[Desmohifi]

What amps are you guys using with your Empyreans and Elites? I'm still using my old Magni 3+ and Modi 3+ that I bought with my HD 6XX. I'm thinking of selling that stack and my Arya V2s and going for something like a Fiio K9 Pro ESS or a Hifiman EF400. I want something that has proper balanced jacks on it. My Elites came with a Copper PCUHD XLR cable and I've wanted to try it out. I also want something that will have as many cable options as possible in case I get something that has a 4.4mm cable etc.

I am really enjoying the Empyreans out of the Ferrum Orr/Hypsos right now.

If you are looking for all in one units as the samples you provide are, I would suggest some of the higher end Burson or Questyle pieces. Both have great synergy with the Mezes.

 

[CL14715]

What amps are you guys using with your Empyreans and Elites? I'm still using my old Magni 3+ and Modi 3+ that I bought with my HD 6XX. I'm thinking of selling that stack and my Arya V2s and going for something like a Fiio K9 Pro ESS or a Hifiman EF400. I want something that has proper balanced jacks on it. My Elites came with a Copper PCUHD XLR cable and I've wanted to try it out. I also want something that will have as many cable options as possible in case I get something that has a 4.4mm cable etc.

Is it not powerful enough? Or is the signature not what you're looking for? Thought the Emmy and Elite were super efficient.

 

[JamieOS]

Is it not powerful enough? Or is the signature not what you're looking for? Thought the Emmy and Elite were super efficient.

Its powerful enough for the Elites, but I know my Aryas are happier with a little more juice. They sound much better on my friends setup. The Elites really do sound good out of anything. I also want to be able to make use of that nice copper cable that my Elites came with, not to mention being prepared for future headphone purchases.

 

[arielext]

Violectric v280 here. Lovely combination with the Empyrean

 

[ThanatosVI]

What amps are you guys using with your Empyreans and Elites?

Octave V16 Single Ended - hard to imagine an improvement from there.

It's unbelieveably good with the Mezes

 

[CartrKellr]

Who wants to go in on a pair of these, but I keep it?

 

[Neweymatt]

What amps are you guys using with your Empyreans and Elites? I'm still using my old Magni 3+ and Modi 3+ that I bought with my HD 6XX. I'm thinking of selling that stack and my Arya V2s and going for something like a Fiio K9 Pro ESS or a Hifiman EF400. I want something that has proper balanced jacks on it. My Elites came with a Copper PCUHD XLR cable and I've wanted to try it out. I also want something that will have as many cable options as possible in case I get something that has a 4.4mm cable etc.

Schiit Jotunheim 2 is plenty of amp for me at the moment, the punch and drive you get from it's balanced output pairs up very well with the more laid-back Empy.

I wouldn't limit your choices to those amps that also have 4.4mm balanced, I use this ddHiFi adapter for IEMs with 4.4mm cables on the Jot2.
https://www.amazon.com/Balanced-Adapter-Traditional-Desktop-Earphone/dp/B094ZT75PJ

 

[PopZeus]

I'm quite happy with the Jot 2 with the Empyrean. I was curious about the Singxer SA1 if it would open up the stage compared to the Schiit, but it seems like more of a side-grade than say, the Burson Soloist or, what I'm more interested in these days, Feliks Euforia.

 

[LCMusicLover]

What amps are you guys using with your Empyreans and Elites? I'm still using my old Magni 3+ and Modi 3+ that I bought with my HD 6XX. I'm thinking of selling that stack and my Arya V2s and going for something like a Fiio K9 Pro ESS or a Hifiman EF400. I want something that has proper balanced jacks on it. My Elites came with a Copper PCUHD XLR cable and I've wanted to try it out. I also want something that will have as many cable options as possible in case I get something that has a 4.4mm cable etc.

I owned Empy when I owned a Violectric V280, a Bryston BHA-1 & a Liquid Platinum. To my ears, the Liquid Platinum w/ my brightest/most open/airy tube (Brimar CV-2492) was the best of the three. To be clear, while I liked Empy, I wanted to brighten the sound and open the stage a bit. Folks who love the Empy sound and want more of it would prefer the V280.

Owned Elite this summer. Amps now are DSHA-3F, Liquid Platinum, Liquid Gold X, Romi Audio BX2+, as well as direct out of Hugo 2 & mScaler/TT2. Of those, the DSHA-3F w/ the brighter amorphous core transformers is best, w/ direct out of Hugo 2 & TT2 coming a close second. I never tried them w/ the XLR output from the TT2 but w/ other cans (except my Hedds) there hasn’t been much apparent difference. Elite certainly don’t need the extra power from those.

Didn’t like Elite w/ Liquid Gold X — seemed like complex passages got schmeered.

