The earpads Zeos liked from the Elite version were the "HYBRID EARPADS (Perforated Alcantara Interior + Real Leather Exterior)" ones. They are $200 and available!
I liked the original alcantara pads (from Empyrean) more that zeos wants to sell in yard sale lol. Infact i bought 1 pair extra after 20 months of owning the Empyrean
Hey Z! Long-time fan from India These or the Tungsten (double-sided)? I'm having a hard time figuring out if the Tungstens will be a worthwhile upgrade from the HE1000 Stealth.
@@anthonyclark4569honestly I love my set but zeos made me feel uneasy 😂 I have nothing to compare it to but the Hifiman organic. Which to me has a bigger soundstage 😅
Holy Grail material. At my income level, to buy a set would be criminal economic negligence. That said, I've gathered a gaggle of low-priced units, e.g. sundara, Edition XS, 880 (600ohm). I even bought an HP-3 just before they went extinct. I keep watching these damn reviews and I buy stuff. Not this time. What I really want is a DAC/AMP solution for my desk that will make me want to listen to any of these there, without feeling like I spent too much. I prefer warm over clinical. Too many reviews to revisit...
Schiit BF2 OG. SA-1 used or new. Valhalla 2 just went extinct, but there's probably units out there. TBH, get a Schiit Modi Multibit and a Valhalla call it a day. I just moved on from the SA-1 to a Mjolnir 3, picked up a Valhalla 2 in black, still using a Mojo2 and RME ADI 2 for DAC. I ran LCD-X off the SA-1 and Verite Closed no problem. Mostly use IEM's though.
Try one of the Xduoo portable amps. I use the xDuoo XD05 PRO. You can chang ethe DAC and roll op amps in it to change the sound. So you have a brick that can sit on your desktop but also has a battery and can be a heavy portable setup! When I rolled it with an AKM DAC and used Sparkos op amps, I heard zero difference between this and a Gishelli Labs fully loaded DAC( JNOG2 SOCKETED [J2S]). The DAC it comes with is no joke either, an ESS based dac. And someone recommended a Bifrost above, this wll be getting a R2R DAC which should give it a more musical sound like the Bifrost. And it already has a ROHM DAC which does a great job with vocals. Great all in one setup.
I never tried zmf but it seems (what I’ve heard) its my kind of thing. But probably I’d try to get a used og empy because its discontinued. It’ll be rare and hard to get one I’m afraid.
I mean comparatively Meze is a much smaller company than Sennheiser. Second these are $3,000 not 5k. Lastly, I think the HD 800s are plastic mostly. I specifically think their fit never works and they picked the STUPIDEST wire connector on Earth to go along with their meh wire. Gonna still give this one to Meze.
In my opinion, their flaws, for the price point and even below the price point, are the extension of sub bass and the way they stumble on agglomerated passages of high notes. The strong points on these , are the ,,lushness" of a very detailed, separated and precise placed sound, combined with great aesthetics and built and the efficiency. Their price is correct only compared with the other Meze hps. Is not a better hp, technically speaking, than Elite, but sounds more ,,fun" than Elite. My true problem came up, when I compared this hp with Arya Organic. I would choose Arya Organic each and every day . Btw, please dont jump in the hype train and think one second that this is comparing with very high end hps . Is a very nice and interesting sounding hp, but that's all .
Thank you very much for the very interesting video, I'd like your opinion because I'd like to buy a good hi-fi headphones, I have a budget of around 2000 EUR, I really like headphones with good bass because I mainly listen to hip-hop and electro music, is it possible to have some advice on headphones please?
But you never answered the question- of they do have amp preferences, do they still sound good on something like a btr7? Or works you pick the old elites for someone who uses a lot of lower quality sources?
@ZReviews in any of your usual test amps, was there a situation where the elites outplayed the emp 2's? Your phone's jack is always a good little reference test, it'd tell a similar story for anyone who might want to use their stuff with something like a steam deck or retro handheld
Hello, I have a dt 1990 pro, I'm looking for gaming headphones, specifically for 1 hunt showdown, I'm thinking about changing them because I'm not 100% satisfied with them, which ones would you recommend for uncompromising gaming, scene, detail, precise 360-degree enemy locating, best regards Hifiman, Sennheiser,audeze ???
