Sound Eq
Headphoneus Supremus
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thanks till any of the n8ii or m9 comes out, will use my mojo poly
RAZ's TOTL review and rambles thread, on life support
- Thread starter mvvRAZ
- Start date
blotmouse
Headphoneus Supremus
Cayin r-2r on R01 does not support MQA full hardware unfolding, so that's out. Old Android not something to worry about unless its 4 years in the future already and I missed it.
mvvRAZ
Headphoneus Supremus
Some teeny tiny updates!
Tried the Meze Liric today but was left pretty disappointed. It's okay I guess, very comfortable and rather small but something along the lines of the A12t just offers way way higher sound quality and technical ability (compared off the PAW6000). It was remarkably easy to drive though, and I was able to get a full FR out of the little Lotoo - not enough to persuade me all around though.
The Meze Elite on the other hand... might just be the most correct and balanced headphone I've tried so far - detailed impressions to follow, absolutely loving it so far
Tried the Meze Liric today but was left pretty disappointed. It's okay I guess, very comfortable and rather small but something along the lines of the A12t just offers way way higher sound quality and technical ability (compared off the PAW6000). It was remarkably easy to drive though, and I was able to get a full FR out of the little Lotoo - not enough to persuade me all around though.
The Meze Elite on the other hand... might just be the most correct and balanced headphone I've tried so far - detailed impressions to follow, absolutely loving it so far
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Is that a Phantom it's resting against?Some teeny tiny updates!
Tried the Meze Liric today but was left pretty disappointed. It's okay I guess, very comfortable and rather small but something along the lines of the A12t just offers way way higher sound quality and technical ability (compared off the PAW6000). It was remarkably easy to drive though, and I was able to get a full FR out of the little Lotoo - not enough to persuade me all around though.
The Meze Elite on the other hand... might just be the most correct and balanced headphone I've tried so far - detailed impressions to follow, absolutely loving it so far
Clearly, good doctor..
I really like that speaker - it's amazing at the low-end. Did you have a chance to listen to it?
I own a pair but mostly listen to headphones and IEMs...
I'd love a side-by-side with the LSX but I haven't been able to find them in the same room at a storeI own a pair but mostly listen to headphones and IEMs...
It's a major step up. I love them. They have lots of power, sound great, and are easy to control through Roon. The one drawback is that my living room isn't great acoustically, which is noticeable when turning up the volume. DSP in Roon helps, but this is in part why I often listen to my headphones/IEMs instead. And also because I'm usually not alone in the living room..
Still like having them around for when the coast is clear.
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proedros
Headphoneus Supremus
i see you have NT6 in your arsenal , which iem would you consider a significant upgrade / NT6 on steroids ?
mighty impressed with it , pairing it with a 1960s 2wire and the combo is delicious , TOTL sound for just 700+650 euros
mvvRAZ
Headphoneus Supremus
Has anyone had the chance to demo the A4S yet? I’m feeling a little tempted by it myself, looks interesting - maybe as a gym IEM of sorts
Also, the Elite review will be in parallel with the ifi Diablo - while the Elite is excellent, the Diablo to me is what I’d consider to be gamechanging, since it is the first portable amp that I’ve felt has given me close to 100% performance from planar open backs. Tried it with the LCD5 and the Meze, and it delivered in heaps with both. Incredible amp by @iFi audio, I’ll be receiving my unit tomorrow and starting proper testing then
Also, the Elite review will be in parallel with the ifi Diablo - while the Elite is excellent, the Diablo to me is what I’d consider to be gamechanging, since it is the first portable amp that I’ve felt has given me close to 100% performance from planar open backs. Tried it with the LCD5 and the Meze, and it delivered in heaps with both. Incredible amp by @iFi audio, I’ll be receiving my unit tomorrow and starting proper testing then
mvvRAZ
Headphoneus Supremus
Let's talk Meze Audio Elite!
I have had a rather mixed experience with Meze. The Rai Penta I did not like at all because of its poor treble extension and overly forgiving/non-existent personality, the Empyrean I found rather pleasant and smooth but too smooth for my tastes - it lacked that sparkle and excitement in the treble area for me to really consider owning it on a more long-term basis.
