The Meze Audio Liric is an exciting set of headphones most people will not like; nor should they get it. In fact, I am sure even Meze Audio would acknowledge several engineering and design challenges came up in making the Liric the portable-first set of headphones it is. So the niche its aiming for is to provide the best-possible sound output for the music aficionado who can both afford the Liric and is always on the go. Imagine taking the Liric rather than one of several ANC headphones with more compromises than I have fingers on both hands with you on a long plane journey, for example. Now imagine you are the type to book a business-class or first-class suite and would rather pull out the Liric than whatever branded set the airline boasts is luxury. Then you get to say "nah mate, these are luxury," and you'd mean it, too.

I don't mean to imply that the target customer for the Meze Liric is a snob either, since there is so much to like simply in terms of design. It got the honor of being approved by my partner who takes notes during various fashion weeks and boutique product releases, so that's a big deal in my books anyway. The Liric manages to quietly exude a sense of high build quality without compromising on aesthetics or comfort, so much so that I get why many claim the Meze Elite to be the most comfortable set of headphones they've ever worn. When it comes to the engineering underneath, I was left impressed in more ways than one. Be it the patent-pending Phase-X system that makes these sound less closed-back than I ever went in expecting for a closed-back set, let alone a compact closed-back set, or the Rinaro isodynamic hybrid array driver with its dual voice coil configuration, or even the pressure-equalization system integrated into the ear cup and pads, which makes this comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Then there are smaller touches, such as the design of the padded cushions in the headband to prevent build-up of heat or humidity, or even the magnesium skeleton with the aluminium yokes that make for a neat way of getting a very good seal for most people.

There are still issues that stop me from wholly recommending the Meze Liric, and the tuning and technical performance are wholly responsible. For the asking price, the Meze Liric is also asking more than I am comfortable with since obvious compromises are made to make it portable above all else. I also would have preferred a longer warranty period than the two years, although it's double that of the average warranty period in an industry that is sorely lacking in customer protection worldwide. From what I can tell, Meze Audio does have good customer support, which I wasn't able to secretly test given the short two weeks I had with the Liric were spent busily testing everything to get this review out to my high standards. At least I now know that I am not one for such short-term loaner reviews, though. As for the Liric, I'll happily award it our innovation award for the excellent design and engineering feats it exhibited. But any more than that and you have to ask yourself whether this is the best use of $2000 for you right now or not.