Introduction to the Strada review
Meze is clearly not slowing down. Over the past months we’ve seen a wave of new models such as the 105 AER, 105 Silva, and 99 Classics V2, all of which I’ve already reviewed. Each of them showed a slightly different direction compared to what Meze was known for years ago. This time, however, they introduce the Strada.
These are gorgeous closed-back headphones built around a dynamic driver. I like to call them one of the best examples of smart recycling in audio. Meze uses the outer shell known from the Liric, finished in a different color, while the driver itself originates from the well-regarded 109 Pro. It’s genuinely impressive to see how fast the brand is growing, especially while maintaining such a high level of build quality and consistency.
In my opinion, Meze absolutely nailed the market positioning of the Strada. They land in a price range where closed-back headphones are not overly common among manufacturers, yet remain very popular with users. So the big question is simple: how do the Meze Strada actually sound, and are they worth the asking price? Let’s find out.
Packaging, Build Quality & Comfort
The outer box was a bit of a shock at first. I’m fully aware that the industry is moving toward more sustainable, carbon-conscious solutions, but I didn’t expect the packaging to change this drastically. What we get is a simple grey carton, sealed with a single plastic strip and a sticker with the product logo on the front. If you enjoy displaying boxes, this might be disappointing. For everyone else, it’s largely irrelevant – especially since everything inside is perfectly protected.
And speaking of the contents, the accessory set is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from Meze. Inside you’ll find a large, hard carrying case for the headphones, two cables – both 1.8 meters long – one terminated in 3.5 mm and the other in 4.4 mm balanced, as well as a soft PU leather pouch.
Honestly, I can’t think of anything missing here. Especially considering the quality of every included item. Starting with the cables: both are dual-twisted, Kevlar-sheathed, and made from OFC copper. They are flexible, comfortable to use, visually pleasing, and – importantly – free from microphonics, which is something that can be problematic with closed-back designs.
The earpads are finished in high-quality PU leather and attach magnetically. This makes swapping or cleaning them incredibly easy. It’s a small detail, but one I truly appreciate, and something I wish more manufacturers would adopt.
The headphones themselves are, quite simply, beautiful. Meze uses the same premium materials found in the much more expensive Liric – magnesium, zinc, and Macassar ebony wood. The Stradas are painted in-house using a stunning metallic green finish, and for me they easily rank among the best-looking closed-back headphones on the market.
That said, I do have some reservations about the adjustment mechanism and the rotating earcups, which are two separate issues. Putting the Meze Strada on with one hand is surprisingly difficult. The rotating earcups move very freely, making it challenging to quickly align them, while the size adjustment lacks enough friction to reliably stay in the chosen position. This feels somewhat ironic given the name Strada – which translates to “street” in Romanian. Headphones with such a name suggest ease of use and intuitive handling, especially in everyday situations. A bit more resistance in the size adjustment mechanism would make a noticeable difference in day-to-day usability.
The headband, on the other hand, is excellent. It’s made from high-quality materials, distributes the weight evenly, and allows for hours of listening without any discomfort or fatigue.
Objectively speaking, the Meze Strada are built to an exceptionally high standard. While there are a few small details I’d personally tweak, everything from top to bottom feels premium and thoughtfully designed. It’s also worth highlighting Meze’s focus on modularity and longevity – every component is replaceable, which is something I truly respect and value.
One aspect that truly stands out – and frankly, is almost ridiculously good – is isolation. During gaming sessions with the reviewed Meze Strada, I often catch myself raising my voice into the microphone without realizing it. They are exceptionally effective at blocking out background noise of all kinds: a TV playing nearby, a radio, my cat, kids outside, a neighbor drilling, or even my voice. The passive isolation is simply excellent.
This also makes the Strada a surprisingly capable option for mobile use. Their passive isolation can easily outperform the active noise cancelling found in many popular Bluetooth headphones. That is a major advantage in my book, although it’s worth keeping in mind that if you need to stay aware of your surroundings, this level of isolation might work against you rather than for you.
Tech
I’m usually not the biggest fan of long technical sections, as I tend to focus more on how a product actually sounds and feels in everyday use. That said, Meze Strada is an interesting case because, from an R&D perspective, it’s clearly a smart and pragmatic project rather than a ground-up new design. In essence, Strada combines two already proven ideas: the dynamic driver from the 109 Pro and the closed-back chassis of the Liric. There are no entirely new core components here – just careful retuning and adaptation to a sealed environment.
