Meze Audio and Rinaro Isodynamics continue their collaboration with the ELITE Isodynamic Hybrid Array headphone. Combining the outstanding mechanical design and ergonomics from Meze Audio with the signature technology and acoustic engineering of Rinaro, ELITE sets the standard in top-of-the-line headphone performance..
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"With ELITE, we've created something that transcends all barriers of headphone design and engineering and moves to a new, artistic, graceful level. Following in the footsteps of a successful partnership, together with Rinaro Isodynamics we managed to exceed our expectations once again and create something for the ages. It’s not mass production; it’s the craftsmanship that sparks the magic and wonder in ELITE, what makes it exciting, and these are values that we choose over any shortcuts."
Antonio Meze, Lead Designer and Founder of Meze Audio
For the past 10 years, Meze Audio has been developing audiophile headphones and earphones renowned for their timeless design, pure comfort and engaging, vivid sound. From looks to technology, Meze Audio products are designed to surpass all short-living trends and become heirlooms, rather than just headphones. Today, founder Antonio Meze and his skilled team design and develop their products in Baia Mare, Romania, in the spirit of their original ‘no-compromise’ vision.
Rinaro originated in the USSR (today’s Ukraine) during the Cold War as part of a state-funded acoustic technology research program. With government backing and access to advanced testing facilities, the team was able to focus all of its efforts on planar-magnetics. A field they have continued to innovate in for the last 30 years, since the collapse of the USSR. In the last decade, Rinaro have expanded their capabilities and capacity with the development of state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facilities in Ukraine and Poland. The new facilities have been a driving force in the creation of the revolutionary Isodynamic Hybrid Array technology found in Meze Empyrean and ELITE headphones.
Tailored for long listening sessions!
A core belief of Meze Audio is to create products that last through years and years of industry changes, bringing long-lasting value to the customer. Elite is no different. From looks to technology, this headphone was designed to surpass all short-living trends and become a true heirloom. Take a closer look to discover the highly complex geometrical imprint accentuated through the silver finish of the CNC aluminum frame. A deep black grill with intricate carvings completes the look, turning ELITE into a futuristic take on personal audio design.
Materials were chosen not just for the exciting sensory experience their raw texture provides, but also for comfort and durability. A carbon fiber headband with a real leather headrest were added to the frame, for an ultra-light feel and maximum durability.
The patent-pending suspension wings support system is elongated and curved at both ends, descending further on the side of the head and distributing the weight of the headphone evenly, for an utmost comfortable listening experience.
Creating a flagship headphone takes time and patience to do well, and it’s that kind of craftsmanship that separates the average from the great. The process of making a single aluminum frame takes about 20 hours. To that, we add days of inspecting each part of the headphone, assembling the parts and making sure the final product rises up to our high standards. This can’t be achieved through mass-production and that means delivery times can be longer, but we guarantee it’s worth it.
ELITE is hand assembled with care and painstaking attention to detail in Baia Mare, Romania.
With a custom, newly designed driver, created by Rinaro Isodynamics, ELITE is the result of 3 years of research and development through which we strived to create a powerful, lifelike, and immersive experience that awakens the senses of the listener.
The MZ3SE driver builds on the pioneering technology of the flagship MZ3 driver found in the Empyrean headphone. The innovative Isodynamic Hybrid Array technology delivers a more selective acoustic performance to the various areas within the structure of the ear. Advances in diaphragm materials have opened the doors to even higher resolution and accuracy of the sound reproduction, setting a new benchmark in headphone design.
RINARO PARUS® a new low mass diaphragm material.
The new driver behind ELITE features Rinaro Parus®, an innovative low mass acoustic diaphragm built on an ultra-thin biaxially oriented semi-crystalline polymer film. This, combined with the signature Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver technology, allows sound waves to flow freely past the ears and out, producing a natural sound transparency and a wide, articulate sound-stage. This results in improved definition and speed over the entire frequency range.
The polymer is produced with bespoke sequential biaxial lengthening technology, a process that involves stretching the polymer in transverse directions at elevated temperatures to improve structural performance. This result is a complex semi-crystalline micro structure developing in the material, which exhibits remarkable strength, stiffness, and stability, combined with an extremely low acoustic mass.
