Planar headphones like no other - Meze Empyrean

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00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Build, Design & Comfort
02:24 - Sound: Subjective
06:45 - Sound: Objective
07:36 - Conclusion

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Just for reference, this is the Meze Empyrean Phoenix Edition, which is an aesthetic change from the default one, but I'm told the sound is intended to be the same.

[@NyteStalker89]

I REALLY like that color combo. It just looks soooooo good

[@metal571]

That GoldenSound quote is exactly what I said back when I reviewed these things. An amazingly built offering but the sound will not impress the very picky audiophiles among us. I found it very enjoyable for modern music, but once you start comparing the sound quality to other planars it loses pretty quickly

[@HiLoMusic]

I think this is more the subtle offering than the extremes other planars offer. It has the detail of other expensive planars but they’re not emphasized as strongly in the upper-register. Perhaps this creates the illusion that they don’t hold up, but I genuinely think this in itself makes it the best sound signature for long listening times with its build being extremely comfortable as well.

[@metal571]

I still don't think the, as Andrew would call it "internal detail", is present here, but it is indeed a laid back easy listen that is distinct from the other planars

[@LordVictorHalgaard]

Yea, when I first tried them they made me think of the original Sennheiser Momentum honestly… which I did love - but those aren’t 3000 :P

[@fatdoi003]

there are people who buy hifi and people who buy B&O....

[@dasninjastix]

Just to lend to the perspective of "who is this for?", I'm currently shopping an Empyrean (but not at MSRP) for the reasons you specify. I want to be able to enjoy all of the music I listen to, the quality and the garbage. It guess it makes sense why some folks get up in arms regarding the sound quality of Meze if they're listening for accuracy or just enjoy listening analytically. That's not really my use case. I'm not sure I know what "audiophile" music is but judging from many a shared playlist from reviewers it doesn't seem to be stuff I'm into. Ultimately I'm looking for the king of the open back bass head's cans and then working out how much I'm willing to invest for that experience. The distinctions you make for movie watching or gaming is also makes them appealing. While I could pursue the Elite, I just don't know that I need the added resolution. I have an Arya and a Stellia and the Arya is just about as far as I want to go resolution-wise with the Stellia going a fair bit too far. Great bass and dynamics from the Stellia, but it absolutely reveals and emphasizes poorly recorded music. Thanks for the info, I think this helps me to confirm that the Empyrean is likely worth the buy for my usage.

[@heyguyslolGAMING]

I've owned my Empyrean's now for about 8 months. I won't go into the audiophile detail as DMS has because I don't feel I'm the best judge of character on that front. However, you mentioned gaming. These cans are NOT good for 3D gaming, 2D gaming sure np there. The imaging often times gets cut off as you pan the in game camera around your char. Sound effects will get lost as you pan the camera between the 3 oclock to 5 oclock and again from 7 oclock to the 9 oclock rotation. This can be remedied if you swap off the leather pads and apply the alcantara pads but then you loose all that wonderful bass. The cans I primarily use now for gaming are a toss up between the Focal Clear MG's and the Sony Z1R's. Both have fantastic imaging & 3D sound stage (yes, the Z1R's close back stage & image just as good if not better than the FC's). I ran some tests w/ God of War 2018 to find the "Eye's of Odin" hidden in the world and tested the Empyrean's, MG's and Z1R's to locate them by focusing on just listening since they are not visible. The FC's and Z1R's were spot on to not only pin point direction but also elevation. The Empyreans failed horribly at that test. 2D games on the other hand such as platformers work pretty well. I often times will mute the ingame music and play something off of Qobuz which makes for an enjoyable experience but I don't 2D game that much. I don't know how much you plan to want to use the Empyreans for gaming but this is something I wish I knew before buying them. I still enjoy using them but was very disappointed when I learned they do not work well for gaming. Hope this helps gluck.

[@juliangreen73]

I just got the Empyreans and enjoy the extra bass power and rumble to more neutral headphones - I had stax L700s before and just missed the impact... that said, I have used Oratory1990 EQ and that is a very Harmon-like sound signature - spot on I'd say, Very enjoyable.

