Meze Elite Tungsten + Manta Tungsten Stand

The Elite Tungsten is an open-back planar headphone built around Rinaro’s Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver, a low-distortion platform engineered for wide bandwidth, stable impedance, and consistent long-term performance. The new Manta Tungsten stand shares its Cerakote-finished material language, creating a unified environment for listeners who want their reference headphone and storage hardware to work as a cohesive system. Together they form a technically capable pairing: a headphone designed for extended analytical listening and a stand designed to protect it with predictable physical support.

Shared material design

Both products use a ceramic-based Cerakote treatment applied across the exterior surfaces. Cerakote adds hardness, abrasion resistance, and a uniform matte texture that maintains its appearance under repeated handling. On the Elite, this finish complements the magnesium, carbon fiber, and polymer components that stabilize the driver array. On the Manta stand, the finish is bonded to cast zinc, giving the structure a rigid, vibration-insensitive frame beneath the walnut top surface.

The driver platform

Elite’s Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver uses an ovoid geometry that measures 102mm by 73mm. The diaphragm—Rinaro Parus—has an active surface area of 4,650mm² and a mass of 0.011g, allowing it to move with minimal stored energy. The magnetic array operates at 0.35T and retains uniform flux density across the diaphragm’s travel range. This design supports a bandwidth of 3Hz to 112kHz with <0.05% THD across the entire range, offering predictable linearity even at high SPL. The 32-ohm impedance and 101dB nominal sensitivity place it in a zone where most capable desktop amplifiers can achieve full control without reaching voltage limits.

Open-back acoustic behavior

As an open-back circumaural headphone, Elite vents the rear wave of the diaphragm to reduce pressure buildup and internal reflections. This reduces time-domain smearing and allows the driver to maintain its low-mass benefits. For listeners, this results in a presentation with stable imaging and minimal enclosure coloration. The open structure also supports high maximum output—specified at >130dB—without enclosure resonance becoming a dominant factor.

Mechanical construction

The driver housing uses a fiberglass-reinforced polymer chassis to maintain rigidity around the diaphragm while minimizing unnecessary weight. At 0.94lbs (430g), the headphone balances mass with long-session usability. Components are sized and positioned to distribute pressure across the headband and pads, allowing users to maintain stable driver positioning without excessive clamping force. The included hybrid and angled Alcantara pads provide alternate acoustic loading and comfort options.

The Manta Tungsten stand

Manta is built as a stationary support platform with a 320mm height and a broad 180mm by 180mm base. Cast zinc provides structural weight—1,588g total—so the stand remains steady when placing or removing the headphone. Walnut wood and silicone contact areas protect the headband from compression or localized pressure. A built-in folding fin supports cable routing so the cable doesn’t rest against the floor or stress connectors. Because each unit is hand-finished, minor visual variances occur, reflecting the production method rather than defects.

System cohesion

While Elite and Manta are independent products, their shared Cerakote finish provides consistent visual integration for systems that emphasize material continuity. For listeners who store their primary headphone within arm’s reach, this coherence can matter—reducing visual clutter and protecting a reference-grade transducer with a stand engineered for predictable long-term support.

Availability

The Meze Elite Tungsten and Manta Tungsten stand are available now on Apos Audio.