THE MEZE LIRIC - REVIEW
The meze LIRIC review
In 1988 Bill Moyers conducted a number of interviews with Professor Joseph Campbell on topics profound, mesmerizing, and, truly, enlightening. One such interview centered on “following one’s bliss.”
At a point in the interview Joseph Campbell relates a story from an earlier part of his life. The story takes place in a Greek restaurant. Professor Campbell is seated alone having dinner, when he overhears the discussion at a nearby table, where a family of three—mother, father, 12-year-old son—sit having their dinner.
The boy’s tomato juice sits untouched besides his meal. His father exhorts, “Drink your tomato juice.”
The boy responds, “I don’t want to.”
The father doubles down and in a firm, raised voice commands, “Drink your tomato juice.”
The boy’s mother intercedes on his behalf and says to her husband, “He shouldn’t have to do what he doesn’t want to do.”
To this the father replies, “He can’t go through life doing whatever he wants to do. If he does only what he wants to do, he’ll be dead. Look at me. I’ve never done a thing I wanted to in all my life.”
An astounded Joseph Campbell says, “This was a man who never followed his bliss.”
Professor Campbell relates this incident to Sinclair Lewis’ Babbit and the fictional character—George F. Babbit—whose final statement, at the end of the book is—“I’ve never done a thing I wanted to in all my life.”
Professor Campbell finishes by saying that when you do, indeed, follow your bliss, you will discover a singular realization—the road of your bliss—life’s purpose—has always been there waiting for you to see it, join it. And as you step on to that road, “Doors,” he says, “Will open for you that you could not have imagined,” as will, “Helping hands” be there when you most need them.
It is apparent that Antonio Meze has found his bliss which is embodied in beautifully realized headphones and In-Ear-Monitors (IEMs) time and time again. This brings me to the review of the new Meze Audio LIRIC—a rare creature, indeed, a closed-back planar magnetic headphone—which like its planar magnetic siblings sports a proprietary, Rinaro drive unit, a beautiful form, and a very compelling voice.
REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the equipment actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its various accoutrement, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.
The Sound
Energetic. Beautifully detailed. Engaging. The Meze LIRIC is certainly a child of Meze Audio, though it is different than each of its siblings and, yet, similar. It is a family, after-all, with eight children and a ninth on the way and there are, of course, distinctions both subtle and very apparent between them.
Like its pricier siblings—Elite, Empyrean— the LIRIC utilizes Rinaro planar-dynamic drivers. In this respect its voice has a wonderful sense of clarity, coherency—whole cloth musicality—exceptional soundstaging abilities, and superb transparency. Like its dynamic siblings—99 Classic, 99 Neo—and its IEM siblings—Rai Renta, ADVAR, 12 Classics V2—it is closed-back which does not spill sound (or very much) into the surrounding environment and its portable! But how does it sound?
The LIRIC is truly a fun and energetic listen! It is not, however, as refined or as nuanced as the Empyreans, though few headphones at its price point can match the its finesse and refinement. Its ability to uncover detail above a lowered noise floor and to sustain decorum at relatively high volumes levels, which speaks to an exceptional dynamic range. The Empyreans, however, go a few steps better, in this respect.
The LIRIC’s transparency is superb as is its ability to resolve detail, that bring the slightest of sounds and musicians in from obscurity or banishment, which even some topflight headphones cannot do. And it is wonderfully engaging in its ability to evoke one’s emotion and enjoyment.
The Meze LIRIC’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—is exceptionally large, in the manner of an open-back headphone! The soundstage is wide, deep with very good height and it appears to expand outside of the earcups! Perhaps this is due to the implementation of Meze’s Phase-XTM System, which:
“…Allows for a more faithful reproduction of transient sounds and improves ambience and spatial imaging for the listener, taking them closer to the environment of the original source recording.”
