Meze EMPYREAN - the First Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphone
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gazzington
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm wondering about buying one these. Big discounts on them now
I wouldn't hesitate. Especially if you're a fan of this type of sound.
arielext
Headphoneus Supremus
The deals they have for the open-box/b-stock for both Empyrean and Liric are very good deals IMO.
Take your chance. The last one, as they are discontinued. Unfortunately.
(I mean the Empyrean)
Further to my previous comments on how OG Empyreans can be coaxed into a performance that, for me at least, fills most of the gaps experienced by others, I'm happy (and surprised!) to report that having upgraded my excellent Denon DCD1600 NE (SA)CD player as source to their amazing DCD A110 (AE), my Empys sing even more beautifully.... helped in no small measure by both players leaving streaming in their wake lol 
...RIP my Naim and Antipodes DX 
...RIP my Naim and Antipodes DX 
FullBright1
Headphoneus Supremus
"Just Do it". = final answer.
If you dont love them, then selling them will be easy, as they are no longer making them.
And Reader.... (You..who is considering the Meze Empy 1.)...Stop reading/watching all the backwards reviews that claim the Empy 1 has "no details", "too much upper bass" "and lacks resolution of the other TOTL headphones.""
So.....Why is all that nonsense? = ?
Its because all the ToTL headphones, are hyping the details into the Sonic Stratosphere, .... and the Meze Empy 1 does not care about that pursuit.
It just reproduces the details, in a very musical way.
The Empy 1 is not about : "too much extension is real hi-fi sound" = hype.
See, all that Headphones can do, is reproduce sound inside little cups, and so, the best gear does not try to fatigue you with its detail performance, and that is frankly what most TOTL headphones produce for your money.
The Meze offers plenty of detail, and resolution, all found inside their amazingly comfy cups.
The Meze Empy -1 produces a very satisfying sound that is both quite detailed and very musical.
And That is a very difficult thing to create inside a set of headphone cups, and the reason you know this is true, is because its a lot easier to produce a overcooked FR, as that is what you get with most TOTL Headphones. They give you more detail then is required... and ALL at the expense of beautiful sound,..... and they sell this to you by telling you.. "more detail, more resolution"....is what you need, is what defines audiophile.. and in fact that is not true.
The MEZE EMPY 1 is not selling you that shell game. Its instead offering you a superior musical journey into the land of sonic beauty, along with plenty of detail retrieval.
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"Just Do it". = final answer.
If you dont love them, then selling them will be easy, as they are no longer making them.
And Reader.... (You..who is considering the Meze Empy 1.)...Stop reading/watching all the backwards reviews that claim the Empy 1 has "no details", "too much upper bass" "and lacks resolution of the other TOTL headphones.""
So.....Why is all that nonsense? = ?
Its because all the ToTL headphones, are hyping the details into the Sonic Stratosphere, .... and the Meze Empy 1 does not care about that pursuit.
It just reproduces the details, in a very musical way.
The Empy 1 is not about : "too much extension is real hi-fi sound" = hype.
See, all that Headphones can do, is reproduce sound inside little cups, and so, the best gear does not try to fatigue you with its detail performance, and that is frankly what most TOTL headphones produce for your money.
The Meze offers plenty of detail, and resolution, all found inside their amazingly comfy cups.
The Meze Empy -1 produces a very satisfying sound that is both quite detailed and very musical.
And That is a very difficult thing to create inside a set of headphone cups, and the reason you know this is true, is because its a lot easier to produce a overcooked FR, as that is what you get with most TOTL Headphones. They give you more detail then is required... and ALL at the expense of beautiful sound,..... and they sell this to you by telling you.. "more detail, more resolution"....is what you need, is what defines audiophile.. and in fact that is not true.
The MEZE EMPY 1 is not selling you that shell game. Its instead offering you a superior musical journey into the land of sonic beauty, along with plenty of detail retrieval.
-
GREAT, FB1....this is something I've been wanting to say for a VERY long time, but have been too cowardly lol...WELL DONE and WELL SAID!!...to everything you said. On the plus side, there will hopefully be some really good bargains about for some lucky, sensible folks...
FullBright1
Headphoneus Supremus
GREAT, FB1....this is something I've been wanting to say for a VERY long time, but have been too cowardly lol...WELL DONE and WELL SAID!!...to everything you said. On the plus side, there will hopefully be some really good bargains about for some lucky, sensible folks...
Yes.. we are agreed....
The Meze Emyp 1, has received a lot of condemnation, but it all came later.
The reviews that matter, are the first batch, that first 3-6 months, when 97% of Empyrean Buyers, just ADORED this gear.
And then, a few "noted" reviewers, who only use headphones to try to hear more and more details, or obsess on "SLAM">... vs, using them for listening to MUSIC< started posting their negative commentary.... and then people joined them.
And that is unfortunate, because THE MEZE Company listened to the wrong people, and created a different headphone sound, subsequent to the Empyrean.
As... .what they created with the Elite, Lyric, and Empy 2, which are all extremely fine headphones, yet....are seemingly a somewhat continuing response to some unfortunate EMPY 1 reviews that were put out there by people who only use music to evaluate headphones... And THAT has nothing to do with listening to Music.
That is the classic bottomless pit Audiophile endgame pursuit, and when you review only from that listening platform, then.....Reader, if that is you... then you are doing a disservice to potential listeners and buyers.
The Meze Empy 1, is special..and... its made for music listening, for enjoying your music.... and not ONLY for trying to magnify details, as its only reason to exist as you find these days regarding so many headphones.
There are headphones that are created to X-Ray, your music.
A Susvara will get you there. And the Abyss Brand will take you there., and that's Legit.
