Verdict
procurer to them just a little and the Meze Audio Empyrean II prove smarter than your average audiophile - orient inactive hard - wired over - ear phone …
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
In less than a dozen yr , Romania ’s Meze Audio has instal itself as a phone force out to be reckoned with .
It ’s also demonstrate a blooming - mindedness of the best kind – where ingredient , materials and design are concern , Meze Audio is more than happy to fly in the grimace of both style and received wisdom . To slaughter a much more famous observance , those who wish things like Meze Audio will find Meze Audio thing the sorting of affair they care .
Five years ago , Meze Audio launched its Empyrean cable over - ear headphones to quite a lot of plaudits . This v2 version stand for to pick up where the original leave off , in every respect – so these headphones are classifiable in looks , uncompromising in specification and tummy - churning in expense .
Of course , a hard - nosed approach to intention and specification is no guarantee of performance . Are the Meze Audio Empyrean II all bark and no morsel ?
Availability
The Meze Audio Empyrean II are on sales event now , and in the United Kingdom they sell for £ 2749 a pair . In the United States they ’re more like $ 2999 , while in Australia you ’re looking at AU$5499 or thereabouts .
That ’s a singular asking cost , no two ways about it – but equally singular is the amount of contention Meze Audio front in this market . Brands as august as Grado , Sennheiser , Shure and Yamaha are all ready to part you from this form of money for a dyad of their competing passive , hard - wired headphones .
So Meze Audio is going to have to do a bit more than just show up and vocalise great to fix your hard - earned …
Design
Meze Audio , of course , realize there ’s a limit to the amount of design that can be done where over - ear earpiece are concerned . But , of course , Meze Audio has done its damnedest to make the Empyrean II as singular and distinctive as potential .
So the tiered earcup frame is made of CMC - milled aluminium , so it feel about as indulgent as it looks – and there ’s room for a big , assertive ship’s company logotype where it accommodates the sliding headband claims adjustor . The open - indorse grill that sit down inside it is perforated with a little , repeating three - pointed form inspired by the Art Deco bowel movement .
And as far as keeping the Empyrean II in home is concerned , Meze Audio has no truck with anything as common as a hanger mechanism . The letters patent that covers the combination of suspension wings with a encompassing , thin leather headband is pending … and it forge extremely well . The Empyrean II press 385 g , but because the system is so skilful at maximise the touch pointedness between headband and head while minimise pressure , they do n’t palpate it – not even after many time of day in emplacement .
Features
The Empyrean II are , in part , a result of the party ’s ongoing ( and madly successful ) collaboration with Ukraine ’s Rinaro Isodynamics .
The underlying sonic business here is done by a tweaked version of the MZ3 isodynamic hybrid array driver Rinaro first break for the original Empyrean . So the driver forum comprise of a intercrossed magnet regalia at the rear , arranged to deport unvarying energizing across the whole surface of the diaphragm itself .
There ’s a fibreglass - infused ABS form at the front . Sandwiched in between is the isoplanar diaphragm itself – Rinaro ’s extraordinarily conscientious manufacture process , which involves heating and extend the isotropic polymer , upshot in firm , stiff , and stable diaphragm with an active area of 4650mm2yet a total weight of just 0.16 g.
The contraceptive diaphragm ’s dual - coil agreement is every bit singular . The upper segment contains a switchback ringlet to treat lower frequencies , with a spiral whorl beneath it taking care of midrange and above – the claimed frequency reaction from this arrangement is a staggering 8Hz – 100kHz .
The spiral helix is positioned to sit pretty much directly facing the wearer ’s ear canal – Meze Audio reckons this layout signify soundwaves enter the auricle without meaningful metre delays , and belie the tendency for the soundfield to lack definition if soundwave length is shorter than the physical depth of the inside of the ear cushion .
The fact that there ’s a couple of pair of earpads included in the Empyrean II ’s frankly overspecified carry - font / briefcase , and the fact that they ’ve been specifically tuned for dissimilar transonic signatures , is just another indication that we ’re dealing with very serious people here .
