Meze Audio Empyrean Headphone Review - The New Standard 

Best review of these headphones I have watched. Well done.

You are absolutely one of best hifi reviewers I've ever watched and listened to. Your delivery, cadence and tone are excellent and made it easy to finish your detailed 26 min review. Oh...and I really want to add the Emperyean to my headphone collection.

Love your Videos Mr.Fennen. I've been following you since the Nighthawk days, as a matter of fact, I purchased and immensely enjoyed the Nighthawks based on your strong recommendation. Thank you for such a wonderful, immaculate review, probably the best one online for the Empyreans. -- Best Regards from India

Time traveling in RU-vid ..I had a chance to try Emps’…they ruined me …and I’m working on one day having them . Great review. Thanks.

Their tonality looks very nice. Slightly elevated below 1k, slightly recessed above 1k but the frequency response is smooth all the way and follows the harman target. They are also probably the best build headphone out there with top notch comfort. 3000$ is too much but i would probably buy these if i were in the market at that price point. Abyss 1266 review would be nice from you if you can.

Phenomenally useful review, thank you very much!

Hi PFS, Having now bought a pair, I have to say your recommendations towards the end of the your review are absolutely correct. For classical music these are ideal. Small groups have great separation and the piano sound these produce is completely convincing. By comparison the T1s sound too bright. The comfort level, particularly if you wear glasses is unequalled in my view.

This was indeed one of the very best audio reviews I've ever watched. Outstanding! Question: I purchased an Astell&Kern "KANN CUBE" a few days ago and currently pairing it with my Sennheiser HD650s in balanced mode. The overall musicality is off the charts... but, for me the 650s are uncomfortable and I need to get a new pair of headphones that will easily check the "comfort" box. So I want to purchase a pair of the Empyrean headphones... but how do you think they will pair with the KANN CUBE? Thank you...

i'm convinced

Best video to date describing the Empyrean outstanding job.. I have many headphones Utopia, Z1R, HD 800 and the Empyrean and with the Empyrean you get great impact, perfect soundstage and detail retrieval. I like that you can play them very loud and you do not lose anything by doing so everything is still there with NO FATIGUE at all for instant a song from System of the Down "Chop Suey" no problem crank it up and for the first time you can hear the detail of the song without any fatigue. And I think the number one best feature from the Empyrean is that it can play all music genres very well and even poorly recorded 80's stuff if I tried with the Utopia's my ears would bleed. instagram.com/p/B72RfTXJ9M0/

Hey man. I'm late to this so I hope you can help. I'm interested in these cans but I've got a question for you about them so I can maybe get closer to buying them. How big was the sound difference when they were plugged into an amp vs without one?

Have you listened to the Abyss 1266? I wonder how these compete with them?

20:00 interesting that you find empyrean neutral because vast majority of people who hear empyrean find it quite warm

Is it wireless,or we need to use it with a amplifier

When the standard costs more than your car

I dislike aluminum mag drivers, way too metallic and just too much distortion and gives that ear ringing fatigue after listening to, so never again for me. My latest hps that I just can’t believe how beautiful it sounds is the Audio Technica ATH-ADX5000, hands down one of the most delightful surprise I ever had. I really wasn’t expecting this thing to shine like it does. I never thought that I needed a second pair of the utopias, this one I started to think. The ADX5000 sounds Special, never heard highs like now. I always loved the highs from my Denon D7000 with thicker pads, but now the Audio Technica is beating up one too many hps in my collection. If you have a chance to hear it , you will be overly impressed, like I am feeling right now.... the Empyrean is way too bulky for me, it won’t work well while sitting on my recliner....oh well.

Price is still the factor. Not worth it

I love listening to Empy reviews on my Empyreans :)

Just ordered a pair. I’ve never heard so many reviewers say this is the best headphone they’ve ever heard!

