Free CA Shipping In Stock

Meze Liric (2nd Generation) Portable Isodynamic Planar Magnetic Headphones

$2,699.00
Adding to cart… The item has been added
Display headset
On Display at Bay Bloor Radio.

Try before you buy! Over 100 headphones and earphones to choose from in-store. See the Store.

Message bubble
Personal attention, expert advice.

Message Us Call (416) 967-1122

Description

LIRIC II

The art of evolution.

 

 As time flows, change is always accompanying it. The only permanent element in this universe is impermanence. Within it is the opportunity to grow and change for the better. This is the evolution of the LIRIC headphones. 

 
 
"Design has never been a static practice. 
 
But I don’t believe in revolutions. In fact, nothing is ever truly a revolution and we should be aware of that. The very concept of revolution is as romanticized as the one of disruption is glorified. 
 
What seems a revolution to an untrained eye, is in fact a series of events and factors that determine each other. One only has to zoom in. Those who call it simply a revolution, often don’t see the more granular nature of such events.
 
Every 'new' thing is not only strongly dependent on existing context, it is born out of it to the point that it is in a way incorrect to call it new.
 
The higher aim of our design and development process has always been to deliver a transformational experience for people, a transformation through emotions and sensations. Every day we try to get just a little bit better at it.”
 
Antonio Meze
Lead designer and Founder of Meze Audio
 

 

A QUEST TO EVOLVE
Transcending in time is an art form embraced by few, an art of patience and thoughtfulness. LIRIC, our closed-back isodynamic headphone is turning the page on a new chapter, enhancing its essence while introducing a richer sound and refined tuning.
 
Macassar ebony wood adorns the ear cups, extending an invitation to connect with the feeling of warmth that only Mother Nature can provide. Merging form with function, the ear pads have been re-engineered for effortless maintenance, now adopting a detachable magnetic design.
 
The art of evolution means to change with a familiar note. 
 
 
TUNED UP
The sound of the LIRIC 2 has been refined with the help of our community’s feedback, and it now falls in between a balanced and a warm profile. This means you get a mix of clear and accurate audio, with a touch of warmth for added depth.
 
QWRM
The Quarter Wavelength Resonator Mask is a precision-crafted metal component that strategically covers select openings in the driver frame, to effectively attenuate high-frequency peaks above 7kHz for a less fatiguing listening experience.
 

 

A FEELING OF WARMTH
Coming from a tradition of Maramures craftsmanship, we decided to preserve the design language of the first generation of LIRIC, but warm it up with the introduction of wood. This journey we embarked on led us to discover the most potent fit in Macassar ebony – a heavy, dense, aesthetically pleasing hardwood known for its deep, rich brown coloration punctuated by intricate golden-brown stripes.
 
DESIGNED FOR LIFE
In the spirit of natural evolution, LIRIC joins the Meze Audio family of products with detachable magnetic ear pads. This design choice ultimately translates into enhanced reliability and serviceability, characteristics that audiophiles and music enthusiasts worldwide have grown accustomed to.
 
QUALITY IN EVERY ASPECT
Our premium hand-braided copper balanced cable now serves as the stock cable for LIRIC. We’ve focused our efforts towards enhancing the listening experience, offering a 4.4 mm termination premium cable suitable for most portable headphone amplifiers, as well as a soft TPE cable with a 3.5 mm jack, ideal for home headphone setups.
 
PRESSURE EQUALIZATION SYSTEM
To allow for optimal ear cup chamber pressure and better airflow control, our finely tuned Pressure Equalisation System is present on the LIRIC. It has also been upgraded to achieve a smoother transition from the bass frequency region into the low midrange.
 
ROBUST BUILD, SUPREMELY COMFORTABLE
To the already optimal blend of materials came the striped ebony wood, solidifying LIRIC’s role in the world as a refined work of art in the chapter of material choices alone. Gradual development was the key to achieving this formidable fusion of leather, wood, and metal. Staying true to our ‘no-compromise’ mindset, this new build is just as flexible and resistant to shock, wear, and oxidation.
 
The effect of this premium selection echoes across multiple sensory dimensions: a lightweight, lovely-to-the-touch, easily adjustable headphone that will stand the test of time for generations.

 

 

MEZE X RINARO ISODYNAMICS

A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP

 
LIRIC features the state-of-the-art technology developed by Rinaro, re-engineered for day-to-day use. The MZ4 Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver was purposefully scaled down and tuned to deliver a similar audio experience with its larger counterparts found in the Empyrean II and Elite.
 
Combined with the closed-back design, it helps preserve the original clarity and emotion of your favorite music through enhanced sound and minimised external noise. Each driver is entirely hand-assembled and tested by in Rinaro’s industrial facility in Ukraine.
 
Meze Audio
For the past 10 years, Meze Audio has been developing audiophile headphones and earphones renowned for their timeless design, pure comfort and engaging, vivid sound. From looks to technology, Meze Audio products are designed to surpass all short-living trends and become heirlooms, rather than just headphones. Today, founder Antonio Meze and his skilled team design and develop their products in Baia Mare, Romania, in the spirit of their original ‘no-compromise’ vision.
 
Rinaro Isodynamics
Rinaro Isodynamics was founded in Ukraine during the Cold War to research acoustic technology and has been innovating in planar magnetics for over 30 years. They expanded with new R&D and manufacturing facilities in Ukraine and Poland, which were instrumental in developing Isodynamic Hybrid Array technology used in Empyrean, Elite and Liric headphones.
 

 


 
 
 
[MZ4] CASING
Reinforced polymer housing designed to withstand the demanding 10,7N load generated by the Hybrid Magnet Array.
 
