Tržište audio proizvoda zadnjih godina prolazi kroz velike promjene. Poslovanje putem Interneta omogućilo je malim lokalnim kompanijama da svoje proizvode nude potencijalnim kupcima po cijelom svijetu direktno, bez distributera. S druge strane crowdfunding nudi malim kompanijama mogućnost stvaranja serijske proizvodnje uz minimalna ulaganja.
Takvih malih kompanija je mnogo, a bez dobrih proizvoda teško se mogu probiti na tržište. Jedan takav neobičan proizvod došao je i do nas na test. Slušalice Meze 99 Classic dolaze iz Rumunjske i predstavljaju vrhunac rada i truda ove tvrtke. Trenutno su u ponudi dva modela. Model 11 koji se smješta u slušni kanal (uho) i model 99 koji u potpunosti prekriva uši.
Proizvodnja Meze slušalica može se opisati kao visokotehnološka manufaktura. U sklapanju modela 99 nigdje se ne koristi ljepilo zbog čega je moguće zamijeniti ili popraviti bilo koji dio slušalica. Ovu mogućnost skoro više nitko ne nudi na tržištu, bez obzira na cijenu proizvoda.
Drvo i metal su glavni materijali u proizvodnji Meze slušalica. Kućište za zvučničke jedinice napravljeno je od jednog komada orahovine. Konstrukcija od metala i kože zadužena je za udobno sjedanje slušalica na glavu.
Svi ti dijelovi izvrsno su spojeni obrađenim komadima metala u zlatnoj ili srebrnoj boji, ovisno o želji kupca. Masa slušalica dovoljno je mala za višesatno slušanje i ne predstavlja problem bez obzira na korištene materijala, a iznosi 290 g. Kvaliteta izrade jednostavno je vrijedna divljenja. O zvučničkim jedinicama proizvođač ne govori mnogo, osim da se radi o uobičajenim jedinicama promjera 40mm i da su pogonjene neodimijskim magnetom.
Slušalice dolaze u tvrdoj kutiji za prijenos i opremljene su s dva seta izmjenjivih kabela. Duži za slušanje u komfornijem okruženju i kraći za slušanje u pokretu. Uz kabele dolaze i dva adaptera za različite utičnice.
Ove iznimno zanimljive slušalice imali smo priliku testirati više od mjesec dana u svakodnevnoj uporabi. Za početak, slušalice sasvim dovoljno izoliraju korisnika od vanjske buke s obzirom da se radi o zatvorenom tipu slušalica. Udobnost je neupitna, čak i nakon četiri ili pet sati korištenja u komadu, a jednaka je ili bolja u odnosu na bilo koji drugi proizvod velikih i popularnih proizvođača slušalica.
Zvuk ovih slušalica jako je zanimljiv. Pozornica koju reproduciraju je velika i nema dojma točkastog izvora koji je inače jako čest. Definicija prostora i pozicija glazbenika bila je dovoljno dobra neovisno o žanru glazbe koji se sluša. Količina detalja jako je dobra kroz cijeli spektar. Visoki dio spektra je izuzetno precizan i nikada ne postaje zrnat, a samim time ni naporan. Zbog tih karakteristika slušanje orkestralne klasične glazbe poput Mahlerove druge simfonije pravi je užitak. Dinamički uzleti su odlično reproducirani.
Bas je pravilnog volumena, vrlo kontroliran, a opet ima malo dodatne topline koja slušanje čini ugodnim na duge staze, neovisno o materijalu.
Jazz sastavi također zvuče odlično zbog velikog prostora i iznimno čistog srednjeg dijela spektra. Klavir Samuela Yirge ima jako dobar timbar, volumen i dužinu odjeka. Elektronska glazba također nije strana ovim slušalicama. Slušalice imaju dovoljno brzine kroz cijeli spektar da umjetno stvoreni beatovi budu reproducirani uvjerljivo. Skladba Monument norveške skupine Röyksopp zvuči odlično.
Meze 99 Classic slušalice dovoljno su osjetljive da ih se može slušati na bilo kojem modernom izvoru zvuka, uključujući smartphone ili prijenosni audio player poput FiiO-a.
Zaključak:
Meze je mali proizvođač koji se tek mora dokazati na globalnom audio tržištu, a jedini put k uspjehu su proizvodi koji nude bitno više nego konkurencija za sličnu cijenu. Mislimo da je Meze u tome u potpunosti uspio. Model 99 Classic zvuči kudikamo bolje nego AKG K551 ili modeli iz Sennheiser Momentum serije.
