Audio T Verdict
The Meze ELITE sits at the point where headphone engineering starts to feel less like manufacturing and more like building a miniature high-end loudspeaker system around each ear.
At its heart is the MZ3SE Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver, developed specifically for Meze. Its enormous 102 x 73mm ovoid diaphragm uses Rinaro's ultra-light Parus membrane, weighing just 0.11g across an active area of 4,650mm².
Unlike a conventional planar-magnetic driver using one uniform trace across the diaphragm, the ELITE uses two differently shaped voice-coil arrays. A Switchback coil handles the lower frequencies while a Spiral coil is positioned directly over the ear canal for the mid and upper frequencies.
That arrangement allows Meze and Rinaro to direct different parts of the frequency range towards the areas of the ear where they can be reproduced most effectively, rather than asking one generic coil pattern to do everything.
The numbers are appropriately serious: 3Hz–112kHz frequency range, less than 0.05% total harmonic distortion, more than 130dB maximum SPL and a diaphragm with an acoustic mass of just 7.5kg/m4.
Despite that ambition, ELITE is surprisingly accommodating electrically. At 32 ohms and 101dB SPL/mW, it can work from far more modest headphone outputs than many flagship planar designs. Better amplification is still rewarded, but you do not necessarily need a huge desktop amplifier simply to get it moving.
Comfort is equally exceptional. The CNC-machined aluminium chassis, carbon-fibre headband and pressure-distribution wings spread the load across the head, while Meze supplies two magnetically attached earpad types that allow the acoustic presentation to be changed in seconds.
The Angled Alcantara pads create more internal space for a cleaner, airier presentation with greater midrange presence, while the Hybrid pads combine a perforated Alcantara interior with real leather exterior for a different balance and feel.
Audio T Reading has used ELITE as a personal reference headphone and found it equally happy with solid-state, valve and portable headphone amplification. That tells you quite a lot about the ELITE: it is extraordinarily sophisticated, but it is not precious about how you enjoy it.
For listeners looking for one of Meze and Rinaro's most ambitious open-back designs, ELITE remains a genuine flagship headphone rather than simply an expensive version of something further down the range.
Meze ELITE Open-Back Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphones
Meze ELITE is a flagship circumaural open-back headphone developed in partnership with Rinaro Isodynamics.
It combines the MZ3SE Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver with an ultra-light Rinaro Parus diaphragm, CNC-machined aluminium chassis, carbon-fibre headband and Meze's magnetically attached earpad system.
Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array MZ3SE Driver
At the centre of ELITE is the:
Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array MZ3SE.
Rinaro developed the driver specifically for Meze following the company's earlier work on the original Empyrean.
What Is an Isodynamic Driver?
The MZ3SE uses an ultra-light diaphragm carrying conductive voice-coil traces suspended within a powerful magnetic field.
When the music signal passes through those traces, electromagnetic force acts across the diaphragm and moves it to create sound.
This differs fundamentally from a conventional dynamic headphone, where a voice coil attached to a smaller central diaphragm moves within a magnetic gap.
Hybrid Array Technology
The word Hybrid refers to the use of two different voice-coil geometries on the same diaphragm:
- Switchback coil
- Spiral coil
Each is optimised for a different part of the frequency range.
Switchback Coil
The:
Switchback coil
is positioned in the upper portion of the driver and is designed to reproduce lower frequencies more efficiently.
Spiral Coil
The:
Spiral coil
is designed for greater efficiency through the middle and higher frequencies.
Crucially, Meze and Rinaro position it directly over the ear canal.
Why Position the Mid and High-Frequency Coil Over the Ear Canal?
The approach allows a greater proportion of the direct high-frequency energy to enter the ear canal without first reflecting around the pinna.
Rinaro specifically developed the system to improve high-frequency localisation and three-dimensional spatial information.
Rinaro Parus Diaphragm
The ELITE uses:
Rinaro Parus MZ3SE diaphragm technology.
The diaphragm is formed from an ultra-thin biaxially oriented semicrystalline polymer film.