I know you dont watch other reviews, but they also seemed to say that source chain/amp didnt matter. Are you sure yours are actually fixed? Maybe talk to DMS and others about their experiences?
I recently got my empy 2, and the sources do matter. It’s a detail monster on a 2/64 bifrost, and a nice enjoyable headphone on a warm source og bifrost 2
My impressions of the empy 2’s is that they kind of sound a little too treble forward and thin sounding. Maybe that’s because I listen at low volumes so the rest of the frequencies are being under represented for me. Like the madman I am though, I tried “modding” them by replacing the thick foam behind the drivers with a thinner foam, and surprisingly they sound much more like the elites with a bit more treble, which I quite like actually. Do keep in mind this will void your warranty if you tell Meze you opened them though, but found it to be worth it so I’m keeping them.
The elite pads are really good, but they are a bit too shallow. It's not horrible, but a lot of people find their ears touch the grill. It would be nice if they made some that were 1cm deeper.
@ZReviews I think it's close between the elite hybrid and the new angled alcantara. The EH is more fun and nails closer vocals, but the AA is better for imaging and comfort. If they did a slightly deeper EH, I would take that every time over the AA.
Have you tried the Chord TT2 DAC before? It's headphone amplifier is unreal and has bags of detail , holographic presentation and bags of power . It would match those headphones really well and would be my first choice .
when the phase is off, it's not micro milliseconds off, !, if you listen to base, lets say 20hz, it's off by a 20th of a second ! that is a lot, and it will totaly screw up your sense of direction
Be careful in your attempt of damage control, you might have done further damage to them. Now how would anyone know if they have a headphone with inverted phase 😂😂.
I mean. All you have to do is play a test from YT. ruclips.net/video/kUT6ZhFdLkA/видео.html If BOTH the in and out of phase demos sound the same.. One driver is backwards. But since I had #0002 and it was pushed out before full production I doubt there will be other issues.
If you can't notice that phase issue, dont know if your reviews have the same value now, but im gonna keep watching because you are nice and your videos are cool
Honestly Ive never encountered it with headphones. Speakers I get that shit immediately. Headphones after a few wire changes on half a dozen amps. I took for what they were. You would have to hear them yourself. Something about Meze just works different.
I've been an audiophile since 08'. I've been to can jams, headphone meetups. I even dabbled in selling headphone mods. I've listened to some very high end headphones and some very good value headphones alike. Let me just say this, NO HEADPHONE IS WORTH $3000. Worth is subjective, I get that, but these headphone manufactures need to knock it off. That $3000 headphone is maybe only 5% better than a $500 headphone. They act like their headphone is the second coming of Jesus.
Some people pay 6k for a set of interconnect cables mate , some of the high end audio stuff is just laughable. You can not hear the difference between a good quality 120 pound QED reference line cable and a 3grand high end cable.
@@Usernamebreh I remember hearing the Stax Omega headphone/amp combo back in the late 2000's and thinking "this is the best headphone I've ever heard" but in the same sentence thinking "there is no way it should cost $20k". After listening to the Sennheiser Orpheus, it immediately reminded me of that. It's just an overengineered waste of money. Basically just a big flex. People buy that headphone as a collectors item
![Destroying Everything You Know About Sound... Sennheiser HE-1 [💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎] X6](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/InSghucA3Yo/mqdefault.jpg)
Meze Empyrean II ----------- mezeaudio.com/products/empyrean2/?_ef_transaction_id=&oid=32&affid=7
⚔Support on -- www.SubscribeStar.com/Zeos
🥇Support on -- www.Patreon.com/Zeos
Meze Empyrean Elite ------ apos.audio/products/meze-elite-isodynamic-hybrid-array-headphone/?sca_ref=36221.ouwJgZltO5
The earpads Zeos liked from the Elite version were the "HYBRID EARPADS (Perforated Alcantara Interior + Real Leather Exterior)" ones. They are $200 and available!
200...haha
Thank you. This was one of the worst reviews I've ever seen, painful to watch and unhelpful. Your comment was what I was looking for.
I love my Empyrean IIs, they sound great and they're so cheap I have a different pair for each amp so I don't have to unplug them.
See, just a blue collar joe with his 4 Empy's.
How are your gold plated Focal Utopias?