[MZ4] ISOPLANAR DIAPHRAGM
Weighing only 0.08g with a large active area of 3507 square millimetres.
 
[MZ4] HYBRID MAGNET ARRAY
Symmetrically placed on either side of the diaphragm our neodymium magnets are arranged into a Hybrid Array to create a 0.3 Tesla Isodynamic magnetic field required for a uniform activation across the whole diaphragm surface.
 

 
MZ4 ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY DRIVER
Created exclusively for Meze Audio, the MZ4 driver has already seen successful implementation in the first generation of LIRIC. Over 30 years of R&D have gone into developing this technology, resulting in one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers on the market.
 
An innovation to the MZ4 driver developed in-house by Rinaro is the Phase-X™ system, which improves ambience and spatial sound imaging, often found to be a problem in closed-back headphone designs.
 
 
ULTRA LOW DISTORTION
Total harmonic distortion (THD) measures under 0.15% in the whole frequency range.
 
LIGHTWEIGHT
71g combined driver weight designed to create a headphone that offers comfortable listening on the go.
 
Phase-X™ SYSTEM
Improved ambience and spatial sound imaging through innovative technology. Patent pending.
 
ULTRA HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO
Upper frequency limit of audio reproduction is 92,000 Hz.
 
EASY-TO-DRIVE
100dB@1mw/1kHz; 30ΩCan be driven by almost any portable source without needing amplification.
 
SCALED FLAGSHIP ISODYNAMIC HYBRID ARRAY TECHNOLOGY
One of the most sophisticated and advanced planar magnetic technologies in the world has been scaled down for portable use.
Patented in US, EU, China and other countries.
 
 
ADVANTAGES OF A DUAL DRIVEN SYSTEM
The MZ4 driver combines individual switchback and spiral shaped voice coils within the same diaphragm, allowing sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear, for a more selective acoustic performance.Using this combination allows the headphone to achieve an increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range, as well as improved imaging and localization, by decreasing the impact of short-wave time delays caused by diffused field reflections.
 
 
 
SWITCHBACK COIL
The switchback coil is more efficient at reproducing lower frequencies and is positioned in the upper part of the driver.
 
SPIRAL COIL
The spiral coil is more efficient at reproducing middle-high frequencies and is positioned directly over the ear canal, enabling more direct sound waves to enter the ear without any time delays.
 
ISOPLANAR DIAPHRAGM MATERIAL
The diaphragm is manufactured from a custom developed isotropic thermally stabilized polymer, with a conductive layer. Through unique processing methods, an ultralight yet rigid diaphragm has been achieved.
 
 
Phase-X™, IMMERSIVE SPATIAL SOUND IMAGING
An innovation to the MZ4 driver is the Phase-X™ system created by Rinaro as a way to minimise phase distortion issues, typically found in closed-back headphone designs. This patent-pending technology helps deliver immersive spatial sound imaging.
 
The Phase-X™ system improves the accuracy of spatial imaging, in line with its open-back counterparts, especially noticeable on binaural recordings.
 
 
 
ORIGINAL SOURCE RECORDING
Absolute linear phasing offers the listener the original spatial image as it was recorded. This includes information from the instrumentation as well as the recording environment itself.
 
NONLINEAR PHASING
Phase distortions, typically found in the conventional closed-back headphone designs, noticeably affect the reproduction of the spatial image of the original recording.
 
Phase-X™ SYSTEM
With the addition of the Phase-X™, LIRIC achieves a correct phase response and a faster transient response decay. This allows for a more faithful reproduction of transient sounds and improves ambience and spatial imaging for the listener, taking them closer to the environment of the original source recording.
 
 
 
ACCESSORIES IN THE BOX
  • Hard EVA pouch with velvet lining
  • 1.3m Copper PCUHD Premium Cable with 4.4mm jack
  • 3m soft TPE cable with 3.5mm jack
  • 6.3mm jack adapter
  • Airplane jack adapter
  • Cables pouch
  • Two-year warranty

 

 
SPECIFICATIONS

MEZE LIRIC

 

OVERVIEW

 

Driver Type

Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array® MZ4

 

Operating Principle

Closed

 

Ear Coupling

Circumaural

 

Frequency Response

4-92,000 Hz

 

Impedance

61 Ω

 

Nominal SPL

100 dB (1 mW / 1 kHz)

 

Maximum SPL

> 130 dB

 

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)

<0.15%

 

Weight
427 g

 

 

MZ4 DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS

 

Geometrical Shape
Ovoid
 
Size
92 mm x 63 mm
 
Weight
71 g
 
Casing
Fibreglass reinforced polymer
 
Type
Rinaro Isoplanar® MZ4
 
Active Area
3507 mm2
 
Weight
0.08 g
 
Acoustic Mass
6.5 kg/m4
 
Lower Frequency Limit
4 Hz
 
Upper-Frequency Limit
92,000 Hz
 

 
For hygienic reasons, there are no returns on headphones once opened.
 
All in-stock headphones are available for personal demonstration in-store. We encourage you to try before buying to ensure satisfactory sound, fit, and functionality. 
 
If an item is defective upon receipt, please notify us within 30 days of purchase so we can arrange an exchange. For issues following 30 days, we will work with you and the manufacturer within the scope of each brand’s warranty and service policies.

Specs

Dimensions

About Meze Audio

You May Also Like

Browse these similar products.

Card Icon

Personal Attention, Expert Advice

We’re here to answer your questions and help you make the right choice.

Card Icon

Service Department

Our advisers and technicians are standing by to assist after your purchase.

Card Icon

Since 1946

Family owned and operated. Buy with confidence from a store you can trust.