0.11g Diaphragm Weight
Meze specifies the diaphragm itself at:
0.11g.
Reducing moving mass allows the diaphragm to accelerate and stop extremely quickly in response to the music signal.
4,650mm² Active Area
The active diaphragm area is:
4,650mm².
This enormous radiating surface is one of the defining characteristics of the MZ3SE driver.
102 x 73mm Ovoid Driver
Driver dimensions are:
102mm x 73mm.
Rather than using a conventional circular shape, Rinaro uses an:
Ovoid geometry.
This allows the driver to follow the general shape of the human ear more closely.
75g Driver Weight
Meze specifies the MZ3SE driver weight at:
75g.
Fibreglass-Reinforced Polymer Driver Casing
The driver casing is made from:
Fibreglass-reinforced polymer.
It is designed to withstand the substantial mechanical load generated by the Hybrid Magnet Array while controlling unnecessary mass.
Hybrid Neodymium Magnet Array
Neodymium magnets are positioned symmetrically on either side of the diaphragm.
Together they create the Isodynamic magnetic field required to drive the diaphragm uniformly across its surface.
0.35 Tesla Magnetic Field
Meze specifies the Isodynamic magnetic field at:
0.35 Tesla.
3Hz to 112kHz Frequency Range
Meze specifies:
3Hz–112kHz.
The extraordinary upper-frequency figure reflects the very low moving mass and high mechanical bandwidth of the Rinaro diaphragm system.
Less Than 0.05% Total Harmonic Distortion
Meze specifies:
THD below 0.05%.
The manufacturer states that this ultra-low distortion performance extends through the audible frequency range.
Maximum SPL Above 130dB
Maximum sound pressure level is specified at:
Greater than 130dB.
Maximum SPL Is Not a Listening Target
This specification describes the technical capability of the driver.
Listening at excessive sound levels can cause permanent hearing damage.
32-Ohm Impedance
Nominal impedance is:
32 ohms.
101dB SPL/mW Sensitivity
Meze specifies:
101dB SPL/mW at 1kHz.
That combination makes the ELITE considerably less demanding electrically than many flagship planar-magnetic headphones.
Do You Need a Powerful Headphone Amplifier?
Not necessarily.
ELITE can be driven by a broad range of suitable headphone outputs, including:
- Dedicated headphone amplifiers
- DAC and headphone amplifier combinations
- Network players with quality headphone stages
- Portable digital audio players
- Selected integrated amplifiers
- Portable DAC/headphone amplifiers
That does not mean amplification quality stops mattering. ELITE is revealing enough to show differences in DACs, amplifiers and source components, but it does not require enormous power simply to reach a useful listening level.
Audio T Has Used ELITE With Chord Mojo 2
Audio T Reading specifically tested ELITE with the compact Chord Electronics Mojo 2 and found the combination worked exceptionally well.
That is a useful real-world demonstration of just how accommodating the 32-ohm, 101dB specification can be.
Read: Testing, Testing, Chord Mojo 1, 2, 1, 2
Open-Back Design
ELITE is a fully:
Open-back headphone.
The rear of the planar driver is deliberately open to the surrounding room rather than enclosed within a sealed cup.
This approach is intended to support:
- Open spatial presentation
- Natural airflow around the diaphragm
- Precise imaging
- Reduced enclosed-cup resonance
ELITE Does Not Provide Noise Isolation
Open-back headphones allow sound to travel through the earcups.
People nearby will hear some of your music and surrounding noise will remain audible, so ELITE is primarily intended for quieter listening spaces.
Circumaural Ear Coupling
Meze describes ELITE as:
Circumaural.
The earpads are therefore designed to surround the ears rather than rest directly on them.
CNC-Machined Aluminium Chassis
The main chassis is machined from:
Solid aluminium.
Meze states that machining the high-precision sculpted chassis takes approximately:
20 hours.
Why Machine From Solid Aluminium?
Machining the structure from solid metal allows Meze to combine:
- High mechanical rigidity
- Precise dimensional tolerances
- Relatively low chassis mass
- Complex sculptural geometry
Carbon-Fibre Headband
The headband structure incorporates:
Carbon fibre.
