My Empyrean thoughts after having them for a couple weeks:
I was pleasantly surprised by how light and just plain beautiful these headphones are. Comfort is exceptional, along with the build quality. They are a sight to behold.
They are much bigger in person than one might expect though, which isn’t a detraction just a statement.
**Sound of the Empyrean:**
I find these to be a very interesting listen, they do not fall in line with what I was expecting. The mids-highs are beamed into my ears while Lows-low/mids are to me seems to be coming from above and all around my head. It is a very interesting experience and one I recommend anyone who gets the chance to demo a unit to try.
The bass is not overwhelming but it doesn’t seem as “tight” or precise as what I was expecting. It has nice substance and the traditional planar signature. Bass is there hovering it feels like. Not unsubstantial, but not having the impact I was expecting. Bass for these, kind of throws me off, it is there and sounds very good, but the placement is throwing my brain out of whack due to feeling like it is coming from above and all around my head.
Vocals are very exceptional; they are laser beamed into your ears lol. Same with the highs and other mid-frequency sounds. But the vocals especially are excellent. High hats, snares, snaps, violin, etc., are also fun to experience with the Empyreans. Highs and mids are for me what really shines as the stand out sound on the Empyreans.
Throw a couple of Pentatonix tracks on for a fun evening.
Overall the sound signature is not overly bass-heavy and I think what shines are the mids, vocals, and highs. The highs aren’t “sparkly” but layered there just about right.
Staging is in front with a decent stage, small venue, intimate but not closed in. Imaging is also in a similar situation for me, as it has just enough separation to keep it a relaxed listen without pulling everything either too close together or far apart. Detail retrieval is also kind of in the Goldilocks realm, as it is “just right” for that enjoyable listen without either going too analytical or blurred together.
As far as sound goes, for me, this falls in the realm of sitting in your audio battlestation, preferably with *insert booze of preference here*, leaning back and getting lost into what you are listening to while letting your brain engage/disengage and wander.
**Build, looks, what it comes with:**
This thing is fantastically put together! It screams quality and high end. Honestly one of the best looking, designed, crafted and assembled headphones I’ve come across so far. I can’t really say much here except exceptional quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail went into creating this. The aluminum body and design are beautiful, I can sit and look at these for a long time. Then throw in the fact that they are insanely light and comfortable, well, these are definitely the best “planar” headphone I’ve had the pleasure of having on my head so far.
They come in a very James Bond villain briefcase. An extra set of pads (which are magnetically attached, seriously why haven’t the rest of the industry followed suit!!!) and a cable. I’m unsure as to which cable is stock as my demo unit came with the upgraded cable ending in balanced XLR (which is a very well-built cable, I kind of want one…).
**At the end of the day:**
So, these are excellent, I find them well built, with a very smooth easy sound, with a just-right kind of sound signature across the board. I could easily recommend them to anyone with the means for a beautiful, easy to listen to, and power, planar headphone.
**Caveat:**
* For me though I have other headphones on hand that just don’t leave room for these in my stable of headphones at home. I would personally prefer my ZMF Verite or RAAL SR1a over these. That isn’t to detract from these though as this is just my preference. I appreciate greatly what Meze has created in the Empyreans, they are beautiful, unfortunately, they just aren’t for me. They may very well be your cup of tea though and I highly recommend seeking them out for a listen.
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