[adydula]

Anytime! This thread seems to be quite lively. I'm still trying to determine the pattern of what makes people either enjoy this headphone immensely like you and others who feel extremely meh about it.

Ha! Ok Drift you can be the official Emypyrean …Psychologist. Good luck with getting anyone here to lie on your couch...that would be like critical race theory for headphones!
Hope you spend some time with those -50% as well....they really could use your superior listening skills....

 

[j0val]

So what do you guys think will the new Meze product be?

And what do you hope, will it be?

The clues on Antonio Meze's Instagram seem to point towards an "Elite" model. First clue was the headband with a stitched word the starts with "Eli" instead of Empyrean. The second clue is the initials are "EE". Not sure if this means a different tuning as well or just pure aesthetic change. All speculation though.

 

[ThanatosVI]

I would like to see an affordable version of the Empyrean.

You're right, we certainly miss something in the Arya/LCD-X class.
I wouldn't mind if it were something like that,

My wallet stays happy and Meze certainly would have great impact in that price region.
Something that didn't cross my mind initially, but it certainly more realistic than the wild electrostat idea I had.

 

[ThanatosVI]

The clues on Antonio Meze's Instagram seem to point towards an "Elite" model. First clue was the headband with a stitched word the starts with "Eli" instead of Empyrean. The second clue is the initials are "EE". Also seems to have a slightly more impressive headband mechanism, but with the same grill as the Empyrean (judging by the posted picture). Not sure if this means a different tuning as well or just pure aesthetic change. All speculation though.

Yeah I wanted to get the discussion into speculations. My 3-4 possible speculations have been posted not long ago.

I don't have Instagram therefore I only know about pictures/posts directly linked here on head-fi.

How long ago was the Eli hadband post?

 

[adydula]

Here is something nobody has mentioned in any reviews that I think is worth noting:
Do you think that this is postive attribute??

 

[j0val]

Yeah I wanted to get the discussion into speculations. My 3-4 possible speculations have been posted not long ago.

I don't have Instagram therefore I only know about pictures/posts directly linked here on head-fi.

How long ago was the Eli hadband post?

Posted on May 6th.

Excited to see what it is. Seems like it should be relatively soon.

 

[adydula]

Awesome!

 

[Terriero]

Without derailing this marvellous thread, would you resume me the strength points that you find in your Empys comparing to the ones in the 9200s? (that I already know) I know one is open and the other closed, but I would like to know, for example, what are the genres you prefer with each one, and aside the genres, the kind of music (live shows, ensemble, jazz live recordings...). Thanks in advance.

I will hope that the new Empys will be at same price at the current ones. I loved what I saw above, but was just a part of the headphones...

Edit: I remember now that I have seen (I suppose that was in this thread) that a shop (maybe is an european shop, I couldn't remember) offers a pre-order for some new Empyrean that will be limited to a few units... Maybe is the one that Antonio Meze posted?... I will try to find the post and put a link here...

I post the link in a different post, because this thread don't stop Here you have:

Meze - Empyrean Codename "Dark Mystery"​

 

[adydula]

It makes everything as good as the original Empyrean and some things even better.
????

oh boy!

 

[maggie17fan]

So what do you guys think will the new Meze product be?

And what do you hope, will it be?

I'm still hoping for the Meze 105 Classics (open version)!

They've done the Pentas and the Solos, so...........

 

[Relaxasaurus]

So what do you guys think will the new Meze product be?

And what do you hope, will it be?

If Meze makes a a slightly more neutral Empy that adds more mid-bass & bass definition my wallet and wife will be pissed.

I really hope it's just a design update haha (but not really)

 

[iceofnine]

Anytime! This thread seems to be quite lively. I'm still trying to determine the pattern of what makes people either enjoy this headphone immensely like you and others who feel extremely meh about it.

As I've said before, my impression is that when it comes to TOTL/flagship class products, and certainly for headphones, spending more doesn't necessarily mean that one will get the most versatile product imaginable, and I think people often lose sight of that. High end gear tends to be created to taste for enthusiasts by enthusiasts, and hopefully catches on and carves a niche, it's that way with cars, watches, and lots of other things shiny and not. As such, calling something "end-game" when it comes to items like high end headphones and fancy cars is often very problematic, in my view.