The JoJos are Indeed fantastic, very energetic and good for pretty much every genre that I'd listen to
I did enoy the Blon Z Jojo too❤ my inside paint is wearing off, but the outer paint is still good. One of my favorite iem tunings.
Hey Z, what are your thoughts for Empy II vs Atrium?
So is there going to be an Elite 2?
I liked the original alcantara pads (from Empyrean) more that zeos wants to sell in yard sale lol. Infact i bought 1 pair extra after 20 months of owning the Empyrean
They're ok. I sent mine back because I just don't like the Meze fit. And I really didn't find them that special at all.
Only Zeos attacks a $3K headphone with a marker pen. :)
I used a black felt marker to beautify my Audeze earpads. 😅
Sometimes you just gotta.
Hey Z! Long-time fan from India These or the Tungsten (double-sided)? I'm having a hard time figuring out if the Tungstens will be a worthwhile upgrade from the HE1000 Stealth.
So there I was, a regular guy wearing his prized classic 99's and watching videos of headphones he will never own.
Don’t know where else to ask this, but have you heard the HD 660 S2 and is it your favorite of the 600 series?
Good thing you immediately fixed the design. ;)
I have the Empy 2 and I love them. I still wonder if I could test if they have the same problem…I don’t think so but just to be sure 😅
Every Emp 2 owner right now 😂 - Including me but sound so good!
@@anthonyclark4569honestly I love my set but zeos made me feel uneasy 😂
I have nothing to compare it to but the Hifiman organic. Which to me has a bigger soundstage 😅
ruclips.net/video/kUT6ZhFdLkA/видео.html If the In-Out of phase tests on this sound the same.. You have an issue. You should not.
Holy Grail material. At my income level, to buy a set would be criminal economic negligence. That said, I've gathered a gaggle of low-priced units, e.g. sundara, Edition XS, 880 (600ohm). I even bought an HP-3 just before they went extinct. I keep watching these damn reviews and I buy stuff. Not this time. What I really want is a DAC/AMP solution for my desk that will make me want to listen to any of these there, without feeling like I spent too much. I prefer warm over clinical. Too many reviews to revisit...
Schiit BF2 OG. SA-1 used or new. Valhalla 2 just went extinct, but there's probably units out there. TBH, get a Schiit Modi Multibit and a Valhalla call it a day. I just moved on from the SA-1 to a Mjolnir 3, picked up a Valhalla 2 in black, still using a Mojo2 and RME ADI 2 for DAC. I ran LCD-X off the SA-1 and Verite Closed no problem. Mostly use IEM's though.
Try one of the Xduoo portable amps. I use the xDuoo XD05 PRO. You can chang ethe DAC and roll op amps in it to change the sound. So you have a brick that can sit on your desktop but also has a battery and can be a heavy portable setup! When I rolled it with an AKM DAC and used Sparkos op amps, I heard zero difference between this and a Gishelli Labs fully loaded DAC( JNOG2 SOCKETED [J2S]). The DAC it comes with is no joke either, an ESS based dac. And someone recommended a Bifrost above, this wll be getting a R2R DAC which should give it a more musical sound like the Bifrost. And it already has a ROHM DAC which does a great job with vocals. Great all in one setup.
Which is better, Meze Empyrean II or ZMF Atrium?
Atrium Closed.
@@palefaced1 Closed? Literally never the case. Stop.
Great headphone but I loved the og empyrean more. The most fun headphone I’ve ever tried.
Would you buy the og empy 1 for $1.3k to $1.5k used or go a different direction like ZMF vc or something else?
I never tried zmf but it seems (what I’ve heard) its my kind of thing. But probably I’d try to get a used og empy because its discontinued. It’ll be rare and hard to get one I’m afraid.
@@akoskolok 2 for sale for headfi now I’m anticipating more to pop up as empy2 gets into more hands.
The Elite with those bigger pads is definitely way more width and fun.
@@ZReviews 😄 Alright!
I really love the build quality of the Empyrean, but for me ZMF makes the best headphones.
Do you think these work for mixing?
They make phase test tracks if anyone is worried and apps as well
A reviewer said, they sound like the IE 900 only bigger. Would you agree?
Any portable amp or dac amp you recommend for the Empyrean 2?
Hey Z! Could you review the Corsair Virtuoso pro open back headset?
CHEWBACCA ILL NEVER LET YOU GO
You don't have any variation of the ADI2? It can do per channel phase inversion
Only the ADAC version.
