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Meze Audio Empyrean II are here with new refinements, same $3,000 price
- Romanian company Meze Audio just launched the Empyrean II headphones.
- They have a more refined design when compared to the original set, with a bigger emphasis on comfort.
- The Empyrean II will be just as expensive as the originals, starting at $3,000.
When Meze Audio launched the original Empyrean headphones, we loved the Isodynamic drivers, the frequency response, and the overall comfort. The price was very high, but we happily recommended them if that wasn’t a problem for you.
Now, the Romanian company is launching a sequel to those 2018 over-ears with the Meze Audio Empyrean II. Meze Audio isn’t reinventing the wheel — these new headphones look a lot like the originals — but instead deliver some nice refinements to the look, wearability, and sound of the 2018 model.
Let’s start with the look. The Empyrean II are matte black all around with subtle silver accents. The aluminum grille has a slightly different design this time around, with an art Deco-inspired theme. They look a lot like the original headphones but slightly tweaked.
Moving on to comfort, Meze Audio continued to use its winged design to better distribute the headphones across your head. Again, there are also two different ear pad sets included with your purchase: a leather/Alcantara blend and a classic all-Alcantara pad set. You can pick which one works best for you, with each changing the tuning of the headphones slightly.
Finally, Meze Audio has refined the Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver from Rinaro Isodynamics to enhance the overall sound quality. Meze Audio calls this a “step-change” in performance, but we’ll need to put them through our usual round of tests before we can back that up.
The Meze Audio Empyrean II headphones are open for pre-order now. The company did not say when shipping would begin. It did tell us pricing, though, and if you are familiar with the company, you shouldn’t be surprised. The Empyrean II will start at $2,999 / €2,999 / £2,749.