Dita Mecha Review – Organic

Pros –

Bulletproof build, Comfortable shell, High quality accessories, Natural note delivery, Dynamic and textured bass, Engaging yet forgiving tuning, Modular cable with DAC/AMP attachment, Easy to drive

Cons –

Not the fastest and most detailed IEM in class, Cable could be softer

Verdict –

DITA’s latest IEM is robust, lush and spacious, offering strong versatility with a particular focus on organic tonality and natural texture.

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About DITA –

DITA Audio is a Singapore-based company established in 1971 that specialises in high-end audio products with superlative craftsmanship. The company invites collaboration in the fields of design, engineering and manufacturing. To this end, they’ve developed numerous IEMs, of which the Answer received the President’s Design Award, Design of the Year in 2015.

Introduction –

DITA has established themselves as one of the market leaders when it comes to boutique, high-end dynamic driver designs. They continue to push the envelope of what consumers may think is possible from the grassroots driver type. DITA do so with stunning industrial design and top-notch build quality, ensuring their IEMs aren’t just built to look good but go the distance too. While they’ve recently strayed from the path with the immensely popular hybrid driver Project M, DITA are returning to their tried and tested formula with the new single-DD Mecha. Mecha represents the brand’s midrange offering but brings a lot of high-end features to the table. This includes an indestructible titanium shell, bespoke in-house modular cable with USB-C DAC/AMP included in the box and novel LiMa-Carbide custom-designed dynamic driver. As always, less is more with DITA, and the Mecha exemplifies, providing a capable yet highly coherent package.

Mecha is available for $899 USD at the time of writing. You can read more about it and secure one for yourself at DITA Audio!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Asher very much for reaching out to organise a review of the Mecha. All words are my own and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Unboxing, Design
• Page 2: Sound and Source Pairings
• Page 3: Comparisons & Verdict

Specifications –

• Driver: 10mm DD, LiMa diaphragm, Carbide Composite surround, matched pair
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• Sensitivity: 113 dB
• Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000Hz

Behind the Design –

Titanium Shell

Mecha isn’t just a metal shell IEM; its housing features a 2-piece construction made of titanium that is precision milled from a single block. The design has gone through countless revisions to achieve the best ergonomic experience. Moreover, as the driver is mounted directly to the chassis and close to the nozzle, the dense metal construction provides damping of resonances with fewer tunnel reflections through the output too. Finally, the chassis has a calculated internal volume paired with dual aperiodic venting to achieve DITA’s desired frequency and time response.

LiMa-Carbide Driver

DITA is especially proud of the new generation dynamic driver that was developed specifically for Mecha. It’s a 10mm driver with a 9mm composite lithium/magnesium diaphragm and 1mm carbide surround. It is also a dual magnet design which aids higher responsiveness, especially with regards to bass. DITA reasons the exotic material blend offers excellent power handling with the carbide surround offering more uniform piston motion to lower modal distortion and improve frequency extension. Finally, each driver is subject to strict quality control using a laser-based Klippel analyser to measure distortion characteristics before and after assembly.

Churro Cable

All aspects of Mecha have been considered, and this extends to the included cable. DITA custom-designed this cable for Mecha, dubbed “Churro” due to its longitudinal anti-tangle ridges. It has a soft touch TPE sleeve promising low microphonic noise and high flexibility. Churro uses silver-plated monofilament single crystal copper conductors with individual jackets for the best shielding/noise rejection, comfort and conductivity possible. Awesome plug makes a return, DITA’s modular cable system, now including the APV2 Type-C connector with built-in 384kHz/32bit DAC and AMP and durable metal locking barrel.

Unboxing –

DITA provides a svelte unboxing with Mecha that captures with a bold lime sleeve that gives way to a black hard box. Opening the box reveals the Tanos carrying case as seen on Project M, which is a stylish acrylic case sporting a protective, non-scratch silicone liner. The case contains the DITA Churro cable built specifically for Mecha, alongside 2 additional connectors to suit its modular termination. Of note, the Churro comes pre-installed with a 3.5mm single-ended plug but also comes with a 4.4mm balanced connector. The most interesting addition is a USB-C connector that houses an incredibly compact DAC/AMP that is the same size as the analogue connectors, incredible!

Design –

Always a highlight on DITA’s IEMs, Mecha’s build quality and design rival the very best. The 2-piece shells are joined with perfect accuracy and superb tolerances. The raw titanium finish offers an appealing lustre and texture. Titanium is actually quite a common metal, but what makes these products expensive to produce is how difficult it is to work with the tough material. With that said, DITA have achieved a wonderfully shapely shell with beautiful contours, and it is all the more impressive in person and in the hand. The metal shells indeed have some heft to them and an unyielding solidity, but they don’t feel unwieldy either.

They use a ubiquitous 0.78mm 2-pin removable cable connector. The included Churro cable offers matching gunmetal connectors and DITA’s Awesome Plug system, which is a 4-pin Molex plug with a threaded locking collar. The cable itself offers internal braiding with a relatively soft outer jacket. The jacket is grooved to reduce tangles, but in effect, I found the larger gauge made them pretty tangle-resistant alone. In terms of feel, the cable has slightly higher microphonic noise, but it isn’t a huge issue due to the over-ear fit. The cable coils well but has a slight memory and spring to it. Nonetheless, it feels very well constructed and durable.

Fit & Isolation –

One may think Mecha would be heavy and struggle with fit stability, but I found it to be one of the most comfortable IEMs I’ve tested lately. There are many merits to a simpler driver setup, and ergonomics is surely one of them. Mecha isn’t tiny but is surely quite streamlined compared to most hybrids. It is curved and rounded, with no hard edges that may risk hotspot formation. The sculpted shells slot comfortably into the anatomy of the outer ear and achieve a relatively low-profile fit too, which helps to offset their weight in tandem with an over-ear fit.

I found the nozzles well angled, producing a reliable seal every time. Altogether, they were comfortable for my ears for hours on end and were also perfectly stable during commuting despite their heft. Passive noise isolation is about average for a vented dynamic driver in-ear. They are suitable for daily use and public transport whilst still permitting some level of spatial awareness. The powerful tuning works well in this context, but those prioritising isolation may want a custom-fit or sealed option instead.

Next Page: Sound Breakdown