it’s not recommended to search for the only ultimate flagship IEM. (I can do with this reminder every once in a while.)
The Eminency combines studio-like tonal accuracy with enough excitement to make music feel alive. Its deep-reaching bass, articulate treble and exceptional technical ability constantly reveal new details without losing sight of musical enjoyment. It doesn’t try to romanticise recordings or smooth over imperfections – it presents them with clarity and confidence.
What surprised me most, however, was not how it compared to the Supremacy, but how naturally the two complemented each other. If the Supremacy encourages you to relax into the music, the Eminency invites you to lean forward and explore it. I stopped thinking in terms of “better” and “worse” and started appreciating them as two equally valid perspectives.
If I could own only one Grand Oriveti, I honestly couldn’t tell you which to choose. But if your taste leans toward neutral, highly resolving sound with a touch of excitement, the Eminency is one of the finest IEMs I’ve heard in that category. And if, like me, you’ve reached the stage where this hobby is no longer about finding the one perfect earphone but about finding the right companions for your music, the Eminency earns its place without hesitation.