Meze - Empyrean
Flagship Planar Magnetic Open-BacksUnfortunately, even if we desire to, we won't be able to resurrect this product. The Museum is where we pay our respects to end-of-life, old, archived, but not forgotten products. This page was made with a lot of love and will live on for posterity. What to say, we're sentimental people. 😔
While this product is gone forever, here are others we recommend
Customer Reviews
It is an amazing experience listening to these with only one kidney and half Liver
The Empyreans look stunning and the build quality is just unmatchable. A piece of art really. They look huge but they are actually the most comfortable pair of headphones I have ever worn, to the point where I just forget I am wearing them.
The bass is full bodied, rich and goes deep. Very pleasing to listen to and tastefully done. And they can strike really hard when the track demands it. The bass can also get a little loose sometimes depending on the track, but always in a good way.
The mids are masterfully done. The empyreans are very attentive in the mids and sound very effortless. They perform admirably especially when there are a lot of instruments in play. Drums sound heavenly. These made me a fan of rock music. Voices - both male and female - just sound stunning.
The highs are crisp and clear. There are a lot of details in play but they are not pushed upon you and do not sound forced. Also, they sound very natural unlike something like the focal clears which can tend to sound metallic in the highs at times. Smooth is the word, without a hint of sibilance.
The imaging is excellent and the soundstage is very good. With the Alcantara pads on, they sounded slightly more open and the treble had some added sparkle and clarity. With the leather pads, they sounded more intimate and richer in comparison, which was my preference. The Woo audio WA11 topaz has been an excellent pair to the Empyrean.
The gorgeous sound and the excellent comfort means I have rarely taken them off my head in the last 5 months. Also means I have had to bid goodbye to a lot of my old headphones which I have come to love over the years.
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So glad to know that you love them:) We look forward to serving you again. Happy listening !!
Words are difficult to describe how good this headphone is. It is an experience. Works for all genres. Songs I have been hearing for 20 years are revealing more nuances and in general more musical.
Next up, Meze Elite ;)
Hey there, nothing makes us happier than knowing you loved your purchase, hope you had a comfortable shopping experience & thank you for the great ratings!
Designed in
Romania
Balanced Sound Signature
Museum with a Balanced sound signature presents a precise sound and an enriching listening experience, where sounds are naturally presented without extreme emphasis on any region. With a pair of headphones with this sound signature, you can hear audio with clarity and detail. The sound is vivid and revealing, a perfect mixture of instruments and vocals, lows, mids, and highs. This sound signature works for most music listeners who like switching between various music genres like Classical, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Folk and Pop.
Ideal for Audiophiles
Ideal for
Indoor Use
Metal
Build
Planar Magnetic Drivers
Planar magnetic drivers combine characteristics of several driver types. They employ magnetic fields akin to dynamic and balanced armature drivers. However, planar magnetic drivers, like electrostatic drivers, use a flat, thin diaphragm in contrast to a coil. The planar drivers are known for their quick transient response.
Open-Back Design
Needs Amplification
Replaceable Cables
A pair of headphones with a replaceable cable has many benefits, and one of them is if the connecting cable has a problem, it doesn’t mean that you have to buy a new one. If the connecting cable gets pulled or damaged, you can replace it and keep using your good-old headphones or IEMs. This way, your headphones will be protected and will last longer. With the advancements in cable manufacturing, you now get a variety of replacement cables with various termination options, lengths and quality.
The Meze Empyrean is the definition of musical headphones. No matter what genre you throw at it, it plays it faithfully. Vocals are forward, and the overall presentation of instruments will envelop you. Apart from being musical, they are possibly the most well-designed pair of headphones you will ever put on and truly flagship headphones in every sense.
About RAGHAV SOMANI
Raghav Somani is the Founder & CEO of Headphone Zone. An avid audiophile and musician since 2008, his choice of headphones include STAX Electrostats, Audeze LCD 3, and for music on the go, the JH Audio Roxanne + Astell&Kern SP1000 is never too far away. On his playlist, you'll find A.R. Rahman, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles.
