MEZE AUDIO ELITE - The New Isodynamic Hybrid Array Headphone - official thread

[RobbieBear]

Are there any Elite owners who love their flagship Meze and auditioned the ZMF Caldera? I am asking here because in the ZMF threads everyone would say even the Verité is much better than the Elite.

Can't speak for the Caldera, but the Elite is, IMO, definitely better than the Verite Closed.
I have both and they complement each other. I take the VC when I need isolation but, at all other times, reach for the Elites.

 

[betula]

Can't speak for the Caldera, but the Elite is, IMO, definitely better than the Verite Closed.
I have both and they complement each other. I take the VC when I need isolation but, at all other times, reach for the Elites.

I agree with you, but as I said it is not as clear as better/worse at this level. It is personal preference. Some prefer the VC to the Elite.
What I am interested in is your take on 'better'. I like to read about personal preferences, especially when they are in line with mine.

 

[RobbieBear]

I agree with you, but as I said it is not as clear as better/worse at this level. It is personal preference. Some prefer the VC to the Elite.
What I am interested in is your take on 'better'. I like to read about personal preferences, especially when they are in line with mine.

Both the Elite and the Verite Closed are excellent headphones with each having end game potential.
I find the Elites to have a little more sparkle in the higher registers than the VCs. Bass on the Elites, for me is a bit tighter although I do like the weight on the Verities. Mids are a wash between these and both headphones have a very balanced performance across the frequency spectrum.
Quite simply, where the Elites pull away significantly, is in comfort rather than outright sonic superiority. I find these to be supremely comfortable and just look forward to putting them on my head even for extended listening sessions. I find the Verities a bit more picky with placement on my head but, maybe, that's just me.
If I didn't have the Elites, I would certainly be very happy with the VCs.
I have no intention, however, of parting company with either of these.

 

[commtrd]

Interesting development, got my 4z back from Audeze with the new pads installed. They look about the same, so plugged them in and listened for a while. Now they sound almost identical to the Elites except maybe just a faint bit more bass but practically identical. Both sound incredible. I feel like the Elites have improved in bass quality a small amount since getting around a thousand hours on them since I owned them, not sure how many hours were on them before I got them. Anyway it is quite revealing just how much difference pads can make far as affecting SQ and tonality etc. Kind of brought the mids up into low treble region just a bit more in focus. Now have two headphones that are absolutely world-class and comfortable enough to be worn for 16+ hours per day which mine always are. With a slight edge in comfort going to Elites.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Are there any Elite owners who love their flagship Meze and auditioned the ZMF Caldera? I am asking here because in the ZMF threads everyone would say even the Verité is much better than the Elite. ZMF cans have a strong and ever-growing fan base due to the hard work of Zach; and it is all well-deserved. As we know though, TOTL headphones come down to personal taste and I couldn't really click with the ZMF cans I tried so far (Atticus, Eikon, Aeolus, Verité open). I acknowledge the Verité as great headphones, they are just not quite for me. I am very much of a planar guy.

And here comes the Caldera into the picture. In all threads there is obvious love to the given headphones and that is alright. I admit, perhaps I subjectively love the Elite more than an objective reasoning would allow. The case might be the same in the Caldera thread, hence I am asking here.
I personally prefer the Elite to the LCD5, Susvara, HE1000V2, HE1000SE, HD800S, LCD4, Empyrean, D8000, D8000pro, even to the Solitaire P, but that one only by a hair.
In the light of the above, is there an Elite fan who listened to the Caldera and happy to share some thoughts? Thanks!

If only Verite is the better headphone than Elite, then my life would be much simpler. Sadly, no, even though I love this dynamic driver so much.

About Caldera vs Elite, this just initial impression as I hold Caldera only for the last two days:
1. Caldera is ZMF, if you like ZMF house sound in general (Verite, Atrium, Aeolus, Auteur), then big chance you will feel "home" when listen to Caldera
2. Elite project bigger, deeper, taller imaging. Caldera has nice width, excellent depth and height. It's better than Diana TC or Expanse in overall soundstage, but still below Elite/Susvara/AB1266 as expected.
3. Caldera is warm, full body, snappy sounding headphone. Elite deliver bigger bass, around the same in vocal body, with brighter and more airy treble.
4. Elite is being the one with more transparency here, feel like a cleaner glass when compared to Caldera. There is a thin layer of "smeared" in Caldera, that perhaps also the effect of ZMF tuning from wood resonance.
5. I do really like Caldera for rock/punk kind of songs, impact/bite is more lively, and more forgiving. Elite is better when play more delicate songs like jazz, instrument, classic. Both headphone excellent as all round, so Caldera still great for Jazz and I do listen blink182 frequently through Elite.

 

[karlheinz147]

If only Verite is the better headphone than Elite, then my life would be much simpler. Sadly, no, even though I love this dynamic driver so much.

