In less than 10 years, Meze has legitimately established itself as one of the most reputable manufacturers of its generation. With a limited catalogue made up almost exclusively of bestsellers, the brand has managed to breathe a welcome breath of fresh air into the closed circle of audiophile headphones, whether thanks to the iconic 99 Classics or the sumptuous Empyrean, as expensive as it is generous. And if the latter was already considered the pinnacle of the genre, now the brand is unveiling the Meze Elite, the ultimate version of the already highly select Empyrean. A simple variation or a genuine evolution? Let’s find out.
Founded in 2009 in Baia Mare, Romania, Meze Audio occupies a very special place in the world of headphones. The company was founded by its eponymous creator, Antonio Meze, a music lover and musician who was frustrated at not being able to find the same connection with headphones that he felt with his guitar – a Fender Stratocaster. And, as we all know, frustration breeds obsession. Finally, he decided to set up his own team to produce the object of his desire: the perfect headphones.
First via OEM, picking and choosing from the (very) many Asian producers. But it was in 2015 that the brand pulled off its first major coup, developing its first entirely in-house model, the 99 Classics. A closed, nomadic headphone with a bold design that makes the most of noble materials such as raw wood, leather and steel. A complete aesthetic and technical success, this is still one of the only helmets that can be completely dismantled and repaired. The promise? A virtually unlimited lifespan, with each part produced on demand for immediate replacement.
Elegant, solid and comfortable, they quickly rose to the top of their genre, surprising audiophiles and the biggest players in the sector alike. It was a total success and the reviews were unanimous, so much so that six years after its release, it continues to dominate the charts, systematically establishing itself as one of the best references for nomadic headphones.
In 2018, Meze is back with a sedentary headset: the Empyrean. A true standard-bearer, it arrives on an already well-established market with rivals who have nothing left to prove. And yet, the mayonnaise takes hold once again and Meze delivers, once again, a very high-flying, truly status-enhancing helmet. Isodynamic transducers produced by Rinaro, exceptional acoustic performance, all served up in a luxurious case worthy of its price claims.
But how can you do better when this model is already reaching for the sky? It’s a tricky question, and one that Meze intends to answer with the new Elite, a discreet variation in form but profound in substance.
Introducing the Meze Elite
A true work of art, the Meze Elite retains the excellent build quality that the Romanian team is renowned for. And for good reason: with a stratospheric price tag for headphones, they had to have at least the same level of construction and finish as their predecessor. So it benefits from the same meticulous attention to detail, although from the outside it’s hard to tell them apart.
And for good reason, the Empyrean was already a textbook case. Sculptural headphones, as complex in appearance as they are simple in design, thanks to the massive use of CNC-machined parts. Note, for example, the very large ear cups, cut from a single piece of aluminium and fitted with holographic grids, also produced by CNC.
Now silver instead of gold or black, the external surfaces are engraved with the brand’s emblem, a blackbird, accompanied by the Elite logo, the only direct differentiating element from its little brother. As for the rest, the patented suspended leather headband ensures perfect weight distribution over the head, while the double-arm carbon-fibre yoke and support rods are now jet black.
The gargantuan dual-coil transducer, still produced by Rinaro Isodynamics in the Ukraine, can be seen in full view. This masterpiece benefits from a number of innovations, including a new ultra-low-mass diaphragm called Parus, capable of reproducing an even wider frequency range, if that were still possible.
The promise of this new transducer? Ten times less harmonic distortion (0.05%) and the ability to seek out high frequencies worthy of a super tweeter (up to 112 kHz). An evolution rather than a revolution, then, Meze is aimed at a tiny fringe of enthusiasts, ready to confirm the adage that quality has to be paid for. But it doesn’t matter if, in practice, the headphones show probity. And without spoiling too much, we have to admit that Meze has achieved another feat here.
But first, let’s take a look at how this behemoth behaves on our heads.
Comfort and bundle
With transducers measuring no less than 100mm high and 73mm wide, it’s hardly surprising that the Elite’s earpieces are among the largest on the market. And with good reason: apart from Hifiman and Audeze, few headphones boast such a large surface area.
Fortunately, Meze has learnt a lot from its experience with the 99 Classics, and once you’ve got them on, you’ll almost forget you’re wearing them. The suspended wing system, although a little strange at first glance, works surprisingly well and despite a venerable weight of 430g (excluding cables), the Elite almost floats on your head.
On contact are the ovoid shape memory cushions, ensuring optimal intracranial pressure to accommodate prolonged listening sessions. It’s worth noting that the brand now supplies two sets: the first in leather, 30 mm thick, ideal for the Empyrean, accompanied by a second hybrid set, combining Alcantara for the contact area and leather for the outer seams.
