[Pharmaboy]

I was struggling as to whether or not to go to CanJam this year,and seeing this headphone is making its debut I was very tempted to go,but if the asking price is 3k I will pass on CanJam(and these headphones)too.


Theyre taking a page out of Fang's playbook.
In six months they will release a Empyrean v2 and then after that a 60k electrostat.

I've been struggling w/the "Should I go to CanJam?" thing, too, partly because almost every HP or amp design that really interests me is too expensive to even think about--also partly personal issues.

But I'm going to go on Saturday. I need to go to my 1st ever headphone meet; need to meet some people I only know electronically (other Head-Fi members; also Zach of ZMF, my favorite HP mfr); + need to hear 4-5 headphones.

I found ways to co-exist in an insanely expensive 2-channel audio scene decades ago; I'll just have to do the same here. It really helps that I literally don't need anything new...am very happy w/the HPs and amps already have.

Sitting on the sidelines never seems to help--in any situation.

BTW, I'll be the guy wearing the Nixon mask.

 

[Monsterzero]

I really cannot see myself being able to afford any of the new headphones debuting for quite some time,so I dont really see the point in going,not to mention theres a Long Island meet in the summer,which is much more convenient and the weather usually doesnt suck ass.

I just spent 1400.00 an a new amp so that was essentially the entirety of my headphone budget for awhile.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I'm sorta/kinda/maybe interested in 3 open-back designs I can afford: Hifiman Sundara (planar @~$500); Audeze LCD-2C (planar @~$800, up from intro price of $600); and Beyer Amiron Home (dynamic @$600). Of the 3, I'd be more likely to buy the Audeze used.

I read mixed things about the Beyer: it's either freakishly bright & peaky like other Beyer designs (some users); or it's the 1st Beyer design that sounds warm & euphonic (others). Have to hear that to make sure... The 2 planars are unknowns, but in relatively familiar ways. Need to hear those, too.

Plus people who can think straight like @jinxy245 advise me to hear the AFO. But I can't think straight, so it may not happen.

CanJam aside, I see more used gear in my future. For example, if I ever want to step up to the Auteur (have to hear those!) or an Eikon (want to get a good-to-great open design, but this HP is amazingly good, the best closed design ever IMO, even better in some ways than my beloved Ori), it'll have to be used. Or maybe sell a kidney.

Hey, there's an idea--an "Organs for Sale or Rent" booth at CanJam! PayPal can take a slice off the top of every transaction (I mean that figuratively and literally).

 

[Monsterzero]

I'm sorta/kinda/maybe interested in 3 open-back designs I can afford: Hifiman Sundara (planar @~$500); Audeze LCD-2C (planar @~$800, up from intro price of $600); and Beyer Amiron Home (dynamic @$600). Of the 3, I'd be more likely to buy the Audeze used.

if I ever want to step up to the Auteur (have to hear those!)

I would be surprised if you liked the LCD-2c seeing as how you didnt seem to get on too well with the Atticus.I sold my LCD-2pf to finance the Atticus,and the two have similar sound with the Atticus having better slam and mids and LCD-2 having better sub bass extension....to my ears at least.

My brother bought an Auteur but hasnt gotten it yet.I may end up going to see him in L.A. and dragging him to CanJam SoCal,back in my hometown. It will be a good excuse to hear the Auteur(tho Zach has gone to the Long Island meet a couple times) see my niece,go to CanJam,eat some good Mexican food and stay long enough to remind myself why i vacated L.A. to begin with.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I would be surprised if you liked the LCD-2c seeing as how you didnt seem to get on too well with the Atticus.I sold my LCD-2pf to finance the Atticus,and the two have similar sound with the Atticus having better slam and mids and LCD-2 having better sub bass extension....to my ears at least.

My brother bought an Auteur but hasnt gotten it yet.I may end up going to see him in L.A. and dragging him to CanJam SoCal,back in my hometown. It will be a good excuse to hear the Auteur(tho Zach has gone to the Long Island meet a couple times) see my niece,go to CanJam,eat some good Mexican food and stay long enough to remind myself why i vacated L.A. to begin with.