A Ferrari isn't end-game for me, even if I could afford one. I live in New England, we have winters and some pretty suspect roads, and I like to visit spots that are off the beaten path. When it comes to headphones, I have pictures somewhere of a 14 year old pair of duct taped HD595's (and still remember fondly!) that may inform what kind of user/listener I am. So probably not exactly a 1266 or Susvara, even though I'm sure both sound amazing, and not anything heavy and uncomfortable because whatever I buy gets used everyday. As such, I tend to like comfortable, sensible designs that work well without too much fuss.

People who gravitate towards higher end products in a given hobby tend to be more passionate about what they like and what they don't, and confirmation bias tends to be very strong- not only for those who try to justify their purchases, but also for those who are trying to justify their purchases of other products.

Designers tend to be more respectful of other designers and creations than end users- which makes sense, as they have more intimate appreciation of what it takes to make something and knowledge of the creative process, let alone appearance and professionalism.

As is often said though, it is much easier to be a critic than to actually create something.

Not to say that I don't appreciate critical reviews, because the ones on the Empyrean in particular actually give me a lot of insight not only about competitive products, but also as reference about tastes/opinions, what others are looking for, and indeed about the reviewers themselves. Maybe that reviewer's tastes are quite different from mine- and that's ok. We can agree to disagree.

However, this does lead to something that I truly don't understand, especially after reading this whole thread- why do folks haunt, for example, threads of products that they don't have any particular desire to own? I just don't get it, I like what I like and don't care to waste time on things that I'm not interested in. Especially when it's all so very subjective like headphones, and what individuals hear and like? Just a thought.

 

[Shane D]

As I've said before, my impression is that when it comes to TOTL/flagship class products, and certainly for headphones, spending more doesn't necessarily mean that one will get the most versatile product imaginable, and I think people often lose sight of that. High end gear tends to be created to taste for enthusiasts by enthusiasts, and hopefully catches on and carves a niche, it's that way with cars, watches, and lots of other things shiny and not. As such, calling something "end-game" when it comes to items like high end headphones and fancy cars is often very problematic, in my view.

A Ferrari isn't end-game for me, even if I could afford one. I live in New England, we have winters and some pretty suspect roads, and I like to visit spots that are off the beaten path. When it comes to headphones, I have pictures somewhere of a 14 year old pair of duct taped HD595's (and still remember fondly!) that may inform what kind of user/listener I am. So probably not exactly a 1266 or Susvara, even though I'm sure both sound amazing, and not anything heavy and uncomfortable because whatever I buy gets used everyday. As such, I tend to like comfortable, sensible designs that work well without too much fuss.

People who gravitate towards higher end products in a given hobby tend to be more passionate about what they like and what they don't, and confirmation bias tends to be very strong- not only for those who try to justify their purchases, but also for those who are trying to justify their purchases of other products.

Designers tend to be more respectful of other designers and creations than end users- which makes sense, as they have more intimate appreciation of what it takes to make something and knowledge of the creative process, let alone appearance and professionalism.

As is often said though, it is much easier to be a critic than to actually create something.

Not to say that I don't appreciate critical reviews, because the ones on the Empyrean in particular actually give me a lot of insight not only about competitive products, but also as reference about tastes/opinions, what others are looking for, and indeed about the reviewers themselves. Maybe that reviewer's tastes are quite different from mine- and that's ok. We can agree to disagree.

However, this does lead to something that I truly don't understand, especially after reading this whole thread- why do folks haunt, for example, threads of products that they don't have any particular desire to own? I don't get the point, I like what I like and don't have to waste any time on things that I'm not interested in. Especially when it's all so very subjective like headphones, and what individuals hear and like? Just a thought.

That has been going on since this forum started. There are many threads where someone buys a product, decides they don't like it and return or sell it. And then they hang around for endless months crapping on said product.

Head-Fi is awesome, but there are some downsides.

 

[PopZeus]

I'm stealing this from The Headphone Show, but If Meze could make a less efficient Empyrean with stronger magnets to allow for better driver control without changing the sound, that would really be something special. Not that the Empyrean isn't already totally unique and great imho, but it would silence some of the criticisms. Just seems like a bigger revision than usual...

