[betula]

I completely agree.

Yes, but...you started with:

Why the Empyrean is the best headphone under £3000 in 2019?

Pretty absolute, right? Had you started with:

Why the Empyrean is the best headphone under £3000 for me in 2019?

...I never would have responded. Anyway, I'll shut up now

Haha... Fair point. Although most headphones I brought up in my subjective list cost way more than the Empyrean. And most headphones on your list cost less and IMO sound objectively inferior. I know, cost doesn't always reflect value, but more or less it does. And by 'objectively' I mean the averaged opinion of most sources. All opinions can be challenged of course. The Verite and RAD0 could be added to my list, but I think it is better if we leave it there. It is all about personal preference, audition before buying is crucial. Happy listening.

 

[up late]

^ why do you feel the need to do this? just enjoy your empyrean rather than trying to "prove" "Why the Empyrean is the best headphone under £3000 in 2019?" by using entirely subjective price/performance comparisons of headphones (a number of which you haven't actually tried). all you're "proving" here is your preference for the empyrean, which is already well established. as you said - "ymmv", as it does for those of us who prefer other headphones to the empyrean.

 

[nwavesailor]

As interesting as the RAD-O may be and sound, I would not 'buy to try' and incur a 15% restocking fee ($390) if I decide to return these hp.

I'll have to find them at a retail location or go to a CanJam to hear them.............or just continue my love affair with the Empy!

 

[Dobrescu George]

You are just advertising them. Praying bubbles! The technical basics are worst. Mr. hippie george you are just not critical!

I am describing not doing anything else. I mention their flaws as well as their strengths. For all of those headphones.

 

[Dobrescu George]

I think this is really dependent on personal preference and musical genre. I don't own and have little experience with LCD4, but my version of your table would be:

Muscality: Blackwood Auteur>RAD-0~=Empyrean>HEKv2~=Ether 2>Utopia
Detail: Utopia>Blackwood Auteur~=HEKv2>Empyrean~=RAD-0~>Ether 2
Soundstage: HEKv2>Ether 2>RAD-0~>Empyrean~>Blackwood Auteur (impossible to compare Utopia stage)

And I add:

Deadphone: Blackwood Auteur>>RAD-0>(all the others)
Neutrality: HEKv2~>RAD-0~>Utopia~=Blackwood Auteur>Ether 2~=Empy

key:
>> way better than
> better than
~> slightly better than
~= about the same

Deadphone: Headphones for listening to the Grateful Dead.

Neutrality: I hear HEKv2 as very neutral, RAD-0 as slightly bright, Utopia and Blackwood Auteur as about the same amount of 'somewhat bright of neutral'. And I hear Empy and Ether 2 as about equally far from neutral, but in very different directions.

Note that most of my listening is to alt-rock, alt-folk, alt-country with a lot of acoustic music, and a lot of vocals. A fair amount of classic prog rock (Genesis, Supertramp, Ambrosia, ELP, ELO) and classic rock in general (Neil Young, Santana, Beatles, Jethro Tull). Plus folks like Loreena McKennit, Ray LaMontagne, The Bad Plus, Gretchen Peters, Van Morrison, and (of course) The Grateful Dead. No (or not much) metal, rap, hip-hop, grunge. I like my music to be ... musical

Point here isn't what music I like, but rather that preference for equipment is driven by both my ears and the type of music I listen to. So a can which sounds great to you with your favorite music might suck for me with mine, and vice versa.

For example, you rate sound stages as Empy better than LCD4 better than RAD-0. To me, Empy has a very lush, enveloping headstage, but I don't hear it as precise/resolving as most of my other cans -- instruments and voices seem a bit 'smeared'. Conversely, I struggle to even rate the Utopia stage. It's unbelievably precise (THAT instrument, RIGHT THERE). but also very compact. So it's great and terrible at the same time, since I really prefer an open, airy headstage. I rate RAD-0 stage better than Empy because I hear it as more precise and more open/airy.

I somewhat agree with you, but it is hard to exactly say where our opinion differs.

I agree, Empy has a slightly smeared stage. RAD-0 is more precise. But in terms of stage size, Empy goes deeper, wider, where RAD-0 stays closer to you.

I don't have HEKv2 to say, but I have He6SE and Arya, I think both are rather neutral. HE6SE slightly bright. RAD-0 is neutral to me. I'd call it slightly dark, but it ain't dark, just the treble is a touch smooth for my tastes.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Ha, the term "Musicality" should just be translated to say......."I like the way it sounds"! It is the most subjective term used in here. Some believe the HD800 is highly musical, some think it is not musical at all, but way too analytical and so forth..........................