In comes the Elite... the newest and greatest flagship, with a price tag that will make you wake up in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat, pondering the meaning of life... what have I done
This review/impressions post won't really look at the Empyrean Elite from a value perspective since that's a battle that's obviously been lost before it was fought, but rather in comparison to some other flagships like the Diana Phi, the 1266TC and to a lesser degree the LCD5 and Utopia
Starting off with the build quality as usual, Meze have few rivals there - incredibly light and comfortable, stunning design, classy color combination and a crap stock cable - soon to be replaced by @doctorjuggles. The comfort on the Empyrean Elite really is the best I've experienced from any brand, they kinda disappear on your head - even Focal can't come close and I consider their headphones pretty ergonomic. *Abyss has left the chat*
The sound of Elite would IMHO be best described as a gentle V shape, which can either go towards a flatter signature or a more L-shaped one depending on the source and pads. I found that the treble on the Elite was pretty consistent across all sources I tried it with (the MHA150, the Ifi Diablo and the SP2000T), but the bass varied a fair bit - the alcantara pads boosted the low end by a substantial amount, which is why I've resorted to using the stock leather ones all of the time. The reason why I'm leaning towards a V is the midrange recession more so than a bass/treble boost (which is the case with the 1266TC for example).
The bass on the Elite is almost revolutionary in that it is an open back that produces an actual midbass thump that doesn't shy away the way most other headphones do. It doesn't sound hollow and plasticky like that of the Utopia, it is full and deep with an excellent balance between speed and texture. The balance leans closer to a mid-bass focus than a sub-bass one to me, but in reality you get plenty of both. I find it doesn't muddy up the signature either since the quantity is just slightly north of neutral by IEM standards (which I suppose headphone folks might consider as quite bassy), and it has exceptional speed in order to keep the separation on point.
The midrange on the Elite is what I'd expect to be the most divisive (without having read any reviews). The upper midrange is very flat, almost recessed, which gives vocals more body than clarity - to be entirely honest vocal clarity is somewhat medicore, the headphones give a relatively high priority to instruments. Considering that I bought the Elite to use it pretty much all day every day (WFH), I'd say that is a distinct advantage because of how un-fatiguing the resulting signature is. I can also play just about anything on it, from pop to rock to 90s rap without any harshness or shoutyness. The midrange is most reminiscent of that of the Diana Phi to me, but with a little more body and lower mids and without that 10k peak.
I'd personally describe it as quite natural/neutral and un-enhanced in terms of clarity/resolution, with some focus on the lower midrange.
The treble on the Elite is the main difference between it and the OG Empyrean. Generally speaking, open backs tend to be the undisputed kings of treble to me, and the Elite is no exception. The treble quantity is just a hint above neutral, staying clean and inoffensive at all times but offering a very high level of resolution and extension. No harshness or peaks of any kind, keeping vocals free of sibilance entirely irrespective of the recording.
On technical ability, the Elite is certainly up there, but I'd say slightly behind in terms of resolution and staging compared to other TOTLs such as the 1266TC, Utopia and LCD5. I'd say it's comparable to the Diana Phi, where it sacrifices some detail and clarity for a more everyday-friendly signature. Staging width and depth are excellent, with proper TOTL dynamics and a pitch-black background. Great overall, without being best in class.
Where the Empyrean is to me the undisputed No1 TOTL is in how good of an EDC it is (I guess you won't be "carrying" it anywhere but you get my point). The Elite is for one of those days where you want to shuffle play your entire library with the comfort of knowing everything you play on it will sound at least great. To add to that, if your music preferences tend to be skewed towards more mainstream stuff that sound awful on gear with hyper-boosted resolution, the Elite pretty much has no match.
The Elite's everyday status is only further re-enforced by how light and comfortable it is - I use them for a solid 10-12 hours a day while working with 0 fatigue of any kind - I can't say the same about any IEM or headphone that I've tried. Considering that my headphone usage is more of a morning-till-night kind of thing, I'd say that no other headphone I've tried comes close to the Elite as an all-rounder.
Love on first sight for me, and takes the spot for my favourite open-back headphone <3
Apologies for the terrible photo, will take a better one with @doctorjuggles' cable
I have had a rather mixed experience with Meze. The Rai Penta I did not like at all because of its poor treble extension and overly forgiving/non-existent personality, the Empyrean I found rather pleasant and smooth but too smooth for my tastes - it lacked that sparkle and excitement in the treble area for me to really consider owning it on a more long-term basis.