 

[driftingbunnies]

As I've said before, my impression is that when it comes to TOTL/flagship class products, and certainly for headphones, spending more doesn't necessarily mean that one will get the most versatile product imaginable, and I think people often lose sight of that. High end gear tends to be created to taste for enthusiasts by enthusiasts, and hopefully catches on and carves a niche, it's that way with cars, watches, and lots of other things shiny and not. As such, calling something "end-game" when it comes to items like high end headphones and fancy cars is often very problematic, in my view.

A Ferrari isn't end-game for me, even if I could afford one. I live in New England, we have winters and some pretty suspect roads, and I like to visit spots that are off the beaten path. When it comes to headphones, I have pictures somewhere of a 14 year old pair of duct taped HD595's (and still remember fondly!) that may inform what kind of user/listener I am. So probably not exactly a 1266 or Susvara, even though I'm sure both sound amazing, and not anything heavy and uncomfortable because whatever I buy gets used everyday. As such, I tend to like comfortable, sensible designs that work well without too much fuss.

People who gravitate towards higher end products in a given hobby tend to be more passionate about what they like and what they don't, and confirmation bias tends to be very strong- not only for those who try to justify their purchases, but also for those who are trying to justify their purchases of other products.

Designers tend to be more respectful of other designers and creations than end users- which makes sense, as they have more intimate appreciation of what it takes to make something and knowledge of the creative process, let alone appearance and professionalism.

As is often said though, it is much easier to be a critic than to actually create something.

Not to say that I don't appreciate critical reviews, because the ones on the Empyrean in particular actually give me a lot of insight not only about competitive products, but also as reference about tastes/opinions, what others are looking for, and indeed about the reviewers themselves. Maybe that reviewer's tastes are quite different from mine- and that's ok. We can agree to disagree.

However, this does lead to something that I truly don't understand, especially after reading this whole thread- why do folks haunt, for example, threads of products that they don't have any particular desire to own? I don't get the point, I like what I like and don't have to waste any time on things that I'm not interested in. Especially when it's all so very subjective like headphones, and what individuals hear and like? Just a thought.

One thing that I've found being on head-fi for over a decade now is that it can be very difficult to find products that other people have moved on from. I never know what someone moves onto when one headphone doesn't work for them. Headphones have this innate advantage compared to speakers and more traditional audio components due to its size and portability. The fact that I can box up a headphone and ship it out with relative ease makes the headphone hobby one where someone can basically try all the products in their budget if they're willing to purchase used.

One negative about these forum formats is that some people sit in certain threads and basically live in them. They talk with the same people who have the same gear and try to hype each other up for having the same equipment as them. While it might make someone feel good that others are enjoying that product, it doesn't truly show newcomers or those who are interested whether or not that product is really that good or it's just a group of friends who enjoy a particular taste that most people wouldn't really enjoy.

I personally have experienced this in circles I'm in where one or two people like Schiit and suddenly it's recommended 24/7. Same thing happened with ZMF. Now, I'm not saying that those products are bad but there shouldn't be a blind faith to the extent that those should be the only recommended items for those looking to buy new gear. Only once a few people started to venture out of those two brands did people realize that there are plenty of great gear out there and actually there are a few faults that we had turned a blind eye to when those two brands became FOTM.

Now how does this relate to the Empy thread? Well I've tried Empy three different times and I was left a bit confused. I think people come into head-fi to also try to understand what they're missing or what the difference is between my gear and someone else's gear. Why do some people love the Empy so much that it can do no wrong? Is it because they haven't tried other headphones? It is because their gear has an amazing synergy with Empy? Is it because they've been cable rolling? All of this information is beneficial to whether or not you are an owner or a prospective owner. So far, I believe the Empy is a flavor can. If someone really knows what type of flavor they prefer when it comes to tonality, micro and macrodynamics, then the Empy is the recommendation cause it's basically the best headphone you can get with this particular flavor.

What I don't necessarily agree with is that because the Empy is expensive and because others have been posting reviews that this is amazing headphone with no faults, that those who disagree should leave and that their opinion isn't valid. I think if you look at other threads, there are plenty of people who do not like the product and kept in the thread to understand why a product that was so highly praised turned out to not work for them. I mainly attribute it to threads that only want to talk about the positives and rarely objectively compare with everything else.