[@dasninjastix]

@@heyguyslolGAMING This hasn't been my experience, not to discount yours but running the Empyreans from an optical input via an HDMI extractor to a Mojo 2.. gaming with them has been a delight. I primarily play From Software games so a lot of Elden Ring and Bloodborne with some Forza sprinkled in. Haven't had any issues with imaging, especially with positionally locating things in the environment. I've trialed them against a HiFiMan Arya v3, a Focal Radiance, a Campfire Cascade, and a DCA Noire. Haven't found them to be any less capable comparatively. I don't play online shooters so I can't speak to them as a competitive tool. For immersive gameplay however they're very enjoyable. Unless I need the sound isolation they're my go to default. Having owned the Empyrean for a little while now I find myself enjoying my music catalog a bit more and listening for longer. I know folks chase "accuracy" and "resolution" however you want to define those attributes, but the Empyreans sound (to me) like a really good hifi stereo system on my head. They don't sound like a tool for analysis. I hate saying they sound natural or organic but, well, there you go. They just sound like pleasing. They make the music sound a bit rounded, with more body, less edge but not blunted, smooth but not blurred, with longer decay than the average planar. I haven't found them technically deficient in the least, it just seems like they're meant for long, enjoyable listening sessions, be it music, movies, or games.

[@brandonburr4900]

As long as this headphone has been put, I can't believe DMS is finally reviewing it. Next up is the elite version. Thank you!

[@The_Hipster_Cow]

Lmao that golden sound quote was taken directly from Metal571. I believe that he said, "It has the sound of a $2000 headphone and the build of a $6000 headphone which I guess makes $3000"

[@juliangreen73]

I just got the Empyreans and enjoy the extra bass power and rumble to more neutral headphones - I had stax L700s before and DC Ether C Flow 1.1s and just missed the impact... that said, I have used Oratory1990 EQ settings on this and that is a very Harmon-like sound signature - spot on I'd say, Very enjoyable.

[@nicholaswilks580]

great review. I would like to see more affordable headphones reviewed please, because I would love an affordable pair with similar sonic characteristics (bass extension that you can feel and soundstage). I don't need detail and resolution, I just want subbass extension and the ability to hear sounds coming from all around me.

[@chungang7037]

you mean you want a oval shaped soundstage and not just left/right?

[@-germancarnivore-]

I‘d love to see A DMS review of the Meze Elite!

[@atypicalaudio]

Looking at the red, isnt this specific model the Empyrean Phoenix? Another thousand buckaroonies on top of the regular empyrean. Got to listen to an empyrean a few months back, blew me away. Will be thinking about that Arya tho!

[@leighjames752]

Owned this headphone from new for 2 years and I have loved it. Type of headphone you get if you just want to enjoy music for long periods. Build quality is a must at the high end of headphones, American cans are the worst imo. Loved these so much I just got the elites in dark mystery paint job.

[@casualmime2792]

Just hear to defend ZMFas an American company. Hifiman and other chili has some pretty bad qc too in my experience.

[@annabelle6197]

I feel like the more I see reviews of really expensive headphones, the more I'm happy with the 500 dollars worth of equipment right now

[@0rogontorogon]

While I can't speak for the Empyreans, I have Elites which are viewed in a similar light by reviewers who have tested them both. Imo the Elites are the perfect headphones for listening in the evening after work. Something about the sound just invites you to keep listening. Despite their looks they are the audiophile equivalent of your favourite sweatpants. Not the most fancy technicalities, but damn they are comfortable and just sound so nice and relaxing. Also they are perfect for gaming (big soundstage, accurate imaging). A perfect supplement would be an extremely detailed/revealing headphone. Best of both worlds!

[@The8blackwidow8]

Shouldn't that binural aspect you described be measurable besides the FRF? I would be very interested to see phase responses and acoustic velocity measurements on the membrane.

[@scottpolston6137]

Man it sounds like this headphone is for me I’m gonna look for one of these or massive a lcdx and xc what would you recommend DMS I’m currently running a lcd2 a gl2000 a campfire cascade and meze 99 plus a few others but the lcd2 and cascade are my go goo’s I’m sure you see a running theme with my kit I love bass so what would you rec as a potential upgrade I rock the lcd most of the time though

[@corndog9482]

Could anyone who has the Elite compare the sound of them compared to a Oppo PM-2? I know they are in completely different price tiers, but in terms of sound signature, how would you compare them? I ask since both are considered to be "warm"/"relaxed".

