Sorry for translation
https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/review/review/1427366.html
FAudio "Mezzo"
When buying slightly expensive earphones, many people will listen to them at the store. At that time, what kind of sound would you hear and decide "Let's do this!"? People have different tastes, such as "producing low frequencies" or "hearing detailed sounds", but many people will probably choose a "neutral sound" that can handle a variety of music. However, I was also curious about the tasteful, slightly characteristic sounding earphones on the sales floor.
It would be ideal if you could buy two, a neutral earphone and a distinctive flashy earphone, and use them according to your mood. But I can't afford to buy two expensive earphones, so I have no choice but to give up... That was the conventional wisdom until now. But there's a new product from FAudio that could change that. It is a model called "Mezzo" (limited to 100 units in Japan / open price / actual sales about 295,800 yen).
In conclusion, this Mezzo is a “7-change earphone” that makes you feel like you bought 3, no, 7, instead of buying an additional one.
Equipped with dynamic, BA and piezo drivers
Open the case! As expected of high-end earphones, the storage is cool, and the accessories are substantial
7Before the changes, let's take a look at the specifications. It is a universal type earphone, and the shape and design of the shell is like a custom IEM. The design is woven with green and black, a coloring that is rarely seen in earphones. He imagines a drink that is "somehow energy", but it seems to be the correct answer. This is very interesting.
FAudio "Mezzo"
"Inspired by a famous energy drink, it contains the feeling of wanting to support people who work hard day and night." Coloring
It's an interesting internal driver, but it's also interesting.
Dynamic type x 1 for low range, BA (balanced armature) x 1 for mid-high range, and so far it is a common hybrid, but also BA x 1 for full range and double layer piezo driver (piezoelectric element) for full range type driver) is installed.
This earphone was inspired by the electric guitar "Stratocaster", and the piezo driver was inspired by the semi-hollow body of the electric guitar. A semi-hollow is a structure in which the inside of the guitar body is not entirely hollow (full acoustic), but wood is placed in the center to reduce the hollow area.
Inspired by this, a double-layer piezo driver was installed to reproduce the "micro-vibration effect" brought about by the semi-hollow structure body. As a result, it is said that the speed of the rise of the sound of the earphone as a whole and the reverberation of the sound have been enhanced. Well, I can't get a good image with just words, so let's listen to this later.
People tend to focus only on the piezo driver, but this earphone is actually a dynamic type for low frequencies. Portable audio fans may have an image of the famous "Major" when speaking of FAudio, but we have transplanted a dynamic driver with a 10mm double-layer diaphragm, which can be said to be the heart of that Major. By precisely adjusting the physical parts such as placement and focusing only on the low range, ``we are demonstrating excellent performance in everything such as the speed and texture of the low range.''
FAudio's famous machine "Major"
In addition, a three-layer structure acoustic chamber called Triple Built-in Acoustic Chamber (TBAC) is also built in for dynamic type. It is said that it will improve the energy efficiency of the driver by optimizing the instability of the frequency characteristics and excessive air flow peculiar to the dynamic driver. I'm looking forward to listening to this.
As mentioned above, these drivers are combined with a mid-high range BA and a full-range BA to create a rather elaborate driver configuration. In order to demonstrate the performance of each driver, we introduced a crossover technology called Ture Crossover Technology (TCT). By correcting the crossover points of the frequency bands through a full-range BA, each frequency band is smoothly connected without causing wrong phase or distortion, creating a cohesive sound.
The frequency response of the entire earphone is 12Hz to 60kHz, and the input sensitivity is 108dB @ 1mW. Impedance is 20Ω@1kHz.
"Personal Tuning Control" to tune the sound boldly
The biggest feature of Mezzo is the "Personal Tuning Control" mechanism that changes the sound.
Earlier, I wrote "Earphones inspired by the Stratocaster", but the guitar is also equipped with a tuning mechanism. Mezzo's Personal Tuning Control was created as a mechanism that gives various sound characteristics to the reproduced sound, inspired by the Stratocaster's pickup tone control and switch design.