Once again, Meze pays particular attention to the cable, the primary link between the Elite and the source. Assembled by hand, these are available in pure copper or silver-plated copper versions, but always in partnership with the excellent Furukawa company, renowned for its expertise in this field. Unsurprisingly, all terminations are possible: 6.35 mm TRS, 2.5 mm TRRS, 4.4 mm Pentaconn and even XLR 4 pins.
To complete the package, the brand offers a genuine aluminium carrying case with its headphones, capable of holding the headphones, cables, two sets of foam and even a source such as an audiophile walkman. Which we did.
The set up
Surprisingly sensitive for a model of its kind, the Elite will require an excellent source. Its relatively high sensitivity, combined with its low impedance, makes it particularly sensitive to residual noise. In our very long list of portable audiophile players, only a few finally succeeded in this difficult challenge.
The new iBasso DX300 lends itself particularly well to the game, but we prefer the balanced 4.4 mm output, without which it will quickly run out of steam. As usual, this system is best paired with Sabre ESS or Cirrus Logic MasterHiFi chips.
The dynamics offered, combined with a particularly wide frequency response, produce sensational results.
On a living room system, a high quality DAC is essential, as the Elite is very sensitive to both good and bad recordings. Tested on a Chord Dave + ALO Audio Studio 6 set, the results were mostly masterful, but a few tracks were real sinecures. But enough chatter, let’s get down to the sound.
The sound
From the very first notes, the Elite surprises with its soundstage. While psychoacoustic effects such as Dolby Atmos and other software modulations have made giant leaps forward, Meze cuts through all the artifice and sets the record straight. We are literally enveloped by the music. The stereophony invades our senses like a devastating tsunami, leaving us stunned by such mastery.
That’s the magic of the Elite, its ability to recreate an almost physical presence, usually reserved for living room speakers. The bass reaches abysmal depths, so much so that a Pavlovian reflex seems to compress our ribcage, while the treble soars high without ever seeming to stop. It’s true that our young ears can still distinguish life after 15 kHz, but beyond that, a new spectrum of nuances has always been forbidden to us.
Fortunately, not this time, as the headphones tickle our ears with discreet but very present notes, carried by sumptuous harmonics. The imposing isodynamic transducer is not there to make up the numbers. Ultra-saturated electro layers, bass drums, double bass… the headphones systematically respond to every sound.
And with good reason: apart from Stax and their electrostatic diaphragms, no other diaphragm offers such clean, chiselled transitions. The incredible speed of the MZ3SE transducers is reflected in every attack, every breath. It’s impossible to fault the headphones when paired with a suitable source, as each voice seems to materialise right inside your head.
The exceptional resolution, combined with excellent dynamics, quickly makes you want to turn up the volume. On the iBasso DX300, with balanced 4.4 mm output, you get a pair of nomadic speakers capable of competing with a very high quality sedentary system. The depth of sound, its firmness and the prodigious aeration demonstrated by the Meze easily place it in the top 3 of the best models of its kind to my knowledge.
But, to answer the original question, does the Elite outperform the Empyrean? Yes and no. More refined, more balanced and above all more precise, if that were still necessary, the newcomer reinforces the touch of madness already present in the previous model. Superfetatorial? Perhaps. But once you’ve tasted it, it’s impossible to forget.
Every nuance, every aspect seems to be magnified by this Elite, and while the good recordings come to life, the bad recordings are a flash in the pan. The overall homogeneity makes it a real jack-of-all-trades. Orchestral music, uninhibited dubstep, vocal jazz – there’s nothing he can’t handle, and it’s almost with envy that we look for the fault. In vain, the headphones confirm the adage that, sometimes, the bird in the hand is as good as the bird in the bush.
Our conclusion
Superb in both form and content, the Meze Elite hits the nail on the head, confirming once again the mastery of the Romanian manufacturer. An ode to excess, this newcomer hits hard and true, a fatal blow delivered by a David who is no longer really afraid of Goliaths. Admittedly, the Empyrean was already exceptional, and given its price, the Elite may seem secondary to those who already own its predecessor. But as we listened to it, it became clear that the technical contribution of this Elite over the Empyrean was real, especially on electronics of the same calibre.
So, if passion trumps reason and you’re looking for a no-compromise solution, the Elite once again lives up to its name. A must-have for those who can afford it.
Author: Haja Randrianarison
Technical sheet: MEZE Elite
- Origin: Romania
- Price: €4,000
- Transducer size: 102 x 73 mm (4,650 mm2)
- Frequency response: 3 Hz – 112 kHz
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Sensitivity: 101 dB SPL/mW
- Harmonic distortion: Less than 0.05
