[Arcamera]

I see you have the LCD-4 as well.
Would love to hear a little comparison if you get around to it as I'm selling the 4 to fund the Empy.
I keep reading the Empy isn't as detailed as others for its price, but it's tonality is great. Sits well with me.
Glad to hear you like them!

Thanks. I think the LCD4 and the Empyrean are in the same camp. More similar than not. Maybe it's the 'new toy' thing, but so far at least, for my preferences I'd give the nod to the Empyrean. It's something about its presentation that sits a little better for me. Will try to be more specific later. It might have to do with compatibility with my main amp-- the Woo WA22: I don't use the LCD4 that much because it isn't driven as well by that amp. Seems to play better with more solid state power/current. But the Meze is synergizing better with the Woo (again at least to my ears). Regarding detail retrieval: oh, the Meze is doing it just fine. More than fine. And yet, it steers clear of sounding dry or analytic. Then add the physical build and comfort-- a wonderful achievement.

By the way, can you tell us more about your upstream equipment so that we can benefit by your mix and match experience with Empyrean.

Primarily a Woo WA22 amp (still experimenting with tubes, but so far happy with the Tung Sol 5998's, for example), and for source I'm old school: still playing CD's on an Arcam CD37 CD/SACD player. Cables by Tara Labs and Straightwire.

 

[Lucky87]

Glad to hear! (ha ha..)
I did see someone, not sure if it was in this thread though - comment on the HPA-4 and Empy being a underwhelming pairing which has haulted my plans of buying the HPA-4 at the moment.
Any positives or negatives in your experience involving tubes vs SS with the Empy? Currently would only run it with the MCTH/lps, but I intend on ending up with a Cayin or possibly Woo amp for the tube side of things.

I owned the HPA4 for a short time and sent it back but for my Utopia, Z1R, and Empyrean's with all of my DACS it was just okay SE or Balanced but with the HD800S Balanced brought this HP to best I've heard.

My favorite combo with the Empyreans are below also I used the Schiit Yggy as well and both Holo Spring DAC are very close to each other you can't go wrong with either.

Holo Spring KTE DAC > Feliks Euforia with 4 x KT88 Gold Lions tubes > Empyreans (leather pads) with Norne Audio 8 x wire Silver Cable Single Ended = very detail, fast and the bass to die for, wide sound stage airy in sound.

Holo Spring KTE DAC > Monoprice THX 887 > Empyreans (leather pads) with Norne Audio 8 x wire Silver Cable Balanced is my endgame. This combo brings the Empyreans to very best sound I have listened out of it with the widest sound stage very close to my HD800 level also very holographic and airy. Makes me feel like i'm in front of the band very life like sound. I highly recommend the Monoprice THX 887 AMP no wait like the THX 789 if you do not like it just send it back to Monoprice. Priced at $399.99 available now no wait

Holo Spring KTE DAC > Violectric HPA V281 > Empyreans (leather pads) with Norne Audio 8 x wire Silver Cable Balanced = close to the Euforia in sound but with a smaller sound stage still very fast and dynamic.

 

[Seazer]

I'll listen to them again when I'm at my local store today, but the impressions I've got from them is that they are really good, but also lack a uniqueness factor that makes me think they are worth such a price. Sort of a wide cast net sound jack of all trades type of sound. Very inoffensive, but not something I would buy. If they were $800-$900 I would sing their praises all day though.

 

[paradoxper]

I'll listen to them again when I'm at my local store today, but the impressions I've got from them is that they are really good, but also lack a uniqueness factor that makes me think they are worth such a price. Sort of a wide cast net sound jack of all trades type of sound. Very inoffensive, but not something I would buy. If they were $800-$900 I would sing their praises all day though.

Pretty much. Resolve's review perfectly contextualizes the Empyrean spirit.

 

[LCMusicLover]

...but also lack a uniqueness factor ...

I tend to disagree

...that makes me think they are worth such a price...

Well, this, maybe.

But overall, I would say they are pretty unique. Tonality and other sound characteristics didn't hit my preferences, but between the warm, rich, enveloping sound signature and headstage, the great-looking build and the (for most) super comfort, I would call them pretty unique.

 

[staffz93]

I've heard unconfirmed reports that the metal case in which the Empyreans come in is sourced from China and is being delayed due to this Corona virus outbreak. Can anyone confirm? It would certainly explain the delay with my pair.

 

[Lucky87]

Pretty much. Resolve's review perfectly contextualizes the Empyrean spirit.

Resolve review's are one of my favorite to watch, but I am not sure what gear he had at the time. I see he has partnered up with someone (not sure if I can say here) which he now have's many many more reference audio gear to pair with. Going back to his video during that time I think he only had the Cayin HP amp. When reviewing any audio gear one must have at least 2-3 headphone amps, Dacs etc to truly give a fair review. It's all about synergy when it comes to any audio gear. Again I could be wrong about what he used to review it just going off what I saw in the back ground leading up to his review.