In comes the Elite... the newest and greatest flagship, with a price tag that will make you wake up in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat, pondering the meaning of life... what have I done
This review/impressions post won't really look at the Empyrean Elite from a value perspective since that's a battle that's obviously been lost before it was fought, but rather in comparison to some other flagships like the Diana Phi, the 1266TC and to a lesser degree the LCD5 and Utopia
Starting off with the build quality as usual, Meze have few rivals there - incredibly light and comfortable, stunning design, classy color combination and a crap stock cable - soon to be replaced by @doctorjuggles. The comfort on the Empyrean Elite really is the best I've experienced from any brand, they kinda disappear on your head - even Focal can't come close and I consider their headphones pretty ergonomic. *Abyss has left the chat*
The sound of Elite would IMHO be best described as a gentle V shape, which can either go towards a flatter signature or a more L-shaped one depending on the source and pads. I found that the treble on the Elite was pretty consistent across all sources I tried it with (the MHA150, the Ifi Diablo and the SP2000T), but the bass varied a fair bit - the alcantara pads boosted the low end by a substantial amount, which is why I've resorted to using the stock leather ones all of the time. The reason why I'm leaning towards a V is the midrange recession more so than a bass/treble boost (which is the case with the 1266TC for example).
The bass on the Elite is almost revolutionary in that it is an open back that produces an actual midbass thump that doesn't shy away the way most other headphones do. It doesn't sound hollow and plasticky like that of the Utopia, it is full and deep with an excellent balance between speed and texture. The balance leans closer to a mid-bass focus than a sub-bass one to me, but in reality you get plenty of both. I find it doesn't muddy up the signature either since the quantity is just slightly north of neutral by IEM standards (which I suppose headphone folks might consider as quite bassy), and it has exceptional speed in order to keep the separation on point.
The midrange on the Elite is what I'd expect to be the most divisive (without having read any reviews). The upper midrange is very flat, almost recessed, which gives vocals more body than clarity - to be entirely honest vocal clarity is somewhat medicore, the headphones give a relatively high priority to instruments. Considering that I bought the Elite to use it pretty much all day every day (WFH), I'd say that is a distinct advantage because of how un-fatiguing the resulting signature is. I can also play just about anything on it, from pop to rock to 90s rap without any harshness or shoutyness. The midrange is most reminiscent of that of the Diana Phi to me, but with a little more body and lower mids and without that 10k peak.
I'd personally describe it as quite natural/neutral and un-enhanced in terms of clarity/resolution, with some focus on the lower midrange.
The treble on the Elite is the main difference between it and the OG Empyrean. Generally speaking, open backs tend to be the undisputed kings of treble to me, and the Elite is no exception. The treble quantity is just a hint above neutral, staying clean and inoffensive at all times but offering a very high level of resolution and extension. No harshness or peaks of any kind, keeping vocals free of sibilance entirely irrespective of the recording.
On technical ability, the Elite is certainly up there, but I'd say slightly behind in terms of resolution and staging compared to other TOTLs such as the 1266TC, Utopia and LCD5. I'd say it's comparable to the Diana Phi, where it sacrifices some detail and clarity for a more everyday-friendly signature. Staging width and depth are excellent, with proper TOTL dynamics and a pitch-black background. Great overall, without being best in class.
Where the Empyrean is to me the undisputed No1 TOTL is in how good of an EDC it is (I guess you won't be "carrying" it anywhere but you get my point). The Elite is for one of those days where you want to shuffle play your entire library with the comfort of knowing everything you play on it will sound at least great. To add to that, if your music preferences tend to be skewed towards more mainstream stuff that sound awful on gear with hyper-boosted resolution, the Elite pretty much has no match.
The Elite's everyday status is only further re-enforced by how light and comfortable it is - I use them for a solid 10-12 hours a day while working with 0 fatigue of any kind - I can't say the same about any IEM or headphone that I've tried. Considering that my headphone usage is more of a morning-till-night kind of thing, I'd say that no other headphone I've tried comes close to the Elite as an all-rounder.
Love on first sight for me, and takes the spot for my favourite open-back headphone <3
Apologies for the terrible photo, will take a better one with @doctorjuggles' cable
How would you say the sound compares/contrasts to the VE EXT? Because the way you described the EXT, Elite seems to be that in a headphone.Let's talk Meze Audio Elite!