To be apparent, I don’t see this as a negative. Quite the opposite: it’s a sensible approach, especially considering how good the final sound turned out. Still, it does raise a fair question from a consumer standpoint. Since the driver is shared with the 109 Pro and the enclosure is based on the Liric platform, one might wonder whether the price could have been positioned a bit lower. As it stands, Strada is slightly pricier than the 109 Pro, despite using the same driver. That difference is likely justified by the more complex closed-back construction, premium materials, accessories, and overall build quality – but had it been around $100 cheaper, it would have been an absolute no-brainer. Even so, given how well-made and refined these headphones are, I still believe the Strada earns its price.
Let’s now focus on what’s used inside. According to Meze, the driver’s natural character was preserved, while its behavior was adjusted to meet the demands of a sealed enclosure. The diaphragm uses a W-shaped dome made from a carbon fiber–reinforced cellulose composite, chosen for its low mass, high stiffness, and reduced resonance behavior. This helps maintain clarity and control, particularly in the upper frequencies.
Surrounding the dome is a beryllium-coated torus made from a semicrystalline polymer. The beryllium layer is applied using Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), increasing stiffness and durability without adding unnecessary weight. Meze also notes that the torus features precisely angled grooves (45.5°), further improving transient response and resonance control. Beryllium’s inherent damping properties play a key role in suppressing unwanted vibrations.
To further stabilize the driver assembly, Meze employs a copper-zinc alloy stabilizer positioned around the membrane. Its task is to absorb residual vibrations and reduce distortion, contributing to cleaner signal reproduction.
Sound of reviewed Meze Strada
I was expecting a different sound. More neutral, especially considering the direction Meze has been taking with newer models like the 105 AER, 109 Pro, or even the 99 V2. The reviewed Strada, however, goes a different way. It is noticeably warmer. In fact, it reminds me a little of the first Empyreans, which were absolute bangers when they debuted back in 2018 – eight years ago already.
Those headphones focused on being pleasant, gentle, and simply enjoyable to listen to. Some people complained about a lack of detail, but that was never the point. They were meant to be different – comfortable not only on the head, but also in the way they presented music. And they did that perfectly, instantly finding their place on the market and becoming one of the most popular headphones in my circle of friends.
I’m not saying the reviewed Meze Strada will repeat that story, but I can definitely see the potential – especially considering they are closed-back. Truly sweet-sounding closed-back headphones are still far less common than open designs, where options like the Audeze LCD-X set the bar quite high.
What we get here is a very pleasant, slightly smoothed, and clearly sweetened presentation. There’s a lot going on across the spectrum, yet it never becomes tiring. Whether I’m listening to fast, bass-heavy pop like “Jump” by Blackpink, or something much calmer like “Every Breath You Take” by The Police, I’m always enjoying the music as it flows through the space.
These headphones don’t demand intense focus, but they also never fade into the background. Some headphones force me to listen analytically, while others make me stop listening altogether. With Strada, it feels like a conscious choice – I want to listen, because they simply hit the right spot. Combined with the strong isolation, this works especially well: once I focus on the music, nothing from the background pulls me away.
If I had to describe the bass of the reviewed Meze Strada with just one word, it would be powerful. Thankfully, I don’t have to stop there. “You & Me” by Jennie may not be a particularly special track, but it blends multiple types of bass, making it a great tool for evaluating the low end.
Starting with the subbass, it goes deep, rumbles nicely, and remains well controlled. Texture is very good, and it fills the background without covering what’s happening upfront – unless the track clearly calls for it. Interestingly, this aspect doesn’t scale dramatically with much more powerful amplifiers.
Midbass plays the biggest role here and follows a similar character, though with even more sweetness. Everything feels drawn with thicker lines, giving the sound a sense of weight. Bass guitar is well articulated and can easily take center stage. Compared to subbass and kickbass, this region is slightly more forward, largely thanks to its presentation style.
Kickbass is on the softer side. Rather than delivering a very fast or aggressive punch, it opts for a smoother, more natural approach. This works beautifully with tracks like “How ’Bout Us” by Champaign, but in something like “Giorgio by Moroder” by Daft Punk, it may lack that last bit of impact – at least for some listeners, myself included. A little more weight or a slightly quicker slam would make it even better, though considering the overall low-end performance, it’s still challenging to complain.
