Klipsch HP-3
Feb 25, 2021 at 12:16 PM Post #451 of 616
I see in your signature that you are having those ...Meze Empyrean (Jet Black), Klipsch HP-3 (Walnut) , Audeze LCD-2 Classic, Meze 99 Noir
Audeze iSINE10 w Cipher V2 cable, Meze Rai Solo. I also got the Klipsch HP-3, Dita Fealty, Audeze iSINE10 balanced cable, Meze 99 Classic... I am just curious how do you compare the HP 3 vs the Empyrean?
To understand my point of reference, I listen to the HP-3’s and Empyreans via an Astell & Kern Kann DAP, or sometimes to an iPod Classic/portable Class A amp. I don’t have a desk component system.

I’m no reviewer, but to me, the HP-3’s and Empyreans are more alike than not in overall sound signature. The Empyreans are more open, have a wider soundstage and depth, have better/cleaner mids and highs, the HP-3’s sound a bit grainy in comparison. Overall advantage to the Empyreans, except when it comes to the bass. Empyreans bass is there (especially compared to LCD-2C’s) but it is tighter, more polite. The HP-3’s have a fatter, looser bass that seems more visceral if it’s in the music. Hits a bit harder. More like live music. You’re closer to the music with the HP-3’s, they’re more fun with the right music. HP-3’s will play surprising well just off of an iPhone, the Empyreans not so much and need more power. Keep in mind the limitations of my system, I think the Empyreans will scale up with better stuff than I have, HP-3’s don’t seem to need it so much.

If I’m listening to rock, or music with low end energy, it’s the HP-3’s. If it’s vocals, acoustic or ambient music, or more intimate music, if I just want to relax, I do prefer the Empyreans. Empyreans are also more comfortable, though head clamp is less, so sometimes feels like it might slip, but hasn't so far. If the cost of the Empyreans is a stretch, no reason to get them if you like the HP-3’s. You’re spending over 2x more to get a lot of the same thing. If you’ve already got that high-end setup, maybe it’s a different answer.

(BTW, I’d have a lot higher opinion of the LCD-2C’s if it had the bass of the iSine10’s with the cipher cable.)
 
Feb 25, 2021 at 5:21 PM Post #452 of 616
I’m no reviewer, but to me, the HP-3’s and Empyreans are more alike than not in overall sound signature. The Empyreans are more open, have a wider soundstage and depth, have better/cleaner mids and highs, the HP-3’s sound a bit grainy in comparison. Overall advantage to the Empyreans, except when it comes to the bass. Empyreans bass is there (especially compared to LCD-2C’s) but it is tighter, more polite. The HP-3’s have a fatter, looser bass that seems more visceral if it’s in the music. Hits a bit harder. More like live music. You’re closer to the music with the HP-3’s, they’re more fun with the right music. HP-3’s will play surprising well just off of an iPhone, the Empyreans not so much and need more power. Keep in mind the limitations of my system, I think the Empyreans will scale up with better stuff than I have, HP-3’s don’t seem to need it so much.

If I’m listening to rock, or music with low end energy, it’s the HP-3’s. If it’s vocals, acoustic or ambient music, or more intimate music, if I just want to relax, I do prefer the Empyreans. Empyreans are also more comfortable, though head clamp is less, so sometimes feels like it might slip, but hasn't so far. If the cost of the Empyreans is a stretch, no reason to get them if you like the HP-3’s. You’re spending over 2x more to get a lot of the same thing. If you’ve already got that high-end setup, maybe it’s a different answer.
I can pretty much agree with your comparison and conclusion, both have much more in common than what differentiates them from each other. Only in regards of scalability with "better" gear I would say from my personal experience the opposite: the Empyrean sounds very good regardless if its a DAP, normal or higher-end desktop system (only moderate improvements), in contrast I experienced that the HP-3 responds sonically very distinctive to better amplification, power delivery and DAC used.
 
Feb 25, 2021 at 8:08 PM Post #453 of 616
To understand my point of reference, I listen to the HP-3’s and Empyreans via an Astell & Kern Kann DAP, or sometimes to an iPod Classic/portable Class A amp. I don’t have a desk component system.

I’m no reviewer, but to me, the HP-3’s and Empyreans are more alike than not in overall sound signature. The Empyreans are more open, have a wider soundstage and depth, have better/cleaner mids and highs, the HP-3’s sound a bit grainy in comparison. Overall advantage to the Empyreans, except when it comes to the bass. Empyreans bass is there (especially compared to LCD-2C’s) but it is tighter, more polite. The HP-3’s have a fatter, looser bass that seems more visceral if it’s in the music. Hits a bit harder. More like live music. You’re closer to the music with the HP-3’s, they’re more fun with the right music. HP-3’s will play surprising well just off of an iPhone, the Empyreans not so much and need more power. Keep in mind the limitations of my system, I think the Empyreans will scale up with better stuff than I have, HP-3’s don’t seem to need it so much.