DESCRIPTION
MEZE AUDIO PRESENTS THE FIRST ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY PLANAR HEADPHONE - THE EMPYREAN
Meze Audio, founded in 2011 in Baia Mare, Romania, has been making waves in the audio industry. Since its inception, it has grown by leaps and bounds. Meze Audio has always strived to develop high-performing and exceptional headphones. The exquisite Empyrean was born as a result of; the continuous pursuit of perfection in sound and design. The Empyrean is Meze Audio’s flagship open-back headphone and is the first planar-magnetic headphone using Rinaro’s Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver. With the Empyrean, Meze seeks to deliver an unrivalled Hi-Fidelity experience that revolves around top-tier planar-magnetic performance, coupled with an aesthetically pleasing and supremely comfortable design. A blend of premium materials, exquisite craftsmanship and detailing is unmistakably Meze. The Empyrean is one of the most technologically innovative planar magnetic headphones ever developed. It was the result of creativity, curiosity, and passion. To find the perfect sound, Meze Audio has the flexibility to experiment and take calculated risks. The engineers at Meze Audio explored with the Empyrean because they dared to do so to create something genuinely spectacular. Meze Audio pushed and enhanced industry standards to create a product that will alter how audiophiles perceive music.
AN EPITOME OF COMFORT, DESIGN, AND STYLE WITH ANATOMICALLY DESIGNED OVATE EARCUPS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC EAR PAD DESIGN
The Empyrean was created by Meze Audio with an ergonomic design in mind, with ovate earcups and anthropometric earpads. To develop and design an audiophile headphone that is powerful yet light, the driver needed to maximise power output while reducing weight as much as possible. Meze Audio has also incorporated ISOMAGNETIC® earcup to earpad coupling technology into the Empyrean. An innovative feature is the Isomagnetic® ear cup attachment which utilises the demagnetizing field generated by the driver to hold the ear cup in place whilst also redirecting the magnetic field back into the driver and improving driver efficiency. They have also included magnetic field shielding with ferromagnetic ear pads that decrease the magnetic stray field affecting your head. Patented ferromagnetic plates channel the magnetic field back into the driver, increasing output and driver efficiency. It also has an invisible locking system with the innovative use of the magnetic field of the drivers to fix the earcups in place. The headband also has pressure distribution wings. Suspension wings increase the leather headrest’s contact surface area with your head and relieve uncomfortable pressure points, offering additional comfort, even when used for long listening sessions. The headband arch is made from a lightweight carbon fibre material, as opposed to spring steel, to keep it supple yet very light.
FEATURES RINARO'S ISODYNAMIC® HYBRID ARRAY DRIVER FUSED WITH ISOPLANAR® DIAPHRAGM
Over 30 years of research and development have led to the creation of the first Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver. Neodymium magnets are placed on either side of the ultralight diaphragm (Weighing only 0.16 g while having a 4650 mm² active area). These magnets are placed in a hybrid array creating an efficient Isodynamic magnetic field. This architecture ensures uniform activation across the whole diaphragm surface. The two independently shaped voice coils within the same diaphragm deliver more selective acoustic performance to the various areas within the anatomy of your ear. Meze Audio has collaborated with Rinaro to create a new standard in planar magnetic headphones, the resulting technology being one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers. The Empyrean is the product of two passionate companies coming together to explore what is possible beyond their capabilities. The result is a no-compromise headphone embodying Meze’s aesthetic and user-centred design approach and Rinaro’s experience in research and development within the field of planar magnet technology.
