[Mike C]

I've had mine for a year and LOVE them. When I'm listening at night my Wife is commenting (Choose your own descriptive) that she can hear the music from the next room. I'm "thinking" about buying a second headphone, closed back, so I don't have this issue. Any suggestions? Focal Stellia's seemed a good choice but I'm wary because I've seen people on Sell Forum letting them go after a few weeks. No clue. Also used or like new are going for around $2K which is $1K discount. Must be something there but what I don't know. They are for sure unattractive in that color.

ZMF Verite closed? I'm considering Verite open, but closed is reckoned to be very close; and Verite tuning/voicing is reckoned to be somewhat similar to Empyrean.
I have never heard ZMF, this is just what I've read.

 

[VladYR]

Sony MDR-Z1R Top choise

That pair of headphones is great but only when paired with the Sony TAZH1ES. It doesn’t sound so great on Chord amps. A little too much isolation makes it sound almost claustrophobic on the Chord Dave. On the other hand the Z7 sounds better all around but it’s missing something that the Z1R has. I just haven’t figured out what exactly.

 

[Slim1970]

That pair of headphones is great but only when paired with the Sony TAZH1ES. It doesn’t sound so great on Chord amps. A little too much isolation makes it sound almost claustrophobic on the Chord Dave. On the other hand the Z7 sounds better all around but it’s missing something that the Z1R has. I just haven’t figured out what exactly.

I have to try my Z1R’s on the Dave. I’ve been having to much fun listening to my LCD-4z’s

 

[TANTALUMWATCHES]

I auto reply myself...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3535344647...customid=629f0198-cd4f-11eb-c0b0-313635363364

 

[VladYR]

I have to try my Z1R’s on the Dave. I’ve been having to much fun listening to my LCD-4z’s

I listened to them for a few hours on a couple of occasions and wasn’t overly impressed. Resolution and speed are both great but the soundstage feels rather small, which is odd. I never had that problem with the Sony amp for the 3 years that I used it with those cans. At one point I got them to sound a lot like electrostatic headphones rather than closed back dynamic that they are. The cost of that was rather laughable but it was a fun experiment nonetheless. I might get the Utopia at some point if it works well with the Dave.

 

[Slim1970]

I listened to them for a few hours on a couple of occasions and wasn’t overly impressed. Resolution and speed are both great but the soundstage feels rather small, which is odd. I never had that problem with the Sony amp for the 3 years that I used it with those cans. At one point I got them to sound a lot like electrostatic headphones rather than closed back dynamic that they are. The cost of that was rather laughable but it was a fun experiment nonetheless. I might get the Utopia at some point if it works well with the Dave.

The Utopia’s are stellar with the Dave. You can’t go wrong with that pairing. When I get back home I’m going to give the Z1R’s a go directly out of the Dave to see if I hear what you hear. It should be a fun experiment

 

[Newsee]

I've had mine for a year and LOVE them. When I'm listening at night my Wife is commenting (Choose your own descriptive) that she can hear the music from the next room. I'm "thinking" about buying a second headphone, closed back, so I don't have this issue. Any suggestions? Focal Stellia's seemed a good choice but I'm wary because I've seen people on Sell Forum letting them go after a few weeks. No clue. Also used or like new are going for around $2K which is $1K discount. Must be something there but what I don't know. They are for sure unattractive in that color.

Buy her an Empyrean
Or try yourself an LCD-i4. That can not be heard in the next room.

 

[VladYR]

I've had mine for a year and LOVE them. When I'm listening at night my Wife is commenting (Choose your own descriptive) that she can hear the music from the next room. I'm "thinking" about buying a second headphone, closed back, so I don't have this issue. Any suggestions? Focal Stellia's seemed a good choice but I'm wary because I've seen people on Sell Forum letting them go after a few weeks. No clue. Also used or like new are going for around $2K which is $1K discount. Must be something there but what I don't know. They are for sure unattractive in that color.

Your wife certainly has exceptional hearing I often listen at night or watch movies using the Empyrean. The volume on my Chord Dave is typically set at -25db. No one complains about it ever. On the other hand, when I used to play music using a pair of electrostatics at roughly the same volume, it annoyed my family enough to knock on my bedroom door to turn it down.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

I've had mine for a year and LOVE them. When I'm listening at night my Wife is commenting (Choose your own descriptive) that she can hear the music from the next room. I'm "thinking" about buying a second headphone, closed back, so I don't have this issue. Any suggestions? Focal Stellia's seemed a good choice but I'm wary because I've seen people on Sell Forum letting them go after a few weeks. No clue. Also used or like new are going for around $2K which is $1K discount. Must be something there but what I don't know. They are for sure unattractive in that color.

Same issue.

Focal Stellia solved it. I picked up a demo pair for a significant discount.
Totally different presentation compared to empyrean, but no less enjoyable.

 

[hawk13]

Same issue.

Focal Stellia solved it. I picked up a demo pair for a significant discount.
Totally different presentation compared to empyrean, but no less enjoyable.

You can get out of a Stellia MOST of what you can get out of an Empyrean. Definitely not all. One issue with the Stellia is that the headband turns a nasty brown color over time. They also lack the build quality of the empyrean. That said, Daniel is right. Stellia is probably your best bet for a closed-back empyrean alternative.

 

[MatW]

In my experience the Stellia is considerably brighter than the Empyrean. I owned the Stellia for a while but sold it. Of the closed backs I own the VC is probably my favorite.

 

[Yoram Diamand]

Ayre QB-9 Twenty/ Feliks audio Euforia: 7237 + LinLai Elite 6sn7/ Lavricables Litz Grand/ Meze Empyrean, lovely sound, but NOS 7236/ TS 5998 are almost gone and Feliks will stop making this model when the tubes are up. Could a tube maker not make some?

 

[ThanatosVI]

Ayre QB-9 Twenty/ Feliks audio Euforia: 7237 + LinLai Elite 6sn7/ Lavricables Litz Grand/ Meze Empyrean, lovely sound, but NOS 7236/ TS 5998 are almost gone and Feliks will stop making this model when the tubes are up. Could a tube maker not make some?

Gosh clean the amp, that amount of dust us triggering!

 

[jonathan c]

Gosh clean the amp, that amount of dust us triggering!

Construction site?…

 

[Tanalasta]

The Utopia’s are stellar with the Dave. You can’t go wrong with that pairing. When I get back home I’m going to give the Z1R’s a go directly out of the Dave to see if I hear what you hear. It should be a fun experiment

Plugged the Utopia into the Hugo 2 / Cayin C9 chain. Was too lazy to take out the TT2.

In class A / tube mode the C9 softens the Utopia nicely. That mellow, smooth tonality of the Empyrean? But with greater clarity, separation and placement Utopia are known for?

Hey, I’ve Tuned my Utopia into the Empy!

Not quite. Some of this is tongue in cheek. But the Cayin C9’s synergy with the Utopia is quickly growing on me.