Slušalice su izgrađene tako da mogu preživjeti jako puno, a ako nešto ipak pukne ili se pokvari, moguć je popravak i zamjena dijelova, što je u današnjem konzumerističkom svijetu prava rijetkost. Meze 99 Classic dobiva svaku preporuku.
Za sada u Hrvatskoj ovaj proizvođač nema zastupnika no mogu se kupiti i direktno na njihovoj web stranici po cijeni od 309 eura.
INFO: www.mezeheadphones.com
—- ENGLISH TRANSLATION —-
Meze 99 Classic – The New Kid on the Block
Author: Jagor Čakmak
Over the last few years, home audio market has seen a fair amount of change. Business activity on the Internet has enabled many small, local companies to sell their products to consumers all over the globe, without having to rely on retailers. On the other hand, crowd funding enables small companies to establish serial production with minimal investments. There are many such companies, but without good products they can hardly make themselves visible on the market. One such product arrived at our office for testing. Meze 99 Classic headphones come from Romania and represent the pinnacle of this company’s hard work and efforts. There are two models currently available in Classic series: in-ear model 11 and over-the-ear model 99.
The production of Meze headphones could be described as high-technology manufacturing. In the process of assembling the 99 model, no glue was used, so it’s possible to change or fix any part of the headphones. This is an option almost no other company on the market offers to their customers, regardless of the price of the product.
Wood and metal are the two main materials in the production of Meze headphones. Chassis for speaker units is made from a single piece of walnut. The construction contains a combination of metal and leather, and makes these headphones very comfortable when placed on the head. All these pieces are perfectly joined together by fabricated pieces of metal in gold or silver color – depending on consumer’s choice. The weight of the headphones (290g) is ideal for multi-hour listening, and doesn’t cause any problems, regardless of type of music material used. The quality of manufacturing is simply astonishing. However, the manufacturer does not provide too much info on the drivers themselves, except saying they are the standard 40 mm drivers with neodymium magnets.
Headphones come in a rigid portable box, and with two interchangeable cables – the longer one for listening in a more comfortable environment, and the short one for listening on the go. Together with cables, they come with the adapters for two types of headphone plugs.
We had the opportunity to test these exceptionally interesting headphones over the course of 30 days, on a daily basis. First of all, these headphones isolate the listener very well from the outside noise, in line with the fact that the headphones are of closed type. The comfort is unquestionable, even after four or five hours of continuous listening, and it is on the same level, if not even better, when compared to the competing models produced by established and popular headphone manufacturers.
The sound of the headphones is very interesting. The soundstage they reproduce is big, and there is no effect of sound originating from one point, as it is quite common with headphones. The definition of space, and the positions of the musicians within the soundstage were sufficiently good, regardless of the genre of music we were listening to. The amount of details throughout the whole music spectrum was great. The high end of the spectrum is exceptionally precise, and never turns grainy or hard to induce listening fatigue. Because of that smoothness, listening to pieces of classical orchestral music, such as Mahler’s Second symphony, is very pleasurable. Dynamic range is perfectly reproduced.
Bass is of right volume, very controlled, but at the same time it possesses the kind of warmth that makes multi-hour listening very enjoyable, regardless of music in question. Jazz bands also sound great on these headphones, because of the spacious and big soundstage, and exceptionally clean midrange. Samuel Yirga’s piano was presented with very good timbre, good scale, and clean and precise decay. Electronic music also sounds great on these headphones. The headphones have enough speed throughout the whole sound spectrum, so the artificially created beats can be reproduced convincingly. Song “Monument” by Norwegian electro band Royskopp sounds great on these headphones.
Meze 99 Classic headphones are efficient enough, so they can be used with any contemporary sound source, including smartphones and portable audio players such as FiiO.
Conclusion:
Meze is a small manufacturer that still has to establish itself on the global audio market, and then the only path to success are the products which offer significantly more than the competitors, at similar prices. We think Meze completely succeeded in this.
Headphones are used on the go, often moved, travelled with us and taken out, so they are subject to physical defects like no other type of audio equipment. In that respect, Meze is better than most headphones of big headphone manufacturers, at the similar price point.
Meze headphones are very durable, and even when something breaks, it can be fixed or replaced, which is an option that is so rare in the modern consumerist world.
In view of the quality of manufacturing, as well as the quality of the sound, Meze 99 Classic deserves our highest praise.
INFO: www.mezeheadphones.com