[Terriero]

I think perhaps the Alcantara pads are tonally more accurate with a bit more air in the upper mids and treble and a more natural tonality, instrument/vocal timbre.
But with a lot of modern music the extra bass punch of the leather pads is just so addictive.
I honestly can't understand some of the 'professional reviewers' who say there is hardly any difference between the pads. There is.

Leather pads sound a bit sharper, cleaner. Soundstage is a bit more limited, more narrow. Bass is definitely more impactful.
Alcantara pads sound a bit more open and more natural. Perhaps fuller in general, but not as clean in the bass. Alcantara wins for tonal balance.
I would take the Alcantara pads for classical or acoustic music but the leather pads for contemporary modern music.

What about pad comfort? Are both pads equaly comfortable? (I suppose "Alcantara" will be more comfortable, because of the softness of the material).

Does anybody in this thread have the "vegan" version of leather pads? Do you have to order them directly from Meze or maybe some shops have that option available?

 

[ThanatosVI]

What about pad comfort? Are both pads equaly comfortable? (I suppose "Alcantara" will be more comfortable, because of the softness of the material).

Does anybody in this thread have the "vegan" version of leather pads? Do you have to order them directly from Meze or maybe some shops have that option available?

Yeah the Alcantara feels nicer on the skin and in the cold seasons isn't as cold as the leather.
I'd still consider both supremely comfortable.

Some reported to have the vegan version, but they aren't very active lately.
Usually every Meze distributor has them available, but probably not in Stock due to the low demand

 

[VladYR]

IMO
Dude this whole hobby is crazy.

My rationale was to keep them well supported and prevent the leather headband from distorting over time.

And honestly in the context of a 3K headphone, ~100 is pretty reasonable. To keep the investment safe. Plus I saved money buying the Ikea chair opposed to the Shiatsu massage chair.

Don’t I know it . A little over a month ago I bought a Chord Dave. Today I placed an order for the M Scaler. The lease on my 2020 Honda Accord costs less than that.

 

[Newsee]

Received comfortable "couch" for the Meze today. Discounted return from Crutchfield. Would have a hard time paying full price. I have to say I like it.

What is that "couch" for the phone?

 

[ThanatosVI]

What is that "couch" for the phone?

https://mezeaudio.com/products/headphone-couch

 

[ocramida]

What is that "couch" for the phone?

Couch is for headphones and the LG V30+ phone is mated via Woo Unity Smart case with the Woo Audio WA11 dac/amp.

 

[Fernando Goñi]

Hi,

I am considering buying a SS amp for my Empyreans. As I am in a very tight budget I am considering:

• SMSL SH-9
• Topping A90
• SINGXER SA-1

Any recommendation ?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[ocramida]

Hi,

I am considering buying a SS amp for my Empyreans. As I am in a very tight budget I am considering:

• SMSL SH-9
• Topping A90
• SINGXER SA-1

Any recommendation ?

Thanks in advance!!

Not sure. However...I did post a comment to the Passion for Sound Singxer review this morning.

He has and loves the Empyrean. And although he did not mention it in the review, I have to assume he did try the Empyrean with the SA-1.
I'm also looking to try something different within a budget. And the Singxer with a Denefrips Aries ii dac was one of the combos. Wondering if it would improve upon the WA11 I'm currently using.

 

[VladYR]

Hi,

I am considering buying a SS amp for my Empyreans. As I am in a very tight budget I am considering:

• SMSL SH-9
• Topping A90
• SINGXER SA-1

Any recommendation ?

Thanks in advance!!

You might be disappointed with the results in that price range when pairing with the Empyrean. Consider saving up and getting something in the $2000+ range. Headphone and headphone amp matching can be somewhat tricky but when you put together a $3000 pair of headphones with a budget amp, it’s not going to sound all that good, even with ones as easy to drive as the Empyrean.

A friend of mine tried to discourage me from buying these headphones last summer, saying that they lacked that last bit of resolution. At that point in time I would have agreed with him if I was comparing their sound to something like Warwick Acoustics Sonoma M1. At the time the Empyrean were powered by Sony TA-ZH1ES. It’s a great amp but not top of the line. The results that it produced were great in that price range but one can do so much better if funds allow it. Now, the Empyrean powered by the Chord Dave is the sweet spot for me. This pairing can easily beat some well regarded electrostatic heavyweights.

