Meze Audio Empyrean II Review | 93 Data compared

The Meze Audio Empyrean II is a premium, open-backed planar magnetic headphone priced at £2,749 that targets dedicated audiophiles looking for a highly detailed listening experience. It features a lightweight 385g fibreglass frame, advanced Rinaro Isoplanar diaphragms with dual voice coils, and a spectacular frequency response of 8 Hz to 110 kHz that captures maximum audio detail. In terms of performance, the headphones excel by delivering a highly accurate, vivid soundstage with a beautifully smooth balance across all frequencies, offering incredible separation and revealing hidden details in familiar tracks. Furthermore, they provide superb, long-lasting comfort, feature repairable components, and perform impressively well even with compressed streamed audio from platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Despite these high-end capabilities, the Empyrean II presents a few drawbacks when compared to its sibling model, the flagship Meze Elite. The Elite offers a slightly wider frequency extension (3 Hz to 112 kHz) that translates to noticeably deeper lows and more top-end sparkle during real-world A/B testing. Additionally, the Empyrean II utilizes a robust fibreglass frame which, while perfectly durable, results in a finish that...

The Meze Empyrean II is a refined planar magnetic headphone priced at $2,999 USD that delivers an exceptional, premium experience from unboxing to playback. It is highly praised for its extraordinary craftsmanship, seamless moving parts, and innovative magnetic pads with protective grills. In terms of comfort, it is exceptionally lightweight on the head, exerting a pleasant, pillow-like pressure with no hotspots. Sonically, the headphone is defined by a balanced, natural, and inviting signature. It features a tactile, fast, and tidy bass response, a smooth and emotionally weighty midrange that excels at vocal separation, and a sophisticated, airy treble that avoids sibilance or painful brightness. While it stands out as an engaging daily driver, it does possess a few limitations compared to its closest market competitors. Its soundstage is relatively intimate, wrapping around the listener's head rather than stretching out to expansive lengths. In terms of performance, it is not a pure "detail monster" or an analytical tool, meaning users seeking raw, sterile technicalities might find competing models like the Meze Elite or HiFiMAN HE-1000SE slightly sharper in extracting microscopic details....

The Meze Empyrean II is a high-end, open-back planar magnetic headphone valued at £2,749 that features an advanced isodynamic hybrid array driver design. It excels in delivering exceptional sound quality characterized by extreme clarity, amazing neutrality, and a spacious soundstage. The headphones are highly praised for their standout midrange performance, which renders human voices with incredible emotional realism, alongside a punchy bass and a refined, sophisticated treble. Structurally, the fiberglass-infused ABS frames, carbon fibre headband, and separate leather headrest effectively disperse the 385g weight, making them remarkably comfortable to wear during extended indoor listening sessions. Despite its stellar acoustic profile, the review highlights distinct operational limitations. The principal drawback is a total lack of portability due to their bulky footprint, open-back nature, and absence of active noise cancellation, rendering them strictly suitable for home use. Additionally, the dual earpad options present a sonic trade-off: the Alcantara pads deliver a rich, warm sound with a full bass, while the leather pads provide a tighter bass and a more natural midrange presence, which may require users to swap them back and forth...

The Meze Audio Empyrean 2 departs from the brand's traditional warm sound, offering a neutral, fast, and technically proficient audio presentation. Highlights include immaculate build quality, lightweight comfort, and versatile tuning options through the included Duo and Alcantara ear pads. Conversely, the $2,999 price point and significantly reduced lower-body, lighter bass signature may not suit fans of the original, warmer Empyrean sound. While technical performance is upgraded, macro-dynamics still lag slightly behind top-tier competitors.

The Meze Empyrean II is an open-back, audiophile-grade planar magnetic headphone developed in collaboration with Rinaro Isodynamics. Built with a robust, CNC-milled aluminum frame featuring a matte black finish and silver accents, it maintains the premium craftsmanship and exceptional long-term comfort characteristic of the series. Pros highlighted in this review include an incredibly precise, realistic soundstage with distinct separation between instruments, moving away from an ethereal presentation to mimic a studio control room environment. Acoustically, the headphones deliver highly dynamic yet transparent bass with a natural tone, complete mid-range clarity that brings out life-like vocal depth, and an updated Isodynamic hybrid array driver configuration that ensures immaculate detail and stereo accuracy. Furthermore, they are relatively easy to power with an outboard DAC/Amp and come generously packaged with an ABS plastic suitcase and two sets of specialized earpads (Duo and Angled Alcantara). Conversely, the review notes a few key cons that may deter specific types of listeners. The most notable drawback is a noticeable touch of sharpness and heightened accentuation in the treble response. While this provides cymbals with a satisfying...

The Headfonics review of the $2,999 Meze Audio Empyrean IIGo highlights a successful second-generation, open-back planar headphone that retains the original's iconic Art Deco design and world-class comfort while delivering a completely revised, more neutral, and detailed sonic presentation. Key pros include vastly enhanced midrange and treble clarity, superior detail retrieval, and the inclusion of versatile "Duo" and velour earpads that allow users to switch between a warmer, analog tone and a brighter, airier sound. Cons identified in the review include a potential lack of appeal for fans of the original's warmer sound signature, as the new model trades that unique, thick mid-bass for enhanced technical proficiency. Additionally, the new tuning features a more noticeable, occasionally sharp lower treble peak, and while efficient at 32Ω, the headphones exhibit slightly lower sensitivity compared to the first-generation model.

The Meze Empyrean II open-back headphones, priced at £2,749, deliver a masterful blend of luxurious presentation, comfortable engineering, and high-fidelity sound quality. Handcrafted in Romania using Rinaro's Isodynamic Hybrid Array planar drivers, the 449g headphones feature a lightweight carbon-fibre cage, a friction-sliding arm for a fine-tuned fit, and magnetically swappable earpads. Reviewer Martin Virgo emphasizes that the headphones excel at macro and micro dynamics, offering an even-handed, cohesive presentation that handles upper frequencies with ease and delivers a satisfying bass kick across diverse musical genres. The comprehensive package includes a premium Samsonite-style carry case, two distinct sets of earpads, and high-quality copper Furukawa connecting cables. The core advantages (pros) of the Empyrean II lie in its sonic versatility and exceptional comfort. The inclusion of two magnetically attached earpad styles allows users to subtly alter the sound signature: the "Angled Alcantara" pads enhance top-end detail and spaciousness, while the "Duo" leather/Alcantara pads increase bass resonance and dynamics. The headphones gracefully control potentially problematic, sharp vocal recordings and deliver a highly resolving mid-range without ever feeling heavy on the head. On the...

The Meze Audio Empyrean II is a luxury flagship open-back planar magnetic headphone ($2,999) that expertly blends a timeless, Art Deco-inspired industrial design with rugged, fully modular build quality. At its core is the unique Rinaro MZ3 Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver, which utilizes dual voice coils (spiral and switchback) to deliver highly accurate sound reproduction across an expansive frequency spectrum. Reviewer Lory Hawley praises the headphones for their lush, warm, and fun sonic presentation, noting powerful bass, excellent sub-bass extension, and an intimate, highly detailed midrange. The package includes two distinct pairs of earpads—the Duo and the Angled Alcantara—which attach effortlessly via a magnetic coupling system and allow users to drastically alter the sound signature from dark and warm to bright and airy. Despite its exceptional engineering, the Empyrean II exhibits a few minor drawbacks. While highly comfortable due to a clever wing-shaped leather suspension headband, the overall physical sizing does not adjust small enough to properly fit smaller heads. In terms of connectivity, the stock premium silver-plated or copper braided cables are highly flexible, but the mini-XLR connectors on...