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Meze EMPYREAN - the First Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphone
Dec 25, 2018 at 1:40 PM Post #1,922 of 12,974
before buying meze empyrean, I auditioned audeze lcd4z and mx4, which are good headphones in their own right, but I was so surprised how amazing the empyrean works with all genres, this is the first time I experience this. So many factors also were in favour to the meze, first sound signature ( which to me beats others ), second being lighter and so comfortable, and also it can be enjoyed from my dap.
 
Dec 26, 2018 at 3:57 AM Post #1,931 of 12,974
koenoe said:
Off topic, but I really would like a picture of your setup. Do you have one?
Rack you're using for your DAC looks awesome :)
Click to expand...

What specifically did you want to see? Those are just some glass s
koenoe said:
Off topic, but I really would like a picture of your setup. Do you have one?
Rack you're using for your DAC looks awesome :)
Click to expand...


are you asking about the glass racks? those are something cheap off amazon.
They are the AGR series from VTI. glass with black legs. two of them stacked. i think about 120 or so on amazon. (each)
https://www.amazon.com/AGR-Audio-Am...Y0ZZNHNMKR4&psc=1&refRID=RXTGFJCJFY0ZZNHNMKR4

I posted some photos in the "post your computers thread" maybe you can see more there...

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/post-your-computer-specs.256621/page-155#post-14671777

I can take more photos if you need. They do the job. Right now my setup is not complete yet. Usually have it full with a few amps, dacs etc...

But on subject.... The Empyrean has more head time than any headphone i've ever tested. Had to get two pairs as I believe they are going to be a classic and an absolute must for anyone who can afford them and truly wants something special in their headphone collection.

Personally I prefer the Alcantara pads as it tones down the bass a touch and levels out the top end a bit too. A very neutral signature. This might be the closest measuring headphone to the Harmon Curve of anything I have ever heard.

That's just one element of course. The sound stage is quite ideal imo...at least with my current setup. Some other amp/dac combo's i've tested are not nearly as good but it's hard to get these headphones to sound anything less than spectacular or at least very good. The bass is not only there in quantity but it's there with complete quality. SUPER tight and clean. The only comparison I can say that would be against the Sony Z1R's is that the bass for each of these headphones would satisfy a bass head. But Z1R's and Empyreans are in two different leagues since one is Open Back and the Other is closed back. Two very different animals. I would really like to see a close back version of the Empyrean! I would never ever get rid of my Z1R's since they get a lot of my time with private sessions of gaming or general use of the computer etc. My wife took my first pair and I ended up getting another pair. SO....we both use them frequently. It seems that my wife may be taking a pair of the Empyrean's too. She approves. Basically they are the most fit and finished headphones we have ever seen. They are like a piece of fine art. :D Anyone hesitating to buy a pair...don't. Just get a pair and don't look back since you will not regret it.
Money no object, yet one of the few pairs of headphones I believe is worth every single hard earned penny.
 
Last edited:
Dec 26, 2018 at 7:39 AM Post #1,932 of 12,974
bimmer100 said:
What specifically did you want to see? Those are just some glass s



are you asking about the glass racks? those are something cheap off amazon.
They are the AGR series from VTI. glass with black legs. two of them stacked. i think about 120 or so on amazon. (each)
https://www.amazon.com/AGR-Audio-Am...Y0ZZNHNMKR4&psc=1&refRID=RXTGFJCJFY0ZZNHNMKR4

I posted some photos in the "post your computers thread" maybe you can see more there...

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/post-your-computer-specs.256621/page-155#post-14671777

I can take more photos if you need. They do the job. Right now my setup is not complete yet. Usually have it full with a few amps, dacs etc...

But on subject.... The Empyrean has more head time than any headphone i've ever tested. Had to get two pairs as I believe they are going to be a classic and an absolute must for anyone who can afford them and truly wants something special in their headphone collection.

Personally I prefer the Alcantara pads as it tones down the bass a touch and levels out the top end a bit too. A very neutral signature. This might be the closest measuring headphone to the Harmon Curve of anything I have ever heard.

That's just one element of course. The sound stage is quite ideal imo...at least with my current setup. Some other amp/dac combo's i've tested are not nearly as good but it's hard to get these headphones to sound anything less than spectacular or at least very good. The bass is not only there in quantity but it's there with complete quality. SUPER tight and clean. The only comparison I can say that would be against the Sony Z1R's is that the bass for each of these headphones would satisfy a bass head. But Z1R's and Empyreans are in two different leagues since one is Open Back and the Other is closed back. Two very different animals. I would really like to see a close back version of the Empyrean! I would never ever get rid of my Z1R's since they get a lot of my time with private sessions of gaming or general use of the computer etc. My wife took my first pair and I ended up getting another pair. SO....we both use them frequently. It seems that my wife may be taking a pair of the Empyrean's too. She approves. Basically they are the most fit and finished headphones we have ever seen. They are like a piece of fine art. :D Anyone hesitating to buy a pair...don't. Just get a pair and don't look back since you will not regret it.
Money no object, yet one of the few pairs of headphones I believe is worth every single hard earned penny.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I just auditioned the Z1R and didn’t like them. Does that mean I’m likely to not like the Empyrean either? I hope not, but I don’t know. I think we all need to be careful about making purchasing decisions based on what someone else thinks sounds good.
 
