Show us your headphones

I’ve always been a speaker person but with Covid-19, my wife now works from home as well now so I can’t get away with listening to my music at the volume I enjoy with speakers.

I’ve got a pair of Elegia closed backs for when I’m in the same room as someone… which I’ve really enjoyed, but also want a good pair of open backs that I’ll use when working in my office during the day. Something comfy that sound great but not fatiguing over several hours use. Simon paints a rather nice image of these headphones… so I guess they will have to be listened to.

I was just going to buy 2nd hand but, I guess if I’m going to use them a lot I want to get something that’s right for me. My wallet is already hiding in fear!

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An interesting point that it could be the DAVE amp which isn’t to your liking, rather than the DAC. I have played my Empyreans in the following combinations:
NDX2 - Violectric - Empy
NDX2 - Hugo2 - Empy
NDX2 - Hugo2 - Violectric - Empy
TBH, all sound brilliant so I would be being over critical if I said even one of them was “no good”. However, of the three options I prefer the NDX2 - Hugo2 - Violectric V280 which overall sounds very sweet and open. The Violectric seems to get a grip of the music - I guess a little bit like going from a NAP200 to a NAP300(?)
On the headphone theme, good look to @anon23154165 and @TheKevster on your headphone journey…you will not be disappointed…especially if you get Empyreans. Just feel sorry for your wallets :wink:

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@Manlad Since I have but £1,000 to spend on cans and amp, I fear the Empyreans are a bit out of my league… :sunglasses:

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@TheKevster that will still get you an awful lot of headphone… it’s just a case of finding a place with a good selection. I got the Elegia for half that!

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You will have no problems getting quality with £1000 in your wallet! Obviously there is lots of choice and 101 people will have 101 recommendations! FWIW my personal choice would be the Senn HD650 - I still own a pair (I couldnt part with them when I got the Empyreans!) . I note though that @anon23154165 got some Focal Elegias - never heard these but I am sure they are also brilliant.
Whilst the Meze Empyreans are really very good, you are on the road of diminishing returns, so I would have to say (if in fact it can be measured) the HD650’s are 90% as good and cost virtually 1/10th of the Empyreans. I put my purchase of the Empys down to lockdown madness!!
Anyway, enjoy you phones/amp when you get them.
cheers

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Ohh Manlad, I love my HD650s and my Empyreans, but they are very different indeed… certainly with a high end amp / DAC source.
The HD650 is smooth and constrained with a lovely understated mid and mid texture… but it’s treble is very smooth, and ultimately not that realistic in cymbals, high hats or air and atmosphere… and the low bass is limited too… you don’t get much sub bass. However you can throw most material at it and it plays musically yet safely.
The Empyreans are on the other hand incredibly realistic across the audio band with a possible slight weakness around 100 to 200Hz where sometimes there is a smidgen lack of definition… possibly resonance related… but I am being hyper critical there, and it seems to vary on how you wear the phones… ensure you have a good ear pad seal… take note if you wear glasses.
The Empyreans provide fast sub bass (slam) with the right amp, and uncanny mids and upper mids… to the point you can think someone is talking to you in your room… when in fact it’s in the media. Trebles are natural and slightly reigned in with suits a lot of music, but you can push up a dB or two if you want to boost a flatter recording to suit taste. They can be incredibly detailed… wonderful for live recordings.
So I do think they perform very differently, the 650 is far more forgiving but ultimately limited. The Empyreans reveal just about all from your recording so really insightful, but won’t sweeten very poor , rough recordings.
BTW I prefer the Empyreans with the leather pads and Meze silver plated leads. I find the copper leads too warm.

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Not as exotic as some cans on here -

Shure SRH1540

Great sound, lovely soft ear cups and come with a hard travel case, spare ear pads and cable and all for under £400 what’s not to like

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My Focal Elears with a CustomCans aftermarket cable.

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@DiggyGun, how does the aftermarket cable compare to the stock one? I have a pair of Elegia, and could do with a longer cable. I have a QED extension cable, but wonder whether I should get a decent longer aftermarket cable, but I wouldn’t want to spend an arm and a leg. Some cables are terribly extensive if one needs something longer, but Custom Cans looks like a reasonably priced alternative.

Cheers!

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@Naim_The_Dragon I bought a Cosmic Cable for the Elegia, “Liquid Steel” from their single sleeve collection. It’s good sounding cable, soft and flexible and is well made. Fast delivery etc and much better than the tiny one supplied.

