HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite Review

The few headphones that I’ve tried from HarmonicDyne have really impressed me. When I reviewed the Athena, I was surprised by everything it was capable of for a pair of budget-mixing headphones. Now they look to bring a new version of one of their other headphones, the Zeus. The new Zeus Elite is also an open-back headphone for $379. Can it impress me like the past models I’ve heard?

What You Get

• 1x Zeus Elite Headphones
• 1x 4.4mm Balanced Cable
• 1x XLR-4pin Balanced Cable
• User Manual
• Carrying Case

Look & Feel

This is very different from the original Zeus’s design. When putting them back to back, the Elite almost looks like a downgrade. The original Zeus used stainless steel materials, and the Elite seems to be made from mostly flimsy plastic parts. It’s a strange change and not quite “Elite.” However, the headphones themselves are comfortable enough, even if the ear cups could have been a bit bigger. What’s really going to stand out though is the two custom cables that are packaged with the Zeus Elite. These high-grade silver-plated cables are a fantastic addition to the Zeus, and with the Elite its almost like they don’t even match the headphones.

Design

The Zeus Elite is built with a 50mm dynamic driver, enhanced by a long-stroke layered diaphragm. This diaphragm uses a composite biomembrane in hopes to improve transient response, and a new voice coil is more power potential.

Soundstage

Based on what I’ve heard from HarmonicDyne in the past got me very excited about what the Zeus Elite could potentially offer in its soundstage. I was not disappointed. What sets the Zeus Elite apart from other open-back headphones in this range is its sheer scope. You get an open headspace that doesn’t extend too far past a headphone’s usual boundaries, but the individual sound elements are both tall and wide.

The level of spaciousness is helped by the accurate position that makes a lot of performances feel individualized enough to illicit easy localization. This is a soundstage that really engulfs your entire head in sound, resulting in great immersion. You get a sense of the layers being peeled back, even when the level of separation isn’t the greatest. Instruments and effects can get pretty close to each other, but it doesn’t make the Zeus Elite any less spatially consistent with the mix it’s replicating.

Low End 

While it doesn’t offer the most impactful punch, the Zeus Elite still supplies you with a satisfying bass tone. The real expressive bass frequencies come from the very bottom of the low end. It gives you a solid foundation of rumble that pools around your jaw. This is a fun timbre that engulfs you with enough detail and clarity to satisfy. It starts to flatten out around the mid-bass, resulting in a lack of edge to some instruments, but the transparency is there, and well communicated.

Mids

They’re not perfect, but the mids show some distinct qualities that will make your tracks feel more lively. It’s lacking some crispness, but everything in the mix appears clear and breathable. Vocals are forward and commanding, extending into the upper mids with some notable ferocity. Instruments seem pretty even, but their detail isn’t as highlighted as vocal regions. The low-mids give the performances a good boost with bolder frequencies and clearer form.

Highs

Most of the high frequencies are smoothed out and offer a neutral timbre without rolling off its tail. These aren’t the most powerful frequencies, but you might prefer they stay out of your way. Even though there’s no real pop to them, the highs still give you some satisfying height and light texture where they can.

Summary

HarmonicDyne remains a very impressive brand, and the Zeus Elite is a fine example of what they’re capable of. With the Zeus Elite, you get a rather inexpensive open-back headphone with a great soundstage, bass clarity, and vocal response. From its design, the Zeus Elite might not seem like much, but the cables that it comes packaged with really help give you that premium value, and you can use them with more headphones as well. Overall, the Zeus Elite is a fantastic package with a fun and immersive sound.

The HarmonicDyne Zeus Elite is available from Linsoul and Audio46.