Valhalla

https://preview.redd.it/wo8evei0giyf1.jpeg?width=1320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1511607ca267116c4438274f42ea4da1248d7a4 Also a huge Valhalla fan 😎

Bought mine from a local audio shop. If you are in Canada, they ship country-wide https://www.quebecacoustic.com/en/product/thieaudio-valhalla/ They have 2 units in stock

After basically eating and sleeping at **CanJam NYC 2026** for two days, I wanted to share some quick impressions of a few IEMs that were quite popular at the show. These are purely my personal opinions. For most IEMs I spent **at least around an hour listening**, though a few I only had limited time with. My music library mostly consists of **modern music**. **Gear used:** AK SP3000M **Eartips:** Spinfit W1 # 1. Mysticraft Hex ($9000) The build quality is absolutely top-tier: titanium faceplate and nozzle with diamond and gold inlays, extremely premium looking. The shell is large but surprisingly light and quite comfortable. Bass has strong punch with very satisfying mid-bass impact. Sub-bass extends deep with strong rumble and full texture. The bass notes are round with a very unique “bouncy” character that makes it extremely engaging, though it can get slightly bloomy on certain tracks. The midrange is fairly forward. Vocals and instruments are clear and well defined. Male and female vocals sound natural without being overly warm or thin. Treble keeps the **Annihilator DNA**, but is tuned much smoother. It’s bright, sparkly, and very detailed without ever becoming harsh, even at higher listening volumes. Technical performance is excellent: wide soundstage with good width, height, and depth, accurate imaging, and **top-tier detail retrieval**. **Rate: 9.5/10** For my taste, the tuning is nearly perfect and it performs well across almost every genre. The only real issue is the price — **$9000 is wild**. # 2. Mysticraft Myth ($1000) You could consider Myth a **“downgraded” version of Hex** at roughly **1/9 of the price**. The titanium shell is very solid and compact, making it quite comfortable. The bass tuning is quite similar to Hex, with that same satisfying bouncy character. However, it’s not as clean, tight, or textured. The midrange follows a similar direction with forward vocals and instruments, but overall sounds thinner. Female vocals can occasionally become slightly sharp on certain tracks. Treble actually feels **even closer to the classic Annihilator tuning** than Hex. It’s brighter but still smooth, though the stronger treble presence makes the overall sound noticeably thinner. Technical performance is **excellent for the price**, honestly feeling closer to something in the **$2k range**. **Rate: 9/10** Myth delivers about **90% of Hex’s sound** at $1k, which makes it a far more reasonable option. At this price point, very few IEMs can compete with Myth’s overall sound quality unless you specifically prefer a more neutral or natural tuning. # 3. Unique Melody Pentara ($5000) Pentara can be seen as an **upgrade to the Maven II**. The titanium shell is solid yet lightweight. The finish reminds me of Dunu Glacier or Sony IER-Z1R, which means it attracts fingerprints and scratches easily. The faceplate design looks a bit strange to me personally, but it’s definitely unique. It includes a tuning switch, though I mostly listened in the **ON mode**. Bass isn’t heavily boosted but is very well balanced. It feels like a hybrid between the **speed and cleanliness of BA bass** and the **impact and texture of DD bass**. Overall, it might be the **best bass I’ve heard from a UM IEM**. The midrange isn’t as forward as Mysticraft IEMs, but it feels more balanced. Instrument notes have satisfying weight and sound very natural. Vocals retain the classic **UM “magic”**, with a slight reverb-like presentation that gives them a special character. Treble emphasizes the mid-treble region, sounding bright and sparkly. It can occasionally get a bit sharp depending on the eartips. Personally, I still think Mysticraft and Elysian handle treble better. Technical performance is where UM really shines. The **soundstage is extremely wide**, even wider than Hex, and live recordings feel almost like you’re standing on stage. **Rate: 8.5/10** The best UM IEM I’ve personally heard. If you listen mostly to **pop, vocal, acoustic, or live recordings**, this could easily be endgame. Faster or more aggressive music can become slightly fatiguing over long sessions. # 4. Elysian Annihilator 26 ($3200) This version feels like both an **upgrade and downgrade** compared to previous Annihilator models. The shell design is mostly unchanged from the 2023 version, though the nozzle is slightly longer. Comfort remains quite good. The new **9.2mm LSR dynamic driver** improves the biggest weakness of the older Annihilators. Sub-bass now has better weight and texture, while mid-bass punch is stronger and less dry. The midrange is also improved, with vocals and instruments gaining more body and sounding less thin. However, the treble is where things get controversial. Mid-treble is pushed quite aggressively while there seems to be less energy around **10kHz**, making the treble sound slightly sharp and losing some of the smooth, sparkling magic that made the original Annihilator famous. Technical performance is slightly improved compared to the 2023 version, with better height and depth in the stage. The overall presentation reminds me somewhat of the **Annihilator 2021**. **Rate: 7.5/10** The biggest strength of the Annihilator series has always been its treble, but the 26 version seems to lose some of that magic. On its own it’s still a very good IEM, but compared to previous versions it feels a bit disappointing. Personally, I still prefer **Myth by a noticeable margin**. # A few IEMs I only briefly listened to # Mysticraft Tet ($7700) Large shell similar to Hex but still comfortable. The titanium faceplate design is similar to Myth while the transparent shell resembles Hex. Sub-bass has stronger rumble and texture than Myth. Mid-bass is faster but slightly dry and lacks the bouncy character. Midrange tuning is more neutral compared to Myth and Hex. Male vocals can sound slightly thin while female vocals are excellent. Treble is sparkly and not harsh, though upper treble extension feels slightly limited. Technical performance is quite similar to Hex. **Rate: 8/10** Personally I still prefer Myth. # Alpha Omega Fulgrim ($6900) Large shell with a very big nozzle, though still fairly comfortable. The faceplate design is a bit flashy, and there is noticeable driver flex. I initially expected this to have one of the best bass performances, but in practice the bass quantity is **extremely high**, almost basshead level. This makes the bass sound bloomy and somewhat muddy, lacking the tightness and cleanliness I prefer. The midrange is thick and dark. Treble has a clear peak around **7–9kHz**, making some tracks quite sharp and fatiguing. Technical performance is underwhelming for the price: the soundstage is fairly narrow and detail retrieval is only average. **Rate: 6/10** # BGVP Wukong ($4300) The shell is thick and solid with an artistic design, but it’s extremely heavy, probably among the heaviest IEMs I’ve tried. Long listening sessions can become uncomfortable. Bass has a **pure BA character** with fast speed and good impact. Sub-bass texture is decent but still lacks the physical feel of a dynamic driver. The midrange follows BGVP’s typical tuning with a very bright upper-midrange. Male vocals sound thin while female vocals can become somewhat sharp. Treble is safe but lacks extension, so it doesn’t stand out much. **Rate: 7/10** # Elysian Apostle 26 ($2000) The design and sound are almost unchanged from Apostle 25. The titanium shell is very solid and looks great. The tuning is quite balanced across the spectrum, which unfortunately makes it feel slightly **boring**. It reminds me somewhat of **Thieaudio Valhalla**, but with dynamic driver bass and slightly more forward vocals. Interestingly, the soundstage is **very impressive for such a warm tuning**. Overall it’s solid but nothing particularly special. **Rate: 8/10** # Aroma Fei-wan ($4688) The shell is extremely light with a bright transparent yellow color. The build feels somewhat cheap and plastic-like compared to its price, though comfort is excellent. Despite using a dynamic driver, the bass actually sounds quite BA-like. Mid-bass is very tight and punchy, while sub-bass feels a bit weak. The midrange overall sounds somewhat thin, and the timbre feels slightly off, especially with vocals. Treble has a strong mid-treble emphasis and can become quite sharp. However, the soundstage is **extremely wide and very detailed**. **Rate: 6.5/10** # Brise Audio Fukagu Ampless (Price unknown) The build is solid but fairly heavy, and the design is very unusual compared to most IEMs. The earhooks are extremely difficult to wear properly, making it hard to get a good fit. I had to hold them in place by hand to listen properly. When properly fitted, the tuning is **neutral leaning warm**, balanced and easy to listen to, but nothing particularly stands out. **Rate: 6/10**

