INTRODUCTION

   Last winter i purchased an jacket by Puma which up until recently i had no idea that the interior pocket is so small because it was intended to be used either with a smartphone or an MP3/MP4 player and to make things even easier for the person wearing it the guys over at Puma also placed a cord holder close to the neck. Of course Puma is not the only brand to have made such additions to their jacket line but i guess what I’m trying to say is that wired headphones and earphones are obviously much more popular than what some people think. Personally although I’ve used and tested dozens of models (some of which were really good) my quest for the one that will earn a permanent spot in my desk drawer is still ongoing. Meze is a rather new player focused in the manufacture of quality headphones and earphones and since all of us really like wood based ones we decided to take a thorough look on their latest 11 Deco Earphones With Mic.

   At Meze we strive to create high quality wood headphones and wood earphones. Our brand fits the high end headphones due to their sound quality and stylish design. Our aim is to deliver perfect sound reproduction to satisfy both regular music lovers and audiophiles. The Classics headphones range is built on the classical values of clarity, balance and harmony.

   The somewhat large 8mm Neodymium drivers used in the Meze 11 Deco feature a frequency response of 17Hz-25KHz, sensitivity of 101db (1+2db) and 14Ohm impedance so at least specs-wise they seem a step up from what we are used to seeing. For the enclosure material Meze has chosen to use beech wood which doesn't only look and feel nice but also because it helps produce warmer sound. Meze has also placed an in-line microphone allowing you to make calls with Android and iOS compatible devices but we no matter how hard we looked we couldn't find any information regarding its specifications anywhere (we will ask Meze to see if they can provide that for us). So although manufactured by a very new player in the market like Meze the 11 Deco Earphones with Mic look very promising but since it wouldn't be the first time that we've been "deceived" by looks let’s take a closer look.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

We received the Meze 11 Deco inside a very small white box with just a product image at the front.

At the rear Meze has placed the features and specifications along with the frequency response chart and several certification logos.

The box contains the earphones, 4 silicon tips, carrying case and a carabiner.

THE 11 DECO

The carrying case may be small but it's quite tough and has the Meze logo on it (white is not easy to capture on our photo bench).

You can use the carabiner to attach the carrying case to your jeans or your backpack (nice thinking by Meze).

Not much room inside the carrying case but as you can see more than enough for the silicon tips and the earphones.

Thanks to the wooden enclosure the 11 Deco look very nice while the white cable and silicon tips may attract iOS device owners.

Meze has placed their logo at the rear of each earphone.

The 8mm neodymium drivers are neither the largest nor the best Meze could have used but they get the job done (and keep the cost of the earphones low at the same time). Left/Right markings are also visible at the base of each earphone.

Along with the in-line microphone there's also a button which can be used to can answer/end calls, redial the last number called and play/pause songs.

Aside the top of the carrying case and the rear of both earphones the nice company logo is also placed further down the cable.

The end of the cable is curved (requires less space that way) and has a gold plated 3.5" plug.

CONCLUSION

   With the current state of technology i no longer think that some manufacturers (the really large ones) are capable of using the highest end components in headphones and earphones while most (the smaller ones) are not. Instead i believe that it all comes down to what a manufacturer wants to manufacture based on its target audience and of course whether or not they have the name and support from consumers (the oldest brands in the market do obviously) to successfully launch a really expensive model. Meze is very new so we didn't expect miracles from the 11 Deco earphones with mic but it actually performs quite well. Of course you can't expect great bass levels (much like with most earphones out there) from the 8mm neodymium drivers but surprisingly enough the Meze 11 Deco do offer quite a bit along with very clear mids and highs. As for the rest well the microphone works as advertised (although as expected not compatible with every Android smartphone in the market) but unfortunately we can't say the same for the non-tangle cord since we had to un-tangle it a couple of times during testing.

   Since Meze is a rather new player their products are not very widely distributed yet so your best bet is to order them directly from Meze for a price tag of USD79/65Euros plus shipping. Overall the 11 Deco by Meze may not be the perfect earphone set but they do offer a very good bang for your buck and in the end that's what most people look for when out in the market. Unfortunately to date Meze doesn't offer something really special aimed at the most demanding of audiophiles (at least not in their earphone line) but if the 11 Deco are any indication i think they have a bright future ahead of them. For their very good build quality, audio clarity, looks and price the 11 Deco Earphones with Mic by Meze get our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Beech Wood Enclosures)
- Audio Quality (Good Bass & Clear Mids/Highs)
- Curved 3.5mm Plug (Space-Saving)
- High Quality Carrying Pouch (Also Includes A Carabiner)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Current Availability (Although Available Through Meze)