ThieAudio Valhalla Review: 38 Drivers of Pure Overengineering? Or have these Nordic behemoths become my new favs??
By AndrewChoppa
Purchase here: https://www.thieaudio.com/products/thieaudio-valhalla
ThieAudio has spent years solidifying its reputation as a dominant force in the high-end audio market. However, their latest flagship release, the ThieAudio Valhalla represents an entirely new level of ambition. Retailing at a hefty $1,999 USD, this Nordic-inspired beast packs a staggering 19 balanced armature (BA) drivers per ear shell.
That is 38 total drivers firing acoustic signals directly into your noggin. It raises an immediate question: is this a genuine masterclass in flagship audio engineering, or just an expensive exercise in driver-count flexing? Let's break down how this Viking God-themed monstrosity actually performs.
Thanks heaps to Rosie at Linsoul for sending these out for review. I do not get to keep them but I am paid by Linsoul for this review.
In saying that, I am a prominent reviewer across different media, so as in everything I do, I review with a no-bullshit, humorous but technical style and ALL thoughts are my own!
I have incorporated a lot of different test gear with these big boofas – my Hiby R6II Pro 2025 and NiPO N2 Daps, as well as my Erzetich Bacillus II+ and Aune A17 headphone amps (A17 review coming very soon), decoded by my Gustard R30 Dac, with Tidal streaming via USB from my PC.
Design and Ergonomics: The Titanium Chonkers
The immediate takeaway upon unboxing the Valhalla is its sheer physical presence – They are quite intimidating and I’m just glad no one used the word “enema” in the same sentence as these boys………..it’s hard enough getting them in my ears……..
The Shell: ThieAudio skipped the standard medical-grade resin and opted for premium Grade 5 CNC-machined titanium. The faceplates feature a glittering, stained-glass aesthetic that catches light beautifully. They are STUNNING!
The Fit: Stuffing 19 drivers into a shell requires space. These monitors are incredibly thick. If you have smaller ears, wearing them might make you look like a sci-fi cyborg who misplaced an antenna.
The Nozzle Dilemma: The nozzle sports a massive 6.3 mm diameter but is paired with a curiously short 3.8 mm length. This geometry can make securing a deep, stable seal an absolute nightmare. If your ear anatomy doesn't align with this design, the rigid titanium body may push against your ear cartilage.
There are extra nozzle filters supplied but I didn’t feel the need to test these because of the next point.
Tip-Rolling: You will need to spend time tip-rolling to find a comfortable fit. Swapping out the stock tips for something like the Divinus Prism wide bore tips is highly recommended to secure the seal and prevent ear bruising.
And as was the case, the stock foam tips were not to my liking at all. They took ages to regain shape and they just did not stay in my sonic side flaps. The sound was hard to appreciate because of the poor fit.
Once I put the Prism wide bores in, I felt no more need to tip-roll. They fitted perfectly, and the sound……………………..well.
The Cable Roast:
For two sweet grand, ThieAudio provides a modular system cable featuring interchangeable 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs (I do like a modular cable). It is technically impressive on paper, boasting 161 strands of silver-plated copper soldered with Mundorf Supreme Solder.
In everyday use, however, the cable is reasonably stiff, although I do like the look and the feel of it.
But is it a cable befitting a $2k iem?? The jury’s out on that one.
Technical Breakdown: The Architecture
For the spec sheets and audio purists, the Valhalla is a marvel of inner plumbing. Its 4-way passive crossover network utilizes a complex 4-bore acoustic tubing system to route the drivers:
Sub-Bass: 4x Sonion 38D1XJ007 subwoofers
Low-Mids: 10x Sonion E50DT0005 dual drivers
Mid-Treble: 4x Knowles RDE 33729 drivers
Ultra-Highs: 1x Knowles WBFK 30095 tweeter
To handle the low frequencies, ThieAudio implemented their PBS (Precision Bass System). This internal acoustic resonance chamber utilizes a diversion tube and a pressure relief vent to mimic the acoustic properties of a physical subwoofer. It features a sharp electronic cutoff at 200Hz, ensuring that the massive bass response never bleeds into the lower mid-range.
Sound Performance:
How do 38 individual balanced armatures translate to actual music? The result is remarkably balanced, though it might surprise those expecting a chaotic explosion of sound.
The Bass:
Thanks to the PBS resonance chamber, the sub-bass rumble is simply spectacular. Balanced armatures are historically notorious for producing "fast but hollow" low-end, but these Sonion woofers move serious air, providing a tactile, visceral thump. On Cike Cike by Bebe Rexha, my head feels like it’s going 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. And on All Lovers by Glasser, the pounding is simply euphoric. I’ve heard amazing bass on iems before. The Valhalla are right up there with them, maybe even surpassing many!And check out Ensiferum’s Lai Lai Hei – it sounds so powerful!!!!I find it to be an incredibly precise, tucked-in bass presentation.
