Alexandra Rizoiu & Tania Ciochina on the Meze & dCS Lina Headphone Amplifier
Earlier this year we invited our friends at Abyss, Audeze, Meze Audio and ZMF to create custom fascia designs for the Lina Headphone Amplifier. (You can read more about the project and view each brand's creative designs here.)
Meze referenced their Romanian roots, creating a graphic pattern inspired by the Romanian knot.
We caught up with Alexandra Rizoiu & Tania Ciochina of Meze to ask them some further questions on their team's creative design and production process...
"This design is deeply rooted in our heritage..."
Could you tell us a little more about your design, and why you opted for this?
This design is deeply rooted in our heritage. The symbols on it are the kind you find on wooden gates around Maramures, our home county: the dance of the sun, the ram's horns.
But something was missing for the central part of the design, the one that will be highlighted on the volume knob of the amp. We started working on the design and wondered: what is that one thing that makes us 'Meze'? and, since we couldn't decide on one, we found the perfect iteration: the Romanian knot, one symbol that has been in our story for years.
An intricate interlacing pattern, the Romanian knot is a metaphor of our soul and an unconventional celebration of excellence. Each part of the knot signifies one of our core values: time, mindfulness, balance, magic, heritage, respect, art.
What was the process on your side – how did you approach this project?
First, we analysed the raw material that dCS provided and the technical drawings, and we thought about designing something that fits both rectangular and circular shapes. It was quite challenging to find a design that fits both shapes, but our Creative Director Raul tried his hand at several designs, and then we narrowed it down to this one.
After that, we did some laser tests, we tested the depth of the engraving, and we tried several paints and coatings on scrap materials, before finalising the one plate that now sits on the Lina Amp.
"We had the designers, the engineers, the artisans and the marketing team working together. It made us connect even more with the gear that we use while listening to music..."
What interested or excited you about this particular project?
First of all, we were so excited to work together with dCS in creating this, especially since Lina is one of the go-to stacks we use, both in-house and at trade shows. This was a great project to work on because it involved the minds and efforts of several people, from different backgrounds. We had the designers, the engineers, the artisans and the marketing team working together. It made us connect even more with the gear that we use while listening to music.
Were there particular challenges you faced – for example any particular challenges that came up in terms of implementing / realising your idea?
Funny thing, actually, the most challenging part of this was getting a spot at the laser. Since we only have one in our company, and we make a lot of projects, designs, and we engrave all the connecting parts for Elite and Empyrean, our colleague in charge with the lasering had to “stay in line”. Before and after that, it was smooth sailing.