If I’m listening to rock, or music with low end energy, it’s the HP-3’s. If it’s vocals, acoustic or ambient music, or more intimate music, if I just want to relax, I do prefer the Empyreans. Empyreans are also more comfortable, though head clamp is less, so sometimes feels like it might slip, but hasn't so far. If the cost of the Empyreans is a stretch, no reason to get them if you like the HP-3’s. You’re spending over 2x more to get a lot of the same thing. If you’ve already got that high-end setup, maybe it’s a different answer.

(BTW, I’d have a lot higher opinion of the LCD-2C’s if it had the bass of the iSine10’s with the cipher cable.)
Oh, thanks for the comparison review! It seems that the Empyrean is the very upgraded version of the Meze 99 Classics. They both have lush,sweet and warm vocal but the Empyrean is much higher end. ( Does it worth 10 times $?)
I got my Klipsch HP 3 at a discounted price. So the Empyrean costs more than 3x of the HP3. ... So may be my "end game" (for now !) is still the Klipsch Hp 3!
 
Feb 25, 2021 at 9:41 PM Post #454 of 616
The Empyrean looks one of a kind IMO, it doesn't even look like a headphone lol. But at more than 3 times the price of HP-3.... Well, think about the dimishing returns. @Malevolent has them both if I'm correctly and both shares the similarities. Both are sexy tho lol. But at price of €2999, I would never pay such prices and my HP-3 is the last most expensive headphone I ever purchased.
 
Feb 26, 2021 at 6:39 AM Post #455 of 616
The Empyrean looks one of a kind IMO, it doesn't even look like a headphone lol. But at more than 3 times the price of HP-3.... Well, think about the dimishing returns. @Malevolent has them both if I'm correctly and both shares the similarities. Both are sexy tho lol. But at price of €2999, I would never pay such prices and my HP-3 is the last most expensive headphone I ever purchased.
Sorry, I don't have the Empyrean; I wasn't too enamored with its sound, to be honest. It was pretty decent, but I prefer the Utopia and the LCD-4, as far as open-backs go.

Looks-wise, the Empyrean is a unique proposition in the world of cookie-cutter-styled headphones. It has a classy, refined look. Certainly, it appears a lot more upmarket than the Utopia, for example. :)
 
Feb 26, 2021 at 9:27 PM Post #456 of 616
@Malevolent I have read your review of the Gjallarhorn GH50 at headfonia, in which you compared it vs the Klipsch hp 3. But the GH50 is closed back while the HP 3 is semi opened. How do you compare the HP 3 vs your other open back headphones?
 
Mar 6, 2021 at 4:25 PM Post #457 of 616
Did anyone compare HP3 with SR2?
 
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Mar 6, 2021 at 4:48 PM Post #458 of 616
@Malevolent I have read your review of the Gjallarhorn GH50 at headfonia, in which you compared it vs the Klipsch hp 3. But the GH50 is closed back while the HP 3 is semi opened. How do you compare the HP 3 vs your other open back headphones?
Hi, I owned the Hp3 and now I have the Gjallahorn GH JM and I find the Gjallahorn to sound more open with superior soundstage, imaging and instrument separation. The Gjallahorn even sound wider than most of my open back headphones.
 
Mar 6, 2021 at 5:47 PM Post #459 of 616
@Tano Did you find more bass extension on HP3?
Kennerton should be very easy to drive, wich dap or amp did you use with HP3?
I’m using Shanling M8, and HP3 sounds better with it than M6 pro.😅
 
Mar 6, 2021 at 6:10 PM Post #460 of 616
@Tano Did you find more bass extension on HP3?
Kennerton should be very easy to drive, wich dap or amp did you use with HP3?
I’m using Shanling M8, and HP3 sounds better with it than M6 pro.😅
I found the HP3 to have more quantity of bass, specially midbass but I find the extension, articulation and therefore bass quality better in the Gjallahorn.
I used the Marantz hd1 DAC, chord Mojo, Xduoo xd10 poke and Fiio btr5 with Hp3 and Gjallahorn. They all can drive them perfectly but obviously they benefit from good sources.
The Shanling m8 is a great and powerfull device and must be great with most hps.
 
