Meze LIRIC Closed-Back Headphone

Our Take

While different than anything they've done before, LIRIC preserves the same design language characteristic, with new additions in terms of materials and ergonomic approach while still making a bold expression in a way only Meze Audio does, through the use of cutting-edge technology embodied into an artful, almost sculptural frame. Designed for high-fidelity listening on the go, LIRIC delivers high build quality and excellent comfort, and a life-like, immersive listening experience.

MEZE X RINARO COLLABORATION

Time flies when you're having fun! Together with Rinaro Isodynamics, Meze is adding a third model in their collaborative lineup. LIRIC raised a true challenge for both companies: "How can we create a planar closed-back headphone that will change all standards in the audiophile world?" The answer arrived as a result of fusing Meze Audio's industrial design capabilities with Rinaro's technological development, LIRIC brings a new flavor for all the active audiophiles that like to take their music on the go.

AWARD-WINNING TECHNOLOGY IN A PORTABLE FRAME

LIRIC features the state-of-the-art technology developed by Rinaro, re-engineered for day-to-day use. The MZ4 Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver was scaled down and tuned to deliver an audio experience in-line with it's larger counterparts found in Empyrean and Elite. Combined with the closed-back design, it helps preserve the original clarity and emotion of your favourite music through enhanced sound and minimized external noise. Each driver is entirely hand assembled and tested in Rinaro’s industrial facility in Ukraine.

LOVE AT FIRST TOUCH

No detail is left to chance when creating a multi-sensory experience. With the LIRIC, each texture was carefully selected to complete the other, creating a tactile spectacle distinguishable at first contact. Referencing the textures found on magnesium parts of professional photo cameras, this headphone preserves the same softness to the touch, while demonstrating an outstanding wear resistance.

The choice of an angled ovoid ear cup shape was best for surrounding your ears closely without adding unnecessary pressure or weight, at the same time offering a deeper sound and a better passive sound isolation.

Padded headband cushions are symmetrically placed in a “+” shape to allow proper air flow, and lowers the heat and humidity buildup. Covered in genuine leather, the headband is perfectly tuned for optimal pressure distribution - it follows the structure of the head, creating firm and even contact.Just like all Meze Audio headphones, LIRIC is easily adjustable for a sturdy, yet comfortable feel that fits most head shapes.

MZ4 ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY DRIVER

LIRIC is the first closed-back headphone to be powered by Rinaro’s Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver alongside a new innovation to the MZ4 driver developed in-house by Rinaro, the Phase-X™ system, which improves ambiance and spatial sound imaging often found to be a problem in closed back headphone designs.

• ULTRA LOW DISTORTION: Total harmonic distortion (THD) measures under 0.15% in the whole frequency range.
• LIGHTWEIGHT: 71g combined driver weight designed to create a headphone that offers prolonged listening sessions.
• Phase-X™ SYSTEM: Improved ambiance and spatial sound imaging through innovative technology.
• ULTRA HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO: Upper frequency limit of audio reproduction is 92,000 Hz.
• EASY TO DRIVE: 100db@1mw/1kHz; 32Ohm; can be driven by almost any source without the need for amplification.
• SCALED FLAGSHIP ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY TECHNOLOGY: One of the most sophisticated and advanced planar magnetic technologies in the world has been scaled down for portable use.

DUAL DRIVEN SYSTEM ADVANTAGES

The MZ4 driver combines individual switchback and spiral shaped voice coils within the same diaphragm, allowing sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear, for a more selective acoustic performance. Using this combination allows the headphone to achieve an increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range, as well as improved imaging and localization, by decreasing the impact of short-wave time delays caused by diffused field reflections.

SWITCHBACK COIL-The switchback coil is more efficient at reproducing lower frequencies and is positioned in the upper part of the driver.

SPIRAL COIL-The spiral coil is more efficient at reproducing middle-high frequencies and is positioned directly over the ear canal, enabling more direct sound waves to enter the ear without any time delays.

At frequencies above 10kHz, where sound wave length is smaller than the cushions inner cavity, the sound field becomes diffused with an amount of direct and reflected sound waves within the ear canal. A significant increase of direct sound waves was achieved by positioning the most efficient part of the diaphragm in mid-high frequencies directly over the ear canal, resulting in improved 3D imaging and spatial localization.

Phase-X™, A REVOLUTION IN SOUND IMAGING

An innovation to the MZ4 driver is the Phase-X™ system created by Rinaro as a way to minimize phase distortion issues, typically found in closed-back headphone designs. This patent-pending technology helps deliver an immersive spatial sound imaging. The Phase-X™ system improves the accuracy of spatial imaging, in-line with its open back counterparts, especially noticeable on binaural recordings.

ORIGINAL SOURCE RECORDING:Absolute linear phasing offers the listener the original spatial image as it was recorded. This includes information from the instrumentation as well as the recording environment itself.

NONLINEAR PHASING:Phase distortions, typically found in the conventional closed-back headphone designs, noticeably affect the reproduction of the spatial image of the original recording.

Phase-X™ SYSTEM: With the addition of the Phase-X™, LIRIC achieves a correct phase response and a faster transient response decay. This allows for a more faithful reproduction of transient sounds and improves ambiance and spatial imaging for the listener, taking them closer to the environment of the original source recording.

EAR PAD AIR FLOW SYSTEM

New for the Liric is the introduction of an Ear pad Air Flow (EAF) system, developed by Rinaro, which reduces the weight and size of the Liric headphone through optimizing it’s acoustic volume. Precision cut air vents which run from the Liric ear cup chamber into the ear pads allow the MZ4 driver to utilize acoustic volume from the ear pads as well as the ear cup chamber. This significantly reduces the required size of the ear cup chamber allowing Liric to keep a compact and truly portable closed-back headphone profile without compromising on the acoustic performance.

PRESSURE EQUALIZATION SYSTEM

A precisely tuned air vent hole can make a world of difference in how you perceive the sound around you, that is why we’ve learned and adapted from our previous experiences and decided to add our Pressure Equalization System in LIRIC’s ear cups as well. The result: better controlled airflow, improved ear cup chamber pressure, and a sound that is airy, transparent, detailed and flows naturally, enveloping you into a whole new world of music.