Closer Examination

The stock cable that comes inside the pouch we saw in the previous page is the exact same that was included with the LIRIC 1st Generation headphones and feels like a safe option for use at home or in a production environment where the 3 m length might come in handy, as will the soft TPE sleeving which is on the thinner side and won't snag compared to individually braided cables. This has a 3.5 mm single-ended connector headed to your source, albeit the provided 1/4" adapter can help with more prosumer gear too, and has aluminium hardware given a glossy copper finish with Meze branding on top. Internally this uses a high-purity copper conductor, and we also see a low profile splitter that continues the hardware design and leads to two thinner wires terminating in 3.5 mm TS connectors with L/R markings to help indicate the left and right channels, respectively. This cable sells for $79 by itself, for those interested.

If that was not fancy enough for you, Meze Audio also includes a $269 cable that comes individually hand-braided by the team and is 1.3 m long for a more portable use, if not better suited for a desktop use case too compared to the other cable. It uses Japanese Furukawa PCUHD (pure copper ultra-high drawability) conductor in a 0.04 mm*140 conductor configuration that come in 8 strands leading out of a 4.4 mm balanced source connector. The metal hardware gets a gunmetal gray beaded finish this time round with blue/red rings on the other end to help identify the left and right channels, respectively. I found myself using this cable more often with the LIRIC 2nd Generation, especially as the copper color matches the headphones better in my opinion, although I like the option to use either and the different lengths help cover a variety of use cases too.


If you have read my review of the LIRIC 1st Generation headphones then you already know a lot of what to expect with this 2nd gen LIRIC. However, for those coming in new and for the sake of having this be a complete review, we'll cover everything as usual. The LIRIC is marketed as a more portable closed-back set which I agree with given the relatively lower profile compared to most closed-back over-ear headphones I've covered before. A lot of this can be attributed to the wide leather headband with a spring steel band inside to make for the curve and associated clamping force instead of going for a bulkier suspension system. The headband has "LIRIC" embossed on top and padded cushions on the underside for comfort. Note how the cushions are oriented with a plus-shaped (+) gap in the center for airflow through either direction and thus lower heat and humidity build-up on the top of the head. The stitching throughout is excellent and, on either end, the headband terminates in a unique magnesium connector with three screws on the inside and an extension. This close-up also shows the textured semi-matte finish provided to the magnesium skeleton akin to a DSLR, allowing for a soft-touch finish while still being resistant to wear and quite durable in use.


The magnesium chassis also supports the aluminium yokes on the sides which are given a copper-colored finish that matches nicely with the Macassar ebony ear cups on the LIRIC 2nd Generation. We see branding on the side and these yokes are screwed into place in the magnesium skeleton, with the headphones simply sliding up and down via a friction fit (rotate and pull) for size adjustments. There is a hard stop on either end and enough room for these to be used with small and large heads alike. I do wish it were simpler to align both sides though, and I am not sure how this design will fare over time given there is no physical hold akin to a notch. In fact, I noticed the headphones had slowly come down slightly after ~1 hour of use, albeit not enough to be easily noticeable.


The nature of the aluminium yokes being cylindrical and there being clearly designed pivot points means the ear cups can freely rotate not only within the horizontal plane, but also around the plane of the yoke connection to the magnesium skeleton—360° again, but off-centered from the vertical. This provides for plenty of movement both horizontally and vertically, with the ear cups naturally always following the contour of the ears on the head.


Now we get a closer look at those ear cups and the use of Macassar ebony wood in lieu of the black leather/soft-touch plastic on the previous model. Macassar ebony is a dense hardwood that I've seen used in some gorgeous headphones already and this is no exception. The stripes result in a unique appearance for every single ear cup too, and it's dark enough to not be distracting while still creating a sense of warmth and matching the rest of the headphones well in my books. That said, I acknowledge that this will be a subjective thing and others may have preferred the all black ear cup from before. Note also the copper-colored dimpled object towards the bottom. This is part of a novel, integrated pressure equalization system in the Meze LIRIC. There is a carefully controlled air vent inside to prevent uncomfortable pressure build-up with a steady release once past a certain point, but also help keep a closed chamber at other times to build up the bass shelf associated with closed-back headphones. So please don't press inwards however tempting it may be! The side of the ear cups is also where you will see L/R markings in case you were not sure which side is left and right. The ear pads are now easily detachable, being held in place via magnets alone, so it is trivial to remove and replace them when worn out. Doing so also provides a closer look at the updated planar magnetic drivers used here—we will discuss these more on the next page.


The ear pads look the exact same as those used in the original LIRIC, except of course now being easily detachable. There is an integrated dust screen to help protect the drivers underneath. The pads are ovoid shaped but on the smaller side of average for full-size headphones, so those with larger ears might potentially find them touching the inside of the pads. These pads are thick but not contoured and use a hybrid composition with a leather (not sure if natural leather or protein leather) contact surface and exterior, and suede on the inside. There are no perforations to be seen anywhere meaning noise isolation will be high compared to fenestrated pads.


On the bottom of the ear cups, angled towards the front, is where we find small cutouts for the cable connectors from before. These have the cable plugs connect easily enough, which naturally directs the cables away from your body and comfortably sets them down at the splitter on your chest, or a desk when sitting down. The Meze LIRIC has dual 3.5 mm TS connectors on the ear cups to increase compatibility with aftermarket cables, which is handy if you don't like the stock cables. With the two cable sections meeting centrally at the splitter and moving to the source, weight balance is still centrally placed as it then heads to the source. The provided two cables allow for different length options and connector types to choose from even before the airline adapter and 1/4" adapter enter the picture.