Meze Audio has unveiled the ARTA, a new flagship headphone that sits at the very top of its range and aims to push the company’s planar magnetic technology further than ever.
The ARTA will make its public debut at High-End Vienna this week with availability expected later this summer. Pricing has been set at £6,000 / $6,000 / €6,000.
Rinaro has developed a new MZ5 HΩ planar magnetic driver for the ARTA, which Meze claims is the highest-impedance planar magnetic headphone driver yet, operating at 225 ohms. The company says the design offers greater signal stability and lower distortion by using a high-voltage, low-current approach.
Rather than chasing an aggressively analytical sound, Meze tuned the ARTA for a warm-neutral presentation, with a particular focus on spatial realism. The company describes the listening experience as being closer to a speaker setup with instruments that occupy distinct positions within a wider and more natural soundstage.
The specifications are equally ambitious. Meze Audio quotes a frequency response of 3Hz to 115kHz, distortion below 0.05%, and a total weight of 495g.
The design itself also marks a departure from more traditional headphone aesthetics. Instead of exposed industrial elements, the ARTA adopts a flowing sculptural look that combines carbon fibre, metal and leather. Meze has engineered the grille structure with angled acoustic blades to help reduce unwanted internal reflections with the intention of producing a cleaner and more open presentation.
Beyond the acoustics, longevity and sustainability have been taken into account. Users can remove and replace every major component, including the drivers, earcups, headband and earpads.
Taken together, the ARTA marks itself out as a statement piece. Meze Audio is clearly targeting a niche audience that has the bank account to afford it. However, its combination of a new driver design, serviceable construction and speaker-inspired tuning suggests Meze is targeting listeners who want a long-term reference headphone rather than simply another luxury audio product.
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