[Edosan227]

We are dying for sound impressions!
How much bigger is the soundstage, which pads are you using? How does Bass quantity feel compared to the Empyrean in the low to midbass section?

This is when I first got it, hopefully it'll hold you over for now.
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/pm2rc0/my_initial_impression_of_the_meze_elite/

 

[WaveTheory]

I have my longer review up now:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/meze-empyrean-elite.25441/reviews#review-26832

and a YouTube video:



Enjoy!

 

[realmassy]

I have my longer review up now:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/meze-empyrean-elite.25441/reviews#review-26832

and a YouTube video:



Enjoy!

Nice review, thanks for the link! I haven’t listened to the Elite, but own an Empyrean and I find strange you consider the HE1000 to have better timbre. It definitely isn’t the case for me, the Hifiman sounds wrong on some instruments, but that’s the proof everyone’s ears are different.

 

[VeeAndBobby]

How would you compare bass, mids and treble on Elite vs Empy after almost two weeks of listening?

Also, any other cans you compared Elite to?

Regarding Elite vs Empy, I agree with this comparison at Headfonia: https://www.headfonia.com/review-meze-audio-empyrean-elite/3/
As the Elite is more neutral, it lacks the Empy's bass boost that some called "muddy". However, I find the Elite has plenty of accurate, satisfying bass response. The Empy is great with vocals, but the Elite is even better, thanks to its improved detail and refinement. Well-recorded vocals can sound 3 dimensional. Soundstage with the Elite is wonderful. The Empy has a slight treble peak that could sometimes annoy me. The Elite's treble lacks the Empy's peak, so the Elite sounds smoother in the highs. By the way, I am using the hybrid leather pads on the Elite. I didn't like the reduced bass response that I heard with the alcantara pads.

I have also compared the Elite to my Dan Clark Ether 2, which I sometimes preferred over my Empy, due to the Ether2's neutrality. However, in comparison to the Elite, the Ether2 just doesn't make the grade. It sounds very mid-rangy compared to the Elite, lacking in bass, treble, detail, refinement etc. I'll probably sell my Ether 2.

I also have compared the Elite to my Focal Radiance, which is currently my favorite closed-back HP. However, in terms of sound quality, the Elite easily bests the Radiance, which, to me, lacks bass and has a bit too much brightness.

I have ordered a Dan Clark Stealth, which I hope will become my favorite closed-back, and will be interesting to compare to the Elite.

I have my longer review up now:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/meze-empyrean-elite.25441/reviews#review-26832

and a YouTube video:



Enjoy!

That is strange that you describe a veiled sound with the hybrid leather pads. I certainly don't hear that, and I have not seen other reviews that mention a veil. I don't use the alcantara pads, as they reduce the bass too much.

We are dying for sound impressions!
How much bigger is the soundstage, which pads are you using? How does Bass quantity feel compared to the Empyrean in the low to midbass section?

I'm using the hybrid pads. I didn't like the reduced bass response with the alcantara pads.

I'm not great at describing soundstage, but certainly the Elite's soundstage is significantly larger and more dimensional than the Empyrean's.

I hear less bass quantity in the Elite, but improved bass accuracy. The bass is still plentiful and satisfying.

 

[Edosan227]

That is strange that you describe a veiled sound with the hybrid leather pads. I certainly don't hear that, and I have not seen other reviews that mention a veil. I don't use the alcantara pads, as they reduce the bass too much.

Agree, I will say that the elite sounds more romantic/cinematic than real. Especially orchestral music, it seems more like the music is around you like a movie soundtrack than you listening to an orchestra.

 

[SoundJedi]

Agree, I will say that the elite sounds more romantic/cinematic than real. Especially orchestral music, it seems more like the music is around you like a movie soundtrack than you listening to an orchestra.

Loving all the different opinions on Elite. I can't remember a HP with such varying reports. Very interesting.

Appreciate everyone's input so far. Please keep it coming.

 

[Edosan227]

Loving all the different opinions on Elite. I can't remember a HP with such varying reports. Very interesting.

Appreciate everyone's input so far. Please keep it coming.

I don't know about that, I think most people agree that it's an empy that got "in shape", it's Leaner (better technicalities) and meaner (better soundstage)

 

[rangerid]

I have my longer review up now:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/meze-empyrean-elite.25441/reviews#review-26832

and a YouTube video:



Enjoy!

