[MasterHead]

I actually think, if you like the LCD2, there is a good chance you will like the Empyrean too.

Yes. Big chance of it.

I went this way too:
LCD2. Nighthawk. Sony Z7. Arya. Fostex th900. Sony Z1R. And finally Empyrean...
Musicality and fun always in first place!
A large but adequate scene. Some engaging warmth in the midrange. Solid bass under control. Details, yes, but in their proper place. Not attacking like a pack of angry hornets etc.
We can write a lot, but listening for yourself is the best way.

 

[betula]

Yes. Big chance of it.

I went this way too:
LCD2. Nighthawk. Sony Z7. Arya. Fostex th900. Sony Z1R. And finally Empyrean...
Musicality and fun always in first place!
A large but adequate scene. Some engaging warmth in the midrange. Solid bass under control. Details, yes, but in their proper place. Not attacking like a pack of angry hornets etc.
We can write a lot, but listening for yourself is the best way.

When I first heard the Empyrean in early 2019, I was coming from the LCD2C and the Empyrean certainly enchanted me.

 

[moby1974]

When I first heard the Empyrean in early 2019, I was coming from the LCD2C and the Empyrean certainly enchanted me.

Well, in the UK, I can only find a used one (in excellent condition) for £1580. Would that be classed as good? bargain lol

 

[tradyblix]

I have now finished thoroughly comparing the Angled Alcantara (AA) pads to the Elite Hybrid (EH) pads, Stock Leather (SL), and Stock Alcantara (SA) pads. The simple answer is that I prefer the EH to all, but here are more details according to each category. Keep in mind I love my HD650 and prefer a slightly darker, smoother headphone, so this is opinion driven.

Bass Quantity
SL > EH > SA = AA

Bass Quality
AA > EH > SL = SA

While the AA and SA pads have the least bass of all, they are my favourite for the overall bass experience given just how clean they sound. Gone is the mid-bass bloat of the leather-based pads, which the EH somewhat fixed. These present a bass experience of true flagship level now.

Mids Quality
AA > EH > SA > SL

Mids Quantity
EH > SL > AA = SA

The separation and layering in the mids created by the AA pads is their strength. The lower mids are now much better controlled and there is less of a "Nighthawk" effect to the sound. The EH also somewhat improved from the stock pads, but it introduced a slight "hollowness" to the sound. Hard to describe, but it sounds like there is slightly too much energy in the lower mids that, while warming things up, also added congestion in this region.

Treble Quantity (I couldn't really differentiate quality in this aspect as they all sound pretty good in this regard)
AA > SA > SL > EH

This is my biggest issue with the AA pads. The Empyrean, as with many planars, has too much of an emphasis above 10K. It's a dark headphone that somehow sounds slightly bright and metallic with certain tracks because of it. The EH pads toned this down from all the pads, and this is reaffirmed by prior measurements on the Elite when swapping the stock pads and EH. The AA accentuated it, and certain vocals just sound a bit too thin, piercing, and nasal-y as a result.

Soundstage
EH >= SL > SA > AA

The leather pads, particularly EH, improved the vertical height of the stage, while AA widened it at the expense of height. This may also be a result of the overall thinner sound created by the AA (and SA to a lesser extent). I prefer the EH staging here.

Imaging
AA > EH > SA > SL

The cleaner sound created by the AA certainly helps imaging and makes everything sound more precise. The EH also did this to a lesser extent.

While the AA certainly cleans up the Empyrean in many regards, the effect it has on tonal balance and long-term listening simply is not worth it for me, in my opinion. I will keep the pads anyway because they certainly change the sound a lot, and having the EH, AA, and EL is a nice combination. There is no need for the SA anymore as they are just worse than all the other pads in most elements (the AA does what the SA does much better, so those that prefer the SA will likely prefer the AA over the other pads).

I hope this helps those that were in my situation. I have definitely spent way too much time pad rolling my Empyreans and will now just enjoy the music

While I appreciate you doing this, you have a few issues. in particular Treble Quantity doesn't seem to make much sense (what you wrote vs how you ranked it with the shorthand)

 

[moby1974]

Just wondering, what happens if you get dust/hair in the driver? With the leather pads, there is no dust cover, so some dust will get in and no doubt small hairs. How would you clean them out, considering these drivers are like butterfly wings and will not take kindly to almost anything lol

 

[betula]

Just wondering, what happens if you get dust/hair in the driver? With the leather pads, there is no dust cover, so some dust will get in and no doubt small hairs. How would you clean them out, considering these drivers are like butterfly wings and will not take kindly to almost anything lol

I owned Empyrean/Elite headphones for 4 years altogether, never had an issue with dust/hair/skin getting on the transducers. Perhaps keeping the headphones on an omega stand helped a little bit too. I understand there are dustier environments and people's skin is different too, but never heard such problem regarding the Empyrean/Elite and I have been following these threads since the beginning. When it comes to the 109pro, that driver is a lot more exposed. I would worry about that one a little bit, but I guess time will tell how it holds up against dust and so on. I am pretty sure you can relax about this issue with the Empy.