[@mini-337]

DMS what track did you feel vertical imaging the most while testing?

[@kentbergstrom3020]

How are vocals represented, up in your face as Sennheiser 600 series or more in depth? I prefer some distance to the vocals.

[@kennychin1054]

Is the JDS Element III review still coming out? I'm waiting for that one!

[@humanbass]

Any plans of reviewing the Elite?

[@Berkanann]

Would be nice to hear your take on the Elite as I think it is a big improvement on the Empyrean.

[@thelastrhino2581]

What do we want to see in the future? ZMF Atrium review.

[@mikelarry88888]

Any chance of a top 5 headphones with regard to resolution ( soundstage not being a factor)? Also best resolution pair for $1000 or under. Thanks!!

[@hartyewh1]

If you don't care much about soundstage then try the HE6se v2 for the $600 open-box price. Excellent by every measure and better than the LCD-X at least, but soundstage is basic at best.

[@sjqideez6626]

Arguably the most resolving headphone of them all (it’s actually an earspeaker) is the Raal SR1A. This includes the Shangri-La Sr & Orpheus HE1. I’d say the most resolving headphone under $1K is a Stax Lambda Pro or Stax Lambda Signature.

[@mikelarry88888]

Thanks, guys 👍

[@ByStephenJones]

I want to try the stealth so bad…

[@GadZookz]

Thanks DMS. Great production quality on the video! But isn‘t there a false equivalence in Golden Sound’s analogy of great BQ and middling SQ balancing out to a good price. A $1k build with a $5k sound could be $3k well spent but not the other way around.

[@hartyewh1]

Apparently to some the comfort and looks are as important as SQ. I don't know why such people are into audio, but to each their own.

[@Mosamania]

@@hartyewh1 after going through tens of headphones from my own experience think of it like this, great sound is why you put a headphone on your head, great build and comfort is why you keep them on your head.

[@h.hristov]

@@hartyewh1 i cant imagine wearing an uncomfortable headphone for more than 10 minutes

[@hartyewh1]

@@h.hristov For some, like myself, there aren't many uncomfortable headphones on the market. The HEDDphone and some over-ears are almost it. If I was much more sensitive to the comfort I might agree, but as it stands it means almost nothing to me.

[@h.hristov]

@@hartyewh1 Yeah, that's understandable. I've got huge ears though so I have to take that into account haha

[@beepover]

Is it better then the planar iem's s12 at 170 usd or timeless at 220 usd?

[@randgris77]

I have a timeless and heard the Empyrean/Elite. I think the timeless has a more neutral tonality than both but otherwise, the Mezes are better at everything. Iems just can't beat a headphone even when both are of a similar price range. That said, I do think the Mezes are not that good compared to open-back headphones of similar price such as the Utopia or the HE1000v2.

[@Damien_N]

The empyrean is a fabulous thing to experience and touch. But I think Meze’s best sounding headphone is the Liric.

[@Decenium]

I wanna know what its like compared to the other stealth, the Dan Clark Stealth

[@x32i77]

Stealth doesn't sound warm , it's a bit metallic but very detailed . It has an 8khz peak which can be tweaked by -4db in the eq . It is very hard to drive . It's amazing with Abba where voices are in front of you . Instrumental music also very accurate . I had both headphone at the same time and I kept my Meze Empyrean

[@Metrallaroja]

DMS dan clark stealth review when :)

[@paullong1093]

not sure what dms has done with the video production, but at times i felt the video speed was on 0.75, in fact i had to check, just to be sure. why you speaking slow? it feels un-natural or something is off.

[@h.hristov]

You must have a fast-paced life. Him speaking slowly represents the calming effect of the Empyrean

[@PhoggHawk]

The Phoenix version, as seen here, would be the one I'd go for, money not being an object. Those are fricken beautiful!

[@fatdoi003]

maybe you haven't seen a stabilized ZMF yet....

[@kyron42]

Why no livestream yesterday? Is Andrew sick?