EXPERIENCE THE AUDIBLE BENEFITS OF A DUAL-DRIVEN DIAPHRAGM COIL THAT REDUCES REFLECTIONS AND DELIVERS CLEAN AUDIO
The Empyrean Driver combines individual switchback and spiral-shaped voice coils, their unique shapes allowing sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear. This unique combination generates an increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range, improving imaging and localization by decreasing the impact of shortwave time delays caused by diffused field reflections. One of the problems with conventional planar magnetic arrays is coming from reflected signals entering the ear canal with different time delays, thereby worsening the focus of 3D sound imaging. Combining different voice coil configurations makes it possible to create a better sound intensity distribution across the sound wavefront at high frequencies when directed at the auricle and ear canal. The Empyrean's driver hosts an ISOPLANAR® diaphragm material. This diaphragm is manufactured from a custom-developed isotropic thermally stabilised polymer with a conductive layer. It also has a switchback coil and spiral coil. The switchback coil in the upper portion of the driver is more effective at reproducing lower frequencies. Since the spiral coil is placed directly over the ear canal and is more effective at recreating mid-high frequencies, there are fewer delays when sound waves enter the ear. Experience the magic of the Empyrean and immerse yourself in pure sonic bliss!
DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED IN BAIA MARE, ROMANIA, COUPLED WITH BRAIDED FURUKAWA PCUHD PREMIUM CABLES
For the audiophiles who want to hear what 30 years of progression sound like, Empyrean pairs the advances in audio reproduction with a headphone chassis that delivers extended hours of listening pleasure. The Empyrean is carefully hand-assembled in their facilities in Baia Mare, Romania. A core belief of Meze is to create products that last. The Empyrean is no different: from the replaceable earpads to the high-performance materials used, every part on the headphone chassis is available to be serviced and disassembled by a skilled team. The Empyrean's design is unquestionably among the most advanced. Its hand-assembled chassis expertly combines high-end components like solid aluminium, leather, and carbon fibre to create a headphone that is not only aesthetically stunning but also incredibly robust. The Empyrean comes in a foam-lined aluminium briefcase. It also comes with premium braided Furukawa PCUHD cables. A 2.5m braided cable with dual-sided 4-pin mini XLR connections on the headphone side and a 6.35mm jack on the amplifier side. It's important to note that, in addition to the standard 6.35mm termination, you have the choice of selecting a 4-pin XLR balanced connector or a 3.5mm single-ended connector cable. Last but not least, the Empyrean comes with two sets of pads—one made of "real" leather and the other of Alcantara and a printed note from Meze Founder Antonio Meze, and an authenticity card bearing the hand-written serial number of the item.
SOUND
FREQUENCY GRAPH
CHEAT SHEET
Regions of the frequency spectrum
(20Hz - 80 Hz)
(80 Hz - 300 kHz)
(300 Hz - 1000 kHz)
(1 kHz - 6 kHz)
(6 kHz - 10 kHz)
(10 kHz - 20 kHz)
SPECS
| DRIVER TYPE | Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array |
| SENSITIVITY | 130 dB |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 4 - 110,000 Hz |
| IMPEDANCE | 31,6 Ω |
| NOMINAL SPL | 100 dB (1 mW / 1 kHz) |
| MAXIMUM SPL | > 130 dB |
| THD | > 130 dB |
| GEOMETRICAL SHAPE | Ovoid |
| DRIVER SIZE | 102 mm x 73 mm |
| DRIVER WEIGHT | 82 g |
| CASING | Fiberglass Infused ABS |
| DIAPHRAGM TYPE | Rinaro ISOPLANAR® |
| ACTIVE AREA | 4650 mm² |
| DIAPHRAGM WEIGHT | 0.16 g |
| ACOUSTIC MASS | 10.7 kg/m |
| LOWER FREQUENCY LIMIT | 4 Hz |
| UPPER-FREQUENCY LIMIT | 110.000 Hz |
| MAGNET TYPE | Isodynamic |
| MAGNET SIZE | 75 mm x 49 mm |
| MAGNETIC FLUX | 0.35 T |
| WEARING STYLE | Over-ear |
| WEIGHT | 430g |
| GRILL | Open Back |
| GEOMETRICAL SHAPE | Ovoid |
| CASING | Fiberglass Infused ABS |
| BOX CONTENTS |
1. Meze Empyrean Headphones
|
| 2. Cable (Cable type: 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) |
|
| 3. Case: High-strength ABS plastic suitcase with foam inserts and leather handle | |