Meze combines this with a leather support structure to reduce weight while maintaining the stiffness needed across the headphone frame.
Pressure Distribution Wings
The headband incorporates Meze's elongated:
Pressure Distribution Wings.
The support structure curves down around the sides of the head to distribute weight across a larger area.
Designed for Long Listening Sessions
The suspension arrangement reduces reliance on a narrow pressure point at the top of the head.
That is particularly important with a large planar headphone, where long-term comfort depends on much more than the headline weight alone.
Isomagnetic Earpad Attachment
ELITE uses Rinaro's:
Isomagnetic earpad attachment system.
Rather than clips, screws or stretched material, the pads are held in place magnetically.
The Earpad Magnets Also Form Part of the Driver System
The design makes use of the demagnetising field generated around the driver.
Rinaro uses the earpad attachment arrangement not only to hold the pads in place, but also to redirect magnetic flux back towards the driver and improve efficiency.
Swap Earpads in Seconds
The magnetic attachment means you can remove one pad and fit another without tools.
That matters because ELITE is deliberately supplied with two acoustically different pad designs.
Angled Alcantara Earpads
Meze's current ELITE package includes:
Angled Alcantara earpads.
The angled design creates additional internal space around the ear.
Meze describes the resulting presentation as offering:
- Airier sound
- Cleaner bass
- Improved midrange presence
Soft Foam and Alcantara Construction
The angled pads use soft foam covered in Alcantara, with a fine protective mesh over the grille.
The increased internal space can also improve comfort for a wider variety of ear shapes.
Hybrid Earpads
The second supplied option is Meze's:
Hybrid earpad.
It combines:
- Perforated Alcantara interior
- Real leather exterior
The Hybrid pads provide a different relationship between the driver, ear and surrounding acoustic space.
Two Earpads, Two Presentations
The pads are not supplied merely so that one set can sit unused in the box.
Changing pads alters the acoustic loading around the driver and therefore changes the presentation of the headphones.
Try Both Before Deciding
The magnetic attachment system makes experimentation extremely easy.
There is no universally correct pad choice: the preferred option will depend on your system, music and personal taste.
Dual 4-Pin Mini-XLR Inputs
ELITE uses:
Dual 4-pin mini-XLR headphone inputs.
Each earcup receives its own cable connection.
Detachable Cable System
The cable is fully detachable, allowing:
- Easy cable replacement
- Different terminations
- Balanced connections
- Different cable lengths
- Copper or silver-plated conductor options
Current PCUHD Cable Options
Meze's current ELITE product information lists premium cable configurations using:
- Copper PCUHD
- Silver-plated PCUHD
The exact termination supplied should follow the selected product configuration rather than being assumed universally.
What Is PCUHD Copper?
Meze's premium copper cables use high-purity Furukawa PCUHD copper conductor.
The company also offers a silver-plated version using the same premium copper base conductor with a pure-silver coating.
Balanced Cable Options
Compatible Meze mini-XLR premium cable options are available with terminations including:
- 2.5mm balanced
- 3.5mm stereo
- 4.4mm balanced
- 6.3mm stereo
- 4-pin XLR balanced
Availability and cable length vary according to termination.
High-Strength ABS Carrying Case
Meze's current ELITE package includes a:
High-strength ABS plastic suitcase.
The case uses internal foam inserts and a leather handle to protect the headphones during storage and transport.
Built to Be Serviced
Meze describes ELITE as:
Fully serviceable.
The chassis is designed so that individual components can be dismantled and serviced rather than requiring the entire headphone to be replaced.
Designed as a Long-Term Product
Meze's philosophy is that a flagship headphone should remain useful beyond normal product cycles.
That approach extends from replaceable earpads and cables to the mechanical structure of the complete headphone.
ELITE or Empyrean II?