The midrange feels like it’s made from two different animals. The lower part is slightly pushed back, while the upper midrange is more forward, sometimes even a bit shouty. This is easily the most divisive aspect of the reviewed Meze Strada’s sound and will likely determine whether someone loves them or not.
Lower midrange – covering parts of bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and male vocals – comes across as calmer and more relaxed compared to what happens higher up. This is especially noticeable in the very bottom of the midrange, such as Dave Gahan’s voice in “John the Revelator”, where the presentation stays bold, composed, and grounded.
Things change once we move higher. In “The Monster” by Eminem feat. Rihanna, both vocals can appear to be shouty for some listeners. Personally, I see this more as a deliberate tuning choice aimed at adding energy and fun rather than a flaw. It’s also worth noting that this behavior is mostly noticeable in pop and electronic music, where that extra push can actually enhance engagement.
When it comes to detail, the midrange lands in a good place. It’s not the most resolving presentation you’ll find, but it performs very well overall. Importantly, the detail never turns harsh or dry – it’s lightly articulated, smooth, and easy to listen to for longer sessions.
Treble is smooth and very gentle. It doesn’t follow the character of the higher midrange, as there’s no real punchiness here. Everything is in place, with nice detail, but without excessive shine. It only appears with really bright sources and specific songs, like “Pristine” by Snail Mail. It’s an album I had forgotten about for a long time, and I’m glad it popped back into my mind some time ago. Not only because it’s great for testing treble clarity – which is handled very well by the reviewed Meze Strada – but also because it’s simply a great listen right before sleep. I also have to point out that the musicality in the treble is excellent, especially considering its faster roll-off, though personally I’d like a bit more glow. There are songs where you want the treble to tingle you, and with regular or warmer sources, that element can feel slightly missing.
The soundstage is wild for a closed-back, dynamic headphone. It’s wide, deep, and convincing in both holography and layering. It works well with both smaller and bigger lineups, as it’s very flexible when it comes to the size of sound sources. What’s interesting is that there can be a lot of air, yet there’s no sense of emptiness, as that space is often filled with midbass or subbass, which works very well here. Tracks like “goosebumps” by Travis Scott or “bad guy” by Billie Eilish show how well the reviewed Meze Strada handle spacious, layered modern productions without losing coherence. I also find the Meze Strada perform very well in games and movies, making them a strong all-rounder in terms of soundstage.
Pairings
The reviewed Meze Strada are rather universal when it comes to pairing. I’ve been listening to them with a wide range of DAC/amp combinations, and each setup brought its own character and advantages. Strada work surprisingly well with portable gear such as the iFi hip-dac 3 and FiiO BTR5, but they also scale nicely with stationary devices like the xDuoo XA-02 or HiFiMAN Serenade.
In terms of overall sound signature, the Serenade is my favorite pairing, though you do have to be careful with the volume knob. This device offers a lot of power, far more than the Strada actually need. The sound using Serenade becomes very spacious, with more air than I would normally expect from these headphones, accompanied by excellent subbass presence. Vocals remain clear and well-defined, and they are noticeably less shouty compared to the xDuoo XA-02.
The xDuoo XA-02 delivers the most bass out of all the tested pairings. It brings a strong low-end foundation and a pleasing, slightly smoothed midrange that makes long listening sessions easy and relaxed. The iFi hip-dac 3 sits on the calmer side of the spectrum, focusing on natural timbre and a coherent, organic presentation that fits the Strada very well.
FiiO BTR5, on the other hand, is all about fun. It uniquely enhances both the lowest and highest frequencies, and when paired with the reviewed Meze Strada, the result is an engaging and energetic sound. You get a nice, punchy bass, rumbling subbass, and noticeably more shine in the treble. That said, some of the midrange timbre is sacrificed in this configuration, so it’s not the setup I’d choose for jazz or more delicate acoustic recordings.
Comparisons
Meze Strada vs Audeze LCD-X
Audeze LCD-X might feel like an unusual reference point at first, but they came to my mind almost immediately when I started listening to the reviewed Meze Strada. From a purely practical standpoint, the difference is obvious: Strada are significantly lighter, far more comfortable in longer sessions, and much easier to live with. LCD-X feel bulky and demanding in comparison, both physically and in terms of setup.