I love the way you described how it sounds. You went farther than all other video reviews I've watched. I too would love you to compare the Meze with the Arya

For once I thought Johnny Ive is doing audio review. Lol

My investigation of the Empyrean has included a variety of reviews but I have to say I find yours compelling in its straight talk without hyperbole. The "faults"others have found proves there is no such thing as a the perfect headphone. For me, the sound is No 1 and your extensive discussion of this aspect is most informative. I'm currently using some first gen T1s. I'm expecting big things from the Empyreans when I get to hear a pair

Thanks for a great review. I also have the Empyrean and it is my favorite headphone. I mainly listen to classical, opera, and jazz, but far prefer the leather pads. I really don't like the sound of the velour pads at all. A worthwhile upgrade is the Meze copper upgrade cable for the Empyrean. They also have a silver coated cable, but it sounds too bright to me. I once auditioned a Focal Clear at a local shop, but found the treble harsh and fatiguing. The only Focal I like is the Stellia, which I also own. The Stellia is closed-back, and almost neutral with just a bit of extra treble. My second favorite headphone is the Dan Clark Ether 2, which is perhaps even more neutral than the Empyrean, and costs $1,000 less. Often, I prefer the Ether 2 depending on the music. For those who would like to own the Empyrean, but can't afford the price, the Ether 2 is a less costly alternative.

Way out of my league, watching this video reminds me of when I was a small child and looking in the Sears catalog saying to myself " Oooo! I want that!

Just put my kidneys and gallbladder (stones included) up for sale on the black market. I should be able to pick up a pair of these very soon.

I think Empyrean really provides a compelling package, the build and comfort is top notch. The price is high but when you consider the whole picture it makes it worth it. I do think for raw detail though the Hifiman Arya and the ZMF Vérité can compete or even challenge them though.

Nice review! Like other commentators, I'd like to know how you think these compare to the Arya. Also, I recently bought the Focal Elex from Massdrop and would like to know how you think they compare to the Clear.

Hi Lachlan, just wondering what your thoughts on the Empyrean's layering and stage? GoldenSound brings up lack of layering and issues with drum impact and acoustic music in general. I'm considering them, but I'm not in a location where I can demo them so any thoughts you may have are appreciated. For reference, "Meze Empyrean Review - The most beautiful headphone you probably shouldn't buy" GoldenSound.

Have to echo every one else's comments. Meticulous, beautifully done review at a level of quality matching the Empyrean itself. Loved watching it on my newly arrived Empyrean and just subscribed! Not sure if I ever saw any of your old videos but this new set-up seems great to me.

Just picked up the Empyrean and have to agree with you. At first I was a bit underwhelmed, but after I relaxed and just let the music play I found the headphones simply revealed the music. You're also correct that it's hard to describe them without going into hyperbole. The best compliment I can give the Mezes is that I'm finding it's hard to stop listening and I look forward to my next opportunity to listen. Using Woo Audio WA11 with an LG phone as source and FLAC files. Compared to my Audezes these just sound right. BTW, I did not see any info on the headphone stand you're using for the Mezes.

Beautiful review, thanks. The headphone stand on you desk looks like a pretty ideal coupling for the Empyreans. Could you provide the make and model, please?

Great review on these. I look to try them soon. I agree with EVERYTHING you said about the Focal Clear, I own them and they are definitely worthy of flagship status.

Made in ROMANIA😎😎😎😎😎

I'm very curious about the Empyreans but the price and the fact that you like the NightHawks and the NightOwl Carbons is somewhat of a red flag. Try as I might the NightHawks/NightOwl Carbons didn't do it for me. I burned them in for the recommended 150 hours but I found that did little, if any, to change the sound signature. As I recall Metal571 pointed out their tuning was way off with too much emphasis in the upper bass and lower mids. That's what I thought too but of course that's subjective. As you have pointed out; we all hear and listen to music differently. Regardless I think you are one of the best reviewers on RU-vid.

Hey man, I currently own a pair of Ether2s, but even after eq the bass is just not there and they sound really flat to me. Do you think that the Empyrean is a worthwhile upgrade? They'd fit my criteria of open-back, really comfortable and can run balanced too.

I love meze audio when they release 99 classic few years ago and I am their big fans. Now I think is time to upgrade to Empyrean But for the dap part,I just wondering whether Fiio m15 or Astell &Kern 2000 is better as Fiio m15 is cheaper and have headphone mode. But anyway , I do enjoy hearing the review of this guy, so pro and really can help the viewer to know more details about the product,thanks.

Empyrean a combo of audio quality & visual quality. Most certainly worth $3K I certainly could not say that about the Abyss 1266...looks like a boat anchor.