 

[Toonartist]

Anyone who has concerns over dust and want to clear the dust, google "Camera Sensor Blower". Cheap and effective way to remove dust from sensitive electronics with zero contact. You don't need to get too close with it, just enough to disturb any dust.

I haven't checked mine in all honesty... may give them a quick inspection later and use the blower on them. If you do use one, make sure the open part of the head phone is pointing downward so any dislodged dust falls away from the driver.

Edit. Just check my Elites and couldn't see any build up but gave it a few puffs of the blower to be sure.

 

[Charente]

Might the magnetic field near the driver have any effect on dust, etc ? ... just a thought

 

[Shawn71]

This looks interesting

 

[moby1974]

I owned Empyrean/Elite headphones for 4 years altogether, never had an issue with dust/hair/skin getting on the transducers. Perhaps keeping the headphones on an omega stand helped a little bit too. I understand there are dustier environments and people's skin is different too, but never heard such problem regarding the Empyrean/Elite and I have been following these threads since the beginning. When it comes to the 109pro, that driver is a lot more exposed. I would worry about that one a little bit, but I guess time will tell how it holds up against dust and so on. I am pretty sure you can relax about this issue with the Empy.

I have one of those stands, but I just want to know for the future because once I changed my pads on the LCD2 and a tiny little hair got in. When I was listening to music, I could hear a weird sound, like a vibrating sound. I thought the driver had gone, but when I took the pad off and got some light on it, I found a tiny hair trapped. After I took it out, everything was fine, but ever since then, it's made me paranoid, even more so if there is no dust cover.

 

[moby1974]

Hi
What are people's thoughts on the hybrid pads on the Empyrean? I like the lower end and am not keen on the brighter Alcantara or the angled ones (someone bought them and was not impressed) Just wondering how the hybrids walk the fine line; what do they gain? lose?
Thanks

​

 

[Terozzzz]

Angled ones are gods gift to empyreans. I do not understand why someone dislikes them at all. Just goes way off my head....
They make all the shortcomings of empyreans just disappear.
Bass is better, Imaging is better and soundstage is better and treble is better.
It dont now need EQ at all.
Those pads make empyreans lift to the top dog class. It makes these +4000€ headphones, easily.

 

[turbofeet]

Hi
What are people's thoughts on the hybrid pads on the Empyrean? I like the lower end and am not keen on the brighter Alcantara or the angled ones (someone bought them and was not impressed) Just wondering how the hybrids walk the fine line; what do they gain? lose?
Thanks

Alcantara​

I used the Elite Hybrid pads for a while on the Empyrean's - they made them sound a bit more like the Elite's in general to me.

A little more detail, less bass bloat but still with good bass. I liked them but I think I prefer the Angled pads still. Jury is still out.

Bear in mind that I always preferred the standard Alcantara on the Empy's.

 

[moby1974]

Angled ones are gods gift to empyreans. I do not understand why someone dislikes them at all. Just goes way off my head....
They make all the shortcomings of empyreans just disappear.
Bass is better, Imaging is better and soundstage is better and treble is better.
It dont now need EQ at all.
Those pads make empyreans lift to the top dog class. It makes these +4000€ headphones, easily.

Confused now lol The last person who I chatted with tried them but went back to the Alcantara, which they love. They said it was $200 down the drain.

"First thing I noticed with these is how weird they feel. Since they aren't quite as thick as the stock pads, there is much less clamping pressure, and at first, it just feels unnatural, for lack of better words. As far as sound goes, it does clean up the mid-bass quite a bit, but as I mentioned earlier, it isn't often I actually hear the effect significantly. The treble also gains energy, and as the Empyrean is already considered a bit bright, I can see this being trouble for some people. Even I, a treble lover, thought it was a bit much at times. The soundstage is wayyy wider than the stock Alcantara pads for me, which I tended to love or hate depending on the track. Also, imaging was noticeably better with these pads."

 

[moby1974]

I used the Elite Hybrid pads for a while on the Empyrean's - they made them sound a bit more like the Elite's in general to me.

A little more detail, less bass bloat but still with good bass. I liked them but I think I prefer the Angled pads still. Jury is still out.

Bear in mind that I always preferred the standard Alcantara on the Empy's.

The annoying thing is not being able to try them. As per an Alcantara lover who got the angled ones and said they were a disappointment.