I owned the Diva before, it's good but just a little bit shouty for my taste

8. It's a little bit too warm for my taste :)

I was in Tokyo and went to E\*Earphone and tested about 30 IEMs in the $750-$2500 range. I own the Theiaudio Origin along with several <$200 IEMs. At home I use DCA E3 and Hifiman Arya Organic. As far as IEMs I considered my Origins ideal and end game. I tested about 30 IEMs in the $700+ range. Nothing really stood out as considerably better than the Origin, there were several IEMs that sounded great to me including the Lucifers but nothing that I thought exceeded the Origin to the point where I would consider buying another IEM. Even the Monarchs III/IVs were meh. Until I tried the Theiaudio Valhalla. I’m all about soundstage and bass, and holy shit, the Valhalla sounded surreal. I have no idea how they managed this with just BA drivers but it truly sounded holographic, the closest thing to a 7.1 surround sound system in IEM format. Now here’s the rub: If I was in the US the price of the Valhalla would be far too high to justify the purchase since I already had the Origin, but they were 250,000 yen after the tax free reduction and with the current US-Yen exchange rate the price came to about $1560 out the door vs $2200 in the US after taxes, tariffs, and shipping. I pulled the trigger. They’re still in the case, sealed, as I can sell them in the US for an easy $400+ profit, but I’m seriously debating just keeping them and trying to sell the Origin (never sold/bought used gear before). After 9 hours of testing, these truly are the best of the best. Unless money is no object, I’d suggest the Origins instead, because they are 95% of what the Valhalla offers, but that last 5% isn’t just better clarity, fidelity, etc., it’s a truly unique experience, and one of a kind.

