[gammi]

What are good options in the US for this?

Bloom Audio lets you pay with Shop Pay payment plans or PayPal Credit. They are located in New Jersey.

 

[kraih]

I can't get over the fact that none of the reviewers so far have mentioned that the Empyrean II uses the same drivers as the original Empyrean. It very much changes the value proposition for anyone looking to upgrade. Wonder how close one could get with Duo Pads and some EQing. Perhaps the new mesh over the driver also makes a significant enough difference to matter.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

I heard the Empy II as well as the OG Empy and the 109 yesterday at CAF. (Disclaimer: It was in a crowded show floor setting with speakers blaring nearby). I absolutely loved the Empy II. It’s the perfect headphone for my tastes. Amazing industrial design and comfort. Great sound stage (deep and layered), balanced tonality that still has great bass (quantity) but doesn’t get too syrupy (which was apparent on the OG as I flipped back and forth). The thing that stuck me the most is how realistic it sounded. On Radiohead’s “Reckoner”, I felt like I was in a studio with with Thom when he starts crooning the opening lines. Startlingly so. The crash of cymbals in the first few seconds is as jarring as the musicians intended - owing to the elevated treble on the Empy II relative to the OG. Overall I was very impressed by the immersive and “in the room” atmosphere that these headphones can produce (the opening guitar fingerings on Kings of Convenience’s “Mrs Cold” sound so sweet, warm, and resonant, as if it was played in-room on a $100K guitar).
As an owner of the 109 Pro, it’s a headphone I already love and enjoy on an almost daily basis (with a slight EQ to boost sub-bass). I was able to plug the 109 into the same source electronics and compare. Given the price difference, I felt like the 109 really proves an incredible value. Granted it was not the deepest comparison test, but I honestly felt the 109 can get you > 90% of the way to the Empy II. You’d have to really split hairs to spot the sonic difference.
I’m very impressed by the Empy II and hope to be able to afford them someday, although the performance of the 109 Pro makes the Empy II more of a luxury purchase than a true $2K sonic upgrade.

Interesting. I haven't watch/read many reviews about Empy II yet. However based on what I "tried to" understand + your impression above. seems Meze try to use 109 Pro tuning on Empyrean body now. I truly hope Empy II provide smoother and more liquid treble than 109.

I can't get over the fact that none of the reviewers so far have mentioned that the Empyrean II uses the same drivers as the original Empyrean. It very much changes the value proposition for anyone looking to upgrade. Wonder how close one could get with Duo Pads and some EQing. Perhaps the new mesh over the driver also makes a significant enough difference to matter.

The exact same driver may sound drastically different to each other based on the acoustic tuning around it. Perhaps Meze found a "breakthrough" way to develop the acoustic tuning for Empyrean to improve the overall sq (and change the sound sig while doing it).

 

[ckhirnigs113]

I heard the Empy II as well as the OG Empy and the 109 yesterday at CAF. (Disclaimer: It was in a crowded show floor setting with speakers blaring nearby). I absolutely loved the Empy II. It’s the perfect headphone for my tastes. Amazing industrial design and comfort. Great sound stage (deep and layered), balanced tonality that still has great bass (quantity) but doesn’t get too syrupy (which was apparent on the OG as I flipped back and forth). The thing that stuck me the most is how realistic it sounded. On Radiohead’s “Reckoner”, I felt like I was in a studio with with Thom when he starts crooning the opening lines. Startlingly so. The crash of cymbals in the first few seconds is as jarring as the musicians intended - owing to the elevated treble on the Empy II relative to the OG. Overall I was very impressed by the immersive and “in the room” atmosphere that these headphones can produce (the opening guitar fingerings on Kings of Convenience’s “Mrs Cold” sound so sweet, warm, and resonant, as if it was played in-room on a $100K guitar).
As an owner of the 109 Pro, it’s a headphone I already love and enjoy on an almost daily basis (with a slight EQ to boost sub-bass). I was able to plug the 109 into the same source electronics and compare. Given the price difference, I felt like the 109 really proves an incredible value. Granted it was not the deepest comparison test, but I honestly felt the 109 can get you > 90% of the way to the Empy II. You’d have to really split hairs to spot the sonic difference.
I’m very impressed by the Empy II and hope to be able to afford them someday, although the performance of the 109 Pro makes the Empy II more of a luxury purchase than a true $2K sonic upgrade.

You’ve got great taste in your test tracks! Kings of Convenience is one of my favorite bands, and In Rainbows is one of my favorite Radiohead albums. I just listened to both tracks on my Elite, and now it’s time to listen to the whole Declaration of Dependence album. Hope you get to hear the Elite with Angled Alcantara pads at some point. It’s the perfect combo for Kings of Convenience!

