Closer Examination: Cables

I was instantly reminded of the stock cable from the Meze 99 Neo when I saw these cables, with the common theme of dual 3.5 mm TS to single 3.5 mm TRS connectors. But the Meze Audio Liric also comes with two stock cables for an option of going with either a 1.5 m long cable for more portable use or a 3 m long cable for a dedicated, stationery setup. I quite like these two options thus, which address usability far more than the typical 2 m cable, which is in the middle of nowhere. The cable composition is otherwise identical across both, with soft TPE sleeving over a presumably high-purity copper conductor. The various housings are aluminium with a copper color and knurled finish as applicable, and we see different takes on the Meze Audio logo on them, including the splitter itself. A 3.5 mm single-ended connector goes to the source, where the provided 1/4" adapter comes in handy for more prosumer sources, and two 3.5 mm TS connectors with L/R markings indicate where they plug into the headphones. The cables need to be looped in a specific figure-of-eight manner to avoid any kinking or resistance, and come with a cable tie to keep them tidy once done. No microphonics in play either, these are quite good stock cables functionally even if they aren't the fanciest ones I have seen.


Speaking of fancier cables, Meze Audio also included one of its upgrade cables with the tour unit. This is one of several such optional cables it makes, with compatibility for the Liric the same as with the Meze 99 series of headphones. It arrived in a logically smaller box, again in a plastic wrap and black color scheme as seen above. The Meze logo is on the front, and the product name is on the back, where it becomes clear that this was manufactured before the Liric was even a thing. Opening the box, we see another PU leather bag similar to what we saw on the previous page, with the Meze logo embossed on the faux leather finish on this drawstring bag. The stitching and material implementation is done well enough to where it will fool many into thinking it's real leather anyway.


This particular cable is a silver-plated copper cable with eight shiny strands braided neatly. It's also 1.2 meters long, making for an even more portable solution with the Liric if you have an accompanying portable DAC/amp, and costs $119-129 from Meze Audio depending on the chosen source connector. Meze provides options of balanced 2.5 mm TRRS, single-ended 3.5 mm TRS, or the balanced 4.4 mm TRRS we see here. The various plugs and housings are otherwise similar to before, as is the use of gold-plated metal plugs for additional oxidation resistance.


A direct comparison of the two cables shows exactly how much flashier the upgrade cable is, but the connector housings are far paler and brighter than the deep copper finish given to the aluminium with the stock cables. This upgrade cable is not going to match the aesthetics of the headphones as well, so only get these if you support Meze and are looking for a 2.5 or 4.4 mm connector to the source. There is no change to the sound signature unless you happen to believe in it and make it happen by said belief.