News : Meze Audio launches multi-award winning headphones - Empyrean, the first Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphone in Singapore

SINGAPORE | 16th August 2019 - Meze Audio, a high-end audio company renowned for developing premium audiophile headphones and earphones, introduces their new flagship: Empyrean - the first Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphone with Eng Siang International as its sole official distributor in Singapore. 

The stunning pair is made in collaboration with Rinaro, a progressive audio company with over 30 years of research and development on planar magnetics. It has bagged 13 awards and counting since its initial launch.

Antonio Meze, lead designer and founder of Meze Audio said "Empyrean was born from passion, curiosity and innovation. As a business, we have allowed ourselves the freedom to experiment and take risks in search of the perfect sound. To generate something truly remarkable, one must dare to explore, and that's what we did with Empyrean. We pushed and refined industry's standards and achieved a true game changer for audiophiles."

Headphones with no compromise

The result of the collaboration brings a no-compromise ultra high resolution audio headphones with an Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver, MZ3, made exclusively for the Empyrean.

With MZ3, an Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver, a new standard in planar magnetic audio was established - the first dual shaped voice coil array. The only one of its kind, this unique piece of technology is one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers on the market.

The MZ3 combines individual switchback and spiral shaped voice coils, allowing sound to be targeted with accuracy around the natural shape of the ear, ensuring absolute comfort and fit for the listeners. This also provides increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range and improves imaging and location by decreasing the impact of short wave time delays caused by diffused field reflections.

Designed with users in mind

Embodying Meze's daring aesthetic, user-centred design elements and Rinaro's experience in research and development within the field of planar magnetics, Meze Empyrean is both a sophisticated piece of design, and one of the most technologically innovative planar magnetic headphones. 

An innovative feature is the Isomagnetic ear cup attachment which utilises the demagnetising 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. Empyrean's cleverly designed pressure distribution wings - a patented suspension wings increase the leather headrest's contact surface area with your head and can help relieve uncomfortable pressure points.

Empyrean comes with 2 sets of detachable ear pads, in leather and Alcantara variants. Not just luxurious, each pad variant presents a different soundscape for the user. With the leather pads, one can enjoy the vocal and instrumental nuances of your favourite playlist, focusing more on the mids. The Alcantara pads gives you more depth and attention to the treble details. 

Exquisite craftsmanship

Meze went out of their way to create an audiophile headphone that is powerful yet lightweight enough for extended hours of use. A blend of premium materials, the Empyrean utilises exquisite craftsmanship and detailing that unmistakably Meze.

Each driver has been hand assembled and tested in an industrial facility in Ukraine. 

Designed and engineered in Baia Mare, Romania, the Empyrean is made of lightweight carbon and aluminium using high precision Computer Numeric Control (CNC) sculpted chassis, milled from a single piece of solid aluminium. Each cut is precise and a work of art in its own right.

• Driver Type: Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array 

• Frequency Response: 4 - 110,000 Hz

• Impedance: 31,6 Ω

• Weight: Approximately 430g

• Accessories included: High strength aluminium suitcase with foam inserts case, 2 sets of ear pads: Real leather, Alcantara, Cable options: 3m OFC cable, 4pin mini XLR plugs ending with 6.3 jack connector OR 1.3m OFC cable, 4pin mini XLR plugs ending with 3.5 jack connector or 3m OFC cable, 4pin mini XLR plugs ending with 4 pin XLR connector

Specifications

Price and Availability

Meze Empyrean is available immediately at the recommended retail price (RRP) of S$4,599 (including GST) at authorised retailers including AV One, E1 Personal Audio, and Lazada (https://www.lazada.sg/shop/av1group).

About Meze Audio

Meze Audio was founded in 2011 in Baia Mare, Romania. Meze Audio headphones embody the classical values of clarity, balance and harmony. This is not a trend and it's not intended to last for just a season. These are Classics. These are devices to fall in love with. We achieve this standard by combining high-end technology and style with quality materials and good craftsmanship. To all this we add the most important ingredient: our passion.

All our models, headphones and earphones, are developed in-house from the ground up, in the spirit of our original 'no-compromise' vision.

Suggestions for a Refresh ?

Dear Readers,

It's been a while since I've done a refresh of the site layout, or format of reviewing. Any suggestions of what you would like to see in the future ?

I am open to any suggestions although two things I cannot accomodate are measurements, and video reviews (I'm a bit shy).

Best Regards

Eric

Singxer SU-6 USB Digital Interface

Introduction

The SU-6 is an updated model to the very popular SU-1 Digital Interface from Singxer. The SU-6 is more than 1.5x the price of the SU-1, but is still modestly priced for a high performance USB Digital Interface.

