Meze thread, LIRIC / Empyrean / Elite / 99 / 109

Headphones
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I’ve done some comparisons between the Empyrean II and a few of my headphones and here are the results

Empyrean II vs Diana v2 (with ported pads)

Overall these are close but I prefer the Diana v2. Setup is Meitner Ma3, Serene KTE, Tyrs. Comfort is similar but the empyrean wins there since it feels a bit more normal on my head and doesn’t have the weird pad shape of the Diana’s. They are both lightweight so I don’t get any hotspots with listening.

The issues I have with the Empyrean is that the treble sounds forced and a little bit artificial at times. It’s just very present and has a thinness to it that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s spicy I guess and lacks the smoothness that I get with the Diana. I also find the bass on the Empyrean to be a tad muddy at times. The bass quantity on both headphones is similar but the control, speed, and texture in the low end is slightly better on the Diana. The vocals sound a bit more natural on the Diana. On the Empyrean there is a grain / haze to them and the lip / breath noises and “sss” sounds are more emphasized then I’d like. The vocals on Diana are smoother and you loose some of those breath and sss sounds but I find that presentation more pleasing overall.

So basically they are close but I enjoy the slightly smoother presentation of the Diana especially with cymbals, guitar strums, and vocals. The Diana also sounds a little bit more controlled and balanced in the low end. The Empyrean is more comfortable and similar in sound quality. Perhaps on a warmer amp then the Tyrs the Empyrean would compare more favorably to the Diana. Detail seems more present on the Empyrean but I think it’s just a bit forced sort of like a 1266 presentation. Imaging is comparable on both but I think the layering is better on Diana. Sound stage size is also about the same.

Empyrean II vs Atrium (with auteur perf lambskin pads)

Between the Empyrean II and the Atrium, the main difference I’m hearing is that the Atrium has much more tonal density, it also has more bass weight and slightly more intimate vocals. On both, for my preferences, the vocals are too distant but I do prefer the presentation of the Atriums more. The Empyrean sounds brighter, a bit more sibilant / sharp while the Atrium is smoother overall. Imaging and stage size is comparable and both have some issues with the bass being a bit muddy and overlapping the mids. Atrium is just more fun overall although not quite as comfortable.

I did this comparison on the DNA Stratus and thought this amp made the Empyrean II sound less weird but the output impedance of the amp is 8 ohms and the Empyrean II is 32 ohm so I’m sure there’s a weird interaction going on there.

Empyrean II vs Tungsten single sided

I didn’t spend much time with this comparison as it was clear that the Tungsten was pretty far ahead and just sounded more natural. The vocals on the Tungsten are more full and forward while they sound distant and a bit sharp / sibilant on the Empyrean. Bass might be more on the Empyrean but there’s some mud and bloat to it whereas the Tungsten is fast and textured while not bleeding into the rest of the mix. The soundstage is a bit larger on the Tungsten and imaging is much better. Apart from the comfort I can’t find a part of the sound that I prefer on the Empyrean to the Tungsten.

TLDR is they’re comfy but I don’t care for the sound. The bass is muddy, mids are recessed, vocals can be sibilant, and the treble is overemphasized and distracting. I think they pair better with a warmer chain but even off of the Firstwatt SIT-3 they sounded off. I think the best pairing might have been the DNA Stratus despite the high output impedance because they weren’t as glaringly weird sounding on that amp. I haven’t spent much time with any of the other Meze headphones and I’ve never heard the elites but I’d like to try some of them in the future just to see if the weird presentation I hear with the Empyrean II carries across to their other headphones or not.

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Thanks for posting the impressions.

It sounds like they’re very v-shaped. I wonder if the dual Tyrs were too powerful (200 watts each) for the Empyrean 2 since it’s so efficient (32 Ohm, 105 dB)? The 18 watts of the Sit-3 is still pretty high, but probably not as excessive as the Tyrs.

Hopefully you can get ears on an Elite to compare in the future.

Thanks again.

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I don’t think the power has anything to do with it. It’s not making the headphone distort or anything and there isn’t an audible noise floor. The amps do sound different and I find that the Tyrs are very percussive and energetic which wasn’t always a good pairing with the more forward and sharp treble presentation. However the Tyrs did the best job at tightening up their looser bass response. It was still muddy but not as much as the other amps.

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Just read all your comparisons, and I appreciate all the detailed impressions. I was wondering if you like the Tungsten the most of these 4 you compared. It sounded that way from your description, but I wanted to know if that was accurate. I’ve been very tempted by the Tungsten, but I’m so happy with the Elite that I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger.

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Yeah I do enjoy it a lot and it’s very good for the money. I also have a double-sided version coming which was smoother overall when I heard it at a meet recently.

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I’ll be interested to hear your comparison between the single and double-magnet versions once you get to use them with your home setup. I was leaning double-magnet, but the single might be a better contrast to my Elite. Need a bit more info before I decide.

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Meze 109 Pro for the win

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Very nice :ok_hand:

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Empyrean 2 sounds less dynamic than a poorly driven DCA imo which is a hard feat to accomplish. I’ll stick with the 99 Classics for isolation & multimedia, Hip Hop Beats-like guilty pleasure and cheap 20€ pad replacements (I do wish that the metal headband noises didn’t exist though) and the TH900 if I want a v shaped fun HP.

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Another review for the Empyrean 2.

He speaks about its tonality and resolving abilities in a very positive manner.

He didn’t go into detail about his source chain, but he did say that he preferred the LTA over the Enleum pairing.

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I found it strange he never mentioned the Elite once in the whole review. He even went on and on about how he couldn’t imagine Meze ever releasing a better headphone. I was like, “Hey man, they already did.”

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Yeah, I don’t know if he’s reviewed them.

I personally really liked the Elite and the Empyrean 2 is something I’d definitely like to hear.

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Give Ron/NRD a bit of a break. He’s primarily a 2 channel/speaker/vinyl/analog reviewer that will dabble in headphones and iems. Perhaps <3% of his content is in the headfi domain so give a bit of grace. He spend a ton of time away from his channel building a proper listening room up from scratch and will be doing a ton of content on room interactions, building materials, room treatments, and room measurements.

Ron is a good guy and is not a shill so he does his best to provide an honest take on the products.

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I wasn’t trying to berate him or anything. I just found it strange that he went on and on at the end of the video about the insurmountable challenge of Meze coming out with anything better than the Empy 2. I assumed he didn’t know the Elite existed, but I asked in the comments on YouTube, and it turns out he has heard the Elite but just prefers the Empy 2. He did say he didn’t get a chance to try the Angled Alcantara pads on the Elite. I find those pads to bring up the technicalities another notch with very little downside.

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Agreed, that’s kind of why I posted his review here. He’s very knowledgeable and experienced primarily in two channel as you stated.

I’m interested in a two channel guys opinions on a headphone I’m considering. It’s a good perspective to hear from, IMO.

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Meze Empyrean 2 was Headphones.com Product of the Year.

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Modhouse got some serious love too.

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