 

[paradoxper]

Resolve review's are one of my favorite to watch, but I am not sure what gear he had at the time. I see he has partnered up with someone (not sure if I can say here) which he now have's many many more reference audio gear to pair with. Going back to his video during that time I think he only had the Cayin HP amp. When reviewing any audio gear one must have at least 2-3 headphone amps, Dacs etc to truly give a fair review. It's all about synergy when it comes to any audio gear. Again I could be wrong about what he used to review it just going off what I saw in the back ground leading up to his review.

He additionally used the Phonitor and Hugo.

 

[Lucky87]

He additionally used the Phonitor and Hugo.

Yeah I see the Phonitor in his video's now but not leading up to his review of the Emp.. I can see how many people are confused with the reviews of the Emp because at first I did not like it and I was going to send it back. Tell I bought the Norne Cable and paired it with other HP Amps where it started to shine and give me what I was missing from it in the beginning. I think I used my Holo Spring (new not burned in) Audio Gd Master 9, and the stock single ended cable from Meze, with the swede pads.

 

[paradoxper]

Yeah I see the Phonitor in his video's now but not leading up to his review of the Emp.. I can see how many people are confused with the reviews of the Emp because at first I did not like it and I was going to send it back. Tell I bought the Norne Cable and paired it with other HP Amps where it started to shine and give me what I was missing from it in the beginning. I think I used my Holo Spring (new not burned in) Audio Gd Master 9, and the stock single ended cable from Meze, with the swede pads.

If you enjoy it, that's all that matters.

 

[puppypatrol]

Glad you like our Empyrean. If you like it from the first minutes, you definitely will enjoy it even more down the road.

By the way, can you tell us more about your upstream equipment so that we can benefit by your mix and match experience with Empyrean.

I had great sounds with the Empyrean using my Ray Samuels Apache heaphone amp in balanced mode, Q silk copper cable playing CDs from a Bryston BCD-3 player.

 

[puppypatrol]

I see you have the LCD-4 as well.
Would love to hear a little comparison if you get around to it as I'm selling the 4 to fund the Empy.
I keep reading the Empy isn't as detailed as others for its price, but it's tonality is great. Sits well with me.
Glad to hear you like them!

I also have a pair of Audeze LCD-4s on hand and I'd say the major differences in sound to me were that the Empyreans were tighter, punchier and more focused, instruments had a bit more separation and vocals were placed a touch more forward - the LCD-4s exhibited a bit of "haze" in the upper midrange, slammed just a bit harder in the bass with a touch wider soundstage and were of course much less comfortable Among other things, the Empyreans excel at loud volumes, they have no distortion, no glare or sibilence, and never get thin or brittle as the volume increases - they open up beautifully when you turn them up! Remarkable really, I've never heard a headphone react this way at loud volumes.

 

[jlbrach]

An M Scaler and a DAVE and Roon/Qobuz. Would need to know what the 2Go/2Yu pair offered me over a quiet laptop or, for that matter, a Squeezebox Touch.

Thanks. I think the LCD4 and the Empyrean are in the same camp. More similar than not. Maybe it's the 'new toy' thing, but so far at least, for my preferences I'd give the nod to the Empyrean. It's something about its presentation that sits a little better for me. Will try to be more specific later. It might have to do with compatibility with my main amp-- the Woo WA22: I don't use the LCD4 that much because it isn't driven as well by that amp. Seems to play better with more solid state power/current. But the Meze is synergizing better with the Woo (again at least to my ears). Regarding detail retrieval: oh, the Meze is doing it just fine. More than fine. And yet, it steers clear of sounding dry or analytic. Then add the physical build and comfort-- a wonderful achievement.



Primarily a Woo WA22 amp (still experimenting with tubes, but so far happy with the Tung Sol 5998's, for example), and for source I'm old school: still playing CD's on an Arcam CD37 CD/SACD player. Cables by Tara Labs and Straightwire.

to me the empyrean is lighter, more comfortable....the LCD-4 is a much better performer...similar sound profile but LCD-4 far more detailed and better bass

 

[mixman]

to me the empyrean is lighter, more comfortable....the LCD-4 is a much better performer...similar sound profile but LCD-4 far more detailed and better bass

I agree the 4 has better resolution, but unfortunately it has one of the worst tonal balances out there. It’s dark tonal balance tends to obscure much of the detail the driver gives you. I honestly would take the Empyrean all day over the 4. Resolution is not everything. Tonal balance, comfort and even better build quality can be more important. Honestly, cost is no longer a factor between the two as they both street for around the same price these days, new and used.

 

[jlbrach]

I hear you, I had the empyrean and sold it...I found the LCD-4 far better but obviously it is only one mans opinion...for me the empyrean just inst detailed enough for me