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Dec 28, 2021 · Seattle Area. Dec 28, 2021. #1. This is a review and detailed measurements of the Meze Liric Hybrid Planar Magnetic Closed Back Headphone. It was kindly purchased new by a member and drop shipped to me: The Liric costs US $2,000. The look is very understated but feels luxurious. The weight is about average for class at 360 grams: The cups are ...
- Meze Audio Liric aren't afraid to look back in order to move forwards
- Meze Audio Liric: one-minute review
- Meze Audio Liric: price and release date
- Meze Audio Liric: design and features
- Meze Audio Liric: audio performance
- Buy them if...
- Don't buy them if...
- Also consider
Extended functionality? Nope. Mainstream pricing? Hardly. Adaptable or undemanding? Not a chance. You don’t get pampered by the Meze Audio Liric wired over-ear headphones, except in one regard. Buy a pair and it’s you who’ll be doing most of the pampering.
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Price and release date
Design and features
Audio performance
Should I buy them?
•$1,999 / £1,799 / AU$3,399
•Released in November 2021
The Meze Audio Liric are available to buy now, and in the United Kingdom you’ll need to part with £1,799 to secure a pair. The equivalent in the United States is $1,999, while in Australia they cost around AU$3,399.
‘Not cheap’, then, is to understate Meze Audio's pricing strategy somewhat. Just because the company sells headphones that cost more than twice this amount, there’s no avoiding the fact you can have very nearly five pairs of Sony WH-1000XM5 for the same outlay. How on Earth, then, does Meze Audio justify the asking price?
•Premium materials, carefully assembled
•Feel lighter than their 391g
•Won’t suit the larger-eared listener
If you thought a premium price means extended functionality, think again. The Meze Audio Liric are headphones – you put them on your head, physically attach them to your source of music, and then listen. There is no voice-assistance, no active noise-cancellation… just a cable from each earcup at one end and a 3.5mm connection at the other.
Two cables are provided in the frankly huge hard-shell carry-case the Liric arrive in: one of 1.5m, the other 3m long. They’re both robust, and both feature sturdy and quite glitzy terminations. As far as attention to detail and perceived value go, there’s obviously been some effort made.
The headphones themselves are an equally upmarket proposition. By carefully combining leather, aluminium, magnesium and steel, Meze Audio has produced what is, by prevailing standards, a good-looking and tactile pair of headphones. The headband/hanger mechanism distributes their 391g weight evenly and comfortably, the exposed adjustment mechanism feels built to last, and clamping force is very nicely judged. The plump earpads are fairly narrow, though - anyone with ears only modestly larger than average is going to find the fit rather snug.
•Detailed to an almost comical degree
•Eloquently communicative
•Not as burly a listen as you might be expecting
First things first: don’t expect to be blown away by nearly two grand’s-worth of headphone prowess if you’re attaching them to a mediocre source of music. Spotify free-tier subscribers, owners of virtually all smartphones that still have a physical headphone connection, folks who want to hook them straight into the side of their laptop should all a) look elsewhere, and b) spend much less money on headphones. The Liric are unapologetically intolerant of all of this.
Subscribers to high-tier streaming services, owners of dedicated digital audio players and those who understand the need for a dedicated headphone DAC or amp when using a laptop as a source, though, can read on. Treat the Meze Audio with a degree of care and the rewards are both immediate and considerable.
Key specs
You want an explicit description of your music
The Liric are as detailed and revealing as any headphones at anything like the price.
You don’t take much carry-on luggage
The carry-case these headphones travel in is almost comically large.
Your music source is equally talented
Don’t expect the Liric to make a silk purse out of your sow’s ear of a laptop headphone socket.
You're on a budget
You’ll need to have spent equally big on a source player or headphone amp to hear the Liric at their best.
You think you know what ‘portable’ means
Turns out you don’t.
You celebrate in a wider ear
Quite big earcups, quite narrow earpads. Go figure.
Think the Meze Audio Liric might not be the audiophile over-ears for you? That's OK, here are three alternative wired high-end options that might offer just the combination of sophisticated style and sound quality you're looking for.
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro
Beyerdynamic may not be as well known as its German sibling, Sennheiser, but the audio company has a history of creating some of the best-sounding audio gear on the market – and the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, an open-back version of the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro, sits at the very top of the pile. Quite simply, the DT 1990 Pro are the best over-ear headphones, in our opinion, as long as you're aware that others will also be able to hear your music…
Sennheiser HD 800
The Sennheiser HD 800 are, hands down, some of the best-sounding pairs of over-ear headphones on the planet, affectionately praised by inner circles of audiophiles the world over – and you'll pay a pretty penny for them. During our testing, we found that when paired with the proper hardware, they sound absolutely excellent and balanced in every way. Offering incredibly detailed sound that will lead you to ignoring your regular speakers, these are some fantastic headphones that also feel great to wear.
Shure AONIC 50
Sep 25, 2024 · The Liric has been criticized for its stock cables that were of average quality for a $2K headphone and didn't include a balanced option. Meze Audio has fixed that by replacing the 1.5m short cable with a 1.3m long, high quality braided Furukawa PCUHD copper cable with a 4.4mm plug. This is a premium and very well made cable that retails for $269.
Aug 1, 2024 · The Meze Audio Liric (2nd Generation) is an excellent set of headphones that comes at an eye-watering cost. While it's every bit a high-end set of cans, it's mainly for those looking for a set piece or an endgame option for a dedicated setup. Two grand might be a rough price tag to justify, but sometimes price isn't an object.
- Meze Audio
Feb 23, 2023 · A unique set of headphones, the Meze Audio Liric offers open-back-like performance with the isolation of a closed back headphone. This is very much a luxury item, but it offers more than just a pretty product—it's an interesting set of headphones technologically speaking. Product release date. 2022. Price.
- Isoplanar
- Meze Audio
- 30
May 2, 2024 · Meze Audio updates its flagship LIRIC closed-back headphones to offer a new take on the warm sound signature it is known for. The LIRIC 2nd Generation now features Macassar ebony wooden ear cups, easily detachable ear pads, an updated driver setup addressing the harsh treble the original LIRIC did, and retains the excellent fit and finish too.
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Dec 27, 2021 · Build and comfort. (Image credit: Meze Audio) The Liric make a great first impression, from their suitably elaborate packaging to their understated but classy appearance. Meze Audio hasn’t skimped on the build. Magnesium is used for the earcup structure, with a combination of aluminium and steel in the headband, all wrapped in soft feel leather.
