Headphones

Now available in the darker, matt Tungsten finish as well as the classic Aluminium.

This Elite model from Meze is an improvement on their already spectacular Empyrean Headphones. A new driver design creates a bigger soundstage and more detail.

The Meze Empyreans have been extraordinarily popular and from all accounts these lack nothing that the Empyreans have in terms of sound and general performance. Just improving on what was already a sensational base. 

Meze has collaborated with Ukraine’s Rinaro Isodynamics who designed the MZ3 isodynamic driver found in the Empyrean. After three years of research and development, Rinaro makes the updated MZ3SE drivers used in the Elite. This brings their new “Parus” low mass acoustic diaphragm built using a proprietary “ultra-thin biaxially oriented semi-crystalline polymer film”, and arranged in a rather unique and complex way for maximum sonic results. 

Read more about the Empyrean Elite here at Meze's own official site

 Darko Audio on the Meze Elite headphones 

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Abyss Headphones have that ultra luxury premium feel that is hard to describe and definitely hard to see from pictures. The leather is buttery solft with  metals where even the detail of the texture of the finishes is thought of. 

They aren't over stated either, a simple classic design that fold down into a portable package perfect for public transport or plane trips as well as long sessions in a home office.

The Diana MRs are the first, dare we say entry level, for Abyss headphones. At 22 Ohms and 93dB they are the friendliest for pairing with a mobile phones. A good little Headphone Dac/amp would be recommended to get the most out of them though.

The Diana TC version ($7700) jump up in detail and resolution but be aware that they sit at 69 Ohms and 90dB which jumps into the territory of necessitating a headphone amp.

Comes in a choice of Sapele Wood, Forged Carbon or Carbon Weave.

Included Accessories:

• Cable by JPS Labs, standard length 1.5 meter/ 5 FT, with choice of 3.5 mm, 1/4” (6.3 mm), 4 pin XLR, 2.5 or 4.4 mm balanced plug (Longer lengths add +0.5 m $100)
• New hard plush interior carry case keeps Diana safe

 

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Meze Headphones continue to reach new heights. They're not content with their already exceptional Empyrean Headphones they've managed to take them to the next level. These are a group of people who are passionate and dedicated to creating the best Headphone experience they can.

They work closely with Ukrainian company Rinaro (now with an extra manufacturing facility in Poland!) who make their planar magnetic drivers. Rinaro has been very clever inching out all of the efficiency in the drivers by combining a switchback and a spiral design into the one driver to maximise performance.

Other beautiful details over the Empyrean Is are the options in Ear pads. Depending on your listening preferences, you can switch out the ears pads betweeen an angled and a 'duo' version. The angled version will give you an airier, more transparent signature.

We have been playing around with these Headphones now for a couple of weeks and find their detail and efficiency absolutely breathtaking. If you're after something that has that detail and has a bit more warmth, the step up to the Elite version ($7000) is still recommended.

To note: These only come in the one colour, black, at least for the moment.

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PRICE DROP

Making way for the new Empyrean II. Our last pair of Empyrean's, Ex Demo, Black/Copper in perfect condition. Complete with hard case and 2.5m OFC cable, ending with 6.3 jack. Get them while they're still here! 

A ultra classy refined set of Headphones. It's hard to find anything bad to say about these. Except that there's now a new and improved better version with the Emprean Elite. But we were scratching our heads wondering what they could possibly do to make these any better.

The sound is detailed and precise but will let loose with kick and punch if you give them half a chance. The Soundstage is truly enormous and the quality of the finish is impeccable. 

The people who make these are Romanians and the engineers that have developed their special Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver are Polish. Two former eastern block countries who are now part of the EU and obviously have oodles of talent to produce some of the best Headphones in the world. 

The Isodynamic driver is a variation of a Planar Magnetic driver done with a dual shaped voice coil array that makes them super light weight and super responsive. And you can definitely hear that responsiveness of the Empyreans over other Planar Magnetic designs.

The lightness in the driver makes them incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time as well.

