[ThanatosVI]

@ThanatosVI
@Aeonyx
So how does Empyrean 2 sound compared to Elite in your opinion?

Leaner Elite?

Sorry that I didn't post anything about Empyrean II so far.
There have been some unexpected Events in my private life that made me unable to enjoy some critical listening Sessions.

Therefore my Brief impressions.
The Empyrean II and Elite are still very different.
The Former has some extra treble which makes it seem much more detailed than other Mezes. So essentially it's using the same Tricks as Susvara and other Hifimans.
Whereas the detail retrieval of the Elite is more effortless.

Elite has a bigger soundstage which might be due to the pads.
Bass wise the Empyrean II has more quantity but softer impact. On its own it seems like a bad attribute but combined with the more upfront detail and treble it seems even necessary to remain a relaxed listening experience.

The mids are more recessed on the Empyrean II, which can be a matter of taste.

I love both, but do think that the Elite remains the higher end headphone.

Pad swaps seem to bring interesting results, but I need more time to comment on that.

Even tho I love the Empyrean II it's sad that it replaces the Empyrean. They are both very different

 

[bunnygal23]

Even tho I love the Empyrean II it's sad that it replaces the Empyrean. They are both very different

Thanks for the impressions! It's strange but it seems to me that those who liked the OG Empy would like the Elites and those that were not huge fans of OG Empy would like Empy 2 more. During my short demo, if I had no idea which headphone was which and I had listened to the OG Empy first and was told that there was an Empy 2, I would have blindly picked the Elites because I could hear the similarities. And if I was then told there was a different model called the Elites I would have blindly picked the Empy 2 cause to me it sounded like its own thing, still somewhat similar but different enough. Idk, just a thought I had.

 

[djentbat]

Sorry that I didn't post anything about Empyrean II so far.
There have been some unexpected Events in my private life that made me unable to enjoy some critical listening Sessions.

Therefore my Brief impressions.
The Empyrean II and Elite are still very different.
The Former has some extra treble which makes it seem much more detailed than other Mezes. So essentially it's using the same Tricks as Susvara and other Hifimans.
Whereas the detail retrieval of the Elite is more effortless.

Elite has a bigger soundstage which might be due to the pads.
Bass wise the Empyrean II has more quantity but softer impact. On its own it seems like a bad attribute but combined with the more upfront detail and treble it seems even necessary to remain a relaxed listening experience.

The mids are more recessed on the Empyrean II, which can be a matter of taste.

I love both, but do think that the Elite remains the higher end headphone.

Pad swaps seem to bring interesting results, but I need more time to comment on that.

Even tho I love the Empyrean II it's sad that it replaces the Empyrean. They are both very different

This is my consensus on the Empy II as well. The sucked in mids are noticeable on a detailed Dac, prefer a warmer dac pairing like the OG bifrost 2 with the Empy.

That said every high end meze had a certain lushness to the sound signature. This is not present in the Empy II.

That said I love how much of detail monster this headphone can be.

 

[gammi]

That said every high end meze had a certain lushness to the sound signature. This is not present in the Empy II.

This is getting more confirmed to be the case as more user reviews are coming out, and because of this it seems I'll not be buying one. That lushness is the main thing Meze had going for it.

If I was just starting out I would consider this, but as it stands, I don't need another treble emphasized headphone in my collection.

 

[djentbat]

This is getting more confirmed to be the case as more user reviews are coming out, and because of this it seems I'll not be buying one. That lushness is the main thing Meze had going for it.

If I was just starting out I would consider this, but as it stands, I don't need another treble emphasized headphone in my collection.

I would say the treble isn’t abrasive (like a hifiman) but it’s definitely present

 

[gammi]

I would say the treble isn’t abrasive (like a hifiman) but it’s definitely present

Yeah, didn't mean that it's harsh, sorry. I just don't need another treble focused detailed headphone (I have three estats already...) but something with the lushness of OG Empy but better technicals would have had a place in my collection.

 

[draytonklammer]

Utopia has been tempting me lately. I have so much love for Susvara that I'm almost on a mission to find something that'll dethrone it as my #1 lol

You and me both...

 

[Aeonyx]

You and me both...

Haha it's rough. I have the opportunity to get an open box Stellia for $1,500 so I'm considering that as well

 

[djentbat]

Yeah, didn't mean that it's harsh, sorry. I just don't need another treble focused detailed headphone (I have three estats already...) but something with the lushness of OG Empy but better technicals would have had a place in my collection.