So I really wanted to carefully take a note of each IEM and what u thought. I wrote down a mini review of the first few you see in the photos I posted. After the first few I tried, the store got super crowded with people. One thing that may not be obvious, is that they provide wipes to clean the tips before and after each use. So the process got a bit overwhelming and I just went through them quickly. I thought I took a photo of the entire $750+ section, but I looked though my photos and I can’t find it. I had visually noted which ones I tried on the wall, as well as any standouts, but unfortunately I had no idea why the photo didn’t get saved. I recall trying the high end options from 64 Audio, Symphonium Audio, Thieaudio, Vision Ears, Sennheiser, and a few others.

Check their Japanese website, the in store price is about 5-10% less than what’s listed on the website. Then you get another 10% off for tax reduction with passport. Convert that final price from Yen to USD. It was hard to spot good deals, because pricing is in Yen and I couldn’t quickly do the conversion in my head to compare them to the US pricing. There were crazy deals on used (like new) IEMs tho

The Thieaudio Valhalla performs very well in this regard. Furthermore, true open-back IEMs like the Fosi Audio IM4 or the Tangzu YuXuanJi should also provide an excellent soundstage.

IE600s are notoriously v-shaped IEMs that are pretty far out from neutral with exaggerated bass and treble. In terms of form factor there isn't really a like-for-like replacement for something as small as the IEs. Some additional recommendations worth checking out: Aful Dawn-X, laid-back and natural sound, almost inoffensive. Symphonium Crimson, aggressively fun like the IE600. 4 BAs make it one of the simplest constructions in that price range. Symphonium Europa, a more balanced brother to the Crimson. Letshuoer Mystic 8, very dry tonality but that's also what makes it special. A statement piece of an IEM. Actually close to neutral, as in, most people will find there's too little bass. Yu9 Que, if you could get your hands on one. The hype mainly comes from its price-performance ability and it could absolutely go toe-to-toe with many $1k sets, though I find its tuning stereotypical. It's a solid all-rounder choice if I don't know what your tuning prefs are. 64audio Tia Trio, if you're considering the U12t already you could also consider this. Some of the best bass I've heard in an IEM bar none. U12t sounds boring by comparison. Sony IER-M9, another laid-back oldie and a perennial competitor to the IE600. Depending on where you are, they could be had for cheap. Warm neutral presentation with treble boost, dynamics are its Achilles heel. Thieaudio Valhalla, much more refined v-shape presentation than the Monarch MkIV and more comfortable. Given your budget goes up to $2k, this is very much worth checking out. In terms of fit, Thieaudios are notorious for big shells and contentious comfort, so the advice is always to try before you buy if you could. You'd have the best luck with 64audio, maybe Symphonium, but Symphoniums will take some time getting used to because they aren't vented.

BA gang! Similar experience to what you had, origins were great, but the valhalla were next level. Sell the origins, keep the valhalla.

I just got the Valhallas today and I just got done listening to music for 4 hours straight. I'm not exactly "educated" when it comes to talking and explaining "audio terms". Just know I went from using a $35 pair of IEMs, then a $100 pair, then a $330 which were the Dunu 242. Then after thinking about it I decided to say "screw it" and returned/sold all my previous IEMs/Headphones and bought these magnificent bastards. After tonight, I no longer hear songs, I'm learning them. I can sense every direction that the instruments are coming from. Every song I listen to now has layers for every little thing. The bass doesn't mix in with the everything else now, but instead it has its own layer. I feel as if I'm in the recording room WITH the singer. When I listen to music with drums and guitars, I feel the vibrations. I can now picture the guitar string vibration when and when the stick hits the drum. The metal thingys don't just go "tss tss tss", but instead I can picture in my head the metal hitting against each other. I went to listen to old YouTube music from back in the day and I could hear all the imperfections. Some songs had bad audio balancing. The biggest thing I noticed was that, in those old YouTube songs, all the instrument were in 1 spot the entire time. There was no "adventure". Everything with these just sounds perfect. Again, I'm no audio engineering or expert. I'm just a guy who wanted to hear what the best of the best had to offer and I must say my expectations were not only met, but blown out of the atmosphere. Thanks for reading my very amateur review lol.