| 4. Two sets of earpads included: one real leather, one angled Alcantara® | |
| *Vegan option available upon request. |
MEZE AUDIO PRESENTS THE FIRST ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY PLANAR HEADPHONE - THE EMPYREAN
Meze Audio, founded in 2011 in Baia Mare, Romania, has been making waves in the audio industry. Since its inception, it has grown by leaps and bounds. Meze Audio has always strived to develop high-performing and exceptional headphones. The exquisite Empyrean was born as a result of; the continuous pursuit of perfection in sound and design. The Empyrean is Meze Audio’s flagship open-back headphone and is the first planar-magnetic headphone using Rinaro’s Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver. With the Empyrean, Meze seeks to deliver an unrivalled Hi-Fidelity experience that revolves around top-tier planar-magnetic performance, coupled with an aesthetically pleasing and supremely comfortable design. A blend of premium materials, exquisite craftsmanship and detailing is unmistakably Meze. The Empyrean is one of the most technologically innovative planar magnetic headphones ever developed. It was the result of creativity, curiosity, and passion. To find the perfect sound, Meze Audio has the flexibility to experiment and take calculated risks. The engineers at Meze Audio explored with the Empyrean because they dared to do so to create something genuinely spectacular. Meze Audio pushed and enhanced industry standards to create a product that will alter how audiophiles perceive music.
AN EPITOME OF COMFORT, DESIGN, AND STYLE WITH ANATOMICALLY DESIGNED OVATE EARCUPS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC EAR PAD DESIGN
The Empyrean was created by Meze Audio with an ergonomic design in mind, with ovate earcups and anthropometric earpads. To develop and design an audiophile headphone that is powerful yet light, the driver needed to maximise power output while reducing weight as much as possible. Meze Audio has also incorporated ISOMAGNETIC® earcup to earpad coupling technology into the Empyrean. An innovative feature is the Isomagnetic® ear cup attachment which utilises the demagnetizing field generated by the driver to hold the ear cup in place whilst also redirecting the magnetic field back into the driver and improving driver efficiency. They have also included magnetic field shielding with ferromagnetic ear pads that decrease the magnetic stray field affecting your head. Patented ferromagnetic plates channel the magnetic field back into the driver, increasing output and driver efficiency. It also has an invisible locking system with the innovative use of the magnetic field of the drivers to fix the earcups in place. The headband also has pressure distribution wings. Suspension wings increase the leather headrest’s contact surface area with your head and relieve uncomfortable pressure points, offering additional comfort, even when used for long listening sessions. The headband arch is made from a lightweight carbon fibre material, as opposed to spring steel, to keep it supple yet very light.
FEATURES RINARO'S ISODYNAMIC® HYBRID ARRAY DRIVER FUSED WITH ISOPLANAR® DIAPHRAGM
Over 30 years of research and development have led to the creation of the first Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver. Neodymium magnets are placed on either side of the ultralight diaphragm (Weighing only 0.16 g while having a 4650 mm² active area). These magnets are placed in a hybrid array creating an efficient Isodynamic magnetic field. This architecture ensures uniform activation across the whole diaphragm surface. The two independently shaped voice coils within the same diaphragm deliver more selective acoustic performance to the various areas within the anatomy of your ear. Meze Audio has collaborated with Rinaro to create a new standard in planar magnetic headphones, the resulting technology being one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers. The Empyrean is the product of two passionate companies coming together to explore what is possible beyond their capabilities. The result is a no-compromise headphone embodying Meze’s aesthetic and user-centred design approach and Rinaro’s experience in research and development within the field of planar magnet technology.
