Meze 99 cables fit in Focal Elear?

Hey,

I currently own a pair of Focal Elears and have the intention of purchasing balanced cables from Forza Audioworks (FAW) and a Meze 99 Classic.

Although both the 99s and the Elears use 2x3.5mm termination there are some questions.

Because the FAW cables for 99s and Elears are priced differently with all options matching except the headphone termination, my guess is that the cable for the 99s uses narrower plugs to fit into the Meze tight hole (lewd…).

So my question are:

  1. Does the Meze use mono plugs instead of stereo plugs? I am almost certain that Focal uses stereo. But I can’t know for sure, because the Focal cable broke and I replaced it with a cheap mono plug cable. Otherwise I don’t understand why the cables from FAW are priced differently.

  2. If Meze runs mono, can you truly run a balanced 4pin XLR cable with mono?

  3. If I buy a FAW Focal cable, will it fit and work into the Meze?

I hope my questions make sense for someone.
https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=73


https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=80

Cables are not associated with Brand, but more so by connectors. As long as you select the correct connection, it SHOULD work properly. So, if both brands use dual 3.5mm for the headphone side, it should be interchangeable.

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Yeah the mono would work on Focals. Meze cables have been recommended by some in the past for Elear/Elegia/Elex.

Mono will still have a positive (tip) and negative (sleeve) for each side so it can still be balanced for XLR.

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The meze jack plugs are 5mm and the holes are around 5.2mm. So if you get Meze plugs they will most likely fit the Focal, but not the other way around since it seems Focal plugs are wider.

I don’t own Focal headphones so I’m just going on what I can see in pictures. But Meze 99s need it long and thin.

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Regarding he title question: Assuming the Elear is the same as the Elegia, yes, any 99 cables will work. I had the Hart Audio HC-9 built for the 99 and used it with the Elegia successfully.

Both headphones use mono inputs, it’s just common for manufacturers to include TRS connections instead. Hart mention this on the HC-9 Page (“Note”)

If you order a custom cable, ensure it’s built for the 99 (longer connectors). Then it will fit the Elear. The other way around would be a gamble. I have a 3.5mm cable from Audioverse (Neutrik Rean NYS 226 BG connection) and this does not fit the 99

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Thank you for the insights everyone!