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

No, I'm just out of town. Most likely be back for next weekend.

[@kyron42]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow I'll be looking forward to it even if only the replay.

[@thelastrhino2581]

I'm a simple man. I see a DMS review, I click Like.

[@whollymindless]

That Red though... (Yes, capitalized because it is not just red but Red.)

[@aracari]

I think this headphone is the "conventionally good" endgame. It's not for purist wanting perfect sound, but rather it's more fun focused with a best in class build.

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

But you can get that for drastically less than the empyrean. The philosophy behind that, i completely agree with, but not at this price. Only when money is simply no longer a object.

[@XemnasTM]

@@enjoshi-godrez8775 the only headphones on the market of similar build quality are Abyss headphones which are all super clinical and equal or greater in price....

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

@@XemnasTM I mean its sound. There are headphones like the fidelio x2 that have exceptional build quality for $150. Its still overpriced in every respect unless its ONLY to look at them. Then yes, there is no substitution for the empyrean or elite.

[@Michael_mki233]

@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Well, yeah, but at this kind of price any headphone should be a "when money is no longer an object". This is well beyond the point of diminishing returns for anything in this hobby.

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

@@Michael_mki233 thats not how that works. Demonising returns are entirely subjective and personal. It is always fallacious to use them as a argument, as thats a mistranslation of what that word means IN THIS CONTEXT. Let's give a example. If we think of the clarity and detail of a headphone like a window. The difference between one of the best headphones in the $1-2k category and a TOTL headphone is the window being spotless, and the window not being there at all. If you want the window to no longer exist, then you are willing to pay how ever much more it cost to get that. To that guy, its ENTIRELY worth its value, therfore there value of demonising returns never applied as to get that experience, they could pay NO LESS for it. Now the reason such a headphone is considered as 'beyond demonising returns' to you is because you DONT value that requirement to its cost of reaching that point. Both of you are completely valid, because its COMPLETELY subjective and therfore cannot be used in the context of proving anything exept your personal investment in this hobby, which no offense, I have no interest in.

[@MegaFlackFerry]

Please review the Meze Elite and compare it with Meze Empyrean.

[@hartyewh1]

Tonally better, not a mess like the Empyrean. Some highs that the Empyrean lack. Low-end is more controlled, but not impressive in extension or macro contrast. Good for relaxing, but nothing else.

[@wiriadinata]

Agree....

[@ItsZim0]

DMS voice just got a bass boost

[@marekkouril7134]

Why no earpad comparison? I much prefer Empyrean with Alcantara pads. It sounds veiled and dark with leather pads. Is this review based only on listening with leather pads?

[@sjqideez6626]

Exactly, unlike Abyss headphones (and many others) the Meze Empyrean comes with 2 different ear pads made with different materials that affect the sound & the comfort. To review it without even mentioning that is poor. Also absolutely no mention of imaging & separation about it too. Disappointing.

[@wille769]

I agree, the Empys are totally different with the Alcantara pads, they really even out some of that midbass and frequency response in general, more of a dark neutral, and widens up the soundstage and separation in general. The Elite pads are a good compromise too, a little more focus than the Alcantaras without the boominess of the OG leather pads.

[@HakuTheBrat]

Is it just me or has his voice dropped like half an octave?

[@carminedesanto6746]

So…a definite step up from my 650’s 🧐

[@chefsteve8381]

Andrew where are you ? we found another topping A90 lover...

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

One day he will see the light :p - Naw we're bound to have different opinions.

[@CriPPleR_HD]

Can’t speak for the Meze Empyrean, but the Meze Elite blew me away for gaming! Elite is great for music but absolutely S Tier, TOTL, End Game for gaming! Critical Hits in games like Elden Ring have so much impact, operating a lift is bone chillingly deep, strings in music are rendered with so much emotion, and positioning makes for a Dolby Atmos like experience. This was in normal stereo. Turn on ‘Dolby Atmos for Headphones’ and it takes gaming to a level that my HD800s can’t get close to in single player games due to their lack of bass impact and slam. That being said $4K is a lot for headphones that will only be used for gaming. But if you want great sound for music, enjoy watching movies, and are a avid gamer, you have to give the Elites a listen with some of your favorite games. Modern Warfare Campaign in Dolby Atmos is UNBELIEVABLE! I want to stress this, NO headphone, not even the Susvara can do what the Meze Elite can do when it comes to gaming. Try for yourself!