For the most part, I hadn’t experienced and Microphonics from it but if there is a zip or anything with an edge on your top and the upper cables rub against it, it is audible. No zips and it is fine.

If I was buying again, possible would look at Forza or Toxic Cables I think. They’re more expensive but I think they’re options have smooth cable/braided options that would probably have less microphonic issues.

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@Naim_The_Dragon. The cable is much better then the stock cable. I ordered the four metre one and it is very soft and flexible compared to the stock cable, so far more comfortable to use.

I didn’t use the stock cable for long, so didn’t really get used to it, but the new cable certainly has more detail and bass.

With CustomCans, the cost was actually less than getting a replacement braided Focal cable.

How’s the cable? I was looking at those for my Elears as the Focal cable is too damn unwieldy. Its like NACA5 for headphones.

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Thanks @anon23154165 and @DiggyGun – food for thought! :grinning:

Well… a bit tired now after driving around and listening to headphones. Been fun but a little tense as well as this is sort of an early 50 treat. I was going to buy a mid range set now and then a really good one later but decided to cut to the chase and do it now.

I felt certain the Focal Utopia was going to win out as it sounded (from reviews etc) that it would be right up my street. I like detail.

My main criteria was a headphone that could be used all day without head or hearing fatigue. It would also be used for quite a broad range of genres… Dance, House music, Folk, Jaz, Blues and Classical. The HD800s excelled for a couple of these but lacked in others. The Utopia, was beautiful… just wasn’t sure about 7+ hours of the treble each day!

The Audeze headphones while really nice sort of put themselves out of the running… I think my neck muscles would be completely wrecked if I was wearing them for that amount of time each day. They also sounded a little dark for me… overly warm.

Speaking of which, the headphones that I often seen comments on the net saying they were a little warm and lacking in treble… The Meze Empyrean. Thanks to @Simon-in-Suffolk comments above, I thought I’d given them a listen despite my concerns after some of the comments I’d read.

Well. I’m really glad I did, the bass is incredible without being heavy or bleeding into the mids… stacks of detail in the mids and the treble… well. It sort of reminds me a little of the PMC 25.22 I have. Bags of detail but nice and smooth and never harsh… the type of treble you could listen all day to… thankfully!

If that wasn’t enough… they’re also really comfortable and look stunning. Superb build quality. Even listening to them straight out of the box they sound great… it’ll be the most enjoyable 100hrs or so burn in I think I’ll ever have! That said… I feel knackered now so the proper listening might have to start tomorrow!

And here they are… hanging up while being run in :+1:t2:

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Congrats on getting some Meze Emyreans…join the club! I got mine in March, all I can say is they are brilliant! I am not good at describing sounds and musicality @Simon-in-Suffolk is far better at that, and his comments really are spot on!
What are you using to feed them?
cheers

Posted to give you all a bit of light relief from all this high end stuff. My 45 year old Sansui SS10s. Built like a battleship and weigh about the same. :smiley:. SQ is probably not up to much compared to modern, high end 'phones, but they still work.

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A great description of what the 650’s and Empyreans can do. I wish I could be as articulate at describing what I am hearing!!
Cant argue against what you say and I am just thankful I am lucky enough to have both sets of phones on hand.
As for the silver cables on the Meze Empys, I have not tried/heard them so cant comment, but its “on the list” as a future project. I am a glasses wearer and I know what you mean about them getting in the way. However, my preferred listing method is in a darkish room, specs off and using the Empys with the leather pads - just perfect :grinning:
cheers
Neil

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Cheers… I’m using the TT2 & M Scaler. Auralic Aries G1 as transport.

Dealer advised to let them run in before looking at different cables. I rather like the stock cable so that’s no problem.

That said, I can easily imagine a silver cable would be rather nice. When I went from TQ Black to TQ Silver II on the PMCs, it really tightened things up in the bass and opened up the mids and soundstage a lot.

Sounds like a brill set up for feeding the Empys. I reckon my phones took at least 100 hours to burn in - infact I would guess it was closer to 200-300 hours. I didnt measure the burn in time however as I was just enjoying listening!!!
On the cables, my one complaint is that they are a little rigid, it would be nice if they were a little more flexible. @Simon-in-Suffolk - are the silverplated ones more flexible?
cheers
Neil

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Neil, they feel roughly the same. At least the leads don’t tangle…

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