MEElectronics A151 Balanced Armature In-Ear Headphone

Intro, Features And Design

MEElectronics has been churning out a plethora of earphones offering good sound at competitive prices. This time we received the MEElectronics A151, the first balanced armature driver based in-ears from MEElectronics. Unlike the usual dynamic drivers found in most in-ears the balanced armature drivers based in-ear headphones usually don't come cheap but MEElectronics as usual offers the A151 at a much lower price than its competitors.

Features and Specs
I reviewed two MEElectronics products in the past, the M9 and M6, both of which offered good sound for their price and as a result the A151 set my expectations high- first, because of the balanced armature driver and second, because it looks more expensive and well-built than the previous two MEElectronics earphones. Like I mentioned earlier, the balanced armature drivers which are powering the earphones are well-known for their accurate and more balanced sound than dynamic drivers but also with slightly less-exciting bass.

The A151 uses a single micro balanced armature on each earphone and it has a rated frequency response of 15Hz to 20kHz. The sensitivity is relatively high at 111dB which is good, while the impedance and the maximum power output are rated as 27 Ohms and 25mW respectively. The non-removable twisted cable is 120 centimeters long and it terminates with a gold plated 3.5mm stereo straight plug instead of the L-shaped plug found on the MEE M6. The A151 does not come with a built-in microphone, so mobile phone users, take note.

As usual, MEElectronics has loaded the A151 with a healthy list of accessories which includes - 5 sets of silicon tips (small/medium/large ear tips, double-flange and large triple flange), and a clamshell zipper case similar to what came with either M9 or M6.

Design, Fitting and Ergonomics

The A151 has an over-the-ear design and the earphones look good with a dark housing for each earphone enhanced with a chrome exterior finish. The angular design of the housing made the earphones fit securely in the ear canal.  I personally like the black twisted cable which is flexible, tangle-free and sets the earphones apart from standard in-ears in terms of looks and build quality. I did not find any problem with the fitting.

The symmetrical cable design with the strain-relief Y-junction slider means the A151 has good ergonomic design while keeping microphonics minimum at the same time. I found wearing the twisted cable around the ear more comfortable than the memory wire on the M6 and it also makes putting the earphones on and off much easier. However, despite its over the ear design, wearing the earphones like a regular pair also works just fine.  For active use though, the M6 definitely offers more secure fitting. Overall build quality of the A151 is good and is on par with earphones in this price range.

I found the medium size silicon tip offering the best and most comfortable fit for my ears, although this will vary depending on your ears’ size. The noise isolation is very good with the bi and tri-flange tips but I found the single tip medium size leading to the most balanced sound among the five tips.