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Meze Audio Elite Tungsten

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Combining an exclusive aesthetic with state-of-the-art engineering, ELITE delivers an accurate, authentic listening experience ready to meet the highest expectations of the proficient audiophile. 

10 years ago, we made a commitment to break the barriers of the audio industry. Our products were made to amaze, inspire, and transform each listening into a multi-sensory experience you can get lost in. With a “no-compromise” mindset, driven by our love for art and sound, we are committed to building one-of-a-kind headphones using innovative designs and technologies that perfectly complement each other to create pure emotion.

Meze Audio and Rinaro Isodynamic continue their collaboration for the release of the new ELITE Isodynamic Hybrid Array headphones. Combining the outstanding mechanical design and ergonomics from Meze Audio with the signature technology and acoustic engineering of Rinaro, ELITE is here to set a new standard in top-of-the-line headphone performance.

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 Isodynamic
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 has expanded its 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.

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.

Naturally found on various mineral deposits, tungsten ore becomes one of the toughest metals on earth when processed. The color we chose for this headphone is similar to what tungsten looks like in its final form, and we chose it as a visual metaphor for our commitment to making things that are reliable, things that last well through the years. We achieved this stone-like texture by coating each piece of the frame with Cerakote™, one of the best types of finishes out there.

Traditionally used for the automotive, aerospace, defense, and healthcare industries, Cerakote™ coatings are renowned for their high resistance, unmatched hardness, and outstanding UV resistance. The unique structure of Cerakote™ not only offers a beautiful finish and a significant increase in durability but does so without adding any unnecessary weight to the headphone chassis.

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 was 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 headphones evenly, for the 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 skeleton takes about 20 hours. To that, we add the time it takes to hand-paint each piece of the frame, along with the time spent 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 Isodynamic, 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.

ULTRA LOW DISTORTION
Total harmonic distortion (THD) measures under 0.05% in the whole frequency range.

LIGHTWEIGHT
75g combined driver weight designed to create a headphone that offers prolonged listening sessions.

ULTRA-HIGH-RESOLUTION AUDIO
The upper-frequency limit of audio reproduction is 112,000 Hz.

RINARO PARUS® DIAPHRAGM
An innovative low-mass acoustic diaphragm constructed on an ultrathin biaxially oriented semi-crystalline film.

EASY TO DRIVE
101db@1mw/1kHz; 32Ohm; can be driven by almost any source without the need for amplification.

PATENTED ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY TECHNOLOGY
One of the most sophisticated and advanced planar magnetic technologies in the world.

The MZ3SE driver builds on the pioneering technology of the flagship MZ3 driver found in the Empyrean headphones. 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 sound reproduction, setting a new benchmark in headphone design.

CASING
Reinforced polymer housing designed to withstand the demanding 12,7N load generated by the Hybrid Magnet Array.
RINARO PARUS® DIAPHRAGM
Weighing only 0.11g with a large active area of 4650 mm2.
HYBRID MAGNET ARRAY
Symmetrically placed on either side of the diaphragm our neodymium magnets are arranged into a Hybrid Array to create a 0.35 Tesla Isodynamic magnetic field required for a uniform activation across the whole diaphragm surface.

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 be targeted with more accuracy around the shape of the ear, producing natural sound transparency and a wide, articulate soundstage. 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 microstructure 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 but also allows for better frequency targeting within different areas of the ear, improving the acoustical perception of 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 the sound wavelength 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 in 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 3-D imaging and spatial localization.
 
An innovative design feature developed by Rinaro is the Isomagnetic® earpad attachment, which utilizes the demagnetizing field generated by the driver to hold the earpad in place whilst also redirecting the magnetic field back into the driver and improving driver efficiency.

Specifications
Driver Type
Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array® 
Operating Principle
Open
Ear Coupling
Circumaural
Frequency Response
3-112,000 Hz
Impedance
32 Ω
Nominal SPL
101 dB (1 mW / 1 kHz)
Maximum SPL
> 130 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
<0.05%
Weight
420 g

MZ3SE DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS

Geometrical Shape
Ovoid
Size
102 mm x 73 mm
Driver Weight
75 g
Casing
Fibreglass reinforced polymer
Diaphragm Type
Rinaro Parus® [MZ3SE]
Active Area
4650 mm2
Diaphragm Weight
0.11 g
Acoustic Mass
7.5 kg/m4
Lower Frequency Limit
3 Hz
Upper-Frequency Limit
112,000 Hz

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