Great review, I am personally a big fan of the aesthetics of Meze's headphone but just can't see myself buying them due to their SQ not living up to the price tag, as seems to be the trend with the original Empyrean, they perform at about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the price suggests. Though I place a heavier emphasis on design of audio gear than most, at the end of the day they are on my head and I care about the SQ much much more.

 

[Edosan227]

Great review, I am personally a big fan of the aesthetics of Meze's headphone but just can't see myself buying them due to their SQ not living up to the price tag, as seems to be the trend with the original Empyrean, they perform at about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the price suggests. Though I place a heavier emphasis on design of audio gear than most, at the end of the day they are on my head and I care about the SQ much much more.

I think that opinions on the empy was and is polarizing is that you're right, if you really focus on any aspect of the hp, it probably does perform at 1/2 to the 2/3 of the price. But the key thing is you make that comparison with all the headphone 1.5-2k price range with the empy. Does the lcd-x have the empy's soundstage? Does the Arya have the bass of the empy? Can you really listen to the hd 800s as long as the empy? Lastly, how much better is the lcd-4 vs the lcd-x, or the hek v2 to the arya? Even if your answer is no to some of my earlier question, you can see that there just aren't a lot of headphone at the summit fi that possess the build and comfort of the empy, combined with it's well/all-arounded-ness. It's easy to knit pick one aspect of the headphone, and this hobby certainly don't lack people that want to talk trash. However, if you look at the entire package, it is certainly not difficult to see the empy's appeal.

 

[SoundJedi]

I think that opinions on the empy was and is polarizing is that you're right, if you really focus on any aspect of the hp, it probably does perform at 1/2 to the 2/3 of the price. But the key thing is you make that comparison with all the headphone 1.5-2k price range with the empy. Does the lcd-x have the empy's soundstage? Does the Arya have the bass of the empy? Can you really listen to the hd 800s as long as the empy? Lastly, how much better is the lcd-4 vs the lcd-x, or the hek v2 to the arya? Even if your answer is no to some of my earlier question, you can see that there just aren't a lot of headphone at the summit fi that possess the build and comfort of the empy, combined with it's well/all-arounded-ness. It's easy to knit pick one aspect of the headphone, and this hobby certainly don't lack people that want to talk trash. However, if you look at the entire package, it is certainly not difficult to see the empy's appeal.

I second this. Empy might not technically hold up to other summit-fi HPs but it is also clearly superior to many 1.5k-2k HPs and competes at least very well with 2.5k HPs.

In my experience it gave me better overall sound than focal clear and was right there with VC. Now I find D8k better than all three. YMMV.

The Empy experience is by no means perfect but the overall package is very compelling. Pricing is not necessarily reflective of one single aspect of said package.

 

[WaveTheory]

@VeeAndBobby thanks for the feedback. I tried to respond on the review page but my long-windedness wouldn't fit, lol (brevity...not always my strength). I appreciate your point about the tuning differences. I tried to emphasize that there are tuning differences - mid-range presence being a notable one - and that the two HP are different that way, and then hear around/through those differences to see what they were each doing technically. If it were just a case that the hybrid were veiled and the velour not, then I would be inclined to agree that the Elite's lower treble presence accounted for the veiled sound. However, the veil is not in the treble, it's in the lower mids where the Elite has more presence than the HekV2, and that also doesn't explain why the veil comes back when the velours are used and the bass level is boosted relative to the rest of the frequency spectrum. One thing I didn't put in the main review because it was already long, but I'll had here to further the point, I tried the Elite on my Chord Hugo 2 with the hybrid pads. No detectable veil. The Hugo 2 at times leans analytical so its since of clarity can sometimes be added in artificially, but it also doesn't reach down and drive the subbass with many headphones, particularly planars. In this instance the bass roll-off for Elite + Hugo 2 with the hybrids is similar to the bass rolloff on my V281 + Elite with the velours. That points even more to the fact that the veils presence and intensity is very much tied to how much bass is present. The best explanation I can come up with for that is that the isodynamic array's construction places the "average delivery point" (for lack of better expression) of the bass farther from the ear than the average delivery point of the mids/treble. This makes it different from other planar designs that use the whole membrane as a true full-range radiator and that will have all of the sounds being delivered from the same average delivery point. The Elite having different point sources differenct distances away adds in the element that now phasing relationships have to be accounted for. My guess is the veil is actually always there, even with the velour, but its below the threshold of detectability, until the bass reaches a certain relative level.

