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Review: Meze 11 Deco Designer Earphones

Published

11 years ago

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Meze 11 Deco Earphone Exploded View

The attributes that Tesla owners are attracted to are known as the Tesla Lifestyle. But these things can be found in many places.

The hallmarks are simplicity in design and the desire to abandon the comprehensive and abbreviated and focus on the essential. I borrowed that last part from a 12th century Japanese philosopher. Seems to fit perfectly. Teslarati is always on the lookout for items that embody this approach. This week we ran across the Meze 11 Deco ear monitors.

Meze 11 Deco CaseAntonio Meze is a Romanian born industrial designer, creative thinker and musician with many awards in his portfolio. He founded Meze Headphones in 2012 in London because he was not happy with the spectrum of headphones on the market. He leveraged his design skills, ability to think beyond the “box” and passion for music to create a distinctive line of headphones and earbuds. Meze blends classic design with technology and encases them in wood, which brings out a richer, more natural sound. The line of headphones is absolutely beautiful. For this post I’ll focus on the Meze 11 Deco ear monitors.

DESIGN

The earbuds come in a round case that evokes a woman’s make-up compact. Pure white with a full zipper that’s well stitched on both the top and bottom. The only markings are the Meze logo, a custom designed element that seems to be a cross between a person, earbuds and a classic string instrument. The typeface is lowercase and cursive. Everything is a silver-gray. Subtle and compelling. Using white is a departure from the standard black we see from so many other manufacturers. My study workspace at home is always packed with technology and my wife ignores all of them. But when this case arrived and I left it on my desk, it attracted her like a moth to a flame.

Meze 11 Deco Earphone Case

Unzipping the clamshell reveals the earbuds, two sets of cushions in case you’ve got freakish-size ears and a silver hook allowing attachment to a backpack for fast access. Easy enough. Plug them in and spin up the tunes.

PERFORMANCE

Meze 11 Deco Earphone ComponentsWhen trying out speakers or headphones it’s important to mix up the sounds. Most people want to listen to familiar tracks to compare what they’re used to hearing. They will of course sound different, because it’s a different set-up. Do you hear something you’ve never heard before? That’s an indication. Don’t forget to try unfamiliar tracks and genres. Classical, jazz, soundtracks and even spoken word such as podcasts should be sampled. I also used the built-in mic and made some phone calls.

I was more than satisfied with the quality of the sound. Good highs and lows separation. I put them to the voice test by listening to the distinct vocal stylings of Peter Gabriel, Lana Del Rey, Agnes Obel, David Albarn and Goyte. The delivery was crisp and clean. The bass seemed to be a bit more pronounced than I normally listen to, but this is a minor complaint.

COMFORT

They also score well on the comfort level. I used them for over an hour while penning this post. At times I forgot I even had them in. The length of the cord is sufficient and the plug has a slight offset which serves as yet another design choice, but seems to allow for more material and perhaps more durable. Time will tell. As mentioned the built-in microphone was excellent for phone conversations, but lacks a volume control.

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These are not meant for workout or sports. They remain in your ears under normal movements, but will not work well on your morning run. More quiet, calm spaces are perfect for these ear monitors. Obviously electing the correct ear cushion size makes a big difference. The R and L notations on the buds are difficult to find. I’m a stickler for following those directions as it aligns the music to how the artist intended to deliver it. Mr. Meze’s design sense likely pushed him to display these cues in a very subtle manner.

Meze 11 Deco Earphone Buds

Meze calls these earbuds,

“An earphone for those who already have a musical identity.”

I’m used to noise canceling headphones, especially while traveling. That means lugging around a much larger case and remembering to have an extra battery. I’ve got a flight to NY tomorrow and I’m going to forego my usual headphones in favor of the Meze 11 Deco ear monitors. At $79.00, these earbuds are a bargain.

Photos taken with an Olympus E-510 SLR. Exploded view of the Meze 11 Deco ear monitors courtesy of Meze.
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Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

March 6, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

on

January 31, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

on

January 14, 2025

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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