I remember meeting Antonio Meze at CES many years ago and thinking that he was a genius for walking around the show and giving attendees the opportunity to listen to the Meze 99 Classics that quickly became the talk of the Head-Fi community.
With almost no marketing budget, this tiny Romanian company flew across the pond and took a chance; their success has not been a fluke and when you look at the myriad of headphones and IEMs that they have brought to market over the past 7 years, it is clear that they know how to engineer some of the best headphones in the world and that they love what they do.
Meze Audio is a small company and their resilience in the face of the pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine which impacted their partners at Rinaro Isodynamics, who are based in Lviv, tells you everything you need to know about their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity.
After almost 25 years in the industry, I can honestly say that they may be the most gracious and decent collection of people I have met in the consumer A/V space.
The 99 Classics may have been the product on which they cut their teeth, but the original Meze Audio Empyrean (was $2,999, now $2,229) changed everything in the high-end headphone space for a lot of people.
Audeze and Focal did not see the Empyrean coming and its success forced both to go back to the drawing board and focus on how to build something superior.
Meze pushed forward with customized iterations of the Empyrean and eventually introduced the $4,000 ELITE (read our review here), but an updated version of the award-winning headphones was long overdue according to some.
The Meze Audio Empyrean II are finally here and they come with enormous expectations.
For their second-generation model, Meze Audio’s specialists have further refined the exceptional Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver design from Rinaro Isodynamics, delivering a step-change performance.
“When creating Empyrean II, our goal was to enhance the headphones’ ability to reproduce fine details and achieve a more neutral sound signature, all the while preserving the original “easy to listen to” character. With this in mind, our engineers have masterfully harnessed the driver’s power to reveal new possibilities in terms of responsiveness and accuracy and even make the driver more reliable in challenging acoustic environments,” explains Meze Audio’s Managing Director,
Mircea Fanatan.
Crafted with precision via CNC milling, Empyrean II’s frame features a sleek black matte finish with silver accents, and a redesigned aluminium grille inspired by art deco artistry. With a nod to the past and a vision for the future, the new headphone is a testament to Meze Audio’s passion for blending classic aesthetics with modern sophistication.
“When we first talked about creating the second generation of Empyrean, I knew it would be far from easy. With many ideas in mind, I reached out to our community, eager to gather their feedback in any way I could,” explained Meze Acoustic Engineer, Alex Grigoras.
“What followed was a test of patience and precision. At first, the
possibilities seemed endless, but reality showed us that only a few of our plans were feasible. We made a lot of revisions to discover the right proportions and materials that would deliver the sound signature we aimed for.”
Empyrean II also comes with two sets of ear pads included, each designed for a different experience.
Featuring the most advanced ear pads in the Empyrean series to date, the all-new Duo ear pads are bespoke to Empyrean II. Crafted from a precise blend of premium leather and Alcantara, they introduce a contemporary look and tone. With leather forming the base half and Alcantara covering the rest, these earpads deliver a harmonious tonal balance that resonates across all music genres.
The benefit of the angled Alcantara ear pads is that it creates more space inside the ear pad, which translates to an airier sound signature, with cleaner bass and improved midrange presence.
Isomagneteic Earcup to Earpad Coupling Technology
Rinaro’s Isomagnetic coupling technology makes switching between the two sets of earpads much easier. It utilizes the demagnetizing field generated by the driver to secure the earcup in place, while simultaneously redirecting the magnetic field back into the driver, thereby enhancing efficiency.
Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver
The Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver combines individual switchback and spiral shaped voice coils in one driver, allowing sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear.
The new driver features total harmonic distortion (THD) that measures under 0.1% across the entire frequency range and the decrease in driver weight has allowed Meze to create a new version of the Empyrean that is easier to wear for longer listening sessions.
Another design element includes the hybrid magnet array; symmetrically placed on each side of the diaphragm, the neodymium magnets are specifically arranged into a hybrid array to create the efficient Isodynamic magnetic field required for a uniform activation across the whole diaphragm surface.
The Rinaro Isoplanar diaphragm weighs only 0.16 grams while having 4650 mm2 of active area.
The frame is manufactured from fiberglass infused ABS for both weight and structural rigidity.
Specifications
- Driver Type – Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver
- Operating Principle – Open
- Ear Coupling – Circumaural
- Frequency Response – 8 – 110,000 Hz
- Impedance – 32 Ohms
- Sensitivity – 105 dB SPL @ 1 V, 1 kHz
- Maximum SPL – >130 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) – <%0.5 (in the whole frequency range)
- Weight – 385 g (without earpads)
MZ3 Driver
- Geometrical Shape – Ovoid
- Size – 102 mm x 73 mm
- Weight – 82 grams
- Casing – Fiberglass infused ABS
Diaphragm
- Type – Rinaro Isoplanar [MZ3]
- Active Area – 4650 mm2
- Weight – 0.16 g
- Acoustic Mass – 10.7 kg/m4
- Lower Frequency Limit – 8 Hz
- Upper Frequency Limit – 110,000 Hz
Magnet
- Array Type – Isodynamic
- Size – 75 mm x 49 mm
- Magnetic Flux – 0.35 T
Accessories
- Case: High-strength ABS plastic suitcase with foam inserts and leather handle
- Two sets of earpads included:
- Duo Earpads
- Angled Alcantara
- Cable type: Premium Silver-plated or Copper PCUHD
- Connector type: 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm (1/8 in), 4.4 mm, 6.3 mm (1/4 in), 4-pin XLR
Price & Availability
The Meze Audio Empyrean II are available starting November 8, 2023 for $2,999 at Headphones.com, mezeaudio.com, mezeaudio.eu and in selected dealers’ stores worldwide. International pricing is set at €2,999 or £2,749.
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