I have had a rather mixed experience with Meze. The Rai Penta I did not like at all because of its poor treble extension and overly forgiving/non-existent personality, the Empyrean I found rather pleasant and smooth but too smooth for my tastes - it lacked that sparkle and excitement in the treble area for me to really consider owning it on a more long-term basis.
In comes the Elite... the newest and greatest flagship, with a price tag that will make you wake up in the middle of the night drenched in cold sweat, pondering the meaning of life... what have I done
This review/impressions post won't really look at the Empyrean Elite from a value perspective since that's a battle that's obviously been lost before it was fought, but rather in comparison to some other flagships like the Diana Phi, the 1266TC and to a lesser degree the LCD5 and Utopia
Starting off with the build quality as usual, Meze have few rivals there - incredibly light and comfortable, stunning design, classy color combination and a crap stock cable - soon to be replaced by @doctorjuggles. The comfort on the Empyrean Elite really is the best I've experienced from any brand, they kinda disappear on your head - even Focal can't come close and I consider their headphones pretty ergonomic. *Abyss has left the chat*
The sound of Elite would IMHO be best described as a gentle V shape, which can either go towards a flatter signature or a more L-shaped one depending on the source and pads. I found that the treble on the Elite was pretty consistent across all sources I tried it with (the MHA150, the Ifi Diablo and the SP2000T), but the bass varied a fair bit - the alcantara pads boosted the low end by a substantial amount, which is why I've resorted to using the stock leather ones all of the time. The reason why I'm leaning towards a V is the midrange recession more so than a bass/treble boost (which is the case with the 1266TC for example).
The bass on the Elite is almost revolutionary in that it is an open back that produces an actual midbass thump that doesn't shy away the way most other headphones do. It doesn't sound hollow and plasticky like that of the Utopia, it is full and deep with an excellent balance between speed and texture. The balance leans closer to a mid-bass focus than a sub-bass one to me, but in reality you get plenty of both. I find it doesn't muddy up the signature either since the quantity is just slightly north of neutral by IEM standards (which I suppose headphone folks might consider as quite bassy), and it has exceptional speed in order to keep the separation on point.
The midrange on the Elite is what I'd expect to be the most divisive (without having read any reviews). The upper midrange is very flat, almost recessed, which gives vocals more body than clarity - to be entirely honest vocal clarity is somewhat medicore, the headphones give a relatively high priority to instruments. Considering that I bought the Elite to use it pretty much all day every day (WFH), I'd say that is a distinct advantage because of how un-fatiguing the resulting signature is. I can also play just about anything on it, from pop to rock to 90s rap without any harshness or shoutyness. The midrange is most reminiscent of that of the Diana Phi to me, but with a little more body and lower mids and without that 10k peak.
I'd personally describe it as quite natural/neutral and un-enhanced in terms of clarity/resolution, with some focus on the lower midrange.
The treble on the Elite is the main difference between it and the OG Empyrean. Generally speaking, open backs tend to be the undisputed kings of treble to me, and the Elite is no exception. The treble quantity is just a hint above neutral, staying clean and inoffensive at all times but offering a very high level of resolution and extension. No harshness or peaks of any kind, keeping vocals free of sibilance entirely irrespective of the recording.
On technical ability, the Elite is certainly up there, but I'd say slightly behind in terms of resolution and staging compared to other TOTLs such as the 1266TC, Utopia and LCD5. I'd say it's comparable to the Diana Phi, where it sacrifices some detail and clarity for a more everyday-friendly signature. Staging width and depth are excellent, with proper TOTL dynamics and a pitch-black background. Great overall, without being best in class.
Where the Empyrean is to me the undisputed No1 TOTL is in how good of an EDC it is (I guess you won't be "carrying" it anywhere but you get my point). The Elite is for one of those days where you want to shuffle play your entire library with the comfort of knowing everything you play on it will sound at least great. To add to that, if your music preferences tend to be skewed towards more mainstream stuff that sound awful on gear with hyper-boosted resolution, the Elite pretty much has no match.
The Elite's everyday status is only further re-enforced by how light and comfortable it is - I use them for a solid 10-12 hours a day while working with 0 fatigue of any kind - I can't say the same about any IEM or headphone that I've tried. Considering that my headphone usage is more of a morning-till-night kind of thing, I'd say that no other headphone I've tried comes close to the Elite as an all-rounder.
Love on first sight for me, and takes the spot for my favourite open-back headphone <3
Apologies for the terrible photo, will take a better one with @doctorjuggles' cable
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