$2,999.00
The Meze Audio Empyrean headphones are one of the most solidly built, visually stunning headphones I've ever tried. A statement piece from a design-focused audio company These stellar planar magnetic headphones have been years in the making. Throughout production of the Meze Audio Empyrean, Antonio Meze and his team have taken their prototypes to high-end headphone shows all over the world - collecting feedback along the way. I've been fortunate enough to hear the Empyrean twice, about a year apart. The finished product delivers an absolutely deluxe headphone experience, with the best bass response I've ever heard in a pair of planar magnetic headphones. In fact, Meze Audio teamed up with Ukrainian research team Rinaro to develop an entirely new take on traditional planar drivers. They call them "Isodynamic hybrid" drivers, and it is more than just a fancy name. I feel they've carved out a completely new sound signature, and I really enjoyed it. Solidly constructed with fine attention to detail Antonio Meze has an industrial engineering background, and these headphones look and feel like the result of a master at their craft. When I first held the Meze Empyrean, I reacted like you might when handling a piece of art. It felt like I was doing something wrong. Not because the headphones feel overly delicate - they're not - but because the design is so clean and detailed, it was like I was putting my hands on a fine sculpture. The Empyrean headphones arrive packed neatly in a heavy-duty travel case. From a distance these might look like closed-back headphones, but a closer look at their robust aluminum frame reveals a different story. An intricately etched pattern in the earcup allows air to flow in and out freely. In the carousel above, you can see a video of the machining process that Meze Audio uses to create these beautiful earcups. Incredibly comfortable and beautifully packed The Empyreans are among the physically largest headphones out there, but they also mi