Sound Impressions: Bass / Overall tuning
Grand Oriveti Eminency has a balanced, neutral sound tuning, sitting slightly flatter than what I’d call W-shaped. Bass is transient, with tight density and clean roll-off. The bass atmosphere is kept clean and controlled, with sub-bass quantity sitting a little above flat but slightly below what I’d normally expect from a v-shaped tuning. Eminency is clearly going for a neutral balance here, and the amount should feel appropriate for listeners who prefer neutral or Harman-style tuning. It may not be enough for bassheads or those who enjoy vibrant, aggressive bass rumbles.
Eminency keeps the bass strictly within its boundaries, though there’s no lack of quality once it gets down there. Lows dive deep into the ultra-lows with pleasant resonance and a neutral-thick body. Timbre is lush, while the overall tone stays neutral enough to avoid making the low end feel excessively colored. There’s just the adequate amount of contrast to the bass, letting its weight be heard clearly without making the strikes aggressive or overly prominent.
What’s also nice is how evenly the low end flows from ultra-lows to sub-bass. The extension stays deep, and the bass atmosphere feels vast, yet the energy is distributed in a thoroughly leveled manner. Reverbs are controlled and don’t linger unnecessarily. It’s a type of bass tuned for effortless, long-term listening, especially if you’re after accuracy and a stable low-end foundation rather than sheer quantity.
Sound Impressions: Mids / Timbre
Vocals follow a tastefully neutral tuning. The vocal roll-off is rather quick, keeping the mid-range clean, though not to the point of sounding unnatural. Mids have neutral brightness, giving the sound resolving airiness and clarity. The difference I’d mention between Eminency and other neutral or transparency-focused IEMs is that Eminency’s clarity is a lot more comfortable to listen to over longer periods.
Oriveti has done a great job keeping the vocals extremely consistent and creating what I’d like to call “organic transparency”. You get that familiar BA transparency, yet the metallic shrill and upper-mid sibilance are filtered out almost seamlessly. Multi-BA setups, especially ones as heavily equipped as Eminency with eight BAs for mids, can sound highly resolving yet also get shouty or bitey in certain ranges. Eminency manages to reveal those smaller textures without the upper mids getting overly sharp, and the timbre remains smooth and stable throughout the vocal range.
That doesn’t mean Eminency is an especially dark or thick-sounding IEM. Those who are particularly treble-sensitive may still find it bright, and vocal thickness stays close to neutral. Eminency handles leaner vocals beautifully with plenty of agility and clarity, though those after thick, room-filling vocals may find the mids a little skinny. There’s a lot of openness running through the upper mids, but the tone remains natural and easy on the ears. I can listen to Eminency for longer sessions than I could with many other reference-tuned IEMs, without feeling that the detail has been dialed down just to make the sound comfortable.
Sound Impressions: Highs / How it Dealt with Planars?
Planar drivers offer amazing high-frequency performance and efficiency. Though, as I’ve been mentioning in many prior reviews, the inherent nature of these drivers is the shoutiness. Toning down without killing the details is the main task, which is quite tricky. Eminency is done surprisingly well. Since the reference tuning, treble is a big part of Eminency’s sound signature, and Eminency executed the task impressively. Highs are refined and articulated as EST drivers and organic enough. Technicality-wise, treble splashes with pleasing airiness and clarity, yet doesn’t shatter or get sibilant.
Treble Characteristics / Soundstage
Highs play a prominent role in the sound, making a vivid presence in music, and it doesn’t sound exaggerated or overpowered. The timbre is done organically and smooth enough, but what’s important is that the recording quality of the source needs to be good – Eminency does not hold back from pointing fingers at recording flaws. Poorly recorded tracks may sound grainy, so that’s something to keep in mind. Similar to the mids, Eminency’s highs have great stability and prominent airiness across the high-frequency ranges.