So, if that is your need, then go there, but if you want to hear the Music, and love the Music, then there are others you have to own, to get you there.
And the Empy 1, is one of the very best, in that regard, ever created,...... if not the best.
"but FullBright1.... i want to hear inside the cymbals, i want to look inside the mouth and down the throat and into the Lungs of the singer using DETAIL Retrieval strapped to my head"...
Ok, Well, go directly to Abyss, or perhaps, HEKSE.....or maybe the Susvara., or a Grado.
But when you want to enjoy the Music, then, the Meze Empy 1, is a true Sonic gateway drug to get you in deep and keep you hooked.
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You make a lot of great points here, many that I completely agree with. My pursuit of headphones stopped with the OG Empy 2+ years ago, partly because since then my use case for portable has continued to increase, but mostly because what it does, it does so perfectly well."Just Do it". = final answer.
If you dont love them, then selling them will be easy, as they are no longer making them.
And Reader.... (You..who is considering the Meze Empy 1.)...Stop reading/watching all the backwards reviews that claim the Empy 1 has "no details", "too much upper bass" "and lacks resolution of the other TOTL headphones.""
So.....Why is all that nonsense? = ?
Its because all the ToTL headphones, are hyping the details into the Sonic Stratosphere, .... and the Meze Empy 1 does not care about that pursuit.
It just reproduces the details, in a very musical way.
The Empy 1 is not about : "too much extension is real hi-fi sound" = hype.
See, all that Headphones can do, is reproduce sound inside little cups, and so, the best gear does not try to fatigue you with its detail performance, and that is frankly what most TOTL headphones produce for your money.
The Meze offers plenty of detail, and resolution, all found inside their amazingly comfy cups.
The Meze Empy -1 produces a very satisfying sound that is both quite detailed and very musical.
And That is a very difficult thing to create inside a set of headphone cups, and the reason you know this is true, is because its a lot easier to produce a overcooked FR, as that is what you get with most TOTL Headphones. They give you more detail then is required... and ALL at the expense of beautiful sound,..... and they sell this to you by telling you.. "more detail, more resolution"....is what you need, is what defines audiophile.. and in fact that is not true.
The MEZE EMPY 1 is not selling you that shell game. Its instead offering you a superior musical journey into the land of sonic beauty, along with plenty of detail retrieval.
-
Setting aside FR, details, technicalities etc, a couple things I think that get overlooked are long-term comfort and a fatigue-free listening experience. I tend to listen to gear for at least 8 hours every day, so this is very important to me. This is why in the IEM space I've landed on 2 amazing CIEMs that I can listen to all day with zero fatigue, and is why the Empyrean is such a winner for me. Likewise if I'm at my desk at home, I want something that I can use all day and the Empyrean is exactly that.
Maybe at some point I'll explore other headphones, a couple of the ZMFs are very intriguing for example, but for now there is nothing else I need.
I totally agree with your philosophy of prioritizing gear that brings out musicality and a cohesive musical experience rather than gear that allows you to obsess over details. I take it from your comment that you find the Empy better at this than the Elite? I haven't had the chance to try any of Meze's headphones above the 109 Pro, but I'm basically looking for an open back counterpart to my Atticus that maintains the lushness and musicality of the Atticus while being more spacious and airy and less aggressive. Seems like the Empy would be near the top of the list for this type of sound. I'd also be curious about your take on the Verite Open if you've happened to have time with it
I do think it's a shame that they didn't decide to keep both, from what I heard briefly at Canjam and from a few of the reviews and impressions I've seen, it definitely feels like there is space for both Empyreans. I can definitely see both living comfortably in someone's collection.
FullBright1
Headphoneus Supremus
The Meze Elite is a true TOTL Headphone.
I only know of one very popular reviewer who downplays this gear, as "not quite there yet" "getting better"...
He liked the LCD-5 way too much, and the Empyrean and Elite, not quite enough.
What He means is.. "i know what i like, and i know that the Meze's Family Tree do not give me what i like to hear" .,,so He then writes reviews that are based on that perspective.
This is the same very popular reviewer who stated that the HEDDPhone was going to change everything, regarding the Audiophile Headphone world.
This reviewer also spent about 2 yrs, talking about the wonders of the OG Hifiman Arya Stealth.
He recently tried to like the Meze Empy 2 in a very articulate review, but, he spent too much time talking about what he believes is a 6kHz glare issue that he believes is exactly what is wrong with the HD800S., that you just might find in that OG Hifiman Stealth.
I like the Elite a lot. Ive owned it 2x, and ive owned the Empyrean 3x.
Currently i dont have the Elite.
I find the Elite easier to listen to for longer periods than the Meze Liric,.... but the Meze Lyric is one of the best for the money you can buy, if you like to listen to Choirs, and Large Ensemble vocal music.
The Liric can get a bit spicy in the upper Treble region, and it has a midrange leading edge that can be a bit hard, that is not helped by being a closed headphone.
it still a very fine gear....and no set of headphones is flawless perfection, because, that is humanly impossible, as for that to be so, then all ears would have to be the same, regarding hearing headphone sound.
Not going to happen.
This is why some people dont really enjoy the Susvara, while most who own it, love it.
That is just how the story goes... and goes..
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FullBright1
Headphoneus Supremus
Meze is a smart company.
It could be that a "Ultimate Empyrean" will hit the ground running, in a year, or 2.
One of the best "new models" is always the forgotten favorite that is brought back as tweeked re-issue.
Till then, there are a lot of pre-owned Empyreans around, but... that will change.
As I mentioned a while back, in pretty well every sphere you care to name, the words : "New improved" can usually be relied upon to mean at best "King's New Clothes" syndrome, but more likely - if you're like me, to get the hairs on the back spikier than a darn hyena lol!!
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