Sound-wise, the two take clearly different approaches. The reviewed Meze Strada deliver a deeper and more noticeable subbass extension, with a softer, rounder kickbass. LCD-X counter that with superior speed and impact in the low end – bass hits are tighter and more immediate, but they don’t dig as deep as Strada do. Midbass can feel somewhat similar in quantity, yet the presentation is not. Strada fill the space more persistently, adding weight and density, while LCD-X leave more air between sounds, which can make the presentation feel leaner but more open.
Midrange is another dividing point. The reviewed Meze Strada offer a sweeter, calmer lower midrange, paired with a more forward and occasionally shouty upper midrange. LCD-X sound more even and controlled here, with a clearer sense of balance across the mids. On calmer material and with a slightly darker source, the two can actually sound closer than expected – both leaning toward a smooth, pleasant presentation. Once you move into pop or more energetic music, however, the difference becomes obvious. Strada bring more life and emotional push, while LCD-X stay more composed and technically focused.
Treble performance follows that same pattern. LCD-X clearly resolve more detail in the upper registers, with better extension and air. It’s a cleaner, more analytical treble that reveals flaws in recordings more easily. The reviewed Meze Strada are smoother and more forgiving, with less emphasis on sparkle and microdetail, but also less risk of fatigue.
In terms of soundstage, LCD-X feel more open and spacious in a traditional planar sense, with better separation and precision. The reviewed Meze Strada, despite being closed-back, create a surprisingly wide and immersive stage, but one that is more filled-in and dense. There’s less empty space, more body between instruments, which works exceptionally well for modern music, games, and movies.
Meze Strada vs Meze Liric
Comparing the reviewed Meze Strada to the Meze Liric is a must, as they share not only the same manufacturer but also almost the same build. Comfort-wise, both are excellent, though the Liric feel a bit more premium and solid on the head because of the extra weight, while the Strada are lighter and more relaxed in long sessions. In terms of sound, the differences are clearer. Meze Liric are more controlled and technically focused. Their bass is very well disciplined, with slightly less subbass rumble compared to the reviewed Meze Strada, but more speed and definition. Kickbass in Liric is firmer and quicker, giving rhythms more precision, while Strada lean into weight and fullness, sounding more powerful and forgiving. Midbass in Liric is tighter and cleaner, whereas Strada add more body and warmth, filling the space more generously.
Midrange is where their philosophies really split. Liric offer a more neutral, even, and refined midrange presentation. Vocals – both male and female – are clearer, more stable in position, and less colored. The reviewed Meze Strada, on the other hand, go for a more expressive approach: the lower midrange is sweeter and warmer, while the upper midrange is more forward and can get a bit shouty with certain tracks. Liric sound more mature and balanced here, Strada can be more emotional and fun.
Treble in Liric is cleaner and more extended, with better perceived resolution and air. There’s more sparkle and precision, but still without harshness. Compared to that, the reviewed Meze Strada are smoother and more relaxed up top, with an earlier roll-off and less shine. Liric will reveal more from recordings and sources, while Strada stay easy-going and non-fatiguing.
Meze Strada review – summary
Recycling went well. The newest Meze Strada is built around well-known and proven components, and it really shows in everyday use. This is a headphone aimed at listeners who are looking for a warmer, enjoyable presentation with a sense of power, richness, and an impressively spacious soundstage. Let’s not overlook excellent technical features, such as tasteful detailing, expertly executed holography, and tastefully filled space.
Build quality is precisely what you’d expect from Meze – exceptional, with accessories that genuinely cover all practical needs. The reviewed Meze Strada feel like a complete, well-thought-out product rather than an experiment.
They will likely become one of the most frequently used headphones in my home. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a versatile, musical, and engaging closed-back headphone.
Highly recommended.
Big thanks to Meze for providing us with the Strada for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion.
I am a 24 years old audiophile, photographer, coffee lover and Star Wars fan. I love checking out new audio stuff and sharing my opinions with people, not being overly bloviating. Furthermore, I believe that a review acts as a guide to just interest people, and then comes the most important part, which is actually testing the device by themselves.
