[ToroFiestaSol]

I think waiting too long to launch is a mistake. It’s hard to stay excited for months on end. Plus the Sennheiser 820 is also supposed to launch in May, and I’m very interested in those as well. Honestly, I’m probably going to buy whichever one is released first.

It depends on your point of view, for example, I don't like being an early adopter, nor do I like Sennheiser HD800/800S (HD820 is intented to sound like a HD800S while being a closed back according to Sennheiser, so not for me).
We know about the Empyrean 3 months before the expected launch (feb 2018 starts this thread, launch is may 2018), it's not that much. Sennheiser "unveiled" the HD820 more than one year before the expected launch...(it isn't even for sale yet)

I do like my modded SR-007 and KG amp, and I want a planar setup just because I want one, I didn't like every single planar headphone I heard to this day compared to my rig (not even the bass), I'm curious if Meze can bridge the gap with this new headphone.
I'll wait because I don't believe Head-Fi hype trains, but I'm interested on this one.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

It depends on your point of view, for example, I don't like being an early adopter, nor do I like Sennheiser HD800/800S (HD820 is intented to sound like a HD800S while being a closed back according to Sennheiser, so not for me).
We know about the Empyrean 3 months before the expected launch (feb 2018 starts this thread, launch is may 2018), it's not that much. Sennheiser "unveiled" the HD820 more than one year before the expected launch...(it isn't even for sale yet)

I do like my modded SR-007 and KG amp, and I want a planar setup just because I want one, I didn't like every single planar headphone I heard to this day compared to my rig (not even the bass), I'm curious if Meze can bridge the gap with this new headphone.
I'll wait because I don't believe Head-Fi hype trains, but I'm interested on this one.

You make a good point about Sennheiser unveiling for much longer. I am a huge fan of the 800S though, and the 820 is supposed to fix some of the issues of the 800S, like having more linear bass and more sub bass presence.
I’m interested in both. The 820 definitely costs less as well.

 

[gto88]

Read a report (https://www.audionet.com.tw/thread-10571-1-1.html) pointed from Meze facebook,
it said the price could be $3500.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Read a report (https://www.audionet.com.tw/thread-10571-1-1.html) pointed from Meze facebook,
it said the price could be $3500.

That’s atrocious. Might just go for the Sennheiser HD820 if that’s true.

 

[Imusicman]

They have been saying right from the off that the price would be around the $3500 mark.

Agree though that TOTL headphones, IEM's, Cables and DAP pricing has now spiralled out of control

Compared to some TOTL headphones manufacturers it might be seen as a bit of a bargain "because it sound so good" lol

 

[gto88]

I have read post today, one said that well driven HEK2 can achieved 80% performance of Sennheiser HE1,
and the other said that his tape mod HEK surpass HE1.
For the price, if my HEK2 can achieved 50% of HE1, I am 100% satisfied with it.

 

[Pharmaboy]

This $$ stuff is troubling for 2 reasons:

• $3,500 is too much for any headphone IMHO. I just can't see that price. This is why I can't take seriously any of the pricey electrostatics, Focal Utopia, etc. Maybe this $$ thing is "just in my head." Maybe so--but it's my head, and that's what's in it....
• I heard the Empyrean, and in some ways it's the best sound I ever heard from headphone audio--a sound I want to hear more of (but probably won't due to price)

BTW, I have no argument w/Meze or anyone else about how they price their headphones. The 2 best HPs I heard at CanJam were the Empyrean and the Final H8000 (~$3,800). The quality of the designs is obvious. They should charge whatever the market will bear.

I just can't handle prices that high.

 

[koover]

This $$ stuff is troubling for 2 reasons:

• $3,500 is too much for any headphone IMHO. I just can't see that price. This is why I can't take seriously any of the pricey electrostatics, Focal Utopia, etc. Maybe this $$ thing is "just in my head." Maybe so--but it's my head, and that's what's in it....
• I heard the Empyrean, and in some ways it's the best sound I ever heard from headphone audio--a sound I want to hear more of (but probably won't due to price)

BTW, I have no argument w/Meze or anyone else about how they price their headphones. The 2 best HPs I heard at CanJam were the Empyrean and the Final H8000 (~$3,800). The quality of the designs is obvious. They should charge whatever the market will bear.