About Caldera vs Elite, this just initial impression as I hold Caldera only for the last two days:
1. Caldera is ZMF, if you like ZMF house sound in general (Verite, Atrium, Aeolus, Auteur), then big chance you will feel "home" when listen to Caldera
2. Elite project bigger, deeper, taller imaging. Caldera has nice width, excellent depth and height. It's better than Diana TC or Expanse in overall soundstage, but still below Elite/Susvara/AB1266 as expected.
3. Caldera is warm, full body, snappy sounding headphone. Elite deliver bigger bass, around the same in vocal body, with brighter and more airy treble.
4. Elite is being the one with more transparency here, feel like a cleaner glass when compared to Caldera. There is a thin layer of "smeared" in Caldera, that perhaps also the effect of ZMF tuning from wood resonance.
5. I do really like Caldera for rock/punk kind of songs, impact/bite is more lively, and more forgiving. Elite is better when play more delicate songs like jazz, instrument, classic. Both headphone excellent as all round, so Caldera still great for Jazz and I do listen blink182 frequently through Elite.

What Amp/DAC are you using to drive Elite and Caldera?

 

[TheMiddleSky]

What Amp/DAC are you using to drive Elite and Caldera?

Both straight from Chord TT2

 

[adrianm]

Are there any Elite owners who love their flagship Meze and auditioned the ZMF Caldera? I am asking here because in the ZMF threads everyone would say even the Verité is much better than the Elite. ZMF cans have a strong and ever-growing fan base due to the hard work of Zach; and it is all well-deserved. As we know though, TOTL headphones come down to personal taste and I couldn't really click with the ZMF cans I tried so far (Atticus, Eikon, Aeolus, Verité open). I acknowledge the Verité as great headphones, they are just not quite for me. I am very much of a planar guy.

And here comes the Caldera into the picture. In all threads there is obvious love to the given headphones and that is alright. I admit, perhaps I subjectively love the Elite more than an objective reasoning would allow. The case might be the same in the Caldera thread, hence I am asking here.
I personally prefer the Elite to the LCD5, Susvara, HE1000V2, HE1000SE, HD800S, LCD4, Empyrean, D8000, D8000pro, even to the Solitaire P, but that one only by a hair.
In the light of the above, is there an Elite fan who listened to the Caldera and happy to share some thoughts? Thanks!

People really need to learn the difference between "better" and "I like it more". Very few things in the TOTL range are actually better than the rest, and most of the people making these judgements are reporting their personal opinions using their own gear, stating it as absolute fact, as if the source chain and music used doesn't matter.

 

[commtrd]

People really need to learn the difference between "better" and "I like it more". Very few things in the TOTL range are actually better than the rest, and most of the people making these judgements are reporting their personal opinions using their own gear, stating it as absolute fact, as if the source chain and music used doesn't matter.

So so true. To start with sound perception is absolutely subjective and discretionary. Add into that maelstrom of subjectivity the variances of up-stream components which necessarily are going to impact the final output so greatly that really any review MUST be preceded by a detailed description of the chain of components ahead of the headphones. Any review without this is generally to be disregarded in my view, such is the importance and impact upon subsequent SQ. Almost any headphone is going to perform radically differently according to both amp and dac ahead of it, and any proclamation of worthiness of said headphones without taking those two critical components into account is at best incomplete and at worst just a waste of time. Add in technicalities like impedance matches / mismatching, tube euphonics, solid state quickness / harshness, perceived cabling benefits / detriments, dac peculiarities and now it's a toss-up. And finally every single listener is going to have their own personal preferences leading to colored perceptions and resultant judgements of performance. Buyer beware! LOL

 

[adrianm]

So so true. To start with sound perception is absolutely subjective and discretionary. Add into that maelstrom of subjectivity the variances of up-stream components which necessarily are going to impact the final output so greatly that really any review MUST be preceded by a detailed description of the chain of components ahead of the headphones. Any review without this is generally to be disregarded in my view, such is the importance and impact upon subsequent SQ. Almost any headphone is going to perform radically differently according to both amp and dac ahead of it, and any proclamation of worthiness of said headphones without taking those two critical components into account is at best incomplete and at worst just a waste of time. Add in technicalities like impedance matches / mismatching, tube euphonics, solid state quickness / harshness, perceived cabling benefits / detriments, dac peculiarities and now it's a toss-up. And finally every single listener is going to have their own personal preferences leading to colored perceptions and resultant judgements of performance. Buyer beware! LOL

I barely trust my own impressions lol. I picked the Elites over the Susvara and LCD-5 after 2-3 head-to-head comparisons, but since i'm replacing my entire chain, I intend to compare them to everything else all over again. Synergy might not make up for technicalities, but it is more important for actual enjoyment.

 

[Toonartist]

Well, after just over a year I still love the Elites and while I know I’ll add a second pair of headphones at some point I’ve just not really felt the need.