All I am hearing is that a $5000 headphone does not have the same (forget better) quality control as $1800 hd800s has.
I mean. It impressed me while borked. So imagine my surprise when it was under-performing the whole time!
Sounds more like a first run issue since he had serial number 2.
Pretty sure Meze Empyrean (1) and elite had better built quality than 60000$ HE-1
I mean comparatively Meze is a much smaller company than Sennheiser. Second these are $3,000 not 5k. Lastly, I think the HD 800s are plastic mostly. I specifically think their fit never works and they picked the STUPIDEST wire connector on Earth to go along with their meh wire. Gonna still give this one to Meze.
Sennheiser is bigger than Mezze. Dosent surprise me that mistakes slip through
In my opinion, their flaws, for the price point and even below the price point, are the extension of sub bass and the way they stumble on agglomerated passages of high notes. The strong points on these , are the ,,lushness" of a very detailed, separated and precise placed sound, combined with great aesthetics and built and the efficiency. Their price is correct only compared with the other Meze hps. Is not a better hp, technically speaking, than Elite, but sounds more ,,fun" than Elite. My true problem came up, when I compared this hp with Arya Organic. I would choose Arya Organic each and every day . Btw, please dont jump in the hype train and think one second that this is comparing with very high end hps . Is a very nice and interesting sounding hp, but that's all .
In what areas does the Arya Organic shine more ?
So they were wire out of phase, how in the hell does the average audiophile to know if they have a pair of cans that are not defective?
I have HE1000se (new stealth version). I'm trying to look for comparisons between this E2 and HEKse
Thank you very much for the very interesting video,
I'd like your opinion because I'd like to buy a good hi-fi headphones, I have a budget of around 2000 EUR, I really like headphones with good bass because I mainly listen to hip-hop and electro music, is it possible to have some advice on headphones please?
Atrium Closed, or Meze Elite used.
But you never answered the question- of they do have amp preferences, do they still sound good on something like a btr7? Or works you pick the old elites for someone who uses a lot of lower quality sources?
They def sound different on various amps. It is something I can't really guess at. I'd need to directly test the amp.
@ZReviews in any of your usual test amps, was there a situation where the elites outplayed the emp 2's? Your phone's jack is always a good little reference test, it'd tell a similar story for anyone who might want to use their stuff with something like a steam deck or retro handheld
I'm buying these on looks alone I don't care what they sound like
Gotta be at least 15% of sales for this reason.
Am I alone in thinking these look a bit cheap and tacky?
@@Yeastextract tacky? Maybe. But if these look cheap to you, i would really want to know which headphones look premium to you.
Hello, I have a dt 1990 pro, I'm looking for gaming headphones, specifically for 1 hunt showdown, I'm thinking about changing them because I'm not 100% satisfied with them, which ones would you recommend for uncompromising gaming, scene, detail, precise 360-degree enemy locating, best regards
Hifiman, Sennheiser,audeze ???
Hd800s . Unless you play wz. That game is shit on every headphone
@@kenneyt9 wz, fortnite, cs... these are boring and hackneyed games for kids
@@koksikxxxx hd800s then
I know you dont watch other reviews, but they also seemed to say that source chain/amp didnt matter. Are you sure yours are actually fixed? Maybe talk to DMS and others about their experiences?
I recently got my empy 2, and the sources do matter. It’s a detail monster on a 2/64 bifrost, and a nice enjoyable headphone on a warm source og bifrost 2
@@benniehill927 good to know. Weird that others thought differently. I'm gonna get a chance to demo them in a few weeks. Looking forward to it.
As somebody who just recently took interest in some John Coltrane music I found that to be so funny 22:12
What's that brown golden amp/dac on its side?
Something I am testing for HiFiGo. Its the Rose RT5000
@@ZReviews woahh something that beautiful has to be rose. I should just remember that from now on. 😂
My impressions of the empy 2’s is that they kind of sound a little too treble forward and thin sounding. Maybe that’s because I listen at low volumes so the rest of the frequencies are being under represented for me. Like the madman I am though, I tried “modding” them by replacing the thick foam behind the drivers with a thinner foam, and surprisingly they sound much more like the elites with a bit more treble, which I quite like actually. Do keep in mind this will void your warranty if you tell Meze you opened them though, but found it to be worth it so I’m keeping them.