Read an extensive review of the Meze Empyreans here

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Made in Austria and weighing less than 400 grams. These are a truly neutral sounding headphone. Designed to bridge the gap between professional mastering Headphones and the at-home/on-the-go consumer market. Not as bright as a set of Sennheiser HD800S. Where the Sennheisers are almost over emphasising the treble, these headphones have a clarity in the upper register but aren't over exaggerated. They also have a richer mid and bass quality than those Sennheisers. 

Very clean sounding with still a lot of expansiveness.

A comfortable headphone to wear and a classic aesthetic. 

Come in and try them for yourself, we think you'll like them!

"What Hi Fi?" on the Austrian Audio Composer headphones

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The LCD-24 was a special creation from the designers at Audeze and a 'pet project' of the Chief Technology Officer. These headphones use their ultra light, ultra definition Fluxor planar magnetic drivers with Nano scale diaphragms. 

In their words, 'the result is a robust and refined sound featuring the vibrant midrange, powerful bass, and treble extension iconic to Audeze's Flagship headphones'.

We're selling our Ex-Demo set that has had limited use and is in perfect condition. Come and test them for yourself!

 

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A beautiful Ebony Makassar wood finish a new warmer sound profile make these a distinct upgrade from the original Lirics. Still lively but with an even larger Sound stage.

I was even impressed by the beautiful box these come in. It looks like a picture of a rural scene in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania printed on the box.

Meze have continued to make waves in the Head-Fi world proving they're not just a short lived start-up, they're here for the long haul. Run by a small group of young(ish) Romanians who are passionate about keeping industry and manufacturing, as well as their families, in their native Romania. Their drivers come from just accross the border in the Ukraine. The Rinaro drivers have been the perfect match for Meze delivering the lithe, rich sound that they're renowned for.

The Liric IIs are on demo now at Carlton Audio Visual.

 

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Stax Headphones, the iconic Electrostatic headphone manufacturer, has come out with a new version of their SR-L700s...otherwise known as 'the Cyberman' headphone here at Carlton Audio...

 

These Headphones, or Earphones as Stax calls them, create vibrations and sound through a thin metallic membrane which accepts a dose of quite high voltage in order that it vibrates at frequencies corresponding to the music. 

This technology produces impeccable imaging and a fastness and clarity to the music.

A true Audiophile classic with a cult like following...'Man will be reborn as Cyberman'...after listening to Stax...

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Relatively speaking, Meze Audio, is a new company in the world of HiFi and Headphones. Founded in 2011, they joined a plethora of small companies producing good, reasonably priced over ear headphones. Many of the other companies have faded into obscurity but Meze quickly made a mark by designing someting extraordinary, The Empyreans. 

The Empyreans were a revelation. Not a cheap Headphone but they make no apologies for being uncompromising in every detail of the design. Pairing with a company called Rinaro Isodynamics who make exceptional planar magnetic drivers for the Headphones, the Empyreans had HiFi reviewers stunned with their musicality and precision. 

Since causing waves with the Empyreans, Meze has gone from strength to strength sticking to this uncompromising design ethos that refuses to simply follow the pitfalls of Head Fi trends. Rather they simply make sure they make units that outperform their competition in sound quality with finishing details that they find beautiful. Hence the timeless quality of their products and devoted fans they have accumulated over the last couple of years. Carlton Audio Visual has definitely become one of these fans!

 

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Antonio Meze, lead designer and founder of Meze, says "Rai Penta is the culmination of 3 years of researching the most ergonomic shape and most vivid sound for a Universal In Ear Monitor. We could have released it earlier, but again, like with with all our products, we wanted to make sure it is truly the best we can achieve"

Needless to say, these aren't your average In Ear Monitors. They are hewn for aluminium and presicely engineered so that the air flow in their small casing is optimally controlled for each of their 5 drivers. This means that your listening experience is more controlled and musical than others on the market devoid of distortion created when cheaper plastic molded chanels are delivering the sound to your ears.  

