Наушники — Meze Audio ELITE ALUMINIUM

The Elite in its aluminium version is a circumaural Meze Audio headphone of open-back design, built around the Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver, coded MZ3SE. Meze lists it in its open-back range next to the Empyrean II, ARTA, POET and the 109 PRO, and a sister version called Elite Tungsten is also offered. The aluminium frame of each unit is CNC sculpted from a single solid piece, a process Meze puts at about 20 hours per unit.

Key specs that matter

The ovoid driver measures 102 x 73 mm, weighs 75 g and has an active area of 4,650 mm2. Its Rinaro Parus diaphragm weighs only 0.11 g. Meze quotes a frequency range of 3 Hz to 112 kHz, an impedance of 32 ohm and a sensitivity of 101 dB SPL per mW at 1 kHz, with maximum output above 130 dB and total harmonic distortion under 0.05 percent across the whole range. The acoustic mass figure is 7.5 kg/m4. The finished headphone weighs 433 g, and it connects through a dual 4-pin mini-XLR input.

Engineering and use context

The diaphragm is an ultra-thin polymer film formed through sequential biaxial lengthening, a process chosen for stiffness at a low moving mass. Two coil patterns are etched onto it - a switchback coil in the upper position handles the lower frequencies, while a spiral coil placed opposite the ear canal covers the mid and high range. A hybrid array of neodymium magnets produces a field strength of 0.35 Tesla, and 95 percent of that field is shielded. Besides the aluminium frame, the casing is made of fiberglass reinforced polymer with a Cerakote coating of the grade used in automotive and aerospace parts. The headband combines carbon fiber with leather and adds patent-pending Pressure Distribution Wings to spread weight evenly. Two interchangeable pad sets come in the box - a hybrid pad with perforated Alcantara inside and real leather outside, and an angled pad in soft foam covered with Alcantara. The pads attach through the Isomagnetic system, which uses the demagnetizing field of the driver rather than clips.

Pairing

Its easy electrical load means the Elite runs from ordinary headphone outputs as well as from dedicated amplifiers with balanced outputs. Three OFC cables are supplied - 2.5 m ending in a 6.3 mm jack, 1.2 m ending in a 3.5 mm jack and 2.5 m ending in a 4-pin XLR plug - and everything ships in a silver aluminium case.

Alternatives

Within the same open-back range, the Meze Empyrean II is the closest option to consider.