I’ve just completed my system by adding the Auris Nirvana tube amp. Tubes is something I’ve always wanted to do and I feel I’ve found a good level. Using Psvane EL34-PH Philips replicas and Telefunken 12au7 and the combination provides a very holographic soundstage imaging with beautiful bass, mids and detailed highs with the Elites.

The Elites just seem to scale amazingly well and just do so many things so well I find it hard to find the energy to try something else

 

[LCMusicLover]

I barely trust my own impressions lol…

My first reaction to this was LOL backatcha. But then I realize there’s a deeper truth here. You say you don’t trust your own impressions, and I take that to mean there’s nothing authoritative about your impressions. And that’s true for every one of us. My impressions are my impressions — what my ears hear coming from my system. I chose Atrium over Elite, because I just liked them a little more. But I wouldn’t say one was better than the other.

 

[adrianm]

My first reaction to this was LOL backatcha. But then I realize there’s a deeper truth here. You say you don’t trust your own impressions, and I take that to mean there’s nothing authoritative about your impressions. And that’s true for every one of us. My impressions are my impressions — what my ears hear coming from my system. I chose Atrium over Elite, because I just liked them a little more. But I wouldn’t say one was better than the other.

Yeah, and also, memory is a fickle thing, there's a ton of stuff that makes you subjective in the moment. I also mean that quite literally lol. I had the Lina stack over around 3 months ago. Hated it the first day, warmed up to it the second one after I dialed in some settings, by the 5th there was no doubt in my mind it was clearly, objectively better than my Dave. I still found it hard to justify the price delta.
So over the past few months of searching for other comparisons...all roads led to Rome. Besides Fidelio, I was the only one who had compared them so I literally read my own review over the past few months when thinking... Do I really want to spend this much money on the dCS stack? Ironic I guess.

 

[turbofeet]

I just had a listening session with my wife (a non audiophile)...I think it's quite relevant to the last few posts...

She said "OK show me why all of these thousands of £ are worth it".

She played a few songs she wanted to hear and said "OK it sounds nice but it's not giving me anything from the music I don't already know. Nothing I haven't already experienced".

Basically when she listens to music she just wants to listen and feel it. She couldn't give a crap if she can hear some audience member fart 3 rows back from the microphone.

So play her a few songs I know sound awesome which are:

Listen to A Change Is Gonna Come by Fugees on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/113326
Listen to Jazz Variants by O-Zone Percussion Group on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/2367658
Listen to You're So Cool by Hans Zimmer on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/45524729

She was absolutely blown away and said "if everything sounds like that I would listen all day long as that is amazing".

I said if the recording doesn't have the detail you won't hear it. It will just sound nice and nothing more. It won't always blow you away.

So, going back to the previous few posts.. I have heard the extra soundstage on the Abyss ab-1266tc. I have heard a little more detail from the Susvara.

Nothing I have heard so far can blow you away when the recording allows (and when you really want to hear it) but also allows you to just enjoy the music as the Elites.

For me it makes them truly marvellous.

 

[srkbear]

People really need to learn the difference between "better" and "I like it more". Very few things in the TOTL range are actually better than the rest, and most of the people making these judgements are reporting their personal opinions using their own gear, stating it as absolute fact, as if the source chain and music used doesn't matter.

I wholeheartedly agree, thank you for saying this! Besides the choice of gear being a potential confound, I would wager that a significant majority of individual preferences pertaining to sound (excluding subjective factors such as fit, comfort, design, etc.) comes down to a particular headphone’s native tuning.

I’ve experimented quite a bit with Oratory PEQ settings in Roon for all my cans. And if I were to be absolutely honest with myself, I’ve been able to get the sound of one particular “flagship” or another—including warmth, detail retrieval, imaging, and bass slam, (and even soundstage to an extent)—to be equivalent enough to likely be insignificant to me if I were blinded to believe that these were all the native tunings for each option.

Obviously I’d prefer that all of my headphones sounded ideal right out of the box. And the appeal of something like the Meze Elite comes down to the total package—I love their look, fit, build quality, and sound. But I own a considerable collection of cans at this point, and I wouldn’t consider any of them “better” than another—I think they’re all terrific for different usage scenarios, and I like the array of choices I have for one specific genre over another.

But not everyone is willing or able to buy a headphone collection, and the decision to purchase any of these high-end options is a considerable investment. And if there’s anything I’ve learned through my own trial and error, it’s that despite the fantastic and generous advice I’ve received from folks at this site and elsewhere, headphones are so personal that there’s no way I can decide which one is “perfect” for me without listening to them myself.

Making the decision to choose sellers carefully and to trust their return policies has saved me endless hand-wringing over whether I’m missing out. And without fail, every time I’ve found the perfect headphone for me, I honestly knew it within the first few minutes of listening to them. If I have to think too much about it, they likely need to go back—and no amount of reassurance from another owner who loves them is going to make them sound any different to my ears…