The Mids and Vocals:
The midrange is so spacious and clean that instruments feel like they are practicing strict social distancing. Vocals are rendered with crystalline clarity, sitting precisely in the mix without being pushed backward or sounding shouty. The resolution here is top-tier, but it is strictly neutral—it will ruthlessly expose poorly mastered recordings or low-bitrate files.I honestly found myself looking around me to see if anyone else was in the room. Imaging is top notch.On You Shook Me (Zep cover) by CC Coletti, the guitar starts out wide (3 feet outside my right ear) and everything is separated so well, which also allows for tiny little nuances to be easily picked up everywhere.Note weight was also excellent. Punchy, dynamic and full-bodied.
The Treble:
The treble is easily the crown jewel of the Valhalla. Multi-BA monitors regularly struggle with harshness or sibilance, turning sharp "S" and "T" sounds into ice picks for your eardrums. The Valhalla extends brilliantly all the way up while keeping the high frequencies completely smooth, airy, and controlled. It captures micro-details and cymbal shimmers flawlessly without ever triggering listening fatigue.
Transients are fast and snappy.
On One by Metallica, the intro guitar by James and Kirk, and then the cymbal hits by Lars, can get fatiguing on a good chunk of gear and head-fi. It didn’t once on the Valhallas, no matter how stupidly loud I went…….
Soundstage and Imaging:
The overall soundstage isn't the widest on the market, but let me assure you, it isn’t intimate by any stretch of the imagination. For my ears, it was wide left to right and somewhat 3d holographic. Not the most amazing I’ve heard but no slouch either.However, its imaging and instrument separation are world-class. You can easily dissect and pinpoint every single layer in a dense musical arrangement. It honestly was like I was standing in the middle of a concert hall with instruments playing all around me. It’s hard to describe but not many iems or headphones can reproduce this realism and imaging.
On Zep’s Stairway to Heaven, I don’t feel like I’m wearing headfi, I feel like I’m in the studio and Mr Page and Plant are all around me. The guitars and vocals are just separated SOOO well!!!
Gear-matching:
I wanted to add this. On both the Hiby and NiPO Dap, the Valhallas sounded fantastic, there’s no denying it.
But put them on the Bacillus II+ and Aune A17 headphone amps, and they scale magnificently!!!! Everything is bigger, wider, more dynamic, deeper and more exciting. I realise 95% of iem users are portable users but I did have to mention this.
Comparison:
I have the Palavox Dark Knights for the battle of the $2k beasts. Well the Dark Knights are $2499 but they’re the closest I have.
The Valhalla unboxing and accessories weren’t sub-par but the Dark Knights are OTT – it’s a dinner and a show getting to these bad boys!!! And they too, look stunning, quite sci-fi. And they’re almost as big and heavy, housing 6 BA drivers, 4 Mico Planars and 2 Bone Conduction drivers – quite the array.
The cable they come with is very premium too but it’s stiff also with memory. Palavox also offer many tips to roll.
But they are 25% more expensive than the Valhallas.
So how they bloody hell do they compare????
Well I have put them both through helheim and back and whilst we all drank with Odin, I discovered that there will be only one winner here today folks, although it was a close contest.
The Dark Knights are simply magnificent iems. From unboxing to accessories to sound profile. If you said to me Andrew – take these as your only pair of headgear for the rest of your life, I’d skol with Odin in the grand halls of……well, you know where…….
Bass is huge, mids are strong and natural and highs have so much detail and resolution, I can hear everything……..and that, ladies and gentlemen, is also the problem.
The Valhallas have the most amazing treble presence and body, without ever getting sibilant or crisp.
The Dark Knights can get just a wee bit sibilant on some tracks (not all mind you).
And the bass on the Dark Knights is HUGE!!! It’s powerful and deep. But guess what, the bass on the Valhallas is EVEN better. It actually digs deeper than the Dark Knights and has better quality and better quantity without any bleed into the midbass.
Staging is similar on both but imaging on the Valhallas is some of the best I have ever heard.
I still love both iems but the Valhallas are technically the better set for my ears.
The Verdict
The ThieAudio Valhalla is a legitimate flagship killer that performs on par with some monitors much higher in price. It is not designed for casual bass-heads looking for a warm, heavily colored "fun" signature—those users would be far happier saving their money with the more energetic ThieAudio Origin or the brilliantly balanced Monarch MKIV.
However, if you want an absolute masterclass in resolution, pinpoint imaging, and flawless treble extension—and you do not mind fighting a stiff cable and hunting for the perfect ear tips—the Valhalla stands as a spectacular, ultra-resolving triumph of modern IEM engineering.
Thanks again to Rosie and ThieAudio for this opportunity – I have definitely loved my time with these behemoths!!!