Empyrean II
- Open-back Isodynamic Hybrid Array
- Rinaro planar driver technology
- 32-ohm impedance
- Magnetic earpad system
- Premium open-back Meze design
- Tuned for a detailed but relaxed musical presentation
ELITE
- Flagship open-back Isodynamic Hybrid Array
- MZ3SE driver
- Rinaro Parus diaphragm
- 0.11g diaphragm mass
- 3Hz–112kHz
- Below 0.05% THD
- 32-ohm impedance
- Angled Alcantara and Hybrid pads
ELITE sits above Empyrean II within Meze's conventional flagship range and uses the more advanced MZ3SE Parus diaphragm system.
Compare the Meze Empyrean II at Audio T.
ELITE or POET?
POET brings technology derived from ELITE into a more compact and considerably less expensive open-back planar headphone.
It uses its own MZ6 Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver rather than the larger ELITE MZ3SE.
Compare the Meze POET at Audio T.
ELITE or 109 PRO?
The 109 PRO takes a fundamentally different approach, using a 50mm dynamic driver rather than Rinaro's Isodynamic Hybrid Array planar system.
It is considerably more affordable and extremely easy to drive, but ELITE represents a very different level of transducer technology and mechanical construction.
Compare the Meze 109 PRO at Audio T.
Audio T Reading's Reference
Audio T Reading has spent extensive time with ELITE and described it as a personal reference headphone.
The store found the two earpad options genuinely useful, praised its coherent balance and highlighted its ability to work successfully from valve amplifiers, solid-state headphone stages and portable sources.
Read: The Mastery of Meze Audio
ELITE With Portable Equipment
Flagship does not automatically mean desktop-only.
The 32-ohm impedance and 101dB SPL/mW sensitivity allow ELITE to work from suitably capable portable DAC/headphone amplifiers, including equipment Audio T has tested directly.
Who Are the Meze ELITE For?
Well Suited To
- Reference-level home headphone listening
- Premium DAC and headphone-amplifier systems
- High-end streaming headphone systems
- Listeners wanting open-back planar headphones
- Customers prioritising comfort for long sessions
- Listeners wanting exceptional spatial presentation
- Systems using balanced headphone amplification
- Customers wanting easily interchangeable earpads
- Listeners who value long-term serviceability
- Customers seeking Meze's flagship MZ3SE driver technology
Check Before Buying
- Open-back design leaks sound
- Provides minimal isolation from environmental noise
- Full-size circumaural construction
- Premium headphone system at a substantial price
- Different earpads deliberately alter presentation
- Cable termination should be specified when ordering
- Aluminium and Tungsten finish specifications should not be mixed
- ELITE Aluminium is now discontinued by Meze
Key Features
- Meze ELITE
- Open-back circumaural headphones
- Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array MZ3SE driver
- Ovoid driver geometry
- 102 x 73mm driver size
- 75g driver weight
- Rinaro Parus MZ3SE diaphragm
- Biaxially oriented semicrystalline polymer film
- 0.11g diaphragm weight
- 4,650mm² active area
- Hybrid Magnet Array
- 0.35 Tesla Isodynamic magnetic field
- Switchback low-frequency coil
- Spiral mid and high-frequency coil
- 3Hz–112kHz frequency range
- Less than 0.05% THD
- Greater than 130dB maximum SPL
- 32-ohm impedance
- 101dB SPL/mW sensitivity at 1kHz
- 7.5kg/m4 acoustic mass
- Fibreglass-reinforced polymer driver casing
- CNC-machined aluminium chassis
- Carbon-fibre headband
- Pressure Distribution Wings
- Isomagnetic earpad attachment
- Angled Alcantara earpads included
- Hybrid Alcantara and real leather earpads included
- Dual 4-pin mini-XLR inputs
- Detachable premium cable
- PCUHD copper cable options
- Silver-plated PCUHD cable options
- High-strength ABS carrying case
- Fully serviceable construction
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Meze ELITE open or closed back?
They are fully open-back circumaural headphones.
Are ELITE planar magnetic headphones?
Yes. They use Rinaro's Isodynamic Hybrid Array planar-magnetic technology.
What driver does ELITE use?
The Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array MZ3SE.
What size is the driver?