The soundstage is oriented towards the upper-ends, with the center of gravity on lower mids – Eminency offers you that extravagant resolving and open-ended vastness, though not as deep-diving or grand as some bassier IEMs would. The up-down headroom is great, while the sideways expansion remains on the neutral to average size – which is decent, but the sound may feel compact if you’re used to it. However, when comparing to reference-tuned IEMs or those that focus this much resolution on upper-ends, Eminency is one of the very holographic and roomy-sounding IEMs.
Compared to AuR Audio Alicante (Review link)
AuR Alicante is one of the strongest TOTL IEM choices you could make within the $1k range. Both of these IEMs have quite a bit in common when it comes to upper-end resolution, though Alicante carries noticeably more weight throughout the sound. Starting from the bass, Eminency keeps the sub-bass quantity reserved, just below what I’d typically expect from a V-shaped tuning.
Alicante goes substantially further, stopping only shortly before entering the basshead region. Its lows are warmer, darker, and more full-bodied, with stronger density and weight. Eminency is calmer and more linear, keeping the bass transient and the reverbs strictly controlled. Both dive impressively deep, though Alicante makes the low-end presence more obvious, whereas Eminency treats the bass more as a neutral foundation.
When it comes to vocals, Alicante is also richer and thicker. Both carry a neutral-bright side to the timbre, though Alicante adds more lushness, depth, and tonal density while keeping the vocals gently forward. Eminency is more neutral in thickness and quicker in roll-off. Leaner voices sound agile and clear, though those who want large or room-filling vocals may find Eminency a little skinny after switching from Alicante.
Alicante also gives the mid-range more holographic imaging and separation, whereas Eminency keeps the presentation simpler and more strictly neutral. I find Eminency’s transparency particularly comfortable for how analytical it is, though Alicante has a stronger sense of musical richness and vocal scale.
Both IEMs take the upper frequencies seriously. Alicante goes daring with micro details, having an exceptionally fine and resolved treble texture while keeping the highs soft and creamy. Eminency is also very resolving, but its reference tuning makes the treble presence feel more direct and revealing. It doesn’t hesitate much when the recording itself is grainy or poorly mastered. Alicante feels a little more luxurious in how it presents all that information, whereas Eminency approaches the details with less seasoning.
Soundstage also reflects the same difference. Alicante establishes both upper and lower headroom strongly, so the stage feels well grounded despite all the upper-end expansion. Eminency’s center of gravity feels lighter and more upper-oriented, with excellent vertical room but only neutral-to-average lateral expansion. Alicante is the more immersive all-rounder, while Eminency would make more sense if the priority is neutrality, upper-end resolution, and prolonged accuracy-based listening.
Compared to Admire Acoustic Nova (Review link)
Eminency and Nova both put a lot of attention into clarity and upper-end technicality, though the way they present the sound is quite different. Nova has a more vivid, aggressive W-shaped tuning, with the vocals taking a more obvious step forward and blooming larger across the stage. Eminency stays closer to neutral throughout, having less emphasis on both the bass and mids.
Bass quantity is also slightly more reserved on Eminency, with a tighter and more linear bass flow. Nova’s lows have stronger elasticity, energy, and spatial expansion, creating more of that holographic ambiance while retaining accurate phasing. Eminency takes the cleaner, calmer, and more reserved route, keeping the reverbs shorter and the low-end atmosphere thoroughly leveled.
Mids also show a noticeable difference. Nova’s vocals are neutral-thick and more radiant in tone, adding warmth and lushness before opening up with breezy transparency. Eminency keeps the vocal body closer to neutral, with faster roll-off and a more straightforward reference presentation.
Both are highly resolving, though Eminency’s specialty is what I’d call its “organic transparency” – keeping all that BA clarity and airiness without allowing the texture to get metallic or bitey. Nova, on the other hand, sounds more colorful and spatial, creating larger vocals with stronger holographic imaging. Those who want neutral, agile vocals for long-term listening may find Eminency easier to settle into, while Nova is more captivating if you want the mids to have stronger presence and character.