The use of different voice coil configurations found in the Isodynamic Hybrid Array creates the opportunity to improve the sound intensity distribution at high frequencies when directed at the auricle and ear canal. This solves a common problem with conventional planar magnetic arrays whereby reflected signals enter the ear canal with different time delays, thereby worsening the focus of 3D sound imaging. The use of dual coil arrays not only creates a balanced frequency response around the whole range, it also allows for better frequency targeting within different areas of the ear, improving acoustical perception on the upper frequency range.
SWITCHBACK COIL-The switchback coil is more efficient at reproducing lower frequencies and is positioned in the upper part of the driver.
SPIRAL COIL-The spiral coil is more efficient at reproducing middle-high frequencies and is positioned directly over the ear canal, enabling more direct sound waves to enter the ear without any time delays.
At frequencies above 10kHz, where sound wave length is smaller than the cushions' inner cavity, the sound field becomes diffused with an amount of direct and reflected sound waves within the ear canal. A significant increase of direct sound waves can be achieved by positioning the most efficient part of the diaphragm in mid-high frequencies directly over the ear canal, resulting in improved 3D imaging and spatial localization.
The Meze Elite headphone comes with two uniquely shaped earpads developed by Rinaro to allow for personal calibration of the sound signature.
ANGLED ALCANTARA®:These earpads are designed to enhance the acoustic personality of your Elite, revealing new, exciting sound nuances. The angled shape creates more space inside the ear pad, which translates to an airier sound signature, with cleaner bass and improved presence in the mid-range frequency. Made of soft foam coated with Alcantara, with a fine protective mesh on the grill, the angled ear pads provide increased wearing comfort for most ear shapes.
LEATHER + ALCANTARA® HYBRID:With a soft, yet durable outer finish, the HYBRID ear cushions are a new addition to our earpad family that perfectly balances the qualities of Alcantara and leather into a single design. Besides the high wearing comfort, this unique combo lowers the bass pressure and delivers an airy sound signature, in which sound waves appear to transcend the space around you to create an immersive experience.
• Meze Elite
• Case: High-strength aluminum suitcase with foam inserts
• One Pair Angled Alcantara® EarPads
• One Pair Leather+Alcantara® Hybrid Pads
• Vegan option available upon request
• 2.5m OFC cable, 4pin mini XLR plugs ending with 6.3 jack connector/p>
• 1.2m OFC cable, 4pin mini XLR plugs ending with 3.5 jack connector
• 2.5m OFC cable, 4pin mini XLR plugs ending with 4 pin XLR connector
• Driver Type: Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array®
• Frequency Response: 3-112,000 Hz
• Impedance 32Ω
• Nominal SPL 101 dB (1 mW / 1 kHz)
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) <0.05%
• Weight: ~420 g
• Geometrical Shape Ovoid
• Size: 102 x 73mm / Weight: 75g
• Casing: Fibreglass reinforced polymer
• Active Area 4650mm2 / Weight 0.011g / Acoustic Mass 7.5kg/m4
Overall rating: 4.962963 / 5 from 27 reviews.
The Meze Elite headphones are celebrated for their exceptional sound quality, superior build, and balanced audio. Customers appreciate the craftsmanship and attention to detail, which contribute to a smooth, lively, and immersive listening experience. The headphones offer a unique sound signature and are designed for long-lasting comfort and durability.
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"After a lot of thorough research and comparison, I decided to get these headphones. They sound incredible, the build quality is super sturdy. The thinner leather pads were a bit too thin because the tip of my ear would touch the metal grill, so I had to get the original Empyrian/elite pads. The Alcantara pads are perfect. I’m very happy with my purchase."
"The audio from these is very good. Better than any of my other headphone I own. But the headphones are quite large and this prevents me from getting a seal above my ears using the hybrid pads, which I prefer acoustically. I need to reach out to Meze for solutions. I would hate to return these!"
