[legabian34]

Hi,
I think I will invest in Empyrean before the end of this year (I'm actually collecting founds ), did someone try it with Fiio M15? I guess it's powerful enough to drive the Empy?
It drives Focal Clear easily and it's a good pairing imo.

 

[Toonartist]

So ... which one looks better - copper or black edition?

The copper of course

I have to admit though... originally I was after the black with the copper adjusting rods but they only had the copper at the time. Once they arrived I was glad I ended up with the copper as they looked fantastic and matched the my 2 channel system as well. Oak and black.

 

[ThanatosVI]

So ... which one looks better - copper or black edition?

Imo black looks better especially the complete Black special Edition, which also has Black rods.

However I own the copper Version, since I got them for a good price as used pair.
They still look great

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Hi,
I think I will invest in Empyrean before the end of this year (I'm actually collecting founds ), did someone try it with Fiio M15? I guess it's powerful enough to drive the Empy?
It drives Focal Clear easily and it's a good pairing imo.

Oh yes, no problem there with the M15. Great pair

 

[Ichos]

I have the empy and the clear. I can still appreciate the clear. It is a contrast to the empy for sure and the empy is better HP however I find moments to enjoy the clear on a good valve amp.

Now if I would like to be honest and do justice to the Clears I must admit that if I have had the spare money then I should definitely keep them.
As I have stated multiple times the Clear for me is one of the best headphones at the market at a very competitive price.

 

[Ichos]

Let's go back to the Empys.
After three months of continuous listening with the leather pads due to our hot climate , today
I switched back to the velour.
Oh , my I was blown away.
They sound way better with a more even and natural tonality.
The highs are better defined without a hard edge and with better timbre.
With the leather pads they sound (compared) a little fake.
And the biggest downside is that with leather you get the feeling that the high energy is trapped
inside the pads causing fatigue and annoyance.
Same feeling with macrodynamics and slam , the headphone at higher volumes becomes excessively dynamic to the point that I get a headache.
Velour pads mitigate all that issues and perfection is reached , at least to my ears.

 

[Toonartist]

Let's go back to the Empys.
After three months of continuous listening with the leather pads due to our hot climate , today
I switched back to the velour.
Oh , my I was blow away.
They sound way better with a more even and natural tonality.
The highs are better without edge and with better timbre.
With the leather pads they sound (compared) a little fake.
And the biggest downside is that with leather you get the feeling that the high energy is trapped
inside the pads causing fatigue and annoyance.
Same feeling with macrodynamics and slam , the headphone at higher volumes becomes excessively dynamic to the point that I get a headache.
Velour pads mitigate all that issues and perfection is reached , at least to my ears.

I love the Alcantara pads. As you say, they're very natural sounding. The leather pads are more dynamic and feel like the fill the entire space. The Alcantara have more finesse, air and texture. I'm not sure if they have a bigger soundstage or whether they give the illusion of a larger soundstage due too softer tones at the edge of the soundstage.

They sound even better with the Meze Silver upgrade cable. Initial impression of that cable reminds me of when I added TQ silver speaker cables. They lifted the mids revealing more detail there, tightening the bass... more slam but no harshness to the highs, very smooth. Hopefully the Meze Silver cable checks off all those improvements... so far so good though!

 

[Facta]

Now if I would like to be honest and do justice to the Clears I must admit that if I have had the spare money then I should definitely keep them.
As I have stated multiple times the Clear for me is one of the best headphones at the market at a very competitive price.

I concur. Clear Pro is the best and the most honest headphones I've ever heard and it came at a very competitive price considering the >$2K price tags others carry for a 5%-10% possible improvements in sound. I prefer it to Stellia, in fact. Empyrean, however, if and when I could afford it, would be an addition to collection but it could never replace Clear Pro for me, despite all the possibility of it being a lot better than Clear Pro. Sure wish Meze could release a flagship closed-back soon enough that could be as wonderful as Empyrean accepted to be. This $3000-4000 flagship price-tag trend gotta stop, though. If Sennheiser could still do a HD800S below $2000, Beyerdynamic a T1 below $1000 and ZMF a Verite Closed below $2500, one sure could hope for a reasonably priced planar magnetic flagship.

 

[Coffee Music]

I concur. Clear Pro is the best and the most honest headphones I've ever heard and it came at a very competitive price considering the >$2K price tags others carry for a 5%-10% possible improvements in sound. I prefer it to Stellia, in fact. Empyrean, however, if and when I could afford it, would be an addition to collection but it could never replace Clear Pro for me, despite all the possibility of it being a lot better than Clear Pro. Sure wish Meze could release a flagship closed-back soon enough that could be as wonderful as Empyrean accepted to be. This $3000-4000 flagship price-tag trend gotta stop, though. If Sennheiser could still do a HD800S below $2000, Beyerdynamic a T1 below $1000 and ZMF a Verite Closed below $2500, one sure could hope for a reasonably priced planar magnetic flagship.

Clear pro is just a red Clear. But I agree, the prices of these high end headphones are a bit outrageous. But as long as they sell the price will continue to go up. Just like thousand dollar phones with 3 years lifespan. People that can't afford the high ends one can still get amazing products like Fiio FH7 for a measly $450. Great affordable products are always out there as long as you do your homework.

For everything that the Empyrean represents in a package, some can have it for $2000 used and that's a steal. I bought a pair of Polk LsiM 707 at 240 pounds for $1100 (MSRP $4000) pairs with a $1400 Musical Paradise tube amp and I get around 98-105% of the Empyrean midrange magic. That is a huge compliment.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Clear pro is just a red Clear. But I agree, the prices of these high end headphones are a bit outrageous. But as long as they sell the price will continue to go up. Just like thousand dollar phones with 3 years lifespan. People that can't afford the high ends one can still get amazing products like Fiio FH7 for a measly $450. Great affordable products are always out there as long as you do your homework.

For everything that the Empyrean represents in a package, some can have it for $2000 used and that's a steal. I bought a pair of Polk LsiM 707 at 240 pounds for $1100 (MSRP $4000) pairs with a $1400 Musical Paradise tube amp and I get around 98-105% of the Empyrean midrange magic. That is a huge compliment.

Expensive headphones get expensive when you sell them after a couple of months or in case they fail. But if you use them for a couple of years, the cost benefit improves. Empy gets special points because you can get rid of the the pricey amps

 

[Zhang Enyuan]

empyrean It sounds nice without an amplifier
Amplifier lifts the tip of the pyramidsound
GSXMK2 viva audio egoista 845Top performance

 

[thecrow]

Expensive headphones get expensive when you sell them after a couple of months or in case they fail. But if you use them for a couple of years, the cost benefit improves. Empy gets special points because you can get rid of the the pricey amps

I find the same for my hekse too

 

[Hoegaardener70]

empyrean It sounds nice without an amplifier
Amplifier lifts the tip of the pyramidsound
GSXMK2 viva audio egoista 845Top performance

Not sure if my interpretation is correct, but I did not say that the Empy doesn't need an amplifier. I said it does not need a complicated expensive amp,
it can run from a portable dac/amp like the hugo2 , for example, with great results.

 

[thecrow]

Not sure if my interpretation is correct, but I did not say that the Empy doesn't need an amplifier. I said it does not need a complicated expensive amp,
it can run from a portable dac/amp like the hugo2 , for example, with great results.

Hugo 2, for many, is an expensive amp. IMHO.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Hugo 2, for many, is an expensive amp. IMHO.

Its expensive (some even would say overpriced), but for its DAC section and not for its amp part. what I meant is anything will really power the Empy even if it’s not geared towards amplification.