Meze LIRIC II Closed-Back Headphone

A WITNESS OF TIME

As time flows, change is always accompanying it. The only permanent element in this universe is impermanence. Within it is the opportunity to grow and change for the better. This is the evolution of the LIRIC II headphones.

THE ART OF EVOLUTION

"Design has never been a static practice. But I don’t believe in revolutions. In fact, nothing is ever truly a revolution and we should be aware of that. The very concept of revolution is as romanticized as the one of disruption is glorified. What seems a revolution to an untrained eye, is in fact a series of events and factors that determine each other. One only has to zoom in. Those who call it simply a revolution, often don’t see the more granular nature of such events. Every “new” thing is not only strongly dependent on existing context, it is born out of it to the point that it is in a way incorrect to call it new. The higher aim of our design and development process has always been to deliver a transformational experience for people, a transformation through emotions and sensations. Every day we try to get just a little bit better at it."
- Antonio Meze, Lead Designer & Founder

Transcending in time is an art form embraced by few, an art of patience and thoughtfulness. LIRIC II, Meze's closed-back isodynamic headphone is turning the page on a new chapter, enhancing its essence while introducing a richer sound and refined tuning.

Macassar ebony wood adorns the earcups, extending an invitation to connect with the feeling of warmth that only Mother Nature can provide. Merging form with function, the earpads have been re-engineered for effortless maintenance, now adopting a detachable magnetic design. The art of evolution means to change with a familiar note.

A QUEST TO EVOLVE

“We knew from the very beginning that there is great potential for evolution sound-wise. It was a long process to determine the exact areas of improvement, but we had an ace up our sleeve – our faithful community’s feedback. Looks like we’re starting to develop a symbiotic relationship here, which, to be completely honest, feels like the right thing to do.”
- Alex Grigoras, Acoustic Engineer

TUNED UP

The sound of the LIRIC II has been refined with the help of our community’s feedback, and it now falls in between a balanced and warm profile. This means you get a mix of clear and accurate audio, with a touch of warmth for added depth.

QWRM

The Quarter Wavelength Resonator Mask is a precision-crafted metal component that strategically covers select openings in the driver frame, to effectively attenuate high-frequency peaks above 7kHz for a less fatiguing listening experience.

A FEELING OF WARMTH

Coming from a tradition of Maramures craftsmanship, we decided to preserve the design language of the first generation of LIRIC, but warm it up with the introduction of wood. This journey we embarked on led us to discover the most potent fit in Macassar ebony – a heavy, dense, aesthetically pleasing hardwood known for its deep, rich brown coloration punctuated by intricate golden-brown stripes. Just as each ring within the grain of a tree encapsulates years of growth and development, the integration of this distinguished wood into the LIRIC symbolizes a new chapter in our quest to evolve. The distinctive nature of Macassar ebony means that each pair is inherently sui generis, or unique in its essence. This characteristic ensures that your headphones are not just a tool for experiencing music but a personal statement piece with its own story and character—no two pairs are exactly alike. Every owner of this second generation of LIRIC experiences exclusivity, holding in their hands a piece of craftsmanship that is as individual as their taste in music.

DESIGNED FOR LIFE

In the spirit of natural evolution, LIRIC joins the Meze Audio family of products with detachable magnetic earpads. This ultimately translates into enhanced reliability and serviceability, characteristics that audiophiles and music enthusiasts worldwide have grown accustomed to.

QUALITY IN EVERY ASPECT

Our premium hand-braided copper cable now serves as the stock cable for LIRIC. We’ve focused our efforts towards enhancing the listening experience, offering a 4.4mm termination premium cable suitable for most portable headphone amplifiers, as well as a 3m soft TPE cable with a 3.5mm jack, ideal for home headphone setups.

ROBUST BUILD, SUPREMELY COMFORTABLE

To the already optimal blend of materials came the striped ebony wood, solidifying LIRIC’s role in the world as a refined work of art in the chapter of material choices alone. Gradual development was the key to achieving this formidable fusion of leather, wood, and metal. Staying true to our ‘no-compromise’ mindset, this new build is just as flexible and resistant to shock, wear, and oxidation. The effect of this premium selection echoes across multiple sensory dimensions: a lightweight, lovely-to-the-touch, easily adjustable headphone that will stand the test of time for generations.

AWARD-WINNING TECHNOLOGY

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 purposefully scaled down and tuned to deliver a similar audio experience with its larger counterparts found in the Empyrean II and Elite. Combined with the closed-back design, it helps preserve the original clarity and emotion of your favorite music through enhanced sound and minimized external noise. Each driver is entirely hand-assembled and tested by in Rinaro’s industrial facility in Ukraine.

MZ4 ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY DRIVER

Created exclusively for Meze Audio, the MZ4 driver has already seen successful implementation in the first generation of LIRIC. Over 30 years of R&D have gone into developing this technology, resulting in one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers on the market.
An innovation to the MZ4 driver developed in-house by Rinaro is the Phase-X™ system, which improves ambience 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 build a headphone that offers comfortable listening on the go.
• 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.
• 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

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

ISOPLANAR® DIAPHRAGM MATERIAL

The diaphragm is manufactured from a custom-developed isotropic thermally stabilized polymer, with a conductive layer. Through unique processing methods, an ultralight yet rigid diaphragm has been achieved.

Phase-X™, IMMERSIVE SPATIAL SOUND IMAGING

An innovation to the MZ4 driver is the Phase-XTM 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 immersive spatial sound imaging.
The Phase-XTM 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

Nonlinearities in phase response noticeably affect the reproduction of the spatial image of the original recording.

Phase-X™ SYSTEM

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

PRESSURE EQUALIZATION SYSTEM

To allow for optimal earcup chamber pressure and better airflow control, our finely tuned Pressure Equalization System is present on the LIRIC. It has also been upgraded to achieve a smoother transition from the bass frequency region into the low midrange.