"Here's the thing I noticed after buying my first high end pair of headphones: buying more headphones always led to buyers' remorse. Case in point, after buying my Sennheiser 800s I bought a pair of Audeze that cost a third of the price and for about a year or so I felt good about my purchase because they just hit different, but after awhile I started to prefer my 800s. So I realized that the only way to buy another pair of headphones was up. Up in quality and that meant up in price. The 800s was worth every penny for me -- but this was in part because I lacked a pair of really good headphones when I bought it. Now to upgrade I had to justify owning both pairs or sell the 800s for a loss and live with that. So I felt stuck. I (probably) would have never bought these if not for a sudden health issue. It was touch and go for awhile and in those moments in the hospital when I was low and using my streaming music as an escape and missing my headphones I gave myself permission to buy maybe one last pair of headphones when I got home IF I could find a pair that could be worth being the last pair that I buy. And after a LOT of research I landed on the Meze Empyrean II. But the more I thought it through the more I thought, "If we're doing this, let's really do this," so I looked seriously at the Elite. And after living with them for about 3 weeks now (and having passed the burn in period) I have some opinions. Simply put: I find listening to the Elites to be transportive. I put them on and press play and I am someplace else, emotionally speaking. I find them to be hypnotic. They command my attention and yet they are elusive, if that makes any sense. They don't have a strong "personality," if that's the word. They are balanced like I've never heard and I've been listening to the 800s for the last 8 years. But while the 800s can sound robotic at times, the Elite sound alive and fleshy; where they reveal flaws, the flaws sound organic and earnest. That's the charm of these. Everything sounds alive and present. They have a way of taking hold of me and once they have me in their grip, I am theirs. I put them on and I don't want to take them off. And it's not just with music. Streaming TV and movies sound unbelievable in these. I have always had incredible hearing and am very sensitive to treble fatigue, but not with these! One word of warning though: they only come with one cable. I was confused on this fact. And YOU have to choose the cable. I SHOULD have chosen the 6. 3mm for the versatility but instead I went with the XLR which is "fine" but for a variety of reasons I really should have gone the other way. And if I could exchange the XLR for the 6. 3 I would. So keep that in mind and choose wisely. So in the end, do I have buyers' remorse? (Well, maybe in the cable choice, but no. ) No, I am very happy. Obviously, I'm not a reviewer of electronics, and I can't tell you how these work their magic or why they have to cost so much, I just know, to me they are worth it. And in my opinion, if someone were to buy these, the only reason they would ever have to buy another pair of headphones is if something unfortunate happened to this pair."
"Nice"
"Via the superb service and pricing of HeadAmp, the MEZE Elite Headphones have proved to be a concert surround for my extensive classic rock, indie, & classical listening pleasure. My Bryston amp, preamp and cd player provides the adequate power and technical specs needed to push these amzing headphones superbly. The treble, midrange are precise and clear, and the bass rocks when it is suppose to. From years of listening to my cd's with my Snell speakers, NOW I can hear even more clearly and precisely. Some of my 90's bands in which I never clearly understood the lyrics, I can hear them now brilliantly. Thanks to HeadAmp and especially Meze for its outstanding quality of audio and workmanship."
"Had the Focal Utopias, but these headphones paired with the Ferrum Oor Hypsos and Wandla GoldenSound is a match made in heaven! Thanks to Justin and his team for great customer service too!"
"Excellent communication regarding a glitch in shipping that was a FedEx issue. Able to reach the owner by 'phone. Headphones pristine, packaged perfectly."
"These are the best open-back headphones I've owned. Terrific sound quality, very comfortable, wide soundstage, and good detail and separation. I bought open-box from HeadAmp and couldn't be happier with the company or the purchase."
"It's Christmas Day 2024 and I just opened my Meze Elites from HeadAmp (w/4-pin XLR silver cable), I gift I bought for myself:) I bought the 'open box' version, but other than the outer box being re-taped, I cannot tell that the headphones aren't brand new as they look and sound perfect! The cables came in brand new, sealed packaging. I'm coming from a pair of Sennheiser HD800s and can immediately notice a positive difference it transparency, note weight and lows/mid-range. Very happy with my purchase- thank you HeadAmp!"
"Order shipped quickly and arrived in perfect condition. The Meze Elite headphones sound fantastic right out of the box. The excellent customer service, cable upgrade and extra ear pads make the purchase from HeadAmp a great value."
