After the end of the Cold War, what was once a dead market for high-end audio has become a thriving scene with dozens of domestic manufacturers. Eastern Europe is not only supporting its own domestic consumer electronics industry but exporting reference-quality level equipment to the finest audio stores to the rest of the world. Brands such as Heed Audio (Hungary), Trafomatic Audio (Serbia), Kuzma (Slovenia), Thrax Audio (Bulgaria) and Meze Audio are taking on established giants and winning.
Based in Romania, Meze Audio introduced its first high-end headphones, the 99 Classics closed-back headphones, in 2015 and they almost immediately received an enthusiastic response from the Head-Fi community. At the time the high-end headphone market was becoming saturated with planar magnetic headphones and custom IEMs retailing for thousands of dollars, the Meze 99 ($309) were an over-achieving bargain. With their hand-polished walnut earcups, lightweight headband, and high-performance drivers, the affordable Romanian headphones were a much-needed glass of Tuica when everyone was demanding 18-year-old Aberlour.
Word spread quickly that the dynamic Meze 99 was a genuine alternative to established headphones from industry giants like Sennheiser, AKG, and Beyerdynamic. Meze Audio’s head designer and founder, Antonio Meze, admits that his quest to build himself a pair of great-sounding yet practical headphones turned into something far greater.
“It all started in 2009, when I was looking for a pair of headphones that I could relate to in the same way I felt connected to my Fender Stratocaster guitar,” Meze explained. “I needed a practical headphone that I could use because I was relocating extensively for work. It needed to fulfill my practical needs while also being a treat for my senses.” As an avid cyclist, Meze also found inspiration in his bicycles. “What I love about bicycles is that a lot of the mechanical engineering elements are perfectly visible and not hidden like in the case of most products today. I want my headphones to convey that same sense of beauty.”
Romania does not have a history of producing high-end consumer electronics, but a lot has changed in the last 30 years. “It has a fresh energy, ambitious people, and is finally a great space for new ideas to emerge. There were always a lot of creative and intellectual people, and our IT industry is booming. The truth is that the new Romania was created and is being sustained by the people and not the government. It is up to people like me to make things happen and that has given us the inspiration to compete with the big brands and challenge the status quo within the industry.”
