ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
Beautiful, unfortunately they won't offer any trade in Programs for owners of other versions
Meze EMPYREAN - the First Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphone
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Woah, that finish is beautiful. As someone who prefers the look of the original Empy over the Elite, that Chameleon edition of the Elite is 
Mibuzo
New Head-Fier
OG empy is one of the few headphones i regret having sold. I thought it had a unique look to it. My current setup doesnt fit with Empy, but maybe one day it will againWoah, that finish is beautiful. As someone who prefers the look of the original Empy over the Elite, that Chameleon edition of the Elite is
^^ That's probably the best looking Empy yet. Moral of the story ? Don't buy the first versions of any new headphone, lol.
Can't imagine how many burned Empy and Arya users there are out there...
Can't imagine how many burned Empy and Arya users there are out there...
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I prefer the “all black” version. Same as the “jet black” but the rods are also black rather than copper. Unfortunately, all the LTD editions seem to be exclusive to the German distributor 
ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
They ship to the US, FYI. Like a $35 import fee via FedEx. Customs holds them for a bit (mine took 30 days).I prefer the “all black” version. Same as the “jet black” but the rods are also black rather than copper. Unfortunately, all the LTD editions seem to be exclusive to the German distributor
Worth it.
In the UK, the import and tax would amount to about 25% I believe. Wouldn’t really make sense just to get black rods (everything else is the same).They ship to the US, FYI. Like a $35 import fee via FedEx. Customs holds them for a bit (mine took 30 days).
Worth it.
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I was listenening to some reviews lately and I still think the Empyrean gets unfairly bagged as "not-detailed".
I've heard some of the headphones people describe as "more detailed" and while in a way they are, it strikes me more that they're just bright and some people just like bright headphones.
Now, There's been a few occasions where I felt the mids on the empyrean were a bit too recessed, or even that things got a bit muddled on some tracks but overall it's such an enjoyable presentation compared to others I find it a bit weird that people think other, brighter headphones are SOOOO MUCH BETTER. I mean... they're not. lol.
I've heard some of the headphones people describe as "more detailed" and while in a way they are, it strikes me more that they're just bright and some people just like bright headphones.
Now, There's been a few occasions where I felt the mids on the empyrean were a bit too recessed, or even that things got a bit muddled on some tracks but overall it's such an enjoyable presentation compared to others I find it a bit weird that people think other, brighter headphones are SOOOO MUCH BETTER. I mean... they're not. lol.
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I recently picked up some Empyreans off of the classifieds and found that the cable really does matter for detail perception. They came with a great Norne copper cable that has an excellent warmer yet detailed sound that I love for a lot of music. I had a WyWires Platinum cable for my ZMF Verités that I plugged in for a test and wow that really dialed up the speed and detail as compared to the stock Meze cable. I feel like the Empyreans with the WyWire have a great level of detail. I tried the Elite and liked them, but honestly I just love the bass of the Empyrean. I don't find it to be annoyingly bloated with the Platinum cable at all. They just sound musical and engaging.
I still have yet to try some Elite pads on the Empyrean. I've seen some split reactions to that. Anyone tested that lately and like it? I really enjoy the default leather pads.
ThanatosVI
Headphoneus Supremus
It has its merits, sounds a little more open with some decrease in bass presence.
Personally I prefer the leather pads on the Empyrean and if I want the more open Sound I grab my Elite.
However for someone who doesn't have the luxury of both, the pad swap could be interesting
Heard that often about cables.
I thought about that, but some people told me they were less comfortable. So it dissuaded me from buying a pair. I don't like it when my ear touches the driver grille too much. Had too many bad experiences with failed pad swapping in the past.
Alcantara loses too much detail for me sadly.
I like the empys the way they are, and they're great with the Hugo 2. If I want "more detail" I used to use the Utopia and now the Aryas, which are brighter.
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How would you compare the Arya sound to Empyrean. Did you get the stealth one? I’m interested in trying that one at some point. I’m guessing the low end is less lush than Empy.
Interesting, as I've wondered about cable-rolling with the Empy since I got it second-hand last September. The seller didn't have the original stock copper cable, but did include a very nice Moon Audio Silver Dragon cable, which it seems opens it up a bit and reveals more detail. I may get around to locating a good quality copper cable, but in the meantime this silver cable and the Alcantara pads are working very well for me.
The key comment I think you make is about engagement. I'm nearly 2 years into this hobby now, and what I've discovered is most important to me is fit/comfort of the HP or IEM, and how much of the spine-tingles it give me. At this point tt's a tough call for me to split the Andro2020 and Empyrean, which at first glance you'd think they are nothing alike. But they are the most musical I've got and pretty much always get the toes tapping and the head bobbing.
I haven't gotten into in-ear really. Would you say that the Campfire ones compliment the Empyrean sound?
It really depends which Campfire IEM you look at. They definitely like to experiment with all sorts of different tunings, most of which are decidedly non-standard and sometimes create controversy. But they do focus on musicality and engagement, with a tendency to skew toward warmer, darker, bassier tunings.
One outlier to this is the Andro2020 that is very upper-mid/treble focussed, and which I do think complements the Empy very well. It's bass is well-articulated, but doesn't have anywhere near the slam or impact you get from the Empyrean. On a technical front, the Andro is more resolving and detail-oriented than the Empy, and probably images better. One challenge some folks have with the Adnro, is that it can be picky with sources, and can change character quite dramatically depending on the output impedance of the source. I actually like this about the Andro, as it feels like a few different IEMs in one package, depending on what source I pair it with. So far it's the BF2/Vali2+ or RS6 that work best, but the SR25 is also great for a lighter, brighter listen.
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