How does the Empyrean compare to the Audeze LCD-4z?

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

Hi, I bought the Empyreans second hand, and I was warned it had less detail than say the Stax L700, others answered: you must hear it with a silver cable please. So before I received the cans with stock cable I ordered the Lavricables Grand Litz. I listened to the stock cable some days before the Grand was in the mail. With the stock cable I used the leather pads as they are called more analytical, but with the silver cable I use the velvet pads, since it doesn’t lack any detail, and why choose analytical when you can have sheer beauty? I was warned the Grand is like an Audeze Lcd-4: too heavy, but that is the photo, it is not too heavy. So I will be still a bit careful with delicate silver. My Stax L700 cable has a lot of silver in it. High end music listening seems not possible without the benefits of silver. Thanks Yoram

They seem pretty nice but at $5,500 AUD it’s vastly over my budget, I just ordered the Ray Penta with a new bonus balanced cable.

Hi Lachlan, as always a big thanks for the review. It convinced me to pull the trigger and buy a pair to add to my little collection. I opted for the standard copper cable with XLR termination for the Soloist 3 and the silver plated PCUHD upgrade cable with 6.3mm termination for my WA5LE. Now I wait impatiently for them to arrive from the US.

Hah I have the same headphones with the same stand (from Massdrop?) :P Have you tried the silver upgrade cables?

Their sound may not be loved by all but pretty much everyone agrees they are the best built and best looking headphones ever. They are a safe bet for a gift, they are sublime. Its a pity you can't gaze at them when they are on your head.

Today, Meze premiered their new flagship hp, the Elite, with a 4000 € price tag.

do they sound like a electrostatic or magnetotat speaker like martin logan or magnepan

i like the set-up, no need to change imho.

Nice review. I recently joined the high end Headphone hifi world. I bought the Stellias because I thought I wanted the ultimate detail. They are wonderful with very good recording but I find them a bit treble happy and very unforgiving. Bought these and luckily Meze knew what I wanted from a Headphone setup and made these. What a wonderful way to listen to music. Paired with Matrix Element X.

Hi there I am thinking of purchasing the dcs Bartok headphone amplifier for these empyrean headphones, with a view to integrating this into my system as a 1 box solution eventually after using it purely as a headphone amplifier, thinking it will be the best way to listen to the Bartok given that speakers can run into 10s of thousands of dollars to get the best result. Are the Empyreans a good match for the DCS Bartok?

Great Review. Thanks for that. I use them with T&A Dac8 and Violectric HPA 280 and this Sound is for years and years. Fucking brilliant.

Really good review, I’ll sub off it and see if your other content interests me.

Thank you, and wonderful review! It would be great if we could get your opinion on the soundstage of the Meze Empyreans compared with other headphones maybe ZMF Auteur, Sennheiser HD 800 S, Focal Clear etc. Cheers!

Hi, thank you for the review, what a good timing - you may remember from my previous comments that I had the NightHawks and the T1s 2nd gen and was looking for something "next level" which would sound less artificial than the T1s. I got the Focal Clears and was happy for a while, but to be honest, I find myself listening to them less and less which makes me question all the money I spent on them. They are, I'm sure, technically the best headphones I've ever heard, but they are getting kind of... boring. I find myself analysing music through them (listening with my brain) as opposed to feeling it which is the case with the NightHawks (listening with my heart). The NightHawks make me feel like I'm embraced by the music, it's so personal, so visceral, almost physical. The Clears (perhaps due to being fully open) sort of play the sound close to my ears as opposed to inside me (some people would prefer it this way, I like to feel the music inside me). However, as you rightly pointed out in one of your videos, one can have the Clears for experiencing the clarity of music, and the NightHawks as the the pair of headphones which brings more joy. But even then, what stops me from being satisfied is: 1. Narrow sound stage - it's just straight in my face, it gets boring and irritating after a while, stops me from getting sucked into the music as it feels a little artificial. I would like to feel like there's no limit to where the sound goes and where the instruments are placed around me. 2. Boring treble - yes, easy to listen to, but somehow unengaging. I could not continue listening to the T1s after I'd heard the Clears (the tonality and sibilance...), but their treble would sometimes send shivers down my spine. 3. Lack of sub-bass. The Clears can be quite punchy in certain songs, but the lack of sub-bass presence makes some songs sound quite hollow, too analytical and too dry, I find myself skipping songs as they're just not "meaty" enough to put a smile on my face. It's quite ironic how I initially loved the Clears for the lack of colouration and "weirdness" that the NightHawks offer, but with time I found that due to the above reasons I am not fully satisfied with them. But something with a bigger (and deeper) soundstage and proper bass presence could hopefully finally give me what I've been looking for... Do you think that these Meze headphones could be my holy grail? I would only consider spending that amount of money on a pair of headphones if it was something truly special, an addictive experience, not just an analytical tool. I have also heard a lot of good things about the HEDDphones - have you had a chance to listen to them?