Mar 6, 2021 at 6:25 PM Post #461 of 616
Yes HP3 has great bass and m8 has greater control than M6 pro on bass mids bass, shine better on highs also.
Maybe due for higher power delivered to HP3.
I don’t find it too bassy at all
 
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Apr 14, 2021 at 4:12 PM Post #462 of 616
So I just got a pair of these yesterday in a trade, and I'm doing some more listening today. Wow, what a fun headphone. Yes, it's v-shaped, but I quite like most of what it does. It is a bass-heavy headphone, but it's not flabby or overwhelming. I'll need to really spend some time with it but I am glad to have it in my collection. Like some others, I find this headphone a touch bright. I happened to have some acoustic tuning pads from Dan Clark Audio. Since the earpads are so easily removeable on the HP-3, I took the least dampening of the DCA pads (the black foam) and placed a little on each earpad with some 3M surgical tape so it's easily removed. I covered a portion of the earpad opening nearest to my ear canal. So far I think it removes just a *bit* of the top end and seemingly has little other impact on the sound. Dunno. I might try other things to slightly attenuate the treble. It definitely has some of the familiar Fostex driver sound signature, but it's well tuned to my preferences. Also, it's nicely built and the attention to design details is nice. Happy camper so far.

9Lqgz7w.jpg
 
Apr 16, 2021 at 1:13 AM Post #463 of 616
So I just got a pair of these yesterday in a trade, and I'm doing some more listening today. Wow, what a fun headphone. Yes, it's v-shaped, but I quite like most of what it does. It is a bass-heavy headphone, but it's not flabby or overwhelming. I'll need to really spend some time with it but I am glad to have it in my collection. Like some others, I find this headphone a touch bright. I happened to have some acoustic tuning pads from Dan Clark Audio. Since the earpads are so easily removeable on the HP-3, I took the least dampening of the DCA pads (the black foam) and placed a little on each earpad with some 3M surgical tape so it's easily removed. I covered a portion of the earpad opening nearest to my ear canal. So far I think it removes just a *bit* of the top end and seemingly has little other impact on the sound. Dunno. I might try other things to slightly attenuate the treble. It definitely has some of the familiar Fostex driver sound signature, but it's well tuned to my preferences. Also, it's nicely built and the attention to design details is nice. Happy camper so far.

9Lqgz7w.jpg
You may need certain burning time for the HP3. How do you compare the Klipsch Hp3 vs your Sennheiser Hd800?
 
Apr 16, 2021 at 10:28 AM Post #464 of 616
The Klipsch are definitely spicier in the treble. The 800S is also a fairly bright headphone, but it seems less peaky to me, more linear in the top end. With a little EQ, the 800S is easily the better headphone for my personal preferences, but the Klipsch are more fun and make no effort to hide that. I can see them getting a lot of use in my future especially for certain styles of music. The bass is great. I also went back and forth between the Klipsch and the TH-X00 Ebony just for fun and yes, the ebony reaches deeper in the sub-bass region, but the Klipsch have plenty of slam and authority in the low end. The build is great and I can't help but think if Klipsch had used simpler packaging (which surely impacted the price) and this had hit the market at $999 it would have had a much better reception. I have had many headphones come and go this last year, but I can see this being a keeper.
 
Apr 16, 2021 at 11:19 AM Post #465 of 616
The Klipsch are definitely spicier in the treble. The 800S is also a fairly bright headphone, but it seems less peaky to me, more linear in the top end. With a little EQ, the 800S is easily the better headphone for my personal preferences, but the Klipsch are more fun and make no effort to hide that. I can see them getting a lot of use in my future especially for certain styles of music. The bass is great. I also went back and forth between the Klipsch and the TH-X00 Ebony just for fun and yes, the ebony reaches deeper in the sub-bass region, but the Klipsch have plenty of slam and authority in the low end. The build is great and I can't help but think if Klipsch had used simpler packaging (which surely impacted the price) and this had hit the market at $999 it would have had a much better reception. I have had many headphones come and go this last year, but I can see this being a keeper.
May I ask which DAC+amp you using the HP-3 with? From my experience the HP-3 really shines in sub-bass region, when powered very well (can take up to 1800mW according to specs). As anonymous basshead™ I also do have the EM-U Teak, V-Moda Crossfade M-100 and Campfire Cascade, but when powered by class A headphone amplifier, the HP-3 rivals the Cascade in sub-bass grunt (for example on my V281 class AB this is not the case, even he has 2800mw at 32Ω).
But as you said the HP-3 as an overall package (build, look, sound, packaging) is great!
 
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