Meizu Adapter review
Throughwork
Meizu started in 2003, make MP3 players, and later smartphones. There is, or was, a Pro version of this cable, but this is not that. This cable is intended to amplify from one of their players.
Contents
Build
Good build. The Adapter is small for a cable amp. But the rubberised cable is thick, the strain reliefs are soft, and the plug housings feel like solid metal. So, despite being small the Adapter feels robust. The way the plugs fit into connectors feels high‐quality. The slim parts are elegant, the undecorated corners are a statement, the matte coating of the plugs matches the rubber cable without being a coating—is it possible for an object so simple to be aesthetically outstanding? I say “yes”.
Sound
Computer volume boost is poor, and splutters—the Meizu can be tricked, but has good volume where advertised i.e. Android phones.. Outstanding volume range. Timing is outstanding. Slightly lazy attack and decay. Pushes heedless through swells. Frequency range is outstanding, Some paper in the higher range. Low frequencies blur. Details are good but perhaps quieter than intended. Color is outstanding, particularly impressive for mass high strings. Positions are good, though scale is smaller.
Near‐ideal for orchestra, because the Adapter can walk through swells and deliver color. The adaptor is joy for voice and solo instruments. And a good choice for soundtrack atmosphere with big scale, though you may feel the power fails it there. There’s nothing much it’s bad at, given ability with timing, delivery of natural detail and overall stable delivery of color. It’s not an amp for aggressive detail. Perhaps rock, raw and processed, is not as exiting as it can be. That can apply to pop too, but then you could love the color and lazy precision.
Spec
| chip | Cirrus CS43131 |
| bitsize/rate | 32bit/384kHz |
| features | |
| accessories | |
| support |
Assess
Please consider: the reported lack of input protection can cause variable results. The adapter works on non‐Apple phones, a usage Meizu promotes. The Adapter drags one of my computers into spluttering.
The Adapter was made for purpose, but read on… If you can stand black, it feels the way I would like a cheap cable to be built. The lack of power (and input sensitivity, see below) is the Adapter’s downside. The Adapter has timing, flows artfully through swells, and plays detail against color on any source. You may consider something else for serious instrumental listening, but even then it is good.
This is probably down to the chip, which seems to sacrifice detail, though not all, for full‐color sustain. One reviewer measured the Adapter, and found it poor—another found it excelled. The difference seems to be that the Adapter has poor input protection. My experience: noisy or not, nothing similar can deliver timing with this volume range and color.