102mm x 73mm.
What shape is the driver?
Ovoid.
What is the diaphragm called?
Rinaro Parus MZ3SE.
How much does the diaphragm weigh?
0.11g.
What is the active diaphragm area?
4,650mm².
What is the driver casing made from?
Fibreglass-reinforced polymer.
What is the frequency range?
3Hz to 112kHz.
What is the impedance?
32 ohms.
What is the sensitivity?
101dB SPL/mW at 1kHz.
What is the maximum SPL?
Meze specifies greater than 130dB.
What is the total harmonic distortion?
Meze specifies less than 0.05%.
What is the Switchback coil?
It is the voice-coil section optimised for efficient low-frequency reproduction.
What is the Spiral coil?
It is the section optimised for middle and high frequencies and is positioned directly over the ear canal.
Why does ELITE use two coil shapes?
The Hybrid Array architecture allows different parts of the diaphragm to be optimised for different frequency ranges and spatially targeted towards the ear.
Are the earpads magnetic?
Yes. ELITE uses Rinaro's Isomagnetic attachment system.
How many earpad sets are supplied?
Meze's current package includes two: Angled Alcantara and Hybrid.
What are the Hybrid pads made from?
Perforated Alcantara on the interior with real leather on the exterior.
What difference do the Angled Alcantara pads make?
Meze describes them as producing an airier presentation with cleaner bass and improved midrange presence.
Can the pads be changed without tools?
Yes. They attach magnetically.
What are the headphone cable inputs?
Dual 4-pin mini-XLR.
Can ELITE be run balanced?
Yes, with an appropriate compatible balanced mini-XLR cable and suitable headphone amplifier.
What cable does ELITE currently come with?
Meze's current product page lists premium Copper PCUHD or Silver-Plated PCUHD cabling. The exact termination depends on the selected configuration.
Does ELITE need a very powerful headphone amplifier?
Not necessarily. Its 32-ohm impedance and 101dB SPL/mW sensitivity make it relatively easy to drive for a flagship planar headphone.
Can Chord Mojo 2 drive ELITE?
Audio T Reading has used the two together and reported that the combination works extremely well.
Can ELITE benefit from better amplification?
Yes. Ease of drive does not mean the headphone cannot reveal improvements from higher-quality DACs and headphone amplifiers.
What is the chassis made from?
Meze machines the main structure from solid aluminium.
How long does the CNC machining take?
Meze says approximately 20 hours for the chassis.
What is the headband made from?
Carbon fibre combined with a leather support structure.
Are the headphones serviceable?
Yes. Meze specifically describes ELITE as fully serviceable and designed so the chassis can be disassembled.
Is ELITE Aluminium still current?
Meze currently marks the Aluminium finish as discontinued.
What does the ELITE Aluminium weigh?
Meze's current finish-specific Aluminium product page specifies 372g.
Why do some older specifications say around 420g or 430g?
Different Meze finish and generation records have carried different weight figures. Audio T should use the current manufacturer specification for the exact finish being sold rather than combining them.
Is a carrying case included?
Yes. Meze's current product package includes a high-strength ABS plastic suitcase with internal foam protection.
Can Audio T arrange a demonstration?
Where demonstration stock is available, contact your local Audio T store to arrange a listen and compare amplification and earpad options.
Related Meze Products and Audio T Guides
Why Buy From Audio T?
- Reference headphone demonstrations where available
- ELITE versus Empyrean II comparisons
- ELITE versus POET comparisons
- Open-back versus closed-back advice
- Planar headphone system matching
- DAC and headphone amplifier demonstrations
- Valve and solid-state headphone amplifier advice
- Balanced versus unbalanced connection guidance
- PCUHD copper and silver-plated cable advice
- Angled Alcantara versus Hybrid earpad demonstrations
- Fit and comfort guidance
- Meze replacement-part advice
- Part-exchange options
- Ongoing after-sales support
Contact your local Audio T store for advice on Meze ELITE, current finish availability, arranging a demonstration or matching the headphones with the right DAC, headphone amplifier and cable configuration.