Suffice to say, after many weeks of listening, it was, at times, difficult to believe that the LIRIC was not an open-back headphone. Like its pricier siblings—Empyrean Elite, Empyrean—it brings holography to bear on recordings in a rather matter-of-fact way which translates to ‘easily done.’ And its staging abilities—positioning, layering, spacing—are also very good, like that of its pricier siblings but it falls shy of their overall abilities. However, for those who’ve not heard or do not own (or plan to own) the Meze’s TOTL offerings, bliss can, indeed, be found here. Tone and timbre find the LIRIC poised between the Elite and the Empyrean. For instance, there are certain aspects of its frequency range imbued with a beguiling warmth (bass, midrange), and aspects (treble) that sit it closer to the ‘neutral zone,’ in its, relative, objectivity. The combination provides the LIRIC with a different overall voice, but one that is immersive, energetic, and, again, exceptionally enjoyable!
The Meze LIRIC was paired with the MYTEK Liberty II DAC (review coming) and Liberty HPA in tandem, the DENAFRIPS Pontus II as partnered to the HeadAmp GS-X Mini (review coming), both paired to the Roon Nucleus Plus and/or a Macintosh PowerBook. The MYTEK Liberty II DAC (standalone), Shanling M8 DAP, and the Clarus Audio CODA served as additional systems for evaluation.
Bass
Resounding. Solid. Transparent. The bass rumbles as Mercedes Sosa’s “Kyrie [Vidala Baguala]” (Misa Criolla, Universal Music Argentina SA) opens and the low notes are both somber and compelling. Across this album the LIRICS’s bass will consistently deliver the required weight to bring scope and depth and a tight, solid foundation to every composition. In this respect, the recording is alive and real and beautifully transparent. Few headphones of all technologies—Electrostatic, Planar, Dynamic—have handled this album as favorably. The combination of the HeadAmp GS-X Mini and the MyTek Liberty II DAC with the Meze LIRIC combine to great affect. Suffice to say, that the Holy-Bass-Head-Grail is always well within grasp of the LIRIC. When mated to the Shanling M8 DAP the coupling was impressive though the GS-X Mini and the Liberty II proved a difficult act to follow across the entirety the frequency spectrum.
Midrange
Transparent. Atmospheric. Natural. Mercedes Sosa’s voice on the opening track— “Kyrie [Vidala Baguala]” (Misa Criolla, Universal Music Argentina SA)—is haunting, corporeal, highly resolved, and her words beautifully articulated. There is nuance and refinement, but the Meze Elite and the Empyrean top the LIRIC in both respects. Sophie Hunger’s “Walzer für niemand” (Rules of Fire, Two Gentlemen), a live recording, plays and tone and timbre of voice, piano, triangle, and violin are natural, delicious, compelling. It is a music lover’s rendering, to be sure. There is an easy holography rendered via the LIRIC of this live performance that paints Sophie on stage, in venue, before an audience with myriad microdynamics of space/volume revealed moment to moment. Impressive!
Treble+
Extended. Detailed. Natural. Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia-Legacy) enters and the cymbals are, well, cymbals in all of their naturalness and air and shimmer. There is a wonderful delicacy and nuance and an airiness that belies topflight performance in a headphone two rungs below topflight in its own family. The LIRIC and associated bandmates render one of the most natural performances of this track that I have had the pleasure of listening to. Nor was sibilance apparent in any song that was used for treble analysis via the LIRIC and any of its paired companions. The LIRIC brings to bear exceptional treble extension that is transparent, airy, silken.
The Wrappings and Accessories
The Meze LIRIC’s box is wrapped in an artfully done black and white printed sleeve. The sleeve removed one finds a textured, gold-imprinted, black box that bears the LIRIC insignia imprinted in a bronze/gold. And within the gift box is a hardened case with a velvet lined interior wherein one finds the Meze LIRIC and the various accessories as listed below:
1.5m soft TPE cable with 3.5mm jack
3m soft TPE cable with 3.5mm jack
6.3mm jack adapter
Airplane jack adapter
Cables pouch
The LIRIC’s come with a 2-year warranty.
Design—Look, Feel, and Technology
“Achieving the highly-refined finish was definitely a challenging process. The union of black leather, gloss-matte spatters on magnesium, and metallic copper accents were the perfect addition to this contemporary aesthetic, completing its portable personality.” —Meze Audio
Sumptuous. Beautifully refined. Clean. The design of the LIRIC is brilliantly executed and embedded, no doubt, with the design DNA of Meze Audio. Meze’s various designs, to a one, are form-follows-function works of art, that would find most, if not all, in an industrial design or a modern art museum.
