Meze ASTRU Evaluation: A New Star for Excessive-Finish In-Ear Screens

After debuting at Can Jam NYC earlier this month, the Meze Astru has gotten fairly a little bit of consideration. This new flagship IEM from the Romanian firm is fabricated from a single dynamic driver, a configuration that we famously see in Sennheiser IEMs. The Meze Astru is a superb contender to enter the sub-$1k worth level, competing towards the likes of Sennheiser, 64 Audio, and extra for its reference sound. How are you aware if the Astru will probably be best for you? Hopefully, with particulars from this evaluation, you can make an knowledgeable selection on whether or not the Astru will meet all of your expectations. 

Let’s begin with the bodily qualities of those earphones. The Meze Astru is unquestionably a shocking piece of artwork, and it impresses extra in its bodily form than the rest. It’s paying homage to the Alba and the Advar that got here earlier than it, however with its personal distinctive design that makes it all of the extra memorable. The concave circle in entrance offers an attention-grabbing depth to the design, and the titanium housing offers an additional shine that can’t be beat. It’s light-weight and intensely comfy, and the smaller measurement makes it a very good match for smaller, extra delicate ears. With the numerous completely different sizes of eartips, you might be set to get pleasure from listening at any consolation stage you favor. The nozzle on the Astru is a reasonably commonplace measurement, so you may add your individual third-party eartips.  

The Meze Astru comes with a cable that terminates on to 4.4mm, which is a superb win for any audiophile with a transportable DAC/Amp. Even if you’re on the lookout for a extra accessible 3.5mm commonplace jack, the Astru comes with an adapter for straightforward listening. Taking the IEMs on the go is made easy with the addition of a carrying pouch, so you may simply take the Astru anyplace you want to hearken to music. 

• Driver: 10 mm dynamic driver
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 35 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Sensitivity: 111 dB SPL/mW (at 1 kHz)
• THD: <0.1% (at 1 kHz)
• Connector: 2-Pin
• Weight: 13.4 g (0.47 oz)

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

Now for the listening impressions. The Astru has a only a single driver, which is completely different from different IEMs with multi-driver configurations from the competitors. My expectations for the signature was for it to sound comparatively flat and impartial, and I used to be pretty correct in that prediction. The Astru has a large soundstage that stays flat and balanced. Devices get performed within the stereo area with good precision, portray an correct image for musicians who want some reference screens. The sound did not stretch in top, nevertheless it did have noticeable depth. The presentation was intimate and really shut, however you possibly can hear the layers of sound get their very own house within the sound signature. 

The sound copy total could be very pure by way of timbre and texture. The reference high quality of the Astru comes by with a clear copy from bass to treble. The midrange pulls ahead barely to create a little bit of a V-shape, nevertheless it is not as stark of a distinction to make it unnatural. I preferred how the Astru leaned into the reference sound, committing to a sound that’s intimately shut however nonetheless extremely detailed. 

BASS FREQUENCIES

Dynamic drivers are recognized for producing a thick bass response, and that is very true within the Meze Astru. The bass is not overpowering or overwhelming for the signature, however as an alternative a very good steadiness between punchy and supporting. It stays relaxed however has a full high quality to take up house within the decrease register. You’ll be able to hear how bass drums have some additional physique, and bass guitars nonetheless have a colourful twang that makes them melodic simply as a lot as a basis for different melodies. The Astru struck a very good steadiness between a thick low finish and one that’s mellow, so it accompanies any style simply and gracefully. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

The midrange is a spotlight within the Astru, because it brings out the melodic parts that all of us search for in our tracks. The element and layering is phenomenal, staying very near the entrance however nonetheless separating out naturally to present you a very good picture of all the weather. In busier, instrument-heavy ensembles, you possibly can hear all the main points of the monitor with ease with out worry you had been lacking any parts. Vocals got here to the entrance like they had been being carried out proper in entrance of you, with different melodic devices coming by simply behind to be a part of the grand signature. Parts nonetheless had respectable separation to let you recognize all the person parts. 

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

Rounding out the sound signature is the treble response. Within the Astru, the treble is mild and ethereal, bringing some reduction to the thicker low finish. The treble and bass of the Astru match vitality, within the reality they each take a little bit of a backseat to be on par with the midrange. The treble is sweet for bringing in house to the signature, and that’s particularly useful in IEMs. It’s simple for IEMs to really feel very closed off, and in an intimate soundstage just like the Astru, I used to be apprehensive I’d really feel too closed-in with out the excessive finish. Fortunately, the Astru brings in a brightness and air that lightens your complete signature and makes lengthy listening classes much less fatiguing. 

At $899, the Meze Astru sits at a really excessive worth level for IEMs. Contemplating the Alba retails for a way more inexpensive $159, this places a bit extra stress on the Astru to carry out nicely. From Alba to Astru, you may see how the soundstage will get opened up a lot wider and the imaging accuracy is extremely improved. The sound stays intimately shut, however you may inform the Astru has a stage up on readability and element in its sound copy. 

Other than different IEMs from Meze itself, the Astru finds competitors with manufacturers like Sennheiser and 64 Audio. The Sennheiser IE 600 are almost an identical in driver configuration: a single dynamic driver. Due to this, there have been numerous similarities of their sound signature. The Sennheiser IE 600 was a bit extra treble ahead, coming in with a brighter response in comparison with the Meze Astru’s extra balanced response. The U4s by 64 Audio is comparable in that sense, the place the bass comes out a bit extra. Nonetheless, the place the U4s has a wider presentation, the Astru has a extra intimate signature. 

The Meze Astru actually impresses as a flagship IEM for the corporate. It’s a nice step up from entry-level IEMs, providing you with a glimpse into increased element and readability with out altering what completely. The sound copy is pure and sincere, making it an ideal selection for musicians who need one thing a little bit extra trendy for his or her stage efficiency. Even informal listeners can recognize the intimate soundstage and colourful signature. 

You will get the Meze Astru at Audio46.