I respect that the Elite will push the right buttons for a lot of people. To them I say "great, enjoy your headphone." And I mean that genuinely. That is what we're all after. For me, the Elite does not deliver the sonic performance I expect for $4K, even with the insanely high build quality that adds cost, and that veil and the inability to have the bass presence of the hybrids and the clarity and imaging and separation of the velours at the same time (which I can achieve for $3K) are the reasons why.

Cheers! See you around the site!

 

[VeeAndBobby]

@VeeAndBobby thanks for the feedback. I tried to respond on the review page but my long-windedness wouldn't fit, lol (brevity...not always my strength). I appreciate your point about the tuning differences. I tried to emphasize that there are tuning differences - mid-range presence being a notable one - and that the two HP are different that way, and then hear around/through those differences to see what they were each doing technically. If it were just a case that the hybrid were veiled and the velour not, then I would be inclined to agree that the Elite's lower treble presence accounted for the veiled sound. However, the veil is not in the treble, it's in the lower mids where the Elite has more presence than the HekV2, and that also doesn't explain why the veil comes back when the velours are used and the bass level is boosted relative to the rest of the frequency spectrum. One thing I didn't put in the main review because it was already long, but I'll had here to further the point, I tried the Elite on my Chord Hugo 2 with the hybrid pads. No detectable veil. The Hugo 2 at times leans analytical so its since of clarity can sometimes be added in artificially, but it also doesn't reach down and drive the subbass with many headphones, particularly planars. In this instance the bass roll-off for Elite + Hugo 2 with the hybrids is similar to the bass rolloff on my V281 + Elite with the velours. That points even more to the fact that the veils presence and intensity is very much tied to how much bass is present. The best explanation I can come up with for that is that the isodynamic array's construction places the "average delivery point" (for lack of better expression) of the bass farther from the ear than the average delivery point of the mids/treble. This makes it different from other planar designs that use the whole membrane as a true full-range radiator and that will have all of the sounds being delivered from the same average delivery point. The Elite having different point sources differenct distances away adds in the element that now phasing relationships have to be accounted for. My guess is the veil is actually always there, even with the velour, but its below the threshold of detectability, until the bass reaches a certain relative level.

I respect that the Elite will push the right buttons for a lot of people. To them I say "great, enjoy your headphone." And I mean that genuinely. That is what we're all after. For me, the Elite does not deliver the sonic performance I expect for $4K, even with the insanely high build quality that adds cost, and that veil and the inability to have the bass presence of the hybrids and the clarity and imaging and separation of the velours at the same time (which I can achieve for $3K) are the reasons why.

Cheers! See you around the site!

Thanks for your cordial reply. BTW, I think you wrote a great review. I just disagree about the "veil", which, to my knowledge, no other reviewer has reported.
You seem to suggest that the design of the Elite could create phase problems. Please remember the speed of sound is 1100 feet per second, and we are talking about a couple of inches across the HP driver. That's not enough distance to create audible phase problems.

 

[WaveTheory]

Thanks for your cordial reply.

You bet! All about fun and enjoyment here.

You seem to suggest that the design of the Elite could create phase problems. Please remember the speed of sound is 1100 feet per second, and we are talking about a couple of inches across the HP driver. That's not enough distance to create audible phase problems.

There's going to be phase misalignment with any difference in distances between sources and listener. The question is if it can be heard. My suspiscion is that if multi-driver solutions didn't create more problems than they solve in headphones then manufacturers would have been making them far more often than we see. Since there's virtually no space to put a crossover in a headphone, I think that leaves phasing as the reason they stay full range. Being that close actually makes the phasing more important.

I had to send the Elite back to its owner so I can't do the test you suggest. It's a good thought, though. Even so, if I have to make a $4K headphone sound like a $3K headphone for the $4K to sound right...

I should add I own several other headphones that are warmer, darker too: LCD-2PF, Radiance, Hd6xx. None of them sound veiled to me in the way Elite does.

 

[racebit]

Thanks for your cordial reply. BTW, I think you wrote a great review. I just disagree about the "veil", which, to my knowledge, no other reviewer has reported.
You seem to suggest that the design of the Elite could create phase problems. Please remember the speed of sound is 1100 feet per second, and we are talking about a couple of inches across the HP driver. That's not enough distance to create audible phase problems.

Wavelength is sound speed / frequency, so 10Khz has wavelength of about 1 inch.
So in 1/2 inch (12mm) the phase will be complete opposite, and 1/4 inch (6mm) it will be 1/4 cycle out of phase.

 

[ThanatosVI]

https://musicalhead.de/2021/09/18/test-meze-elite/

Another review from a very trustworthy source.
Slight comparisons to Solitaire P, Abyss included.