 

[csch92]

I heard the Empy II as well as the OG Empy and the 109 yesterday at CAF. (Disclaimer: It was in a crowded show floor setting with speakers blaring nearby). I absolutely loved the Empy II. It’s the perfect headphone for my tastes. Amazing industrial design and comfort. Great sound stage (deep and layered), balanced tonality that still has great bass (quantity) but doesn’t get too syrupy (which was apparent on the OG as I flipped back and forth). The thing that stuck me the most is how realistic it sounded. On Radiohead’s “Reckoner”, I felt like I was in a studio with with Thom when he starts crooning the opening lines. Startlingly so. The crash of cymbals in the first few seconds is as jarring as the musicians intended - owing to the elevated treble on the Empy II relative to the OG. Overall I was very impressed by the immersive and “in the room” atmosphere that these headphones can produce (the opening guitar fingerings on Kings of Convenience’s “Mrs Cold” sound so sweet, warm, and resonant, as if it was played in-room on a $100K guitar).
As an owner of the 109 Pro, it’s a headphone I already love and enjoy on an almost daily basis (with a slight EQ to boost sub-bass). I was able to plug the 109 into the same source electronics and compare. Given the price difference, I felt like the 109 really proves an incredible value. Granted it was not the deepest comparison test, but I honestly felt the 109 can get you > 90% of the way to the Empy II. You’d have to really split hairs to spot the sonic difference.
I’m very impressed by the Empy II and hope to be able to afford them someday, although the performance of the 109 Pro makes the Empy II more of a luxury purchase than a true $2K sonic upgrade.

would you mind sharing the eq settings?

 

[bunnygal23]

Just demoed these at Canjam today, I keep jumping between these and the Elites, either way I know I'm getting a Meze, there is a certain sweetness in the sound that I can't place. Enjoyed everything I played

 

[Jerecho81]

I can't get over the fact that none of the reviewers so far have mentioned that the Empyrean II uses the same drivers as the original Empyrean. It very much changes the value proposition for anyone looking to upgrade. Wonder how close one could get with Duo Pads and some EQing. Perhaps the new mesh over the driver also makes a significant enough difference to matter.

This is my opinion as well. It's shocking that, when it's in the hands of so many reviewers before the official release, nobody thought to throw the Duo pads on an old Empyrean and throw it on a measurement rig. At least that I've seen - unless I'm forgetting something.

And I'm not one that thinks graphs are everything, but I can't find much detail in anything that says "this is what we actually did to improve it vs. the original". Which just makes me feel like it's mostly if not entirely the pads.

I suppose we'll get those answers when it's in the hands of more folks though.

 

[razoredge]

would you mind sharing the eq settings?

Sure.

Band 1 F=105Hz gain=+3.5dB Q=0.7
Band 2 F=95Hz gain=-1dB Q=0.7

 

[IXOYE]

Any European dealer with the option for a great payment plan? Seems to be a lot less of those around compared to the US...:/

I suspect you are from Sweden, so check out Ark Audio, they have Klarna payment option. https://www.arkaudio.se/sv/

 

[IXOYE]

I'd hold off on a purchase if I'm looking to buy the Elite right now, I suspect we'll see an Elite II in the near future.

 

[Charente]

Bloom Audio lets you pay with Shop Pay payment plans or PayPal Credit. They are located in New Jersey.

In Europe you might like to give Son et Video (France) a try ... returns and payment terms.

 

[Toonartist]

I'd hold off on a purchase if I'm looking to buy the Elite right now, I suspect we'll see an Elite II in the near future.

Maybe maybe not. The Elite (from memory) was released 3 years after the OG Empyrean. I wouldn't be surprised if a new version of the Elite is 2 years or so away!

My guess is they'd focus on a TOTL closed back first. But that's just my guess.

 

[arielext]

Maybe maybe not. The Elite (from memory) was released 3 years after the OG Empyrean. I wouldn't be surprised if a new version of the Elite is 2 years or so away!

My guess is they'd focus on a TOTL closed back first. But that's just my guess.

Liric is offended

 

[Toonartist]

Liric is offended

Lol... I will make the appropriate sacrifice to the Meze Gods ... the Lyric are really good but I don't think they were ever intended to compete with the top closed backs.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Lol... I will make the appropriate sacrifice to the Meze Gods ... the Lyric are really good but I don't think they were ever intended to compete with the top closed backs.

And yet they compete.
There is the DCA Stealth which is a clear notch above, but that's about it