[ken6217]

When I got mine it sounded brighter to my ears but with usage it definitely got smoother. It may be you like brighter sound so you find the new one to sound better?

I was actually thinking the same thing.

 

[JLoud]

I bought and returned my Empyreans. Not that they weren't wonderful, just preferred the Abyss and LCD4. But I was wondering if anyone else has experienced what I did. When I hadn't listened to the headphone for a few hours, at first the music would be very quite on the right side. After maybe a second or two the volume would increase to match the left. Only happened when I hadn't used it for a bit. None of my other headphones have ever done this. Was wondering if it was something to do with the unique driver technology.

 

[JLoud]

This was also not on first startup of the amp. It is a tube amp,Woo WA5, but it was always warmed up well before. I was doing comparisons between the headphones, and only noticed on the Empyrean. And only on first listen. After the Empyrean had been used it never happened. This sound difference occurred almost every time after sitting a few hours.

 

[tradyblix]

I had a chance to hear these at CanJam SoCal last month. I heard them on the WA11, WA8, and my FiiO Q5. Does anybody have any other suggestions for a DAC and amp for $2,000 or less to drive the Empyrean? Size isn't an issue, and I don't need it to be a combo unit. The setups I've been researching are the WA11, RME ADI-2 (with a separate balanced amp), the Cayin i-HA6/i-DAC6 stack, Schiit Ragnarok 2 (with the DAC module), the Questyle CMA600i and CMA Twelve, and the AudioGD D-27 and NFB-28. I'm open to any suggestions.

You can also consider the two amps I have as candidates. Both pair well with Empyrean. I dont think you can go wrong with any of the equipment you mentioned.

 

[tradyblix]

This was also not on first startup of the amp. It is a tube amp,Woo WA5, but it was always warmed up well before. I was doing comparisons between the headphones, and only noticed on the Empyrean. And only on first listen. After the Empyrean had been used it never happened. This sound difference occurred almost every time after sitting a few hours.

Doesn’t happen to my pair on either setup. Maybe your amp ?

 

[jlbrach]

I bought and returned my Empyreans. Not that they weren't wonderful, just preferred the Abyss and LCD4. But I was wondering if anyone else has experienced what I did. When I hadn't listened to the headphone for a few hours, at first the music would be very quite on the right side. After maybe a second or two the volume would increase to match the left. Only happened when I hadn't used it for a bit. None of my other headphones have ever done this. Was wondering if it was something to do with the unique driver technology.

i bought and sold the empyrean as well...I was seduced by the comfort and good look but the LCD-4, the abyss and the susvara are IMHO far better although more costly

 

[tradyblix]

Hi all,
with one of my friend we have compared 2 Meze empyrean headphones..
We have compared them by blind test with the same stock cables and with the same audiosensibility upgrade cable. We used the 2 X 6,35 outputs of the Viva 845 headphone amplifier.

We have checked before that the 2 outputs are exactly the same with a pink noise and have also reversed them 3 times.

We have founded in 100% of our tests that one of the empyrean is, without any doubt, better than the other: better dynamic, more clear with better bass and sub bass. How this is possible on high end 2900€ headphone.

Anybody have made the same tests with 2 similars Empyrean headphones from Meze?

Interesting. Post the serial numbers !

 

[tradyblix]

i bought and sold the empyrean as well...I was seduced by the comfort and good look but the LCD-4, the abyss and the susvara are IMHO far better although more costly

How do you like the Diana ?

 

[jlbrach]

very very much

 

[popof94]

Interesting. Post the serial numbers !

I tried to find it but nothing on the headphone nor on the box. I will ask the French distributor.

 

[PJDubyaM]

Check inside the frame, just above the right ear cup. I'm 0050.

 

[LeMat]

When I got mine it sounded brighter to my ears but with usage it definitely got smoother. It may be you like brighter sound so you find the new one to sound better?

Once burned in, or tamed down as it seems, would anyone know if it sounds as warm as an Ether 2? Those 2 headphones are nearly impossible to demo and I would appreciate any insight from someone who had a chance to listen to them. Based on the reviews I've seen, I can hardly tell which one is the brightest.

 

[popof94]

I owned the Ether2 but have sold it after 1 month only. First I founded the clamping hard for long listening sessions. I ordered the new pads, little bit better but for my big head it was a little bit too much.
About the sound the Ether2 il a good headphone but for me nothing to compare with the empyrean. All seem thinner on the ether: the bass and the sub bass, the soundstage and the voices. It is not as smooth as the Meze, there is sometime some hiss on the treeble. I prefer the Meze.

 

[xxx1313]

Once burned in, or tamed down as it seems, would anyone know if it sounds as warm as an Ether 2? Those 2 headphones are nearly impossible to demo and I would appreciate any insight from someone who had a chance to listen to them. Based on the reviews I've seen, I can hardly tell which one is the brightest.

From warm to neutral I would classify them as follows:
Empyrean with leather pads > Ether 2 with velour pads > Ether 2 with standard pads <=> Empyrean with velour pads > Ether 2 with perforated pads.

i bought and sold the empyrean as well...I was seduced by the comfort and good look but the LCD-4, the abyss and the susvara are IMHO far better although more costly

I clearly disagree regarding LCD-4 and Diana, but there is no accounting for different tastes. ​

@popof94: Regarding the sound difference you discovered: I have two Empyreans, whose sound I compared when I got them. Both have similar serial numbers and sounded nearly exactly the same (non-distinguishable from each other in blind tests). Now, one of them has approximately 300 hours of burn-in, the other one rather 20 hours, and they sound a bit different. It seems that burn-in led to a smoother, more laid-back sound with larger soundstage and more air. Tonality is more or less unchanged (definitely not darker). I really appreciate how the sound of the Empyrean has evolved. To be clear, I am talking about nuances, the overall sound signature is unchanged. So I would bet that the sound difference you observed is largely attributable to burn-in.

 

[popof94]

Thanks. I am not talking about nuances but realy differences. The 2 headphones realy doesn’t sound the same. The new one have a big open soundstage, great dynamic and heavy and strong basses. The older one il more closed with basses more flat than strong and less dynamic. For my taste I realy much prefer the new one.