Dec 26, 2018 at 4:08 PM Post #1,933 of 12,974
Phronesis said:
Hmm, I just auditioned the Z1R and didn’t like them. Does that mean I’m likely to not like the Empyrean either? I hope not, but I don’t know. I think we all need to be careful about making purchasing decisions based on what someone else thinks sounds good.
Click to expand...

That's weird...since I said that the Z1R and the Empyrean are in two different leagues and they are very different from each other. What did this mean to you when I said this?
To me the Empyrean and Z1R are so very different...but this should be obvious to most since the Empyrean is an Open Back and the Z1R are closed.

However I continue by mentioning I still appreciate the Z1R and spend a lot of time with it. But this doesn't mean it's anything like the Empyrean.

The Sony's have large 70mm drivers that are capable of tight bass. but if you look at their frequency response chart you'll also find a significant boost of bass levels beyond the norm. Many people are put off by this.

The IsoDynamic Planar drivers in the Empyrean have a very efficient top coil area that is able to reproduce bass efficiently as well as accurately. It's quite an achievement for a planar driver imo. I was impressed when hearing these headphones the first time. But if you also look at the frequency response chart for these head phones you'll find they are not like the Sony's and they are more neutral and not boosted in the bass as significant as the Z1R's are. Making them have a significantly different signature. This signature is so very close to the Harmon Curve. with a small boost in the bass range which is preferred by me. There are two common Harmon Curves that I am aware of and one has a +4dB boost in the lower sub bass range. At least this is what I recall and I could be wrong on the exact details.

So between the Z1R and the Empyrean... I love both of these headphones but they are not the same nor are they similar...other than they are both headphones. My love for the Z1R is a very specific thing that some other people would not agree with. That's ok by me. They do not sound perfect to my ears, more like pretty good. I've spent stupid amounts of time and money on closed back headphones and have not found a headphone that meets certain specs and requirements I look for. The Z1R is the headphone that has come the closest and exceeded some requirements. It's still not a perfect headphone by any means. But for what I need it for, it's great.

The Empyrean is another animal in that I meets the most important things I look for in a pair of headphones and goes way way beyond that by delivering a work of art that is well crafted with the finest CNC machined parts of any headphone in the market today. This is aesthetic bonus. The drivers are incredibly designed to be efficient and powered by any source and deliver the most ideal freq response of any headphone imho. They sound perfect to my ears.


I've owned so many pairs of headphones that I have lost count many times over. It used to be a wall of headphones until my wife asked me to downsize and only have a couple. So it's hard to narrow down to few. I would be happy with just the Empyreans...however my wife would not like the sound bleeding over since we work out of the same office. Hence the Z1R's will stay. As they not only hit comfortable listening levels with zero leakage, but sound "pretty good" which will have to suffice for my closed back needs. I should also add that when auditioning headphones I think it's important to take note of what Amp/Dac combo you had used to audition the headphones... This is a critical component to the overall experience. I've auditioned a couple flagship headphones on other "HIGH END" systems and found that I absolutely did not care for these headphones at all! However, the plot thickens when I got a pair of these headphones at a later date and demo'd them on my own system and a few other setups and found that they actually sounded significantly different on each system. Enough so that I purchased a pair of these said headphones...yes, the same ones I didn't care for that was paired on a "HIGH END" system... I should note that it was a system that cost multiples more money than the ones they headphones sounded best on.... to my ears anyhow. And I won't mention details btw. It's the point I am trying to get across that really matters. And you're comment of being careful about making purchase decisions based on what else someone thinks sounds good... this is true since we all hear differently and all have different Amp/Dac setups. Find a reviewer that you know and trust and take their advice with a grain of salt and have them help steer you into products that may be up your alley. But make your own choice when spending this kind of money.

Personally won't change my strong recommendation to anyone looking for an incredible pair of headphones. The Empyrean's meet more requirements than any headphone that I've ever owned.
 
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Dec 27, 2018 at 11:09 AM Post #1,934 of 12,974
bimmer100 said:
...

Personally I prefer the Alcantara pads as it tones down the bass a touch and levels out the top end a bit too. A very neutral signature. This might be the closest measuring headphone to the Harmon Curve of anything I have ever heard.
...
Click to expand...

I certainly doubt that this is anything credible. Majority of us has said that leather pads were closer to neutral, and I would like to believe so, as I only tested Empyrean with the velour pads. And Empyrean with the velour pads were a bit away from neutral compared to lcd4z, ether 2, focal clear.
 
Dec 27, 2018 at 4:32 PM Post #1,935 of 12,974
...we will see what the Measurements says in the Future.....i say the Alcantara Pads are much much more closer to neutral as Leather

NOMAX

PS.and i am sure i am not mistaken
 
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