The difference gets interesting again with the staging. Nova expands spherically, with excellent front-to-back layering and plenty of space across all directions. Eminency focuses more strongly on vertical headroom and upper-end openness. Sideways expansion stays closer to neutral, so Eminency can feel more compact beside Nova despite having plenty of air above and below. Nova offers the more immersive and three-dimensional presentation, while Eminency keeps the stage more disciplined and reference-like.
Compared to ODA Leviathan (Product link)
Leviathan takes a noticeably richer and warmer direction than Eminency. Bass is the first place where the difference becomes obvious. Eminency keeps the sub-bass quantity restrained and tightly bounded, aiming for a cleaner, more reference-like low-end balance. Leviathan puts a lot more weight and physical presence into the lows, with thicker body and stronger bass reverbs. Eminency is quicker and more disciplined with the bass roll-off, whereas Leviathan gives the lows more room to breathe, as well as more quantity and slam to fill the atmosphere.
The same contrast continues into the vocals. Eminency keeps the mids neutral in thickness and brightness, focusing on agility, airiness, and what I’d call its “organic transparency”. Leviathan sounds fuller and warmer, with more body around both male and female vocals. The texture is smoother and more relaxed, though the resolution and separation remain strong enough that the added richness doesn’t make the mids feel stuffy.
Eminency deliberately digs into smaller textures and keeps the vocal outlines cleaner, while Leviathan gives the mids a more musical and naturally weighted tone. Those who prefer leaner, reference-style vocals would likely favor Eminency, whereas Leviathan does a better job if you want the vocals to carry more substance and warmth. Highs are interesting since both IEMs manage plenty of extension without getting unnecessarily sharp. Eminency has the more explicit reference character, with prominent airiness and micro details that reveal recording quality quite aggressively.
Leviathan keeps the trebles slightly smoother and better blended into its warmer overall tone. It still has plenty of extension and sparkle, though the details don’t feel pushed toward the ears as deliberately as Eminency does. Eminency gives more of that analytical sensation where you can tune into the smallest upper-end information, while Leviathan keeps the highs refined and airy without letting them break away from the rest of the sound.
Soundstage also follows their different center of gravity. Eminency creates much of its spaciousness through upper-end openness and vertical headroom, while Leviathan forms a rounder and more surrounding stage with stronger depth and body throughout the image. Eminency sounds cleaner and more open-ended from top to bottom, though the sideways expansion stays relatively moderate.
Leviathan doesn’t necessarily feel wider in every direction, but its fuller low-mid foundation and dimensional layering make the stage feel more holographic and immersive as a whole. Eminency would be the pick for those after neutrality, speed, and deliberate upper-end resolution, while Leviathan is the more musical and full-bodied take without giving up the technical performance expected from a flagship.
The Quiet Achiever, yet a sound that’ll last long.
My experience with Grand Orivet Eminency is great, as it comes in gently and gradually earns your appreciation. A long-lasting charm these have. What stands out most after extended time with the Eminency isn’t any one frequency band – it’s the consistency. Vocals stay clean across the full range without sudden tonal shifts, bass sits in its lane without overstepping, and the planars do their job without announcing themselves in ways that planar tweeters can sometimes do wrong.
Oriveti has a long history of making IEMs that are easier to appreciate over time than on first listen, and the Eminency is a continuation of that same philosophy – but with a much higher ceiling. For a $1,299 flagship, the stabilized wood shells, the planar tweeter implementation, and the level of tonal coherence across 13 drivers are not things you’d take for granted at this price.
The Eminency isn’t an IEM that begs to be noticed. It doesn’t hook you with a dramatic bass hit or a flashy treble shimmer. What it does is get out of its own way and let the music play accurately, pleasing and crystal-clear sound, and a type of sound that’ll last throughout the fast-paced product cycle that we have in this hobby nowadays. That’s harder to pull off than it sounds, and Grand Oriveti pulled it off nicely with the Eminency, as they did with the Supremacy. If you want to get a reference-leaning flagship earphone that sounds natural but also want some organic wood shell resonance, be sure to check out the Grand Oriveti Eminency. It’s a rare yet reliable find that would please a lot of ears and for times to come!
