[ocramida]

Price difference however... That is a personal matter.

Agree, for me I would trade a little perceived SQ for fit and finish/durability. Also amazes me how many discount the shear craftsmanship of the Meze. Like many of us on this forum, I respect the obsessive attention to detail. IMO similar to why some may opt for a Rolls Royce over a BMW. Although BMW interior quality also can't be considered "bad" for the price. Of course I own a Mini. IMO.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

I rambled about the many flagship headphones I tried in several posts on Head-Fi already. Hence the delay in answering your post. I do not like to repeat myself.



Verité:
I only tried the Verité open briefly from a TT2 and MScaler. It didn't impress me at all. Yes, it sounds very 3D, very opened, very lifelike, but lacks punch, impact, body and fun. At least I left with this impression after a short audition. I much preferred the Empy.

This is only my limited personal audition experience. As I emphasised many times earlier, I think matching the components of your audio gear matters a lot. Some headphones are easier to match, some are harder. (ZMF fans swear to fancy tube amps. I haven't tried the Verité on tube amps.)
Different DAC/amp combos can show the potential of a headphone to very different levels.

My ADI-2 and Soloist 3XP drives the Empy well. IMO the Empy needs a good Class A kick to sound clean and tight enough.

Actually, my experience mirror yours, I dunno what's wrong in synergy between verite and TT2, but they do lack of punch and bite. The result is kind of "sleepy" sounding for me. However, when connect direct to Dave, the Verite is come back to life and singing beautifully. Heck, even when connect direct to Hugo 2, Verite deliver more punch and energy, with less resolution though.

 

[ocramida]

Actually, my experience mirror yours, I dunno what's wrong in synergy between verite and TT2, but they do lack of punch and bite. The result is kind of "sleepy" sounding for me. However, when connect direct to Dave, the Verite is come back to life and singing beautifully. Heck, even when connect direct to Hugo 2, Verite deliver more punch and energy, with less resolution though.

Imo could be current/voltage delivery from the TT2's amp.
I know LCD4 is also high impedance. But I assume ZMF impedance may present a complex load to the amp. Audeze Planars tend to present a very stable load on an amp. That said I have not looked at a impedance graph for either.

 

[betula]

In case you want sub-bass to shake the cassis of your Empyrean click here. Even better, if you have the track in FLAC.
Kudos to CBL in general and Daniel for the Sync24 track.

 

[Sunset1982]

hey guys. I want to buy a new headphone amp that fits my empys. I'm thinking of a Flux FA-10 (dont know where to buy it in germany) or maybe I will go all-in and may buy a sparkos labs aries. Is someone out there with impressions of one of those two amps with the empy?

 

[TTRR]

hey guys. I want to buy a new headphone amp that fits my empys. I'm thinking of a Flux FA-10 (dont know where to buy it in germany) or maybe I will go all-in and may buy a sparkos labs aries. Is someone out there with impressions of one of those two amps with the empy?

Hi I have the SparkoS Aries paired with the Empyrean and it works really well. I can't comment re the Flux however I auditioned the Aries against the Benchmark HD4 and for me the Aries wins hands down. If you are after a clean, uncoloured and dynamic signature the Aries would be right up your street. Not sure about Germany however in the UK you can get a unit sent out for home demo, I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[Ichos]

hey guys. I want to buy a new headphone amp that fits my empys. I'm thinking of a Flux FA-10 (dont know where to buy it in germany) or maybe I will go all-in and may buy a sparkos labs aries. Is someone out there with impressions of one of those two amps with the empy?

I have been using the Empyrean with the FCN 10 (same amp as FA 10) and the match is heavenly.

 

[Sunset1982]

Thx guys! I think I will try the fa10 first because of the cheaper price. what about the other flux amps? Fa10 pro, fa12 or fa22.

 

[Ichos]

Thx guys! I think I will try the fa10 first because of the cheaper price. what about the other flux amps? Fa10 pro, fa12 or fa22.

The FA 12 is fully balanced from input to output so maybe it is better if you have a fully balanced DAC.
Sound wise the FA 10 is more thick , dense , warm , full bodied.
FA 12 is the same musical signature but a touch more lean but wider sounding , more open , a little bit better definition.
Very close but also different flavors.

 

[Sunset1982]

I ask myself what amp would fit the empys best. I have a bifrost2 and had the singxer sa1. Sound was a bit too bloomy and I want a bit more punch and dynamics…

 

[Ichos]

Fluxlab FA-12 and maybe Jotunheim but I haven't tested it first hand.

 

[j0val]

I ask myself what amp would fit the empys best. I have a bifrost2 and had the singxer sa1. Sound was a bit too bloomy and I want a bit more punch and dynamics…

I checked out the Jotunheim 2 at the Schiit store. It was a great pairing. Very punchy and dynamic, especially compared to my Asgard 3. I have a Jot 2 on order.

 

[Doctor56]

hey guys. I want to buy a new headphone amp that fits my empys. I'm thinking of a Flux FA-10 (dont know where to buy it in germany) or maybe I will go all-in and may buy a sparkos labs aries. Is someone out there with impressions of one of those two amps with the empy?

Try Burson Audio Soloist 3X Performance. Like the pairing a lot.

 

[Sunset1982]

Try Burson Audio Soloist 3X Performance. Like the pairing a lot.

Had the burson at home but had a defect and had to send it baxk. How does the burson compare to the fa10, fa12 and sparkos aries?

 

[smodtactical]

It's funny. So many opinions online quick to slam the Empyrean, but when I put them on my head powered by a proper system, I get completely lost in the music in a way no other piece of gear can provide. I feel similarly with the Aeolus and a proper tube amp. All the hand wringing over what has the most detail or what's best goes out the window.

Which do you prefer?