The key is the crossover technology "TCT" and full range BA introduced earlier. By linking the circuit and TCT and controlling the full-range BA, the frequency band is corrected. maintaining coherence.
"Personal Tuning Control" mechanism that changes the sound
It seems that this development took considerable effort, and it was found that the conventional switch circuit mechanism would affect the entire tuning phase and frequency characteristics. By repeating adjustments, he says, "I completed a mechanism that changes the sound according to the type of music."
Use the included pins to change the sound by operating the DIP switches
Adopt 4.4mm balanced input from the beginning
There are only high-end models, and the accessories are also high quality. A dedicated upgrade cable called Tone Master Shield is included from the beginning, and the core wire uses a UPOCC crystal copper conductor made in Japan that uses the golden ratio. It is silver plated and twisted together. The outer layer of each core wire is shielded with pure silver to increase its resistance to electromagnetic fields. By protecting it with a medical grade soft PVC jacket, oxidation of the cable wire is also reduced.
Comes with a dedicated upgrade cable called Tone Master Shield
It seems that the inside is also soldered by a professional technician using the highest grade Hi-Fi audio solder. By the way, this solder is also used for the internal wiring of the Mezzo itself.
4.4mm balanced input terminal
The input terminal of the cable is 4.4mm balanced. The latest CNC metal parts are used for the terminals. The connection part with the earphone is 2 pins. The length of the cable is about 120cm.
The connection part with the earphone is 2 pins
Earpiece comes with FA Premium+ EarTips (FA Vocal+, S/M/L), FA Instrument+ (S/M/L), FA Foam x 1). Also comes with a carrying case.
Comes with various earpieces
Spatial expression and low range of the best part, and "good unity"
The player uses Astell&Kern's high-end DAP "A&ultima SP2000T"
Let's listen. The player uses Astell & Kern's high-end DAP "A & ultima SP2000T", and the amplifier selects the operational amplifier mode.
First of all, in a neutral state without operating any switches, play "M Hachishichi / Kenshi Yonezu" in high resolution.
It's a song that makes you look up at the night sky, but the moment the sound comes out, you'll be overwhelmed by the spatial expression that makes you feel as high as the night sky. In that wide space, Kenshi Yonezu's vocal spreads out as if rising, and the sublime bass of strings rushes in from below. After less than a minute of listening, you'll know these earphones aren't for nothing.
In this song, there is a scene in the middle where the bass sounds crisply and continuously, and the volume of the bass is amazing. I feel it, and I have the illusion of suffocating.
Next, I played "Fujii Kaze / Matsuri", but the bass line here is also amazing. It sinks in so deeply that it echoes to the ground with ``Zushien'' and ``Guon''. You can tell by the sound that it exists as a very tight clump, "knock knack". I have never heard such a low tone with an earphone. As expected, it is a low range that transplanted the driver of the famous Major.
Once your ears get used to the greatness of the low range, you will notice the greatness of the mid-high range and the "goodness of unity" including the low range.
For example, when listening to a song like the ending theme song for "SPYĂ—FAMILY", "Gen Hoshino/Kigeki", the thick bass is played back with a natural and warm tone typical of the dynamic type, making you feel very relaxed.
However, the timbre of the high notes, such as the electric piano that comes in midway and the chorus of the chorus, is just as warm as the dynamic type. Normally, in a hybrid that combines a BA and a dynamic type, the difference in the driver unit type is reflected in the sound, and the timbre changes between the low and high ranges, making the high notes hard and metallic. This earphone does not have that at all.
The mid-high range of this natural sound is depicted with ultra-high resolution while maintaining a warm timbre, which is difficult to achieve with dynamic models. This is pretty amazing. Not only does it play an active role in BA for the mid-high range, but it seems that the piezo driver enhances the speed and resonance of the sound of the entire earphone, so it seems to have a considerable effect. I can only say that the tuning is excellent.