 

[betula]

What amps are you guys using with your Empyreans and Elites? I'm still using my old Magni 3+ and Modi 3+ that I bought with my HD 6XX. I'm thinking of selling that stack and my Arya V2s and going for something like a Fiio K9 Pro ESS or a Hifiman EF400. I want something that has proper balanced jacks on it. My Elites came with a Copper PCUHD XLR cable and I've wanted to try it out. I also want something that will have as many cable options as possible in case I get something that has a 4.4mm cable etc.

With the Empy I had Auralic Taurus MKII, Hugo TT2, RME ADI-2, Soloist 3XP, iFi Pro iCan Siganture.

With the Elite I had Hugo TT2, Soloist 3XP, iFi Pro iCan, Bryston BHA-1, Questyle CMA15, GSX-Mini and now the Cayin HA-3A.

I sold the Empy for the Elite because I preferred the more detailed, more spacious, more balanced sound of the Elite while still retaining the magical Meze tonality. Out of the amplifiers above pretty much all work really well with both the Empy and Elite. The TT2 on its own is nice, detailed and sophisticated, but after a while I started to find it a bit lean and unengaging compared to R2R DACs. The ADI-2 on its own is ok at best, but pairs well with some nice amps. Soloist and Pro iCan are both nice options. Soloist is leaner and airier, Pro iCan is thicker and more muscular both are good choice depending on taste. The Signature version is a significant step up compared to the og iCan.
Perhaps my favourite SS amp pairing with the Meze's were the BHA-1 and the GSX-Mini. Both are very precise, speedy, dynamic and punchy sounding amps with amazing clarity, detail and extension. Brilliant bass impact and control. The best control and bass out of all SS amps above. The Bryston can sound a bit bright with too intense treble though so ultimately I think the GSX-Mini is the best SS amp option here because it brings all the advantages of the Bryston but it is not as bright, but ever so slightly warm.

I recently turned into the direction of tubes by purchasing the Cayin HA-3A with some NOS tubes and I prefer it to all the SS amps I have ever owned. The sound is more natural, more realistic than ever. Works wonders with the Elite.

 

[chef8489]

How many of you guys that had the lcd-2c that upgraded to the Empyrean kept the lcd-2c? I am contemplating upgrading to the empyrean as I loved them when I went to moon audio in Nov. If I do I am not sure if I should keep the lcd-2c.

 

[Arcamera]

I still have my LCD2C. It's a good headphone, but the Empyrean is better. Why am I keeping both then? I just like to have a collection of headphones. I still put them on occasionally, and appreciate their quality at that level. But definitely, the Empyrean is better.

 

[PopZeus]

How many of you guys that had the lcd-2c that upgraded to the Empyrean kept the lcd-2c? I am contemplating upgrading to the empyrean as I loved them when I went to moon audio in Nov. If I do I am not sure if I should keep the lcd-2c.

I ended up selling my LCD2c a while ago, long before picking up the Empyrean. With EQ, the LCD2c is pretty incredible and kinda unmatched, but without EQ, the mid-to-treble range is too wonky and unnatural. I much prefer the "baby bump" ear gain that the Empyrean with leather pads has, putting aside the many ergonomic improvements with Meze compared to Audeze.

 

[chef8489]

I ended up selling my LCD2c a while ago, long before picking up the Empyrean. With EQ, the LCD2c is pretty incredible and kinda unmatched, but without EQ, the mid-to-treble range is too wonky and unnatural. I much prefer the "baby bump" ear gain that the Empyrean with leather pads has, putting aside the many ergonomic improvements with Meze compared to Audeze.

I love the lcd-2c. I have had a lot of headphone over the years and reviewed a lot of headphones. I always came back to the lcd-2c. only eq I use is the Audeze reveal dsp plugin. I spent around 4 hours at Moon Audio and kept going back to the empyrean as my favorite headphones out everything I tried that they had. I found the sound characteristic similar to the lcd-2c but more detailed and better overall. I find the lcd-2c comfortable, but the empyrean is on a whole other level. I gave my Dan Clarks Aeon open x to my mother for Christmas as I could not get them comfortable.

 

[betula]

How many of you guys that had the lcd-2c that upgraded to the Empyrean kept the lcd-2c? I am contemplating upgrading to the empyrean as I loved them when I went to moon audio in Nov. If I do I am not sure if I should keep the lcd-2c.

I sold my LCD-2C for the LCD-X as to me that was a clear improvement, and sold the LCD-X for the Empy for the same reason. These are all good and enjoyable headphones in their respective category. The 2C definitely has a nice warm and darkish tone, but the upper frequencies are certainly lacking some air and definition. Within the Audeze realm the LCD-X fixes most of the issues with the 2C and adds some resolution. The Empy is better than both of them mostly because it sounds a lot more natural and realistic.