Oh yeah I totally get that haha. My collection is the opposite, lush ZMFs so this has a nice spot in being my most “neutral” headphone in a sense haha

 

[draytonklammer]

Haha it's rough. I have the opportunity to get an open box Stellia for $1,500 so I'm considering that as well

I'm currently waiting for my Diana MR to arrive.
Might have an Empy 2 following very shortly, as well, if the deal I am working on comes to fruition.

Curious to see what I end up thinking.
My bet is that I will find them very enjoyable in their own respects, but will still settle on Susvara as my king of the hill.

Bravura did a pretty good job fighting the Susvara for me, but the system and/or drivers are limited.
I'm unsure if it's a driver excursion limit or an amplifier power limitation, but they just don't have any headroom.
In some bass-heavy tracks, or if I turn it up past a certain point, they become grainy, a hair shouty, and the bass distorts.

Shangri-La Sr. put up an excellent fight, but at the end of the day, I prefer Susvara's presentation.
The Shang is more detailed, with a slightly larger overall soundstage, but it wasn't as enjoyable for me personally.

 

[Aeonyx]

I'm currently waiting for my Diana MR to arrive.
Might have an Empy 2 following very shortly, as well, if the deal I am working on comes to fruition.

Curious to see what I end up thinking.
My bet is that I will find them very enjoyable in their own respects, but will still settle on Susvara as my king of the hill.

Bravura did a pretty good job fighting the Susvara for me, but the system and/or drivers are limited.
I'm unsure if it's a driver excursion limit or an amplifier power limitation, but they just don't have any headroom.
In some bass-heavy tracks, or if I turn it up past a certain point, they become grainy, a hair shouty, and the bass distorts.

Do let me know how you like Diana MR. That's also on my shortlist. Some friends tried them at CanJam Dallas, but I forgot to give it a go. They loved them, and it seems like people are generally approving of MR.

Bravura and Aperio are cool, but I sort of hate the closed ecosystem. I love being able to try different amps with various headphones.

Empy II is definitely solid though. A clear step up over previous Meze headphones in my opinion. It does some things as well as, or potentially better than Susvara, but some things Susvara does better. If Susvara is the standard, Empy II is at the very least in that same tier. I don't think Empy II is better, but it's also not super far behind anymore.

One thing I will say about Empy II though is that it's quite picky with tubes. Tube rolling seems to have a larger impact than with other headphones.

 

[draytonklammer]

Do let me know how you like Diana MR. That's also on my shortlist. Some friends tried them at CanJam Dallas, but I forgot to give it a go. They loved them, and it seems like people are generally approving of MR.

Bravura and Aperio are cool, but I sort of hate the closed ecosystem. I love being able to try different amps with various headphones.

Empy II is definitely solid though. A clear step up over previous Meze headphones in my opinion. It does some things as well as, or potentially better than Susvara, but some things Susvara does better. If Susvara is the standard, Empy II is at the very least in that same tier. I don't think Empy II is better, but it's also not super far behind anymore.

One thing I will say about Empy II though is that it's quite picky with tubes. Tube rolling seems to have a larger impact than with other headphones.

Curiosity between the Diana MR and Empyrean II has truly "killed my cat," so to speak.
There are a lot of positive thoughts about each product out there right now.

I'm actually wondering if one of them will end up replacing my Utopia 2022 as a complementary pairing to my Susvara.
We'll see, though... the Utopia 22 has a midrange that's difficult to defeat.

 

[Alexfux12]

Exciting!

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Has anyone sat down with the OG Empy, Empy 2, and Elite and compared the three using all the various pads yet? I feel like pads should be mentioned more often in people’s impressions since they can make a substantial difference on these high-end Meze headphones.

I use the Angled Alcantara (AA) pads on my Elite, and I can’t imagine the Empy 2 will out-resolve it with either pad option. I’m also curious how the OG Empy with AA pads compares to the Empy 2 with Duo pads. OG Empy owners are reporting the AA pads really transform the sound on those headphones.

 

[djentbat]

Has anyone sat down with the OG Empy, Empy 2, and Elite and compared the three using all the various pads yet? I feel like pads should be mentioned more often in people’s impressions since they can make a substantial difference on these high-end Meze headphones.

I use the Angled Alcantara (AA) pads on my Elite, and I can’t imagine the Empy 2 will out-resolve it with either pad option. I’m also curious how the OG Empy with AA pads compares to the Empy 2 with Duo pads. OG Empy owners are reporting the AA pads really transform the sound on those headphones.

While I’ve never owned an elite I had a bit of time to listen to it in a quiet enviorment. I’d say the the EMPY II is much more resolving just because it doesn’t have the lushness the elite has. That tends to happen when the trebel is raised and the mids are sucked down though. I’ve only been able to experiment with the pads that came with the Empy II though.