I first heard the Meze ELITE over an year ago at CanJam London 2022. My first impressions at the time were highly positive for the looks and design, and this was even before I placed it over my head to experience what can be best described as a set of soft cushions hugging you on and around your ears. I didn't even notice the weight of the ELITE before my eyes wandered over to the tube amplifier these were connected to—a better pairing than I thought it would be, even if I ultimately preferred the sound from the solid state Earmen stack that was alongside (it's going to be separately covered soon). I listened briefly before realizing the busy surroundings were not conducive to establishing valid impressions but even so it was obvious this was unlike the usual suspects in the price range. The Meze ELITE is unabashedly warm and relaxed at the same time, opting to go for a product that you can wear and listen to for long periods of time.

Thanks to the local UK distributor, I was able to finally get a set in for a couple of months to listen in my own surroundings with an audio chain I am used to. Most of what I remembered back then continued over here, albeit the time since had resulted in Meze putting out a new colorway for the ELITE that also brought with it a new carry case, new cable options, and new pads. As such, keep in mind that this review does not include coverage of the new angled Alcantara pads which appear to be the go-to for most people who have tried it on. The stock hybrid pads have remained unchanged and in that regard I was able to get a representative impression finally. Having gone through ~25 different headphones in the time since my previous demo, I had an even stronger appreciation for Meze's design philosphy and the ELITE's comfort. It may feel like a $4000 set that has more emphasis on the non-audio factors than most other flagships, but that helps make the ELITE what it is.

I'll also give a strong shout-out for Ukraine-based Rinaro whose novel isodynamic hybrid array drivers have been used in the ELITE to good effect similar to what we've seen in the closed-back Liric before. These help produce a natural presentation for music in the mids and treble alike, and the bass does the same for me with some EQ. Staging, in particular, was effortlessly accurate in putting out sound that sounded—depending on the situation—lively but not engulfing or intimate but not cramped. I do see room for improvement with vocals though, and some of this goes back to the tonality choices made, as well as some instruments that fell under the mid-bass emphasis perhaps threatening the lower mids and sub-bass alike. It's not a set for frequency response measurebators given it sounds like it measures and it doesn't measure as you might want it to. It's may not even be a set for some even if you are open to different sound signatures given that I'd personally still go for something else in the price range to better suit my wants and needs. However, there's no denying that the ELITE is easily Meze's best audio offering I've tested to date and it is a successful product too given it has sold enough to have not only multiple limited editions but also a whole new color scheme to choose from.