Empyrean II

Empyrean 2 is not only worth it, it is the best headphone in the world imo. I bought it after trying all the kilobuck headphones back to back in a hifi shop. Bought it for 3000. 2000 is a steal even if that is hard to imagine

Krk kns84. The sound signature is still nostalgic though I have an empyrean 2 now

Laughs in empyrean 2.

It is subjective in the end. I was lucky enough to have a hifistore near me that has all the famous kilobuck headphones to test. I went there after already having had a 15 year audiophile journey. They were all amazing except for utopia which sounded genuinely mediocre to me. Then the meze empyrean 2 literally made me cry in the store and made me suddenly realize I have been listening for 45 minutes. It is by a legitimate margin the best headphone I have ever heard. That being said I would obviously enjoy switching up if I had the money to spare. They are all worth it except for Focal utopia which I would pay 400 bucks for max.

I did 4 upgrades in 12 years and ended with the meze empyrean 2. The only thing I can imagine buying if I had wayyyy too much money in my wallet is a headphone with a much more analytical sound signature to switch it up and the occasional electronic music. But i don't think about it. 

Hey everyone! Super excited to share my current setup! I use half of my gear for audio engineering purposes but really enjoy the audiophile treatment when I am not working. Currently testing the Diana MRs to see how they fit in my audio engineering and audiophile workflow (will probably post a review in the future once I get my thoughts together). Enjoying the many different synergies in this setup and would love to hear your thoughts and what is your 2026 set up :)

Hey dude :) To answer your question: The Empyrean II (which are the ones I have not the OG) have less sound stage then the 800s but have a warmer smoother mid range alongside a thumpier mid bass with good sub bass extension. The Empyrean II are just a really smooth headphone overall. It also heavier yet more comfortable in some ways ( has a really pillowy feeling to its earpads That being said, the 800s has more treble detail and separation and better 360 degree sound imaging. oh also I would say the 800s has a slightly more natural timbre. The main difference between the OG and revamp version of the Empyreans is the bass and treble - OG from what I heard online is bassier and has less top end.

I have used many tube setups and EQ with the 800s and the Pietus Maximus feels like it was built for the 800s. It retain its sparkle without having sibilance. The soundstage shrinks a little bit but is totally worth it for the added midrange warmth and bass extension. That being said, my favorite pairing thus far with the Pietus is my ZMF Bokehs. It makes the headphone sound large and epic. I really enjoyed playing Battlefield 6 with them recently.

Thanks a bunch, Currently I like the Diana MRs as a total headphone system given that I can drive them on both portable devices, tubes, and Solid States and get great but different experiences. Also I mix and master and have been seeing how they perform in that area given their coverage throughout the over all freq range. That being said, I just got the Nitsch Pietus and have been digging the ZMF Bokehs and 800S with as I feel that system really completes those headphones!

Yo! Yes the Nitsch Pietus Maximus is alot warmer then your average solid state amp. It completely cools off all of my brighter tuned headphones. As for the Bokeh closed I totally understand your hesitation, it is not know for sparkly treble at all and its bass is not super punchy but rather smooth. If you you want to try headphones and return them if you don't like them especially ZMFs, you should try ordering from The Audio Room's website. You can return your stuff in 30 days if you don't like it- I was able to do it for a couple of pieces of gear in the past.

At the moment the Abyss MR are my favorite :) Mainly due to their ability to maintian natural timbre to my ears while having good coverage throughout most of the freq range. The LCD X is my main headphone that use your mixing and mastering my movies as it has the ability to become any sound signature I want through EQ without distortion. It is also my girlfriend's favorite headphone :D I am currently seeing how the Diana MR's function as a mixing, gaming, and audiophile all rounder headphone. So far they are holding up! By the way, what are your thoughts on the Niore X? Had my eye on them awhile back.

Yo! The Empyrean II is a comfort headphone in that it makes things sound smooth while maintaining a good level of resolution. It has a pretty good sound stage and is probably the most comfortable headphone out there. In comparison the LCD X has better bass size, and is more neutral - the Empyrean II is a warm headphone. Audeze is not known for there comfort given there weight in comparison to other headphone brands especially Meze. I would say the there are barely any headphones out there are worth 3,000. The Meze Empyrean II felt worth it. But if I needed something for mixing and mastering, I would stay away from Meze period. I only say this because that is typically what the Audeze X is known for. Let me know if my explanation helps or if you need anything explained further :)

Love my empyrean 2 <3

All I can suggest is to go back and try Meze Elites. Super comfortable. I went in expecting to buy Empyrean II, walked out with Elites. It's all subjective, of course.

Oh, and it looks like you might not be distinguishing between the OG Meze Empyrean and the Empyrean II? Both great headphones but diffferent tunes.

At $1000 I’m buying the Focal Clear, and at $2,000 the Meze Empyrean II. Both are examples of the rare headphones where I put them on and said “oh. That’s why they cost this much. I get it now.” I listen to a pretty eclectic mix; really everything except most modern country and that’s starting to shift, even. Probably more sad dad music than anything, but also a lot of R&B/jazz-inflected hip-hop and “classic” rock.

Of course! To be clear, at that price point the Empys are probably used, but so. Damn. Worth it.

I describe the Meze 109 Pro as warm buttery magic and the Empy II is ... that but more so? I have had very few oh shit moments in headfi, but the Empy II was one of them. Warm, full bass, clean and natural timbre in the mids, and clear and resolving treble. Detailed without being harsh, wide soundstaging with good layer seperation but not to the point of being distracting, etc. I wouldn't recommend most people drop that kind of cash on a pair of headphones, but I have exactly zero regrets about that choice. (full disclosure, they were my endgame goal for a couple of years so I am 1000% biased and totally subject to placebo but I also do a lot of critical listening as part of reviewing headphones and I like to think I'm pretty good at owning and adjusting for that.)

I waffled a bit on that; I've said for a year that the 109 Pro is my favorite headphone but the Empy II flat out beats them and the Clear is ... close. The one knock on the 109 Pro is that on some heads (but not mine) they have a little bit of a treble spike, so I'd probably point most people to the Clear at this point if they can't try them out in person. Mostly though I was thinking about this from a "I can buy one headphone in each price category" and the Empy fills the same niche as the 109 Pro, while the Clear offers a different tuning/profile. If I had to sell my entire collection except for one under $1000, I'm absolutely keeping the 109 Pro and it ain't close, as much as I love the Bokeh Closed, Clear, LCD-2.2 (pre-fazor), etc.

I adore the Bokeh closed; they’re probably my favorite physical object in the world. I did a full review with pros and cons but can’t post it here (contains a few affiliate links); if you want to see it shoot me a dm. I would say the only real downsides are detail retrieval/resolution (which isn’t bad, but doesn’t compete with something like the Arya or the Clear) and then the inherent downside of a closed backs, aka the occlusion effect. It’s not a problem, per se, but I listen to a lot of quiet, sparser music and silence isn’t ever really silence on a closed back. Great in a noisy environment, but for a quiet one I’m grabbing the Empyrean II or the Clear pretty much every time.

Overall quality: sound, comfort, build, aesthetics, everything. The 490 are incredibly comfortable, but not the most comfortable (that's the Meze Empyrean II and 109 Pro). They've got really solid sound quality, but aren't the best sounding in my collection by a long shot (Empy II, LCD-2.2 pf, Focal Elex/Clear, etc.). And so on. They're a really good headphone, at a relatively great price if you can get them for around $350.

The Empyrean II begs to differ, as does the 109 Pro running out of top end gear. 🤷‍♂️