[@darrellross8609]

D. Mods added to my TYGR's a $550 investment. They are now my EndGame. Thank You and "Z" for this choice. Best, D. From Stl. A headphone dead zone.

[@scottpolston6137]

Man you got headphones dead zone right you have to blind purchase everything I just got my lcd2 a couple weeks ago had to get it based on s as ll the reviews there’s no where to touch one in St Louis unfortunately it sucks i wish we had somewhere that sold high end kit but we don’t best of luck to you on your hp journey

[@nofunwhithoutme2376]

REVIEW BEYERDYNAMIC T1(2ND GEN) PLEAAASE!!!

[@ezvkm77]

Not for me but a very good video, thanks

[@wille769]

I dunno, in my limited experience with the Aryas (V2), they didn't quite have the detail retrieval of the Empys. Not to mention, once you get used to the Empys, something like the Arya or HD800S can just sound thin in comparison. To each their own. One criticism I have to make is that it's hard to take any review of the Empys seriously when there's not even a mention of the difference between pads. It's a totally different headphone with the Alcantara or Elite hybrid pads. I have recently made the switch to Elites, which is a more versatile, resolving, and faster headphone, but I would advise any listener willing to spend the money, and wants comfort and non fatiguing, maybe someone who listens to more modern music and is looking at the OG Empys- don't pass on them unless you listen to them first.

[@jschannel8624]

lol nah, Meze Empys sounds bang average as fuck. its basically on par with ananda with better bass. its not as detailed as arya, not as impressive as hd800. sure hd800 and arya might be more thin (because of the 1khz recess) it still sounds bang average with typical planar timbre weirdness. for 3k there are alot more things u can get than the empy. both the OG and the elite are bang average sonically. rather just add 1k more and use Focal Utopia

[@blejzerosamigos6115]

I can't believe that dms complained about Arya's Soundstage, I always thought that it is its greatest strengths..... 🧐? Most reviews say so.

[@teachonlywhatiseasy]

beauty and brawn

[@andrewronnberg5725]

Qdc anole v14 review

[@mareknowakowski1692]

Why Empyrean not Elite?

[@x32i77]

Elite is very expensive

[@mareknowakowski1692]

@@x32i77 yes we know that,but they are new model, Empyrean are already 4 years old

[@patrickdanneker5480]

Yep color grading is too dark

[@ryanhostudio]

bassy boi

[@rodrigoreviews]

There's a little bit of voice on your bass

[@matthiasstuer]

Crinnacle hasn't liked any of their offerings, wondering what he'll think of this one

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

He literally did a video on them on his dead channel.

[@bonanzabrandon6877]

I can't see why, at this point, why anyone would buy the empyrean over the Meze Elite.

[@lingonberryjam320]

Price

[@mini-337]

@@lingonberryjam320 I don't think people with 3 grand to shell out for headphones are going to be worrying about price

[@h.hristov]

@@mini-337 I don't like how the Elites look. Also, the name Elites sounds so game-ish. And price.

[@scottpolston6137]

Man the Arya sounds awesome but the overall build seems ultra cheap cheapo crap for real it should not be plastic and pleather Naugahyde goodness at the lofty price of 1600$ no way no way I could get a lcdx for less and actually get a case and it’s practically bullet proof

[@mikylenaidoo1779]

I hated this headphone after auditioning them ... I wanted to like them so badly because I really wanted to buy them... But they're unbelievably overpriced Ito sound quality

[@hartyewh1]

They really make you think about the hearing of some people in the hobby. They're lauded as the best headphone in the world by many. Crazy stuff.