After all this spent spent with the Empy and so many amplifiers you have reviewed, what would you consider the best match? Thanks!

I have a pair arriving late next week. After listening to your review, I'm reminded that I made an excellent decision. Thanks so much!!!

Thank you for taking the time to review this headphone. I particularly appreciate the comparison to the Focal Clear. This is my current headphone, which I really enjoy, but have been thinking about upgrading for one main reason: Jaw Pain. The clamping force on the Focal Clears causes quite a bit of pain in my jaw after 7+ hours of daily use. I work as a therapist, seeing clients online, and the open back headphones help me to hear my voice while I talk to my clients. With the Clears, the combo of the clamping force with talking all day gives me quite a bit of pain in that jaw area. Do you by chance know how these headphones perform in very long listening sessions, particularly while communicating with others?

your comparison of the treble reminds me of the hifiman arya described by Resolve Reviews. Can you make a comparison with the Arya, since that is a much cheaper option than the Meze Empyrean? We wouldn't have to spend double the money on an Empyrean if the Arya is an option for this presentation.

Hi , how do these headphones compare to the utopias?

Did they sound good on the bottle head? They’re low impedance and with the tubes I’d think it wouldn’t sound good.

Thanks

I do think they leave the Focal Clears completely in the dust. I can't think of any area where the Focals come even close to their performance.

I don’t go out much since I have mobility difficulties so I depend on Lachlan’s reviews. When you said it’s good enough, it’s good enough for me. Today, I went to the mall to get my iPad Pro checked and went into Stereo, a local shop that sells headphones, IEMs, DACs and amps etc. I tried the Empryean with IFI Diablo and it sounds great, the best I’ve heard so far. Would have love to hook it with their IFI Pro DSD but my wheelchair can’t access there. By best, I am comparing this with the Clear MG and Arya Stealth Magnet. Would have used the monies to buy this instead as the Clear MG is sounding a little too bright and is heavy for my broken neck.

First impression, the Empyrean is the best I’ve heard although I listen briefly in the shop so I didn’t get to compare it with my Arya Stealth Magnet and Clear MG. Wanted to listen to the Elite before deciding but now, a local trader has a set of brand new Empyrean selling at under US$2,300 while the shops are selling at US$3,000. Help! What do I do?

Are they still your favorite flagship headphones?

Just picked them up and slowly unraveling all they have to offer. Did you use any EQ settings for them?

Aaa name the headphone stand

when I auditioned the Empy I actually found it quite underwhelming..... it's a good headphone but quite dry and boring....

Please change the music bro... its very cringe sounding. Otherwise good work.

Gonna get the Empyrean and use it with a Schitt Magni Heresy and Modi stack. I can't be bothered to upgrade.

Thank you for the great review! Do you think that these need a burn-in period and how does the Empyrean sound on a tube amp? Also, have you heard the Meze Elite, and what are your thoughts compared to the Empyrean? Thank you!

Just got a pair of empyrean and the silver plated cable from meze, I will have to say it's the best thing I've owned so far, sounds really good and natural!

Bloated mess, expensive as fuck. If you want bad sound, just take relatively neutral 50 dollar headphones and EQ them like Meze Empyreans.

Thank you for the great review! I'm waiting for my Empyrean to arrive and am currently searching for a fitting amp. I already have the D90 MQA/A90 combo (love it with the Empyrean), and need another amp for the living room, which will be hooked up to a SMSL M500 for digital and a Lehmann Black Cube SE for analog. So what would you recommend? SMSL SP200, Topping L30 or something completely different?