There's also an outlet to the outside to stop build up of pressure within your inner ear making for a more comfortable listen.

The shape of the whole unit has been designed for comfort to make sure it fits snuggly and works anatomically as well as sonically.

They also come with a huge array of different sized and shaped ear bud tips so you can find the perfect fit for your ears.

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The much anticipated Meze 109 Pro Headphones have arrived at Carlton Audio Visual. I first heard these in May in Munich and knew they'd be extremely popular. The headphone marketplace is missing a HiFi level headphone at the mid $1K mark and these fill those shoes.

They punch above their pricepoint and are detailed, full sounding, big soundstage type headphone. These aren't a plastic headphone that only sell because they're endorsed by some forgettable celebrity.

Meze are a relatively new (10 years old) Romanian manufacturer of headphones making big waves in the industry. They are a group of young professionals passionate about the products they make and the work they do. Having met a whole bunch of them, I get the impression they all could be off making a lot more money working in Germany or Switzerland for big corporates but they prefer to stay in their home country working with their friends and colleagues on great products.

Now on display at Carlton Audio Visual!

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The signature Stax electrostatic Earphone. A glorious piece of engineering that for good reason has been a HiFi enthusiasts favourite for decades.

Now on demo at Carlton Audio Visual

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If you're after some Hifi quality In Ear Headphones, these are unbeatable. Definition, clarity and that underlying musicality. Not harsh or brittle.

Meze is a company that hails from Romania and is deeply proud of their Romanian heritage. They are a grup of young professionals who love making quality products and are prepared to take their time and do it right. They are also passionate about cultivating quality manufacturing in Romania. In the 10 or so years they've been in business they have certainly achieved this.

All of Meze's products have recieved special acclaim and most importantly they're loved by our customers.

 

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Sonos have nailed it with these headphones, slick and comfortable with magnetic memory ear cusions. they weigh 312 grams ... thats less than Apples, They have really nice physical controls ... no silly swipe things ...

Feel every frequency with superior precision and clarity. Maximise your immersion with lossless streaming, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and world-class Active Noise Cancellation. Hear what’s going around you with Aware mode.

Enjoy up to 30 hours of battery life, exceptional comfort and flawlessly clear calls. Connect to your devices wirelessly via Bluetooth, or use the included USB-C and 3.5 mm cables. Plus, bring home theatre content to life like never before.

"The Guardian" on the Sonos Ace headphone

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Meze is jumping on the Black Fornight bandwagon and is offering 20% off selected Meze models. This will only last until the 28th of November.

The Meze 99 Classics delivers perfect natural sound even to the pickiest of audio lovers. The walnut wood earcups, soft earpads, and the spring steel headband will make the 99 Classics an heirloom rather than just a pair of headphones

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The Meze 99 Classics delivers perfect natural sound even to the pickiest of audio lovers. The walnut wood earcups, soft earpads, and the spring steel headband will make the 99 Classics an heirloom rather than just a pair of headphones.

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A stylistic and fantastic sounding set of Headphones. Crispy and detailed with a tight bass.

Great as an all purpose, listenable set of cans. In a train, on a plane, working from home or in the office.

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We've been on the look out for some quality true wireless headphones to purvey here at Carlton Audio Visual. Although we aren't normally Bowers and Wilkins dealers, we were very impressed with their in-ear options and now have them in stock!

These in-ears are very comfortable even for the most unobliging ears, their form fits much better than most in-ears. They also come with 4 different sizes of ear tips for you to experiment to find your best fit.

B & W use all sorts of tricks to make these sound and perform the best they can:

• Active Noise Cancellation
• Bluetooth 5.4 with AptX
• 3 microphones per earbud for better on-the-go phone calls
• 2 band customisable EQ 

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Big chunky wireless Headphones. Some people will love these because of the way they fit over the ears, others will find them too cumbersome and awkward. If that's you, you should look at the YH-L700A. 

But no doubt these are a fantastic sounding Headphone for the price. And of course having the Bluetooth, wireless, active noise-cancellation is very welcome.

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