The elite pads are really good, but they are a bit too shallow. It's not horrible, but a lot of people find their ears touch the grill.
It would be nice if they made some that were 1cm deeper.
I think the shallow depth is what improves it for me. Yes my ears hit but that is fine. I have 90 headphones, they all fit differently.
@ZReviews I think it's close between the elite hybrid and the new angled alcantara.
The EH is more fun and nails closer vocals, but the AA is better for imaging and comfort.
If they did a slightly deeper EH, I would take that every time over the AA.
wow, are you telling me they have such a poor QC that they would release that without noticing?
Have you tried the Chord TT2 DAC before? It's headphone amplifier is unreal and has bags of detail , holographic presentation and bags of power . It would match those headphones really well and would be my first choice .
Are you new here? Lmao
He should try the devil too
when the phase is off, it's not micro milliseconds off, !, if you listen to base, lets say 20hz, it's off by a 20th of a second ! that is a lot, and it will totaly screw up your sense of direction
the Leather Elite Pads are their Hybrid Ear Pads
How are the T60RP Argon doing?
those are good for their price as closed planar but highs can be harsh without good source
Damn 😳
Can’t get them past the door and past my wife..
That being said,I can always try for a work around…,🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
or give her the reach-a-round.
Empy or Diana? THAT is the question.
It's always funny when I watch Z's videos after DMS and you have completely different opinions of them.
Z, I love you my brother but did you just say you were cooking a tomahawk ribeye in a toaster oven? smh please buy a grill lol
Be careful in your attempt of damage control, you might have done further damage to them. Now how would anyone know if they have a headphone with inverted phase 😂😂.
I mean. All you have to do is play a test from YT. ruclips.net/video/kUT6ZhFdLkA/видео.html If BOTH the in and out of phase demos sound the same.. One driver is backwards. But since I had #0002 and it was pushed out before full production I doubt there will be other issues.
please do the ananda NANO
If you can't notice that phase issue, dont know if your reviews have the same value now, but im gonna keep watching because you are nice and your videos are cool
Honestly Ive never encountered it with headphones. Speakers I get that shit immediately. Headphones after a few wire changes on half a dozen amps. I took for what they were. You would have to hear them yourself. Something about Meze just works different.
@@ZReviews ok, I get you haha, I can imagine it
I've been an audiophile since 08'. I've been to can jams, headphone meetups. I even dabbled in selling headphone mods. I've listened to some very high end headphones and some very good value headphones alike. Let me just say this, NO HEADPHONE IS WORTH $3000. Worth is subjective, I get that, but these headphone manufactures need to knock it off. That $3000 headphone is maybe only 5% better than a $500 headphone.
They act like their headphone is the second coming of Jesus.
tell that to the Sennheiser Orpheus/HE-1 lol
Some people pay 6k for a set of interconnect cables mate , some of the high end audio stuff is just laughable. You can not hear the difference between a good quality 120 pound QED reference line cable and a 3grand high end cable.
@@Usernamebreh I remember hearing the Stax Omega headphone/amp combo back in the late 2000's and thinking "this is the best headphone I've ever heard" but in the same sentence thinking "there is no way it should cost $20k". After listening to the Sennheiser Orpheus, it immediately reminded me of that. It's just an overengineered waste of money. Basically just a big flex. People buy that headphone as a collectors item
@@JonnyParker- Agreed. Like any hobby, people pay for exclusivity. It's almost all snake oil, but it makes them happy I guess
@@boblob-law9401 yeah man midtech lines are mostly as good.
There’s just more 2-8kHz
Wut Z reviews ? So the first review was a lie ?
I left it up. It was what I heard. I was describing a $3000 headphone with one driver out of phase. It is weird to experience.
Try the Diana MRs before you call the empy 2s the best
I tried both and bought the E2s. Sound stage on the MRs was too small for my taste.
Excuse me, did you say you’re cooking a steak in the toaster oven? 🫨
Yep.. Reverse Sear bro. look it up
@@ZReviews ahhh yes, indeed. I was just thrown off by toaster oven, for some reason I envisioned a steak in a pop up type toaster 😆
" DT880 ", I'm good. D.
For 699, nothing beats the Ananda stealth magnet headphones.
They go for 400 now
"No ferrari can beat my honda civic" vibs.