Romanian company Meze Audio had a huge hit with the Meze 99 Classics ($309), which launched in 2015 and became one of the most popular headphones of the last decade. When they decided to get in on the high-end headphone game, the folks at Meze partnered with Ukrainian company Rinaro Isodynamics, a company with decades of R&D experience in planar magnetic drivers. In 2018, the result of that collaboration came out in the form of the Empyrean headphones ($3,000), which were praised for both their sound quality and their incredibly meticulous build quality. Now, after another year-long R&D campaign, Meze has unveiled the Empyrean II, which retails for the same $3,000 as its predecessor. Meze says the new headphones offer “more of what you love: more clarity, more depth, more fun.”
According to Meze, the goal in developing the Empyrean II was to retain the “pleasant” character of the original while improving the ability to reproduce fine details. The team also sought a more neutral soundstage, as the original Empyrean was considered to be rather warm. Meze says its engineers tried a number of different tuning techniques over a period of several months, tweaking the sound to improve resolution and detail reproduction, resulting in a cleaner and more accurate sound. The driver diaphragm in the Empyrean II is also said to be more reliable, ensuring “exceptional performance even in difficult acoustic environments.” Like the original, the new Empyrean uses a Hybrid Array Driver developed by Rinaro Isodynamics, which combines individual switchback and spiral voice coils in one driver. Meze says the diaphragm’s switchback coil reproduces lower frequencies more efficiently and is positioned in the upper part of the driver. The diaphragm’s spiral coil, on the other hand, is more efficient at reproducing mid to high frequencies. The coil is positioned directly above the ear canal, allowing sound waves to enter the ear more directly and without any time delay, Meze said. This configuration supposedly allows the sound to be “more precisely aligned to the natural shape of the ear.”
When we first talked about developing the second generation of Empyrean, I knew it was going to be anything but easy. With many ideas in mind, I turned to our community and wanted to get their feedback in any way I could. I wanted to get into their hearts and minds, understand their expectations, and so their input shaped the path to Empyrean II. What followed was a test of patience and precision. At first, the possibilities seemed endless, but reality showed us that few of our plans were feasible. We made many revisions to find the right proportions and materials that would deliver the sound signature we were aiming for.
Alex Grigoras, acoustic engineer at Meze
Meze boasts some impressive specs for the Empyrean II, including total harmonic distortion (THD) measurements. less than 0.05% over the entire frequency range, for high-precision signal reproduction. According to Meze, the upper frequency limit of audio reproduction in the Empyrean II is a remarkable 110,000 Hz. The driver uses neodymium magnets mounted symmetrically on both sides of the diaphragm, says Meze, “specifically arranged in a hybrid array to create the efficient isodynamic magnetic field required for uniform activation across the entire diaphragm surface.”
The lightweight Rinaro Isoplanar diaphragm weighs just 0.16 grams and covers a surface area of 4650 square millimeters (7.2 square inches). An improved frame made of glass-fiber-reinforced ABS also contributes to the lower weight, allowing for longer listening sessions without discomfort. Meze lists the weight of the Empyrean II at 385 grams, less than the original’s 430 grams. The Empyrean II’s frame is made using precision CNC milling and features a matte black finish with silver accents. The headband appears to be made of the same carbon fiber as the original, but the redesigned grille is completely new and was inspired by “bold and timeless Art Deco patterns,” according to Meze. (The precision with which Meze’s aluminum grilles are CNC-milled is unlike anything I’ve ever seen on any other headphone—or any other audio product, for that matter.)
As good as the original design looked, the headphones we thought were finished turned out to be fragile. The aluminum grille wasn’t great, there was an unexpected structural flaw, and we changed colors almost daily, struggling to find the perfect combination. After a lot of determination, a few more iterations, we finally had it – Empyrean II.
Vladimir Brezovszki, Product Designer
Rinaro developed an interesting “isomagnetic coupling technology” that makes changing ear pads quick and painless. (This may not sound like a big deal, but a few years ago I literally spent half of Christmas Day trying to fit new ear pads to my girlfriend’s ears. Sennheiser Momentum 2 Headphones. Brain surgery would have been easier.) Rinaro’s isomagnetic coupling technology “uses the demagnetizing field generated by the driver to hold the ear cup in place while simultaneously channeling the magnetic field back into the driver, improving efficiency.” And it’s a good thing that changing ear pads on the Empyrean II is a breeze, because it comes with two sets of ear pads that offer slightly different sound presentations. The new “Duo Earpads” are said to be tailored specifically for the Empyrean II. They’re made from a combination of high-quality leather (which forms the bottom half of the ear cup) and Alcantara (which covers the rest). Vegan leather is available upon request. Meze says the duo earpad design introduces a “contemporary dimension to the Empyrean II’s signature sound profile… (and delivers a) harmonious tonal balance that resonates across all genres of music.” Meze engineers researched and tested various material ratios to achieve the best tonal balance, according to the company. The result is said to be a “flawless fusion” of rich bass frequencies (attributed to the leather) and the “beautiful sophistication and spaciousness” of the Alcantara.
The second ear pad option is Meze’s “Angled Alcantara” ear pads, which are made from soft foam coated in Alcantara. They also feature a fine protective mesh on the grille. These angled ear pads “are excellent for reproducing intricate details and nuances in your recordings,” says Meze. The angled shape creates more space inside the ear pad, which Meze says means “an airier soundstage with cleaner bass and improved mid-range presence.” When used with the Empyrean II, these pads deliver a more “classic audiophile” presentation with a “detailed, airy, and precise” sound, according to Meze.
Our engineers have masterfully harnessed the driver’s power to open up new possibilities in terms of responsiveness and accuracy, making the driver even more reliable in challenging acoustic environments.
— Mircea Fanatan, Managing Director of Meze Audio
Meze Empyrean II: Our Opinion
From a consumer perspective, one of the best things about Meze headphones is that they are all fully serviceable. Every part of the Empyrean II’s body can be disassembled, serviced, and replaced if necessary, meaning the headphones should last a long time. That’s a reassuring thought if you’re looking to spend $3,000 on a pair of headphones. While they’re not cheap, high-end headphones like the Meze Empyrean II can offer sound quality that similarly priced speakers would struggle to match. The original Empyrean was a beautifully crafted headphone with an appealingly warm sound signature that pleased many audiophiles, but its sound wasn’t as detailed as some other flagship headphones, like the Focus Utopia ($4,000). However, even the Utopia can’t match the Meze’s build quality and comfort. Now that the Empyrean II boasts improved detail and a more neutral sound balance, it could be a huge hit. Whether you’ve been saving up for a high-end pair of headphones or are looking for a gift for the wealthy audiophile who has everything, the Meze Empyrean II shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Meze Empyrean II comes in a case made of high-strength ABS plastic with foam inserts and a leather handle. You can choose between two cables equipped with a 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm (1/8 inch), 4.4 mm, 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) or 4-pin XLR connector. The Empyrean II is available on Meze’s websiteand can also be purchased from authorized Meze dealers, like our friends at Audio advice.
Unless otherwise noted, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.