The ‘endoskeleton’—an internal skeleton or supporting framework—of the LIRIC is constructed of magnesium alloy and wrapped in black leather. Its headband is of spring-steel, also wrapped in leather, with a padded, fabric underside that sports an end-to-end, furrowed, cross section. This cross section allows one’s head to breath at the contact point, as air is allowed to circulate through the channel between headband and one’s head. The part of the magnesium endoskeleton not material covered is painted a matte black with a dappled, textured finish.
The LIRIC’s ear cups are ovoid or egg-shaped and fit on the ear as opposed to over-the-ear, as is the case of its pricier siblings, though the fit is still comfortable. The LIRIC’s ear cups are also vented, in a bid to release internal pressure via Meze’s Pressure Equalization System, first employed in the Meze’s Rai Penta In-Ear-Monitor (IEM).
The LIRIC is a beautifully designed headphone and via its closed-nature and compact size, its ‘geographic’ reach extends to cafes, public transportation, beach/lake walks, or, simply, the out-of-doors.
Technology and Specification
The partnership between Meze audio and Rinaro continues apace with the technological implementation of the LIRIC. The LIRIC utilizes a ‘scaled down’ version of the MZ4 Isodynamic Hybrid Array that has also been reengineered to function optimally within a closed space.
The MZ4 diaphragm at 0.08 grams is by far the lightest at half the weight of the Empyrean (0.16 grams) and, approximately, seventy percent of the Elite (0.11 grams)
The MZ4’s driver configuration at 71 grams represents the lightest implementation of a Rinaro driver, to date. The LIRIC’s total harmonic distortion has been measured at under 0.15%, its upper frequency limit is an astounding 92kHz, and at a sensitivity rating of 100dB@1mw/1kHz; 30Ω it can be easily driven even by DAC dongles—AudioQuest, Clarus Audio.
As mentioned above, the implementation of its Phase-XTM System allows the LIRIC to more closely approach the sound reproduction of a two-channel stereo system via “Improved ambience and spatial sound imaging.” And my experience with the LIRIC validates that statement as bonafide.
Conclusion
In my review of the Meze Empyrean Elite, I mentioned that it represented “something new.” Well, the Meze LIRIC is also something new and it has been beautifully executed across its industrial design aesthetic, technical implementation, and its voicing.
As mentioned above, the LIRIC is, in many respects, a synergistic coupling of the traits of its pricier siblings, each distinct in its own way, and its less expensive siblings as well. And thus Meze has superbly synthesized these various elements within the LIRIC at a price point that puts it at the center of the family line and with a voice all its own.
The LIRIC’s combined traits will challenge not only much more expensive dynamic headphones but planar headphones and, perhaps, an electrostatic headphone or two. The Meze LIRIC is an easy GOLDEN KEYNOTE award winner for all its combined talents—its ability to capture the listener with its incredible transparency and resolution, the beauty of its voice, and the excitement it compels. Enough said.
Pros: Sweeping, immersive soundstage; energetic and fun; transparent and highly resolving; superb tone/timbre, air, and a natural musicality.
Cons: Not as comfortable in a day-long (6 to 8+ hour) wear/listening session as the Elite or the Empyrean.
THE SYSTEMS
1.
Roon Nucleus Plus
DENAFRIPS Pontus II
HeadAmp GS-X Mini HPA
Focal Celestee
Meze Empyrean
Rosson Audio RAD-0
ZMF Véríté
ANTI-CABLE cabling and wires
AudioArt cabling and wires
Audience AdeptResponse
2.
Roon Nucleus Plus
MYTEK Liberty II DAC
MYTEK Liberty HPA
Focal Celestee
Meze Empyrean
Rosson Audio RAD-0
ZMF Véríté
ANTI-CABLE cabling and wires
AudioArt cabling and wires
TORUS RM20
3.
Shanling M8
4.
Clarus Audio CODA
The Company
Meze Audio
Meze LIRIC ($2000)
Iuliu Maniu str., nr. 38,
1st floor, ap. 2,
Baia Mare, 430131, Romania
info@mezeaudio.com
www.mezeaudio.com