[@HiLoMusic]

I own the meze empyreans, z1r’s and the hd800s so I feel as though I own dark to very bright headphones. All exceed in their own respective qualities but the mezes are perhaps the ones that require the longest time to properly get. Of course comfort is unmatched, it’s the best feeling headphone I’ve ever worn. And though compared to the extremely detailed higher register of the hd800s the empyreans may seem dulled, it’s not, it’s a warm and extremely satisfying sound signature that out the bunch of high end headphones I’ve worn (including many in audeze lineup) did best at offering this warmer darker sound signature without properly losing any detail in those upper-frequencies. It’s a subdued detail-king in my opinion, having an extremely clear and satisfying bass-response and a detailed high-end that never grows sibilant, but all the detail and quality is still there comparative to the 800s, it just doesn’t bend towards those upper frequencies as heavily and so when you first put them on as a utopia owner or 6xx owner, etc, it may sound dull at first glance. But it’s all in pursuit of comfort and satisfaction.

[@sjqideez6626]

@@hartyewh1 Who says they are the best headphone in the world?

[@mikylenaidoo1779]

@@HiLoMusic yeah , nah I didn't get that at all with the Empys ... For me, They were veiled , lacked the proper bass texture. The staging was bad and a little wonky with instrument separation. Being a planar I would think this could be an easier task to achieve. But, perhaps owning a He1000se , a Verite Closed, and an hd800s among others , made this headphone null and void in my mind. I previously owned the z1r too ,until the VC came along and boy oh boy , the difference is staggering

[@HiLoMusic]

@@mikylenaidoo1779 I’ve heard great things from the VC - was looking for an upper-end closed back and was considering it, but went with z1r since I found it for a very good deal. I won’t deny that the empys don’t compete with similarly priced headphones from that bracket, I do think it would be hard to find one as comfortable and easy to daily drive, however

[@memorycard1000]

Looks so stupid with these crasy big headphones. 😁 Nice review 👍

[@fatdoi003]

try Abyss 1266

[@JTB--]

I like the DMS sound effects. I believe the "Phoenix" Special Edition of the Empyrean costs $4000 and comes with more pads and cables. Looks cool too. But every time I've been curious about checking out a Meze headphone I always remind myself of a Crinacle video that basically destroys Meze HP's. Saying the Sundara can basically do what the Meze do.

[@jarjared3522]

I wouldn't let a KZbinr's opinion dictate so much of my own. A friend of mine owns the Empyrean and Elite, and after trying them I must say graphs do not tell the whole story. Something that supposedly measures horribly like the Empyrean is actually some of the most fun I have had listening to music. It depends on what type of music you listen to really. The only way to know for sure is demo the headphone yourself. This is why I always shop at a retailer with a good return policy.

[@jarjared3522]

At the end of the day just banking on one KZbinr's opinion is like only having one source for a college paper. It will not be the best results and is not that informative. If anything what matters more is taking the opinions of four or five KZbinrs and observe what they all agree on.

[@sjqideez6626]

Crinacle’s opinion on the Empyrean is just 1 opinion of it. And one opinion only. You are not Crinacle & Crinacle is not you. Ultimately this is a subjective hobby & we like what we like. Borrow it if you can, you might enjoy them. And if you don’t, you’ve saved some money.

[@JTB--]

@@sjqideez6626 I agree that it's all subjective and until you hear a headphone for yourself you will never know if you like it. But even this DMS review wasn't really that glowing for a $3000/$4000(Phoenix) headphone. But I agree that just going off opinions of others isn't the best way to determine anything with a HP. I recently tried 2 high end headphones I heard really good things about and really didn't care for either of them. One was the Fostex TH-900mk2 which I heard was this great thumping Bass type headphone and the other was Focal Utopia which basically everyone raves about. Both were too harsh in the treble and fatiguing to me. Overrated for their asking price. As far as the Empyrean go they just don't seem like a $3000 HP as far as their sound goes... but with that said, being a "Different" type tuning might be appealing to many. Even me. I might like them being non fatiguing and the deep bass frequencies

[@imKhokie]

This is one of those cases where I feel like I have almost the opposite opinion as most reviewers. I tried them for about 3 hours and I found the sound to be enjoyable. The build, however, was awful in my opinion. The earcups were massive, it feels cheap in hand , and aesthetically just found the presentation to be abysmal. Something about massive earpads that just make most headphones look janky

[@lingonberryjam320]

Feels cheap?

[@imKhokie]

@@lingonberryjam320 Yeah, after about 3 hours of use that was my impression

[@lingonberryjam320]

@@imKhokie How was the build awful? I think its one of, if not the best built headphone ever.