There ’s an angled pair , covered in Alcantara with a fine meshing covering the grille , tuned to deliver a “ detailed , airy and accurate hearing experience for the classic audiophile ” , and there ’s also a “ duo ” yoke made of a combination of Alcantara , and leather tuned to serve up a “ proportionate ” tonal correspondence . Switching between the two is simple , because they attach to the earcups using Rinaro ’s isomagnetic coupling applied science . It uses the demagnetising field of operations beget by the driver to secure the earpads , while redirect the magnetic field back into the machine driver at the same time to increase efficiency . Which is , I conceive we can all agree , neat .
Each of the earcups has a connection for a four - pin mini - XLR fireplug . Meze Audio provide five different cable types ( three of 1.3 m length terminate in either 2.5 mm , 3.5 mm or 4.4 millimeter termination , and two of 2.5 m distance finish with either a 6.3 mm shit or four - pin XLR ) , each in a choice of two material ( copper or silver - plated ) . So you get a pick of ten unlike cable when placing your order .
Sound Quality
I may as well get correct to it here : the Meze Audio Empyrean II are a gloriously complete and soundly enjoyable listen . They have all the certification required of some avowedly ‘ audiophile ’ headphones , most for sure – but they add a big serving of entertainment right along with it .
Obviously , they involve to be treated correctly if you ’re going to get everything they have to give . A decent headphone amplifier is a must , and it does n’t do any harm to use big , high - resolution content either – although the size of it of the digital audio frequency filing cabinet you listen to is less crucial than the way you amplify the signal . Do the correct thing by the Meze Audio , and they will repay you grown time .
Their tonic balance , for example , is basically impeccable – from the bottom of the frequency mountain range to the top , they ’re impersonal and realistic . A nicely get , musicianly recording like David Sylvian ’s Orpheussounds balanced and convincing throughout – and the prodigious amount of item , both broad and ok , the Meze Audio retain and reveal help no end in this regard .
Control is honest , rhythmical expression is confident , and the Empyrean II make a convincing soundstage . They have the dynamic dynamic headroom to track increases in intensity without apparent effort , and they have no trouble locating the essence of a recording . The midrange here , for exercise , is perfectly load with selective information regarding look , timbre , technique as well as plenty of other hooey that does n’t start with ‘ T ’ .
The Meze Audio are more than capable of peering deeply into complex or dense recording and rejoin with deal of apt information – but they ’re not analytic for its own interest . Instead , they ’re an energetic , entertaining listen and sound utterly occupied . This is not the sort of attitude I ’d automatically link with passive intemperately - wire headphones at this sorting of money .
Some hearer may find this unshakably neutral display a little jackanapes – at least at first . The Empyrean II are n’t about to storm up the crushed frequencies in the name of fervor – they ’re a vigorous enough listen as it is . The crushed end here is substantial , deep , and extensively textured – but it ’s see with out-and-out self-assurance .
This think momentum is sustain in every condition , but it also have in mind that the fleet - footed freshwater bass might initially sound a little thin . It is n’t , of course – it ’s just as well make as the respite of the frequency range . But it is n’t ponderous , which is what sets it apart from the basso reproduction of quite a few nominal competitor .
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Should you buy it?
The Meze Audio excerpt as much detail as potential from your recordings and then get the sin out of their way
The self - witting are improbable to tolerate wearing the Empyrean II for any length of time unless they ’re alone ( and , ideally , in a darkened room )
Final Thoughts
I do n’t consider myself particularly vain – but at the same time , I do n’t go out of my way to make myself expect daft . I ’m prepared to make an exception for the Meze Audio Empyrean II , though . Yes , they nigh - on double the width of my pass – but once my head is inside them , there ’s more than enough in the direction they sound to make up for it .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every set of phone we review soundly over an lengthened period of clip . We use diligence standard tests to compare features the right way . We ’ll always state you what we bump . We never , ever , take on money to look back a product .
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FAQs
These phone consider 385 g , although according to our reader , when assume on the head they do n’t feel nearly as much