EXPERIENCE THE AUDIBLE BENEFITS OF A DUAL-DRIVEN DIAPHRAGM COIL THAT REDUCES REFLECTIONS AND DELIVERS CLEAN AUDIO
The Empyrean Driver combines individual switchback and spiral-shaped voice coils, their unique shapes allowing sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear. This unique combination generates an increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range, improving imaging and localization by decreasing the impact of shortwave time delays caused by diffused field reflections. One of the problems with conventional planar magnetic arrays is coming from reflected signals entering the ear canal with different time delays, thereby worsening the focus of 3D sound imaging. Combining different voice coil configurations makes it possible to create a better sound intensity distribution across the sound wavefront at high frequencies when directed at the auricle and ear canal. The Empyrean's driver hosts an ISOPLANAR® diaphragm material. This diaphragm is manufactured from a custom-developed isotropic thermally stabilised polymer with a conductive layer. It also has a switchback coil and spiral coil. The switchback coil in the upper portion of the driver is more effective at reproducing lower frequencies. Since the spiral coil is placed directly over the ear canal and is more effective at recreating mid-high frequencies, there are fewer delays when sound waves enter the ear. Experience the magic of the Empyrean and immerse yourself in pure sonic bliss!
DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED IN BAIA MARE, ROMANIA, COUPLED WITH BRAIDED FURUKAWA PCUHD PREMIUM CABLES
For the audiophiles who want to hear what 30 years of progression sound like, Empyrean pairs the advances in audio reproduction with a headphone chassis that delivers extended hours of listening pleasure. The Empyrean is carefully hand-assembled in their facilities in Baia Mare, Romania. A core belief of Meze is to create products that last. The Empyrean is no different: from the replaceable earpads to the high-performance materials used, every part on the headphone chassis is available to be serviced and disassembled by a skilled team. The Empyrean's design is unquestionably among the most advanced. Its hand-assembled chassis expertly combines high-end components like solid aluminium, leather, and carbon fibre to create a headphone that is not only aesthetically stunning but also incredibly robust. The Empyrean comes in a foam-lined aluminium briefcase. It also comes with premium braided Furukawa PCUHD cables. A 2.5m braided cable with dual-sided 4-pin mini XLR connections on the headphone side and a 6.35mm jack on the amplifier side. It's important to note that, in addition to the standard 6.35mm termination, you have the choice of selecting a 4-pin XLR balanced connector or a 3.5mm single-ended connector cable. Last but not least, the Empyrean comes with two sets of pads—one made of "real" leather and the other of Alcantara and a printed note from Meze Founder Antonio Meze, and an authenticity card bearing the hand-written serial number of the item.
FREQUENCY GRAPH
CHEAT SHEET
Regions of the frequency spectrum
(20Hz - 80 Hz)
(80 Hz - 300 kHz)
(300 Hz - 1000 kHz)
(1 kHz - 6 kHz)
(6 kHz - 10 kHz)
(10 kHz - 20 kHz)
| DRIVER TYPE | Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array |
| SENSITIVITY | 130 dB |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 4 - 110,000 Hz |
| IMPEDANCE | 31,6 Ω |
| NOMINAL SPL | 100 dB (1 mW / 1 kHz) |
| MAXIMUM SPL | > 130 dB |
| THD | > 130 dB |
| GEOMETRICAL SHAPE | Ovoid |
| DRIVER SIZE | 102 mm x 73 mm |
| DRIVER WEIGHT | 82 g |
| CASING | Fiberglass Infused ABS |
| DIAPHRAGM TYPE | Rinaro ISOPLANAR® |
| ACTIVE AREA | 4650 mm² |
| DIAPHRAGM WEIGHT | 0.16 g |
| ACOUSTIC MASS | 10.7 kg/m |
| LOWER FREQUENCY LIMIT | 4 Hz |
| UPPER-FREQUENCY LIMIT | 110.000 Hz |
| MAGNET TYPE | Isodynamic |
| MAGNET SIZE | 75 mm x 49 mm |
| MAGNETIC FLUX | 0.35 T |
| WEARING STYLE | Over-ear |
| WEIGHT | 430g |
| GRILL | Open Back |
| GEOMETRICAL SHAPE | Ovoid |
| CASING | Fiberglass Infused ABS |
| BOX CONTENTS |
1. Meze Empyrean Headphones
|
| 2. Cable (Cable type: 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) |
|
| 3. Case: High-strength ABS plastic suitcase with foam inserts and leather handle | |
| 4. Two sets of earpads included: one real leather, one angled Alcantara® | |
| *Vegan option available upon request. |
Don't sweat it, this
Meze - Empyrean comes with a 2 Year warranty
from Meze that covers manufacturing defects.