You live on L.I.? Moved there from LA? You need to write an autobiography, "From the Left to the Right Coast--an American Tale"

Yes, I had a mystifying experience w/the coco Atticus, ended up selling it. I feel as though, due to source problems, I never really heard the Atticus everyone describes. Weird because I LOVE the ZMF sound (have/love the Ori; have listened at great length to the Eikon and admire it to the sky), and was so primed to love the Atticus.

Still & all, I'm very interested in planar sound in general, based on my terrific experience w/the Ori. Also very interested in open sound, based on my beloved Fidelio X2s (the HP equivalent of comfort food). So an open planar is my big wish-list item, but there aren't many under $1000.

I heard an LCD-3 (briefly) and kinda "got the drift" that not everything slams like the Ori or Eikon in lower mids & lows--but if the sound is decently impactful in those areas, but also sounds refined, detailed w/o being laserbeam bright, it can be a whole other "good thing" in HP audio terms. Thus my interest in the Audeze & Hifiman designs.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Spend too much in the wrong place and the stream of time may outlet into the river of regret.

Pithy!

(tho I prefer, "cesspool of regret")

 

[Monsterzero]

You live on L.I.? Moved there from LA? You need to write an autobiography, "From the Left to the Right Coast--an American Tale"

Yeah,dont ask...I didnt move to L.I.,I ended up here...by way of Siam and Argentina.

Yes, I had a mystifying experience w/the coco Atticus, ended up selling it. I feel as though, due to source problems, I never really heard the Atticus everyone describes. Weird because I LOVE the ZMF sound (have/love the Ori; have listened at great length to the Eikon and admire it to the sky), and was so primed to love the Atticus.

My new amp thats coming is meant to address the Atticus,though most of my other headphones should benefit as well.By all accounts I should be quite happy.

Still & all, I'm very interested in planar sound in general, based on my terrific experience w/the Ori. Also very interested in open sound, based on my beloved Fidelio X2s (the HP equivalent of comfort food). So an open planar is my big wish-list item, but there aren't many under $1000.

I have the X1 and I havent heard a planar that remotely resembles the sound of the Fidelios. Ive had the HE-500,HE-6 and LCD-2.2pf and none were similar to having that wide open sound of the X1.I do intend on re-acquiring the HE-500 someday tho.The mids are too good.

EDIT: To be clear I do not use the X1 for music,only for gaming.I think all the planars I mentioned above are better for music to my ears,but for big bass+wide staging the X1/X2 is pretty good.

 

[YtseJamer]

Being a metalhead, I like to think that I can invest anything I want in anything I want just to headbang.

Like, if I want a bike, even an expensive one, and if I can afford it, then why not? I'd love to rock the streets with a bike.

Same for headphones. If I see something I love with metal, why not? I'd love to rock my metal music with the best there is!

Always do all you can for your enjoyment, price is nothing in the stream of time, only memories and your own enjoyment matters.

Nothing against you but I imagine that you don't have a mortgage and kids?

I have the budget to buy expensive headphones but it's against my values to pay more than $1000. And trust me I know that I can be fully satisfied with headphones that are priced below $1000.

We all do what we want with our money but on my side I prefer to invest into my retirement plan and the studies of my children. Nobody here will be able to convince me that it's worth paying more than $1000 for a pair of headphones.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Nothing against you but I imagine that you don't have a mortgage and kids?

I have the budget to buy expensive headphones but it's against my values to pay more than $1000. And trust me I know that I can be fully satisfied with headphones that are priced below $1000.

We all do what we want with our money but on my side I prefer to invest into my retirement plan and the studies of my children. Nobody here will be able to convince me that it's worth paying more than $1000 for a pair of headphones.

I shouldn't even try to convince you it is worth to buy headphones this expensive, if it is not afforable, then it is best for me to instead recommend a pair you can afford without having to sacrifice anything.

