This year’s High End show in Vienna featured a major new release from Meze Audio. The Romanian manufacturer unveiled the ARTA, a pair of high-end planar magnetic headphones developed over several years in collaboration with Rinaro Isodynamics. With this new model, the brand aims to push the boundaries of headphone sound reproduction by combining a unique acoustic architecture with a meticulously crafted design. What exactly do these new flagship headphones, priced at €6,000, have to offer?
Since its founding in 2011, Meze Audio has established itself as one of the most recognized manufacturers in the world of high-end headphones. The Romanian brand has built its reputation on an approach that combines acoustic research, distinctive design, and high-quality craftsmanship.
Its rise gained significant momentum with the 2018 launch of the Empyrean, a new planar model developed in partnership with Rinaro Isodynamics. Having won numerous awards and become a benchmark among audiophiles, these headphones helped establish Meze Audio as one of the industry’s major players. Following the Empyrean and then the Elite, the ARTA continues this tradition with the ambition of exploring new avenues in both sound and design.
A project designed to push the boundaries of traditional headphones
The ARTA represents the culmination of extensive research conducted by Meze Audio and Rinaro Isodynamics. The goal was to minimize the distance between the listener and the music, both technically and perceptually. According to Meze Audio, this new model aims for a warm and balanced sound, with a spacious, three-dimensional soundstage. The brand describes the sound as similar to that of a speaker system, where instruments occupy clearly defined positions.
This approach encapsulates the project’s acoustic philosophy. As Alex Grigoras, an acoustic engineer, explains: “ARTA came into existence from asking the same question over and over: what is there still between the listener and the music? Through our collaboration with Rinaro Isodynamics, we’ve arrived at something that doesn’t quite sound like headphones anymore, but simply music occupying real space.”
A new high-impedance planar transducer
At the heart of the headphones is the new MZ5 HΩ driver, developed by Rinaro Isodynamics. Meze Audio describes it as the planar magnetic driver with the highest impedance ever offered in headphones of this type. This isodynamic hybrid network transducer operates at an average impedance of 225 ohms. According to the brand, this architecture facilitates high-voltage, low-current operation, resulting in improved linearity, enhanced stability, and greater signal purity.
The announced technical specifications also reflect the model’s ambitions. The new Meze ARTA headphones boast a frequency response ranging from 3 Hz to 115 kHz, as well as a total harmonic distortion rate of less than 0.05%. The headphones weigh 495 grams.
An original acoustic and aesthetic design
The ARTA features a design that breaks away from the usual conventions of audiophile headphones. Meze Audio describes it as a blend of biomimetic shapes, organic fluidity, and Art Nouveau influences. The design combines machined metal, carbon fiber, and leather. This aesthetic approach also supports specific acoustic goals. Notably, the ear cups incorporate a grille composed of angled acoustic slats. This structure is designed to minimize internal sound wave reflections, resulting in cleaner transients and a more open soundstage.
The headphone’s design reflects a comprehensive approach in which acoustic architecture and industrial design work in harmony. Meze Audio presents the ARTA as an object that is both functional and sculptural, designed to enhance sound reproduction as well as the user experience. With its exposed metal structure and organic shapes, the ARTA ranks among the Romanian manufacturer’s most daring creations.
A work of art designed to last
In keeping with a philosophy already evident in many of its products, Meze Audio emphasizes repairability and durability. The ARTA is designed and hand-assembled in Baia Mare, Romania. Every component of the headphones can be disassembled, maintained, or replaced. This modular design is part of an approach aimed at extending the product’s lifespan and preserving its value over time.
With the ARTA, Meze Audio unveils new flagship planar magnetic headphones developed in collaboration with Rinaro Isodynamics. Their main strength lies in the new, very high-impedance MZ5 HΩ transducer, combined with an acoustic design intended to deliver a wide and natural soundstage. Unveiled for the first time at the High End Vienna trade show, the ARTA will go on sale soon for €6,000.
