The Aura of Twilight – A Review of the Meze Audio Empyrean

Empyrean is the lord of darkness. But don’t let that frighten you away. While the tone is warm, it lacks nothing in the clarity or detail department. This darkness does not manifest with a veil. It is simply the inherent spirit of these planars. They are not the most transparent monitors I’ve ever heard, but honestly, they aren’t far off. The voicing is so well balanced it is easy to forget you’re listening to headphones.

There is mild sparkle to the treble, a vitality which brings energy to the profile. This boldness is important in keeping Empyrean from feeling overly relaxed or sluggish. Warmth wraps the upper register, imbuing sweetness and banishing any sort of sterility or dryness.

The mids are gorgeous! Vocals are so full and rounded, with no small amount of lushness. Yet all the intimate micro dynamics and character of the artist comes through clearly. In other words, the lushness does not smooth things out to the point of homogeny.

Instruments sound wonderfully organic and natural, possessing rich timbre and amble overtones. They are like deep pools of warmth you’ll want to wade into. Thanks to the treble energy, electric guitars have good crunch along with all this richness, and drums have enough bite to really experience

In spite of Empyrean’s dark profile, the bass is actually rather tame. Meze is aiming for true audiophile tuning, so don’t expect a basshead set of cans. The lows are certainly present, of course, and they convey so much texture. Sub-bass runs deep, the attack is potent, and tonality is delicious. Yet all is in masterful balance. Empyrean is mature, and does not try to overwhelm.

Soundstage is not enormous, and presents in a cube shape which reaches just outside the headspace. Imaging is terrifyingly accurate. Resolution is sharp enough to cut. Empyrean is, to put it simply, a top-notch performer whose technical prowess will not disappoint.

The Audeze LCD-3 ($2,000) is an excellent point of comparison. Not only do they share that upper-tier of price with Empyrean, but their tuning also has a lot in common. They are both warm, romantic headphones that lack nothing in the clarity department. Yet I would not call them identical. Audeze delivers the more linear sound, portraying its organic tones in a more neutral fashion. It is also the smoother of the two, with less upper register sparkle. Empyrean has the greater degree of sculpting, where the bass blooms more, there’s extra lushness in the mids, and the highs are less relaxed. Neither headphone has massive soundstage, but to my ears, the LCD-3 is a little wider.

ZMF Headphones’s Atticus ($1,100, Review HERE) is a larger step outside this philosophy of tuning. While it has hints of warmth, there is rather more treble energy, and brighter, more effervescent mids. There is plenty of bass, but it doesn’t fill in the mids and create that lushness Empyrean is known for. It’s less mature and more audacious. Atticus presents a more clarity oriented, fun headphone, and it’s one I deeply love. Also, the soundstage is notably bigger than either the LCD-3 or Empyrean.

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Pinky Powers

Pinky Powers

Pinky is an artsy twat. Illustration, graphic design, writing. Yet music escapes him, and always has. He builds his own cables, and likes to explore the craftsmanship of others. He's a stabby one, also. At the first hint of annoyance, out comes the blade. I say he's compensating for something... in a big bad way. If we all try really hard as a collective, maybe we can have him put down.

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