 

[betula]

You might be disappointed with the results in that price range when pairing with the Empyrean. Consider saving up and getting something in the $2000+ range. Headphone and headphone amp matching can be somewhat tricky but when you put together a $3000 pair of headphones with a budget amp, it’s not going to sound all that good, even with ones as easy to drive as the Empyrean.

A friend of mine tried to discourage me from buying these headphones last summer, saying that they lacked that last bit of resolution. At that point in time I would have agreed with him if I was comparing their sound to something like Warwick Acoustics Sonoma M1. At the time the Empyrean were powered by Sony TA-ZH1ES. It’s a great amp but not top of the line. The results that it produced were great in that price range but one can do so much better if funds allow it. Now, the Empyrean powered by the Chord Dave is the sweet spot for me. This pairing can easily beat some well regarded electrostatic heavyweights.

Finally someone sharing my point of view.

From almost all review sources nowadays you can hear amps/DACs don't matter. IMO there is something very wrong with this approach.
Headphones will make the biggest difference in your chain, but once you get to TOTL headphones amps and DACs will make a much bigger difference.

TOTL headphones paired with entry level amps in my book most likely lead to disappointment. TOTL headphones including the Empyrean will only shine with TOTL equipment.
Are you ready to spend 3K for headphones? Well, if you want those headphones to sound at their best, be ready to spend the same amount on DAC/amps.

I am aware that there are counterarguments, but this is my personal experience.

IMO a budget conscious audiophile is better off with mid-fi headphones driven by mid/fi amps than pairing a TOTL headphone with entry level amps.

 

[Terriero]

You might be disappointed with the results in that price range when pairing with the Empyrean. Consider saving up and getting something in the $2000+ range. Headphone and headphone amp matching can be somewhat tricky but when you put together a $3000 pair of headphones with a budget amp, it’s not going to sound all that good, even with ones as easy to drive as the Empyrean.

A friend of mine tried to discourage me from buying these headphones last summer, saying that they lacked that last bit of resolution. At that point in time I would have agreed with him if I was comparing their sound to something like Warwick Acoustics Sonoma M1. At the time the Empyrean were powered by Sony TA-ZH1ES. It’s a great amp but not top of the line. The results that it produced were great in that price range but one can do so much better if funds allow it. Now, the Empyrean powered by the Chord Dave is the sweet spot for me. This pairing can easily beat some well regarded electrostatic heavyweights.

I supposed that the Sony TA-ZH1ES was a TOTL AMP... It seemed to me that you were talking about some SMSL, Topping or Gustard device...

Now I'm with an entry level crappy (not schiit ) Asus Xonar Essence One (with channel imbalance, sometimes cutting the beginning of the songs and no gain selector) and, altought I'm tempted by, for example, Meze Empyreans, I have the firm idea to renew my DAC/AMP before purchasing new headphones.

 

[Dalmonegrig]

Any recommendation ?

Chord Hugo2Go => Meze Empyrean

 

[VladYR]

I supposed that the Sony TA-ZH1ES was a TOTL AMP... It seemed to me that you were talking about some SMSL, Topping or Gustard device...

Now I'm with an entry level crappy (not schiit ) Asus Xonar Essence One (with channel imbalance, sometimes cutting the beginning of the songs and no gain selector) and, altought I'm tempted by, for example, Meze Empyreans, I have the firm idea to renew my DAC/AMP before purchasing new headphones.

I’d say the Sony was definitely on the level and complimented the Empyrean. Yes, I was referring to those devices. I knew most SMSL products were cheap but I didn’t know the ones in particular were below $500, which is basically a waste of money. One can definitely find inexpensive stuff to start and it will sound quite nice, for instance an Audioquest Dragonfly and some 300-400 dollar pair of headphones. But I see no point in buying expensive headphones and pairing them with something that costs roughly 10% of their price.

If I was entering this hobby, I would much rather save a good deal of money, do some research and then make a purchase rather than buying piece by piece. Granted this hobby is just financially unsound but that’s a matter for a different conversation

 

[VladYR]

Finally someone sharing my point of view.

From almost all review sources nowadays you can hear amps/DACs don't matter. IMO there is something very wrong with this approach.
Headphones will make the biggest difference in your chain, but once you get to TOTL headphones amps and DACs will make a much bigger difference.