I semi-agree. 'Musicality' is a vague term subject to a wide range of interpretations. I suspect you capture its essence with 'I like the way it sounds'. To try to add a bit of nuance, I would say something like:

A headphone is more 'musical' to my ears when I find that I'm not analyzing what I'm hearing, but rather becoming immersed in the sound.

Certainly the dichotomy would be analytical/musical. And, to my ears, the best possible headphone would be the one which I hear as very detailed, but also very musical, with neutral tonality. Using that yardstick, Blackwood Auteur is the best headphone I own. Surprisingly (not) it's also my favorite headphone. As I mentioned elsewhere, I tend to fall in love with my latest acquisition, but I keep coming back to Auteur.

I wonder if my affair with RAD-0 will end the same way

(Sometimes, I think the best way to evaluate reviews and impressions would be for the author to state what their 'favorite' headphone is.)

 

[ken6217]

Anyone’s personal review, or opinion is to be taken with a grain of salt. Everyone hears differently, everyone’s associated equipment, is different and everyone’s likes and dislikes are different.

 

[LCMusicLover]

I somewhat agree with you, but it is hard to exactly say where our opinion differs.

I agree, Empy has a slightly smeared stage. RAD-0 is more precise. But in terms of stage size, Empy goes deeper, wider, where RAD-0 stays closer to you.

I don't have HEKv2 to say, but I have He6SE and Arya, I think both are rather neutral. HE6SE slightly bright. RAD-0 is neutral to me. I'd call it slightly dark, but it ain't dark, just the treble is a touch smooth for my tastes.

Now I wonder how much of our opinions are driven by our chains.

To my ears, RAD-0 has a more open stage than Empy. I'll compare again tonight with some 'airy' tunes such as Loreena McKennit's 'Under a Phrygian Sky' and Van Morrison's 'Sweet Thing'.

Also, I don't hear RAD-0 as missing any treble although I would say 'no sibilance'.

Why don't you pop over so we can compare impressions from the same chain -- I'd come there, but I just took 10 days of vacation and can't get more time off right now

 

[Bonddam]

Kopf is a troll had issues with him in Rosson thread. Don’t listen to him or her.

 

[nwavesailor]

I
And, to my ears, the best possible headphone would be the one which I hear as very detailed, but also very musical, with neutral tonality. Using that yardstick, Blackwood Auteur is the best headphone I own. Surprisingly (not) it's also my favorite headphone. As I mentioned elsewhere, I tend to fall in love with my latest acquisition, but I keep coming back to Auteur.

@LCMusicLover : I have thanked you for leading me to the Empy's...... and I do love them. I still can't quite quite warm up to and seldom listen to my E2's. Perhaps the Auteur's (it looks like the blackwood version are no longer listed) are worth a listen!

I know, your ears / my ears.

 

[LCMusicLover]

...Perhaps the Auteur's (it looks like the blackwood version are no longer listed) are worth a listen! ...

Blackwood Auteur was the limited version available during the initial product launch. Zach has indicated that he probably won’t build more Blackwood ~anything~. Apparently Blackwood is an endangered species.

 

[JinTam]

Focal Utopia
"Crazy detailed, but often sounds too forward, too bright and bass light. Often feels like a microscope, not necessarily the most pleasurable headphone."

This keeps coming up. I think it's pretty stupid. How can detail and clarity not be enjoyable and require attention? It's what good sound should sound like.
I use my Empy and Utopia with good tube amps and I think the Utopia is much more enjoyable. The bass from the Empy gets tiring during listening sessions.
I think a good amp goes a long way and evens out the field.

 

[nwavesailor]

Blackwood Auteur was the limited version available during the initial product launch. Zach has indicated that he probably won’t build more Blackwood ~anything~. Apparently Blackwood is an endangered species.

Thanks for the clarification LCMusicLover.

I wonder how the Auteur current wood option, Ambrosia Maple, sounds?

 

[Roasty]

Focal Utopia
"Crazy detailed, but often sounds too forward, too bright and bass light. Often feels like a microscope, not necessarily the most pleasurable headphone."

This keeps coming up. I think it's pretty stupid. How can detail and clarity not be enjoyable and require attention? It's what good sound should sound like.
I use my Empy and Utopia with good tube amps and I think the Utopia is much more enjoyable. The bass from the Empy gets tiring during listening sessions.
I think a good amp goes a long way and evens out the field.

I agree with this. I also find myself reaching for the Utopia more than the Empyreans. The clarity and detail and speed of the utopia is just amazing. I do not find them bass light but have just the right amount of bass to complement the rest of the music. And they can really thump and punch when called for. And yes the amp does make a difference. I prefer the Utopia with a tube amp than my solid state.

 

[nwavesailor]

$3K for the Empy's was plenty.

$4K for the Utopia's.............now THAT'S real money!!!