Right now it’s on my head and I love it so far. I just read your review and I agree every word of it. Everything feels clearer and more open. My favorite is still the og alcantara because it’s fun (my preference is fun) but now for critcal listening or for classical ,blues, jazz, I’ll use the angled alcantara pads. Very happy with it!
I agree. I always preferred the OG Alcantara as well on the original Empy.Right now it’s on my head and I love it so far. I just read your review and I agree every word of it. Everything feels clearer and more open. My favorite is still the og alcantara because it’s fun (my preference is fun) but now for critcal listening or for classical ,blues, jazz, I’ll use the angled alcantara pads. Very happy with it!
Excellent review of the Angle Alcantara pads! You sum up perfectly why I use them 99% of the time on my Elite.Dear friends here is an updated and detailed Meze Angled Alcantara pads review now including impressions with both the Elite and the Empyrean.
I'm not sure I understand this move either, most of the reviews I've seen so far are from ppl who disliked (hated?) the OG Empyrean, who now say that Empyrean 2 is fantastic. This tells me that these are 2 pretty different headphones, and it would make much more sense to have both in the product line. You see this from Audeze, ZMF and others, so I'm scratching my head what Meze is thinking here.
Well done! I’m pretty sure I would f that up and then only have the one set of pads. Much better for me was to just purchase the AA pads and be sure to have all 3OK...so not being impressed with having to pay £160 or so just for some new pads, and already having saved £$thousands by making my own high spec cables etc, I decided to bite the bullet and attack my SAs. And actually, the task turned out to be far easier and quicker than I ever imagined.
Some pics with explanation below :
Basically, the Alcantara covering is simply pulled back from the frame to expose the foam, which can then be cut to the size required - ie the fronts to about 23mm (as per Meze's pads) and slanted slightly towards the back...making sure the correct side of each cup is narrowed!! As my pads have already compressed somewhat, I didn't bother pulling the covering right back, making the job easier...the Meze's AA pads' backs being 33mm as opposed to SA's new ones 35/36mm all round (mine are already less than that).
Once the foam is cut, the covering is pulled back, the excess trimmed and edges glued to the frame...I personally like Gorilla glue products the best, and their superglue did this job to perfection. About an hour's job in all, and I'm more than happy at the result...especially with the saving made lol
Hopefully this is something others might fancy tackling and save themselves precious $$££...CHEERS!
. Mind you, I was tempted last night to crank up the volume somewhat to immerse myself in the glorious sound and so, no doubt, nearly reached brain overload...you can have too much of a good thing!
The Empyrean's are great at what they do. With the release of the Empyrean 2, the OG's have been discontinued. Meaning the sound signature of OG's are gone forever. I'm hanging onto my set for the reasons you just described.Thanks N...I can fully understand your trepidation at such an exercise if not confident with DIY on hifi gear...surely better to play safe and fork out the $£!
After just an hour's listening last night I must admit to being very surprised at the effect of such a simple mod, even though already a fan of angled drivers. And as others have stated, improvements in bass, clarity, detail resolution - or, more accurately, the precision of separation/placement/ensuant imaging/spatial staging, etc, are quite significant. And in addition to the system tweaks recently mentioned, including changing source to a Denon DCD 1600 NE (SA)CD player as transport, this has solidified my refusal to get the Elites...or even consider Empy11. In fact I definitely do NOT need, or want any more 'resolution', stage enlargement, or greater dynamic presentation - it's already going to take me a while to get readgusted to this new sound, 'better' though it certainly is in so many ways! Years of more laid back 'easy' listening/'comfortable socks' syndrome take their toll lol!
Count me suitably impressed...and thanks to those who gave accurate assessments of this 'magic trick' - too often 'impressions' can be very varied and off the mark...this one's a no-brainer, to be sure ...
ps. OG Empy's prowess with sub bass is now mind blowing, and IMHO better than the Elite, and probably Empy11, given the spec change from 4Hz to 8?...
Yeah, I upgraded the DAC module in my Bifrost2 around the same time I got the AA pads for my Empy, and my thoughts line up pretty much exactly as yours here.Thanks N...I can fully understand your trepidation at such an exercise if not confident with DIY on hifi gear...surely better to play safe and fork out the $£!
After just an hour's listening last night I must admit to being very surprised at the effect of such a simple mod, even though already a fan of angled drivers. And as others have stated, improvements in bass, clarity, detail resolution - or, more accurately, the precision of separation/placement/ensuant imaging/spatial staging, etc, are quite significant. And in addition to the system tweaks recently mentioned, including changing source to a Denon DCD 1600 NE (SA)CD player as transport, this has solidified my refusal to get the Elites...or even consider EmpyII. In fact I definitely do NOT need, or want any more 'resolution', stage enlargement, or greater dynamic presentation - it's already going to take me a while to get readgusted to this new sound, 'better' though it certainly is in so many ways! Years of more laid back 'easy' listening/'comfortable socks' syndrome take their toll lol!
Count me suitably impressed...and thanks to those who gave accurate assessments of this 'magic trick' - too often 'impressions' can be very varied and off the mark...this one's a no-brainer, to be sure ...
ps. OG Empy's prowess with sub bass is now mind blowing, and IMHO better than the Elite, and probably EmpyII, given the spec change from 4Hz to 8?...
OK...although normally sceptical of very early impressions of any sort of gear change, given the notoriously short - and fickle! nature of auditory memory, it's quite clear that this (simple) trick of angling the pads and (also) resultant shortening of the distance between drivers and ears brings the kinds of change/improvement that is normally reserved for much more major, and expensive alterations in the system. This has proved the case with every one of my favourite tracks used hundreds of times in years of testing, and still leaves me somewhat bewildered!
In my own system, there is now, more than ever, no sign whatsoever of 'muddiness'; bass b(l)oom/bloat/smearing into higher frequencies; deficiencies in clarity, positioning/imaging/3 dimensionality, coherence, overall balance/tonality/control...just for starters. And the extended treble remains wonderfully smooth, detailed, sibilant-free, and in no way lacking 'sparkle'. All this within the blackest background one could wish for.
Plus, as I have mentioned previously, imparting (for me) a sense of true soul, for want of a better word...delivered so effortlessly and generously. I would also add, with intimacy...and not in that negative fashion of being too forward, especially with vocals. Both male and female voices - when well recorded that is!, draw me/you into sharing their space...an already attractive feature of the original Empys (and pads) IMHO, but now even more so. To call this 'warmth' is almost an insult as far as I'm concerned - the experience goes much deeper than that, and is worth its weight in gold... a rare phenomenon I suspect, even in cans considerably more expensive.
In short, the years of research and experimentation that went into creating the Empyrean bore fruit that intrinsically needed no further alteration (apart from angling the drivers lol!). After all that, I'm sure they would never have considered releasing it to market if anyone at Meze suspected really significant flaws. As with so many other pieces of hifi equipment, there's a host of reasons why opinions will always differ...and, along with everything else you care to name, the words - said or implied : "New improved" are guaranteed to make me shudder lol!!
And so...long live Empyrean1...RIP. HAPPY LISTENING TO ALL!
)I love Meze but would not say £200 for a pair of earpads is a good price. Most of the competition sells quality leather earpads for significantly less money: ZMF £70, LCD5 £100, Susvara £130, D8000Pro £130. Only Abyss is more shameless with £350 for a pair of 1266 pads.I mean you and @Ichos sold me (except for the DIY part
https://mezeaudio.com/collections/accessories/products/angled-alcantara-ear-pads
Not a bad price for a noticeable/welcome change to the sound profile, even if to add some variety in your listening. I may just wait to see if black Friday will bump the price down a smidge.
