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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£3,520Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix
5.0/10

Overall score

Score
5.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 97% of models
Score components

80%

5.0

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–¼Worse than 97% of headphones
3.8

Value for money

Value for money
3.8/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components

70%

5.0

Overall score

30%

1.0

Price

â–¼Worse than 99%
5.0

Technical score

Technical score
5.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 92% of models
Score components

52%

5.6

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.6

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

5.6

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 92%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • meze-audio-empyrean-phoenix
meze-audio-empyrean-phoenix
Where to buy
    N/A~ £3,520
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix

Technical score
Technical score
5.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 92% of models
Score components:

52%

5.6

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

5.6

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

5.6

Calls & Controls

5.0
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 73.4% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
3.8/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components:

70%

5.0

Overall score

30%

1.0

Price

3.8
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
hybrid
Driver size
102 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 102 mm, larger driver size than 99.1% of headphones and equal to 0.2% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
4 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 4 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 97.2% of headphones and equal to 2.1% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
?
Boom microphone
yes
This pair of headphones includes a boom microphone. 86.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Meze
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
430 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 430 g, heavier than 96.2% of headphones and equal to 0.3% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • 62 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (102 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    102 mm vs 40 mm
  • 14 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (4 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    4 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 90,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (110,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    110,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 20 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (80 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    80 mm vs 60 mm
  • 0.2 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.1 % vs 0.3 %
  • 1.3 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2.5 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2.5 m vs 1.2 m
  • 11 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (55 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    55 mm vs 44 mm
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 20 mm more spacious earcup height
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup height than the average pair of headphones (80 mm vs 60 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup height of 60 mm.
    80 mm vs 60 mm
  • 1.3 m longer cable length
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (2.5 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    2.5 m vs 1.2 m
  • 11 mm more spacious earcup width
    This pair of headphones offers more spacious earcup width than the average pair of headphones (55 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    55 mm vs 44 mm
  • Open-back design
    This pair of headphones uses an open-back design, while the average pair of headphones does not. 9.1% of headphones have an open-back design.
  • 62 mm larger driver size
    This pair of headphones uses a larger driver size than the average pair of headphones (102 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    102 mm vs 40 mm
  • 14 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (4 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    4 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 90,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (110,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    110,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 0.2 % lower distortion
    This pair of headphones has a lower total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.1 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.1 % vs 0.3 %
  • 20 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (130 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    130 dB vs 110 dB
  • Boom microphone included
    This pair of headphones includes a boom microphone, the average pair of headphones does not. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 97.2% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (430 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    430 g vs 218 g
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 39.11x more expensive
    Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£3,520 vs £90).
    £3,520 vs £90
  • 89.7% worse value for money
    Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (3.83 vs 7.3).
    3.83 vs 7.27
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 5.87x less popular
    Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 2 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 39.11x more expensive
    Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£3,520 vs £90).
    £3,520 vs £90
  • 89.7% worse value for money
    Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (3.83 vs 7.3).
    3.83 vs 7.27
  • 5.87x less popular
    Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 97.2% higher weight
    This pair of headphones is heavier than the average pair of headphones (430 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    430 g vs 218 g
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 2 dB/mW lower sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a lower sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    100 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 1.5 dB looser channel balance
    This pair of headphones has a higher channel balance tolerance than the average pair of headphones (2 dB vs 0.5 dB). The average headphones have channel balance tolerance of 0.5 dB.
    2 dB vs 0.5 dB
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Overview video

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix

  • Exceptional comfort, often described as 'wearing a puffy cloud' with a highly effective weight-distribution system
  • Top-tier build quality featuring premium materials like CNC-milled aluminum and carbon fiber
  • Rich and textured bass that provides deep rumble and impact without being overwhelming
  • Musical and non-fatiguing sound signature characterized by a 'honey-like' smoothness
  • Very easy to drive, performing well even with mobile devices or low-powered sources
  • Vast and open soundstage with precise imaging and multi-dimensional instrument placement
  • Luxurious presentation including a high-quality aluminum flight case and swappable magnetic ear pads

What customers don't like about Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix

  • High retail price of approximately $2,999, which some users feel is not fully justified by its technical performance
  • Detail retrieval and resolution may lag behind other flagship competitors in the same price range
  • Mid-bass elevation can sometimes bleed into the lower mids, causing a slightly 'woolly' or congested transition
  • Treble can occasionally exhibit an artificial-sounding 'gleam' or glassy quality
  • Recessed upper-mids may push vocals further back in the mix than some listeners prefer

Verdict

The Meze Audio Empyrean Phoenix is a limited-edition, open-back flagship headphone featuring the world's first Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver, which combines spiral and switchback voice coils on a single ultra-lightweight diaphragm. Hand-assembled in Romania, it boasts a frequency response of 4 Hz to 110 kHz, an impedance of 31.6 Ω, and a high sensitivity of 100 dB/mW, making it remarkably easy to drive even with portable sources. Its primary characteristics include a CNC-sculpted aluminum chassis with a unique hand-painted 'Phoenix' fire-red finish, a carbon fiber headband with a pressure-distribution wing system, and a 430g build that remains exceptionally comfortable for long sessions. Main pros include its lush, warm musical tonality, expansive soundstage, and industry-leading build quality with magnetic user-swappable earpads. However, some users note cons such as a lack of analytical detail retrieval for its price, a slight upper-bass bleed into the lower mids, and a relatively loose clamping force that can cause the unit to slide when reclining.

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