TOTL headphones paired with entry level amps in my book most likely lead to disappointment. TOTL headphones including the Empyrean will only shine with TOTL equipment.
Are you ready to spend 3K for headphones? Well, if you want those headphones to sound at their best, be ready to spend the same amount on DAC/amps.

I am aware that there are counterarguments, but this is my personal experience.

IMO a budget conscious audiophile is better off with mid-fi headphones driven by mid/fi amps than pairing a TOTL headphone with entry level amps.

One needs to check the credentials of those so called reviewers and make sure that their hearing is sufficiently fine to discern differences large and small in the equipment that they are reviewing. There is a world of difference between say an Audioquest Dragonfly Red and the Linn Klimax DSM or any other high end dac/streamer you can think of. The same can be said of amps. For instance, the headphone output on the original Naim Uniti Atom could blow your ears clean off your head if you turn up the dial to 100%. Yet if your hearing is still good, you can easily hear a definite hiss in the background when nothing is playing. With music playing it’s almost inaudible. In contrast, Sony headphone amps are dead silent in that respect. Plus, they just sound better because that’s their primary purpose rather than a convenient afterthough.

 

[iceofnine]

You might be disappointed with the results in that price range when pairing with the Empyrean. Consider saving up and getting something in the $2000+ range. Headphone and headphone amp matching can be somewhat tricky but when you put together a $3000 pair of headphones with a budget amp, it’s not going to sound all that good, even with ones as easy to drive as the Empyrean.

A friend of mine tried to discourage me from buying these headphones last summer, saying that they lacked that last bit of resolution. At that point in time I would have agreed with him if I was comparing their sound to something like Warwick Acoustics Sonoma M1. At the time the Empyrean were powered by Sony TA-ZH1ES. It’s a great amp but not top of the line. The results that it produced were great in that price range but one can do so much better if funds allow it. Now, the Empyrean powered by the Chord Dave is the sweet spot for me. This pairing can easily beat some well regarded electrostatic heavyweights.

I'm going to have to push back on this one. The DAVE looks fantastic, seriously, Congrats! However, a person certainly doesn't need to spend anywhere near that money to enjoy some great sound on the Empyreans, and it's not strictly a matter of how much you spend. There are phenomenal DACs, AMPs, and DAC/Amp combos that I've heard great things about on this thread and other places for well less than $5k USD, some less than your 2k mark, and some, like my Topping DX7 Pro, may be well under a grand.

The Burson Conductor 3XP, for example, is not unreasonably priced for what it is- and is obviously less expensive than most of the Chord Products: Dave, TT2, or Qutest (stand-alone, even without amp), and it's substantially cheaper than the Sony TA-ZH1ES as well. The Burson may simply be a better match for the Empy than the Sony. That SINGXER SA-1, with the right DAC, may sound great as well, I'd be eager to hear it. Or how about the Flux FA-10, or something like that? There's some great value choices out there.

The Empy is a well known for a warm, smooth presentation, and so plays well with analytical, clean gear for many people, and a lot of clean but analytical amp/DACs like my Topping are very reasonably priced, but may simply be just too analytical/bright for other TOTL headphones. That's a major selling point of the Empy, not a bug, but a feature. It's not just about being hard to drive, it's about being easy on the ears while still being resolving. That's by design, and is at least one reason why I bought the Meze Empyrean in the first place.

As I've said before, for me, my Elexes with DX7Pro is not even a comparison to my Empys with the same Topping (other than punch and slam), and I seriously doubt the next Focal up, the Clear, would fare much better. As laid back as the Empy is, and as treble forward as the Elex is, the detail retrieval is just not even close, and if I A/B I have absolutely no difficulty hearing EXACTLY what I paid the extra money for with the Empyreans, and all in a very effortless, and for lack of a better term, natural way.

Based on my experience so far, I would firmly opine that the choice of headphone remains the most important part of the equation, and by no small margin. As such, I have to disagree and say that it's perfectly sensible to buy the Empy and build around it as you go. Not that anyone needs our permission.

If/when I do upgrade from my DX7 Pro, I'll come back with a honest assessment and let you know what I think. Right now I'm just saving, and eyeing anything from the 3XP to a Qutest/GS-X Mini Combo, maybe even a TT2 when the time comes. But by no means do I feel that I am doing the Empyreans a disservice by driving them with my Topping in the meantime.