Meze Audio Liric + Premium Cable - Closed isodynamic high-end headphones

"In our folklore, lyricism is found in the smallest details, from odes to poems, from flute songs to the melismatic melodies of "doina" (a type of singing specific to Romania). Our first closed isodynamic headphones were born from the love of music, poetry and the undeniable connection with the culture of our country.

We've wanted to develop a wearable planar headphone for some time, and after two successful collaborations with Rinaro, this was a natural next step. The naming LIRIC was not a gamble. It was an ideal metaphor to describe the authentic, vibrant and poetic sound hidden behind the ethereal silhouette."

Antonio Meze, chief designer and founder of Meze Audio

We wanted it to express exactly what makes us Meze Audio - cutting-edge technology in an artistic, almost sculptural setting. Although LIRIC is different than anything we have done before, it maintains the same design language that is characteristic of us, with new additions in terms of materials and ergonomic approach.

LIRIC is designed for high-fidelity listening pleasure on the go, offering high build quality, excellent comfort and a lifelike, immersive listening experience.

Time flies when you're having fun! Together with Rinaro Isodynamics we are adding a third model to our joint lineup. LIRIC was a real challenge for both companies: how can we create a planar closed-back headphone that will change all standards in the audiophile world? By combining Meze Audio's industrial design capabilities with Rinaro's technological development, LIRIC brings a new flavor for all active audiophiles who like to take their music with them on the road.

Meze Audio
For 10 years, Meze Audio has been developing audiophile headphones and earphones that are known for their timeless design, high wearing comfort and thrilling, lively sound. From looks to technology, Meze Audio products are designed to transcend any passing trends, serving not just as headphones but as heirlooms. Today, founder Antonio Meze and his experienced team design and develop their products in Baia Mare, Romania, in the spirit of their original "uncompromising" vision.

Rinaro Isodynamics
Rinaro originated in the USSR (now Ukraine) during the Cold War as part of a government-funded research program in acoustic technologies. With government support and access to advanced testing facilities, the team was able to focus their efforts entirely on planar magnetics. The team has continued to innovate in this area over the past 30 years since the collapse of the USSR. Over the last decade, Rinaro has expanded its capabilities and capacity by developing state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facilities in Ukraine and Poland. The new facilities were a driving force in the development of the revolutionary Isodynamic Hybrid Array technology used in the Meze Audio EMPYREAN, ELITE and LIRIC headphones.

LIRIC features state-of-the-art technology developed by Rinaro, redesigned for everyday use. The MZ4 Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver has been scaled down and tuned to deliver a sound experience equivalent to its larger counterparts in Empyrean and Elite.

Combined with the closed design, it helps preserve the original clarity and emotion of your favorite music through improved sound and minimized outside noise. Each driver is assembled and tested entirely by hand at the Rinaro industrial plant in Ukraine.

The MZ4 driver combines individual switchback and spiral voice coils in the same diaphragm, allowing sound to be more accurately aligned with the natural shape of the ear, allowing for more selective acoustic performance.
Through this combination, the headphones achieve increased exposure to direct sound wave frequencies over the 10 kHz range, as well as improved imaging and localization by reducing the influence of short-wavelength time delays caused by diffuse field reflections.

SWITCHBACK COIL
The switchback coil is more efficient at reproducing low frequencies and is located in the upper part of the driver.

SPIRAL COIL
The spiral coil is more suitable for reproducing medium-high frequencies and is located directly above the ear canal, so that the sound waves reach the ear more directly and without any time delay.

An innovation of the MZ4 driver is the Phase-X™ system, developed by Rinaro to minimize phase distortion that normally occurs with closed-back headphones. This patent-pending technology helps deliver a comprehensive spatial sound image.

The Phase-X™ system improves the accuracy of spatial imaging compared to open headphones, which is particularly noticeable with binaural recordings.

New to 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 headphones by optimizing the acoustic volume.

Precisely cut vents running from the LIRIC earcup chamber into the earpads allow the MZ4 driver to utilize the acoustic volume from both the earpads and earcup chamber.

This significantly reduces the required earcup chamber size, allowing LIRIC to maintain a compact and truly portable closed-back headphone profile without compromising on acoustic performance.

Combining high-quality materials with an ergonomic design approach and a sleek, modern finish, the LIRIC is intended for audiophiles who want to enjoy their passion for hours inside and outside the home.

A lightweight magnesium skeleton ensures the headphones remain flexible, shockproof and oxidation-free while providing an ideal fit for long listening sessions.

The padded headband pads are symmetrically arranged in a "+" shape to allow good air circulation and reduce heat and moisture buildup. The headband, covered with genuine leather, is perfectly tailored for optimal pressure distribution - it follows the structure of the head and ensures firm and even contact.

Like all Meze Audio headphones, the LIRIC is easily adjustable and adapts to most head shapes without sacrificing comfort.

Choosing an egg-shaped ear cup shape was the best choice to fit your ears tightly without adding unnecessary pressure or weight, while providing deeper sound and better passive sound isolation.

A precisely tuned vent can make a big difference in how you perceive the sound around you. That's why we learned from our previous experiences and decided to also incorporate our pressure equalization system into the LIRIC ear cups. The result: better controlled airflow, improved pressure in the ear cups and an airy, transparent, detailed and natural sound that takes you into a whole new world of music.

When creating a multisensory experience, no detail is left to chance. In LIRIC, each texture has been carefully selected to complement the other, creating a tactile spectacle that is recognizable at first contact. Inspired by the textures of magnesium parts of professional still cameras, these headphones maintain the same softness to the touch while maintaining excellent wear resistance.

Achieving the highly refined finish was definitely a demanding process. The combination of black leather, glossy matte magnesium splashes and copper metallic accents was the perfect complement to this modern aesthetic and completed the wearable personality.

OVERVIEW

• Driver Type: Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array® MZ4
• Operating principle: Closed
• Auricular Coupling: Circumaural
• Frequency response: 4-92.000Hz
• Impedance: 30 Ω
• Nominal SPL: 100 dB (1 mW / 1 kHz)
• Maximum SPL: > 130 dB
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): <0.15%
• Weight: 390 g

MZ4 DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS

• Geometric shape: Oval
• Size: 92mm x 63mm
• Driver weight: 71g
• Housing: Glass fiber reinforced polymer
• Membrane type: Rinaro Isoplanar® MZ4
• Active area: 3507 mm2
• Weight of the membrane: 0.08g
• Acoustic mass: 6.5 kg/m4
• Lower limit frequency: 4 Hz
• Upper limit frequency: 92.000Hz