Meze Audio Elite Flagship Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphones

CNC’d aluminum, leather, and carbon fiber come together in this hand-crafted headphone

ELITE is hand assembled with care and painstaking attention to detail in Baia Mare, Romania. The drivers are made specifically for this headphone by Rinaro Isodynamics.

From the complex geometrical imprint accentuated through the silver finish of the CNC aluminum frame, to the carbon fiber headband with leather headrest, this high-end headphone offers comfort as well as stellar sound.   

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 the most comfortable listening experience.

The process of making a single aluminum frame for the Elite takes about 20 hours. To that, Meze adds days of inspecting each part of the headphone, assembling the parts and making sure the final product meets its high standards. This can’t be achieved through mass-production and that means delivery times can be longer, but Meze and Upscale promise it’s worth it.

The Rinaro Parus driver is an innovative low mass acoustic diaphragm constructed on an ultrathin biaxially oriented semi-crystalline film. It is very easy to drive, offering a sensitivity of 101 dB and a 32 ohm impedance. 

The Meze Elite headphone comes with two uniquely shaped earpads developed by Rinaro to allow for personal calibration of the sound signature. The standard one is the well-known 30mm deep Alcantara ear pad originally developed for the Empyrean headphone in 2018. The other option is the Hybrid, with a perforated Alcantara interior and a leather exterior. 

With a soft, yet durable outer finish, the Hybrid ear cushions are a new addition to the 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.

The headphones come in a high-strength ABS case with foam inserts. 

Cable options

• Mini XLR to 3.5 mm jack OFC standard cable, 1.2 m
• Mini XLR to 6.3 mm jack OFC standard cable, 2.5 m
• Mini XLR to 4 pin XLR connector standard cable, 2.5 m

Specifications

Type: Open, ear coupling circumaural

Driver: Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array®

Frequency Response: 3-112,000 Hz

Impedance: 32 Ω

Weight: 430 g