All products featured on Headphone Zone are backed by an original manufacturer's warranty.
Read more about Meze's warranty in India.
Best High End Headphone
AVTech Media
Dec, 2019
Grand Prize Winner
Headphone Book
May, 2019
Reviewer's Choice
SoundStage Network
Dec, 2019
Best Tested Headphone
HiFi.nl award
Feb, 2017
Outstanding Product Winner
Hi-Fi News
Dec, 2018
Favourite Award Winner
Fairaudio
May, 2020
Best Refrenece Headphone
Haute Fidelity
June, 2019
Product of the Year
SoundStage HiFi
Dec, 2019
Hall of Fame Winner
HPFES Award
Oct, 2018
Product of the Year
The Absolute Sound
Jan, 2020
Golden Award Winner
Major Hi-Fi
April, 2019
Product of the Year
Headphone Guru
Nov, 2019
Applause Award Winner
StereoNet
Jan, 2019
Golden Analog Award
HIFI-philosophy
Nov, 2019
Hifi Circum-ear Winner
OnTopAudio Award
Aug, 2019
Bluemoon Award
6Moons
March, 2018
Best Headphone Winner
Headfonia Award
Dec, 2018
Product of the Year
Audio Reputation
April, 2019
Editor’s Choice Award
Innerfidelity
Dec, 2018
Product Design Winner
Bigsee Award
May, 2019
Headphone of the Year
Hifi+ Award
May, 2019
Sealed Over-Ear Headphone
Innerfidelity
Feb, 2017
Best Headphone Winner
Diapasons d'Or Hi-Fi
Nov, 2019
Best Performance
Digit Zero 1
Dec, 2019
Best Performance
Audio Art
Dec, 2020
"The Empyrean’s on-head feel connotes my idea of the perfect listening experience – to sink into a chair and into music and for several hours at a time."
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"The warmth and depth of a good pair of dynamic headphones, with all the articulation and precision of a regular pair of planar magnetics."
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“I fell in love with the Empyrean the moment I heard a pair. Even in my home system, they will rate as being my favourite headphones I have had around my ears."
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"What a masterpiece. Double thumbs up. A new King is born. This is a headphone everyone will still be talking about in 20 years."
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"Mechanical engineering that is meant to be worn, the Empyrean is part objet d’art and sonic time machine, transporting the wearer to the exact moment and space the song of their choice was recorded."
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"The Empyrean is a beautiful looking headphone with an endearing tuning quality that I think will appeal to both the hardcore and casual alike... Mighty oaks from little acorns grow as they say."
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"Give the Empyrean time, it will reward you with a rare combination of balance, finesse, and all-round expressiveness. It is only with extreme reluctance that I must force myself to give these headphones back."
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"Both sound quality and comfort were prioritized. Technologies improving sound quality go hand in hand with a carefully designed housing that allows long and pleasant listening."
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"If you’re in the market for a top-flight pair of headphones that sound BIG and clean for many hours at a time, I strongly recommend you give the Meze Empyrean a strong audition…you will not be disappointed!"
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"Overall, the Meze Empyrean is a beautifully executed headphone. It is comfortable, sounds incredible for a wide variety of genres, and gives life to both dense and sparse arrangements."
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"Empyrean is probably the most innovative headphone of the last ten years. Exceptional and irreproachable finish, hellish look, true innovative technology platform dedicated to listening, performance to match its ambitions."
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"Both sound quality and comfort were prioritized. Technologies improving sound quality go hand in hand with a carefully designed housing that allows long and pleasant listening."
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