The Meze Audio Rai Solo in-ear monitors are a fabulous pair of wired earphones that deliver an ... [+] energetic and detailed sound but with bags of bass.

The world may be going crazy for wireless Bluetooth earbuds right now, but if I’m listening to hi-res music on a high-end digital audio player or a portable DAC, I prefer wired earphones, so I get the full tonal range and frequency response from the source files. A good pair of wired earphones can cost well into four figures but if you know where to look, you can find some excellent models at a much more affordable price.

Meze Audio is a pioneering Romanian manufacturer of headphones and earphones. Romania has a strong heritage in engineering and one of the best pairs of headphones I ever reviewed was the classic Meze 99 model, a superb design that gives one of the airiest and most enjoyable sounds it’s possible to get from a pair of dynamic headphones.

Now Meze Audio has added an affordable pair of wired earphones to its portfolio of products. The Rai Solo are an entry-level pair of IEMs (in-ear monitors) from the company’s Rai Series. Made from a sturdy stainless-steel shell and fitted with a refined dynamic driver, the Rai Solo are designed for both comfort and endurance.

The Meze Audio Rai Solo are supplied with a 1.3m braided cable made from silver-plated copper wires ... [+] and terminated with MMCX connectors and a 3.5mm plug.

In developing the Rai Solo, Meze Audio wanted to create refined IEMs with a neutral and controlled sound signature. Each element of Rai Solo, from the design of the shells to the driver technology, displays a fine level of attention to detail. 

The Rai Solo are made using the same metal injection-molding technology used on the company’s flagship Rai Penta earphones. The shell design enables the Rai Solo to fit naturally in the listener’s ear, resulting in a fit that’s comfortable even for long listening sessions. The Solos are supplied with a choice of silicone ear tips in a range of sizes to fit all sizes of ear canal.

Inside each of the Rai Solo shells, there is a new 9.2mm unified pistonic motion driver which features a membrane that’s not secured by wires. This design was chosen so that the performance of the driver isn’t restricted or impaired by the presence of wired connections. This technique of freeing the membrane from any kind of restriction results in an audio performance that has hardly any distortion, a superbly clear mid-range and plenty of bass frequencies to underpin the music. The frequency response of the Rai Solo is an impressive 18Hz – 22kHz, which is a tad wider than most IEMs with dynamic drivers.

The industry standard MMCX connectors on the Meze Audio Rai Solo enable the cable to be replaced or ... [+] upgraded and provide for a longer service life than earphones with fixed cables.

The rigid stainless-steel shell that houses the dynamic driver is designed to dampen any vibration emanating from the driver. This damping results in cleaner audio quality with a soundstage that has sharp definition so the listener can identify and place individual instruments with complete precision. The stainless-steel surface of each shell is finished off by hand to give it a unique appearance.

Each shell of the Meze Rai Solo features an MMCX connector which is an industry-standard way of connecting cables to earphones. This means the cable can easily be replaced if it ever gets damaged and can be upgraded to an even higher quality if that’s what the user wants. That said, the Rai Solo are supplied with a well-made braided cable made from silver-plated copper wires terminating in a high-quality 3.5mm, 90-degree connector. This makes it ideal for use with smartphones or digital audio players. 

The shells of the Meze Audio Rai Solo which house the dynamic driver are injection moulded with ... [+] stainless steel. The shell is designed to minimise vibrations to produce a clearer sound.

With an impedance of just 16Ω, the Rai Solo are highly sensitive and can easily be drive by almost any source, especially smartphones. The quality of the Rai Solo is high enough that they deserve to be used with a dedicated digital audio player or a smartphone with an external DAC attached such as the excellent Bolt from Helm Audio.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a great pair of affordable In-Ear Monitors, the sound and value that the Rai Solo offer is hard to beat. They have a little more energy and upfront midrange than the superb Sennheiser IE300 that I reviewed recently, but if you like your music a little bit more forward and with more of a V-shaped frequency response, the Rai Solo won’t disappoint. Everything about these impeccable wired earphones feels right and the craftsmanship is second to none. They are supplied with a deluxe zippered carry case and the whole package feels like excellent value for money. For less than $200, the Rai Solo IEMs are hard to beat.

Pricing and Availability: The Meze Audio Rai Solo IEMs are available now and cost $199 / £179 / €199. They are available from Amazon, Audiologica, Selfridges and Richer Sounds.

More info: mezeaudio.com

The Meze Audio Rai Solo is supplied with an extensive range of silicone ear tips and a zippered hard ... [+] card case.