I am not as young as I seem, but I am not old either, I don't have a kid yet. Who knows though~

BTW, I hope my words aren't misinterpreted, I do think that one should always place his family first and all, things like this should only come when you can afford it safely.

 

[YtseJamer]

I shouldn't even try to convince you it is worth to buy headphones this expensive, if it is not afforable, then it is best for me to instead recommend a pair you can afford without having to sacrifice anything.

I am not as young as I seem, but I am not old either, I don't have a kid yet. Who knows though~

BTW, I hope my words aren't misinterpreted, I do think that one should always place his family first and all, things like this should only come when you can afford it safely.

No worries, I understood what you said

Like I said, I have the budget to buy expensive headphones but it's against my values to spend more than $1k and I totally refuse to encourage companies that are overpricing their products. Maybe it's not going to be the case with Meze if the Empyrean are capable to rival with the LCD-4 and the Utopia but I'm skeptical.

BTW, do you know if they are still working on an open-version of the 99 Classics ?

 

[Dobrescu George]

No worries, I understood what you said

Like I said, I have the budget to buy expensive headphones but it's against my values to spend more than $1k and I totally refuse to encourage companies that are overpricing their products. Maybe it's not going to be the case with Meze if the Empyrean are capable to rival with the LCD-4 and the Utopia but I'm skeptical.

BTW, do you know if they are still working on an open-version of the 99 Classics ?

As far as my knowledge goes, they never stopped working on them, but I don't have data on the release or on the progress, at least yet

 

[YtseJamer]

As far as my knowledge goes, they never stopped working on them, but I don't have data on the release or on the progress, at least yet

Ok thanks. Do you know if they are using the same driver ?

Oh and please tell them that we want to have an affordable version (below $1000) of the Empyrean in the near future

 

[Johnny1982xyz]

I'm sorta/kinda/maybe interested in 3 open-back designs I can afford: Hifiman Sundara (planar @~$500); Audeze LCD-2C (planar @~$800, up from intro price of $600); and Beyer Amiron Home (dynamic @$600). Of the 3, I'd be more likely to buy the Audeze used.

I read mixed things about the Beyer: it's either freakishly bright & peaky like other Beyer designs (some users); or it's the 1st Beyer design that sounds warm & euphonic (others). Have to hear that to make sure... The 2 planars are unknowns, but in relatively familiar ways. Need to hear those, too.

Plus people who can think straight like @jinxy245 advise me to hear the AFO. But I can't think straight, so it may not happen.

CanJam aside, I see more used gear in my future. For example, if I ever want to step up to the Auteur (have to hear those!) or an Eikon (want to get a good-to-great open design, but this HP is amazingly good, the best closed design ever IMO, even better in some ways than my beloved Ori), it'll have to be used. Or maybe sell a kidney.

Hey, there's an idea--an "Organs for Sale or Rent" booth at CanJam! PayPal can take a slice off the top of every transaction (I mean that figuratively and literally).

Took the AFO last week ... great headphone for metal ...

I listened to beyer T1 ... I think one of the worst headfone for heavy metal I've heard... I didn't liked it at all...

 

[Dobrescu George]

Ok thanks. Do you know if they are using the same driver ?

Oh and please tell them that we want to have an affordable version (below $1000) of the Empyrean in the near future

I actually don't know, I think that the driver will have some adjustments for that, since it has to accomodate a different acoustic chamber.

As for a bellow 1K$ Empyrean, I think it is early to say, but I'm sure that there should be something more affordable along the road to fill in the space between 300$ and 3000$, be it a mini Empyrean, or another model entirely.

@MezeTeam, there were talks of an awesome cement (granite?) 99 series, how is the progress on those ones? I remember they looked really nice!

 

[Hansotek]

Took the AFO last week ... great headphone for metal ...

I listened to beyer T1 ... I think one of the worst headfone for heavy metal I've heard... I didn't liked it at all...

Yep and yep.