I wrote a lot of detailed stories, but when I actually listened to the sound, the whole sound was well integrated from the low range to the high range. You can listen without thinking about anything simply as "earphones with good messy sound". This is proof of the "goodness of unity".
By the way, it's not hard to sound because it's equipped with a piezo driver. With the SP2000T, a sufficient volume can be obtained with a volume value of about 50-55.
try tuning the sound
Now let's tune the sound with the main feature, "Personal Tuning Control".
The three DIP switches are raised and lowered using the attached pins, but the default state is the "natural" state when all three are lowered. The aforementioned sound quality evaluation was performed in this natural state.
There are a total of 8 possible combinations. Details are shown in the figure below.
While listening to the same "Fujii Kaze / Matsuri" as before, I'm touching this and that switch, but this is super interesting. This is not the first time that this type of tuning mechanism has been installed, but with other products, even if you operate the switch, the range of change is small, and there are products that make you wonder, "Huh? Did the sound change?" Not a few.
However, in the case of Mezzo, this difference is easy to understand, either because the original amount of information is large or because the amount of change is large.
As a test, if you switch from natural with all the switches down to "high gain" with all the switches raised, the monitor earphone-like natural sound from before suddenly becomes a flashy and lively sound.
From the low range to the high range, each sound image is clearer, the sound pressure is richer, and it feels like the sound has more power to jump out "forward and backward". The sound is full of energy and powerful, and "Matsuri" feels good, but if you listen to rock with a sense of speed and anime songs that are hard to beat, you'll be hooked. This is great fun to listen to.
If you set only the rightmost switch to "1+2", the impression of the mid-low range is the same as "high gain", but the stimulation of the high range is suppressed, resulting in a lower center of gravity than the low range. balance. It changes to a sound suitable for hip-hop, such as a beat resounding.
If you lower the leftmost and raise everything else to "2+3", you can see that the power of the low range is not so noticeable, and the mid-high range has become relatively solid. Although it is written that it is recommended for pop and R&B, it is certainly such a balance.
What's interesting is the "1+3" mode, which lowers only the middle. The balance is close to the so-called "donshari", the low and high frequencies become solid and powerful, creating a dramatic sound. It would be nice to listen to movie soundtracks or listen to games. It's flashy, but it's a "delicious sound", and it's attractive in its own way.
In either mode, the sound is not manipulated electronically, so there is no unnaturalness in the sound after the change. Still, the amount of change is not too small, and you can clearly see that "Oh, the sound has changed." This is fun, so please try it.
After tinkering with this kind of function, there are many patterns of not using it from the factory setting, but as mentioned above, the sound after the change is natural, so we actively use it. I want to use it. In particular, "1+3" and "High Gain" sound too flashy all the time, but music that touches my heart can be played in this mode, and I usually use it in natural mode. Mastering it will be an ant.
Personally, I like the low-frequency sound that the dynamic type is in charge of, so I like the "Low Boost" tuning that raises only the leftmost switch to fully enjoy the flavor of the low-frequency range.
As an aside, when I fiddle with the earphone switch with a pin, it just feels like "hobby time" and I smile.
summary
FAudio's high-end earphones, especially the dynamic type unit of Major, have been transplanted, and the basic playback capacity is top class in the market. The coherence and the resolution of the low frequencies, which make me almost unsatisfied when I listen to it, can be said to be a "masterpiece".
This alone is worthy of note, but the additional Personal Tuning Control is really interesting, and far from being a bonus, this feature has succeeded in making the Mezzo much more appealing.
It was a neutral sound, so-called "honor student sound" earphones, but just by operating the switch, the sound changed to something like "I'm going to get off the hook a little bit", so as I wrote at the beginning, I added I feel like I bought several different earphones. This is big.
Even if you buy a high-end earphone, after using it for a while, you get tired of it, or you feel dissatisfied and buy a new one. As a result, the frequency of use will increase, and it will be an earphone that can be used for a long time. Considering that, it seems that Personal Tuning Control has the effect of improving the cost performance of earphones.