The burning question though for most people would be why the need for this product ? USB inputs on DACs are ubiquitous and having an off-board solution is practically speaking not required. Apart from the expense of an additional box, you also have to budget for an additional digital cable, rack space and other accessories like a power cord and footers.

My personal experience is that most DACs do benefit from being paired with high quality USB converters, often sounding significantly better compared to a direct connection to the DAC's USB input. In the case of the SU-6 (and also the SU-1 for that matter), it also brings I2S output to the table for compatible DACs. 

Description

The SU-6 is a compact metal black box, with three indicator lights on it's front panel. The rear panel reveals the flexibility of the SU-6, with a DC jack for it's supplied external power supply (you can use any 7.5 - 9 V DC power supply with a 3A current rating), a USB input, and no less than 7 digital outputs, and a word clock output. Not bad for a product that carries a three figure price tag. 

The digital outputs consist of two SPDIF jacks (one coaxial and one BNC), AES / EBU, Toslink, and three I2S outputs (two HDMI sockets, and RJ-45). Since there is no industry standard for I2S, Singxer thoughtfully includes a bottom panel cutout with a variety of DIP switches to configure the I2S output. I did not get to test this, although I tried the SU-1's I2S output over HDMI with the Holo Spring and Denafrips Pontus DAC.

A word about the power supply - the SU-6 uses a 7.5 F (7.5 million uF) supercapacitor    power supply, the supplied switched mode power supply is used to charge up the internal power supply. 

The SU-6 utilises two Crystek CCHD low phase noise Femto second clocks. These clocks are contained in a metal enclosure for temperature stability. 

All common sampling frequencies are supported, including the ability to handle 32 bit data. DSD sampling rates cover DSD 64, 128, 256 and 512. 32 bit data is only available over I2S as the SPDIF standard supports up to 24 bit data only. 

The key differences between the SU-1 and SU-6 are set out below :-
                     
                             SU-1                                                 SU-6
Power Supply       Onboard linear power supply           SMPS + Ultracapacitor power supply
Femtoclocks         One                                                  Two (Temperature controlled)
I2S                        HDMI                                                HDMI and RJ45
DSD Support        64, 128 and 256                               64, 128, 256, 512
Digital Outputs     AES, 2 x SPDIF, 1 x I2S (HDMI)       AES, 2 x SPDIF, Toslink, 3 x I2S (HDMI / RJ45)
Customised I2S   Yes                                                    Yes
Power Switch       Yes                                                    No


Sound Quality

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. In the case of the SU-6, it offers a sweeter taste with less astringency and a fuller and more refined mouth-feel compared the SU-1. I would also like to point out that my SU-1 has been modified to accept an external power supply - mine is paired with a Sounds Affairs Plixir Elite Balanced DC power supply. 

Modified SU-1 pudding performs at a much higher level than stock pudding, so I can assure owners of stock SU-1 units, that the SU-6 performs at a much higher level. That leaves the comparison then between the modified SU-1 and stock SU-6. Price wise, the SU-6 commands only a small premium, after you take into account the cost of modifying the SU-1 backplate, and an aftermarket power supply.

The SU-6 offers a high level of information retrieval, with a silky and refined top-end and  controlled bass with the right amount of tightness and bloom. Midrange is more laidback and richer compared to the SU-1, but is still detailed and textured. You do not get the feeling of information being smoothed over, but yet music is at all times very well behaved.

I would argue that the SU-1 is tonally more neutral, but without the refinement and fine resolving power of the SU-6. The SU-1 also comes across sounding as somewhat clinical and dry, especially through the SPDIF outputs. This required careful cable matching to balance out the tone. In this respect, the SU-6 is more cable agnostic. You are also able to tune the SU-6 through choice of power supply. The power supply used does have a strong influence on the sound, with noticeable differences between the stock power supply, a Sound Affairs Elite Balanced DC power supply (kindly supplied by Sound Affairs for the purpose of the review), and an Uptone JS-2 which I happen to own.

All testing was done through the SU-6's coaxial outputs paired with the Blackcat Tron digital cable. My AES cable went on a long flight to London, while none of my DACs on hand had an I2S input. 

Conclusion

The SU-6 is a fine performing digital interface and is easy to recommend, albeit at a price. The SU-6 retails for S$ 980. Factor in a good linear power supply too and cost of ownership is significant. 

The review unit and linear power supply were supplied by Sound Affairs Pte Ltd, distributor for Singxer in Singapore.


Sound Affairs Pte Ltd
100 Beach Road, Shaw Tower #02-34/35 
Singapore 189702 
Tel: +65 9694 9704
http://www.mysoundaffairs.com