I just can't handle prices that high.

I'm with ya brother. But as long as there's a market and buyers, we'll NEVER see the end of this. You can't blame Meze for pricing these out at this retail. If they're limited to 500 units, I'm willing to bet they'll sell every one of them. My hope is there'll be a trickle down affect with this tech to a more affordable retail for us enthusiasts and not just for the more affluent buyers.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

This $$ stuff is troubling for 2 reasons:

• $3,500 is too much for any headphone IMHO. I just can't see that price. This is why I can't take seriously any of the pricey electrostatics, Focal Utopia, etc. Maybe this $$ thing is "just in my head." Maybe so--but it's my head, and that's what's in it....
• I heard the Empyrean, and in some ways it's the best sound I ever heard from headphone audio--a sound I want to hear more of (but probably won't due to price)

BTW, I have no argument w/Meze or anyone else about how they price their headphones. The 2 best HPs I heard at CanJam were the Empyrean and the Final H8000 (~$3,800). The quality of the designs is obvious. They should charge whatever the market will bear.

I just can't handle prices that high.

Well said.

 

[Makiah S]

@MezeTeam you guys have plans to be at AXPONA this year?

 

[MezeTeam]

@MezeTeam you guys have plans to be at AXPONA this year?

Absolutely! Make sure you join us! Bring a friend )

 

[Makiah S]

Absolutely! Make sure you join us! Bring a friend )

Excellent, then I'm excited to hear this!!! An I'll do my best to do just so!

 

[ToroFiestaSol]

I'm with ya brother. But as long as there's a market and buyers, we'll NEVER see the end of this. You can't blame Meze for pricing these out at this retail. If they're limited to 500 units, I'm willing to bet they'll sell every one of them. My hope is there'll be a trickle down affect with this tech to a more affordable retail for us enthusiasts and not just for the more affluent buyers.

I'm all ears for this headphone too, I always thought that there's a difference between expensive and overpriced, good things are expensive, spectacular things, even more.
The problem Meze is facing (and is not their fault) is the existence of over priced headphones, like the Susvara, Shangri-La, Utopia, LCD-4, HE-1000, etc, that in one form or another, do not fullfilll all the required criteria of justifying their price.
I remember reading an interview of YG Acoustics (30k for their cheapest speakers), can't find the exact link, but company's founder, Yoav Geva, said something like:

"Usually, in audio, you have to choose between 2 types of components:

A) Measures well, but sounds bad.
B) Measures worse than A, but sounds better than A

At the prices we're charging, we believe that, apart from build quality, looks and technology, our customer deserves this:

C) Measures better than A, sounds better than B"

If Meze can bring a "C type of headphone", then the 3000-3500$ are justified (and would be even cheap compared to what is in the market today from a price-performance perspective).
Audeze, Hifiman, Sennheiser, etc all of them need a good kick in the butt.

 

[endlesswaves]

It's well built and beautiful. Sounds great. Can't find any fault during the brief time auditioning it.

Trying to convince myself that the price is justified.

Any more opinions from those who auditioned this? Is this headphone's price justified from the point of view of one with limited means.

 

[Pharmaboy]

It's well built and beautiful. Sounds great. Can't find any fault during the brief time auditioning it.

Trying to convince myself that the price is justified.

Any more opinions from those who auditioned this? Is this headphone's price justified from the point of view of one with limited means.

I was terribly impressed with the Empyrean, to be honest. I didn't even plan to go in their room--and when I did, it was just because my friend went in 1st. And I certainly didn't plan to listen to these big $$ headphones...except that my friend had a pair on his head, so I sat down and put them on.

GAME OVER. Either the best sound I've ever heard from headphones--or tied for it. Midrange to die for. In fact, the mids were so ravishing & expressive that I couldn't even focus on other things I usually obsess over, like bass, soundstaging, etc (pretty sure all that stuff is spectacular, too). I kept taking the Empyrean off to stare at the beautiful grill on the outside of each earcup--one of the best looking designs I've ever seen, having more in common with turn-of-the-20th-century architecture (and maybe repeating pattern Islamic designs) than anything I've ever seen on headphones.

The silver grills made my knees weak.

I badly want to hear more of these somehow. But that price...it's a hurdle, alright.