[@imKhokie]

@@lingonberryjam320 I guess we just disagree then, that's okay

[@Kmikko91]

Joshua Valour

[@sanhnguyen97]

Abyss fan boy, bad audio reviewer, but good video and voice

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

@@sanhnguyen97 Chillies

[@patrickdanneker5480]

@@sanhnguyen97 that sums it up

[@Mr1stcat]

Sounds like the headphone for me I WANT TO ENJOY MY MUSIC! NOT ANALYZE IT

[@chungang7037]

good point

[@gigihanmandarin]

Meze Empyrean: When Beats fans move up to summit-Fi

[@chefsteve8381]

After winning the lottery..

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

@@chefsteve8381 not really true. You wouldn't call someone rich for buying a $3k car. What if that same person didn't need a car but listen to music multiple times a day? Please expand your world view.

[@chefsteve8381]

@@enjoshi-godrez8775 A $3 thousand dollar car serves a better purpose than a $3 thousand dollar headphone, in the scheme of worldly possessions....

[@arielext]

@@chefsteve8381 Depends on where you live

[@jarjared3522]

You do mean the Sennheiser HD820 right? The Empyrean runs circles around the HD820 with the alcantara pads that are included in the box. The alcantara pads brings a different sound to the Empyrean, and yet none of the negative reviews bring this up....

[@D.2023]

It looks stupid on head ^_^

[@wrinkleneckbass]

$3,000.....nope.

[@kentbergstrom3020]

I thought the same 40 years ago, but not now when I can afford them.

[@hartyewh1]

I found these to be beyond basic without EQ. A wonky tonality that I can't imagine impressing anyone. With EQ they're just okay, but the bass is boomy and rounded, the macro dynamics are slow. A decent and similar warm sounding upgrade from 6XX for maybe $700-800, but just for relaxed and smooth listening. The design and build is good, but didn't impress me particularly and they look a bit silly on the head. The Elite is a step up tonally for sure, can actually be listened to without EQ and has better highs, but it's just a small improvement and like it's predecessor it's competitive in design and comfort alone at a third of it's price. I'd take a Harman EQ'd 6XX over both without EQ and even with EQ I might prefer a LCD-2 Closed back.

[@HiLoMusic]

You saying the 6xx performs better than both with whatever signature points at more an extremity on your end than any problem with the meze lineup itself.

[@hartyewh1]

@@HiLoMusic It's just how they sound to me. Both have bad tonality for and no technical ability (which they severely lack) can compete with a balanced sound. They have some advantages from being a large planar, but likely an XS beats them in most ways. Ananda definitely does and planars above $1000 are on a way different level. They're just very mid-fi in sound by every measure. If someone really wants a smooth and relaxing sound and nothing but that then with some EQ balancing they will do that.

[@HiLoMusic]

@@hartyewh1 I think this an extreme reaction, I’ve never seen anyone make the claim they’re sub $1000 before and as a listener of a majority of price ranges I certainly disagree. I do however get this’d be your initial reaction coming from more inherently bright headphone, but the details are still there, this is a darker headphone for sure but I love them for the qualities they do have, I think their bass response is actually quite sharp as a disagreement. Their high end doesn’t come off initially impressive but I actually don’t think it’s lacking any detail up there, it’s there it’s just not emphasized in the FR.

[@hartyewh1]

@@HiLoMusic I listen to almost exclusively Harman EQ'd headphones (LCD-X, HE6se v2 and several sub-$500 ones) with an added dip in my resonance peak. There's nothing bright about any of them and plenty of people (including reviewers) have found the Empyrean uniquely uncompetitive. It's just how they sound to me and that's subjective. If someone loves them that's great, but they split views rather strongly and it's good to point that out so people who can't preview know that opinions vary greatly.

[@HiLoMusic]

@@hartyewh1 It is true that the opinions are rather split, I do believe these match the harman curve rather accurately from what I recall, though I never use that as reference for choosing which headphones I enjoy the most.

[@dagoelius]

Overpriced.

[@Hari-kx2er]

Will you be reviewing the Hifiman Edition XS ?