[FullBright1]

This guy is generally consistently unreliable. Let's hope this exuberant review is the exception.

What i noticed is that He/She didnt compare the LIRIC to the STEALTH.
Now that is very odd isn't it, as that is the comparison that begs to be created.
Bloom Audio said that the LIRIC is not as detailed and not as resolving as the STEALTH, but then hurried to commit to...>"but its a more natural and engaging sound"...
This reviewer really liked the STEALTH, yet, says not one word as a comparison regarding the LIRIC.
It's feasible that, as he is a paid reviewer (Audio46) He didnt want to say......."OMG the LIRIC just slays the STEALTH", as then, he is hindering Audio46 potential sales of the STEALTH.
Could be.
But, he does state that the LIRIC is something spectacular, as compared to all other headphones..... and then does not recuse himself of this exuberance, but re-states it as ...."so be it". "Its a fact".
So, that is almost a Z Reviews type of exclamation point.
So, he loves the Liric....... sincerely.
I hope i do.
And you too...


Here is another review.... https://theheadphonelist.com/meze-audio-liric-first-impressions/?amp=1

 

[Makiah S]

Good guess.

I have responded to similar question in the official thread, and I'll copy and paste here to everyone convenience:

_________________________


We meant to provide more information at a later time when we have the tools and video ready, but since your bought this up, I can answer this question briefly.

1. The earpad are glued to the headphone, you can't remove it and put it back on again. If you removed the earpad, it will be damaged and can't be reused, that's why we put up a warning in our manual to alert our users that they must not attempt to pull, remove, replace or repair this component.
2. The earpad are replaceable. If you want to replace the earpad, you'll be provided several options for replacement, and one of the options will be an replacement kit for users who want to change the earpad themselves (and we are going to make a video to explain the procedures). We'll treat each case individually, depending on our customers needs and possibilities.
3. We expect the ear pads to last for 2 years, as stipulated in the warranty, therefore we assume the video and earpad replacement kit is not urgent. We plan to spend some time to look for user-friendly replacement components and try to simplify the procedure before we produce the video.
4. We have revised our online user manual to minimize unnecessary frustration or misunderstanding.

By the way, please check out our EAF system, this is one of our innovations in Liric, the secret behind the relatively small earcup for closed back planar.

Great info! Thanks for posting it here, I'll also drop my impressions of Liric here as well

As some one who enjoys Stealth I'll add that Liric is similar tho it doesn't have the slight sub-bass lift or overall detail that Stealth has. What I liked about Liric was how much easier and consistent it sounded on a variety of amplifiers and portable products.

So right from the iFi ZenDac for example, Liric was a great pairing where as Stealth lacks a little dynamic contrast and bass impact. I don't think Liric will replace Stealth as a totl desktop closed back but the @MezeTeam have nailed their target audience/market as it sounds excellent on low powered portable gear. It does improve with nicer amps like GS-X Mini and nicer all in ones like Diablo but all in all it retains a great signature regardless of source/amplification. Where as Stealth, imo, really starts to shine on top of the line desktop systems.
​

Overall tho I felt the staging was impressive with great width and depth very cohesive, in terms of tuning I found it mostly linear with a little top end emphasis and sparkle. Certainly enjoyable to listen to and it sounded outstanding with the Diablo, tho I didn't need Turbo mode at all. Normal worked quite well.

My only frustration is I did not have a chance to listen to it with the balanced output only single ended but from what I heard I feel this is going to be an excellent choice for any one wanting a more transparent reference tuned closed back. So it's not that it's lacking body, warmth or even BASS it's just not quite as fun or musical as stuff like the Fostex TH900s, Focal Celestee or Aeon 2C. I for one appreciated that about it but for something with more body the iFi ZenDac was also a great listen too! The bass boost there was useful for when I wanted to add in some fun to EDM or even some Pop Songs.​

 

[FullBright1]

. What I liked about Liric
​

Do you own it?

 

[Makiah S]

Do you own it?

No but we got 3 days with it at CAF so I had around 5-6 hours to sit down and listen to it over night :3

 

[FullBright1]

In any case, I ordered the Liric this morning and look forward to hearing them later this week. I think they'll have stiff competition from the Kennerton Rognir, but then the Rognir are not portable.

-
Well, i hope you love your LIRIC's.

If we consider the LIRIC's Target audience, i think we can observe that its quite possible that the LIRIC is not designed, most of all, for the audiophiles, as the Empy and the ELITE have this audience covered.
Does MEZE need a 3rd "flagship" that is $2000 less then their current?
A.) No.

So, if the target audience is the mobile crowd, then this is the consumer audience that is going to want a consumer sound.
This means......."pump up the bass and give them more treble, and the mids are included".

Reviews, taken as a whole, will reflect if MEZE has created the "consumer" sounding $2000 LIric.

 

[Malevolent]

What i noticed is that He/She didnt compare the LIRIC to the STEALTH.
Now that is very odd isn't it, as that is the comparison that begs to be created.
Bloom Audio said that the LIRIC is not as detailed and not as resolving as the STEALTH, but then hurried to commit to...>"but its a more natural and engaging sound"...
This reviewer really liked the STEALTH, yet, says not one word as a comparison regarding the LIRIC.
It's feasible that, as he is a paid reviewer (Audio46) He didnt want to say......."OMG the LIRIC just slays the STEALTH", as then, he is hindering Audio46 potential sales of the STEALTH.
Could be.
But, he does state that the LIRIC is something spectacular, as compared to all other headphones..... and then does not recuse himself of this exuberance, but re-states it as ...."so be it". "Its a fact".
So, that is almost a Z Reviews type of exclamation point.
So, he loves the Liric....... sincerely.
I hope i do.
And you too...


Here is another review.... https://theheadphonelist.com/meze-audio-liric-first-impressions/?amp=1

To be frank, I take reviews from a variety of sources with a bucket of salt; apart from the "Flavor of the Month" feel, a lot of these impressions are subjective in nature. They provide a decent, general feel of the product at hand, but they don't do a whole lot to satiate my curiosity. There have been many occasions when a review's fundamental conclusion differs from my own by a rather large margin.

In any case, I'm generally a cautious person that only decides on a product once I've had decent head time with them. Call me prudent, but from personal experience, evaluating things with my own ears - before plonking a large wad of cash on an expensive product - is the safest route to take.

 

[FullBright1]

No but we got 3 days with it at CAF so I had around 5-6 hours to sit down and listen to it over night :3

And that is when you compared it to your Stealth, that you own.
Ok.

Time will surely tell us all what we want to know sbout this new Meze Gear.

 

[Malevolent]

Good guess.

I have responded to similar question in the official thread, and I'll copy and paste here to everyone convenience:

_________________________


We meant to provide more information at a later time when we have the tools and video ready, but since your bought this up, I can answer this question briefly.

1. The earpad are glued to the headphone, you can't remove it and put it back on again. If you removed the earpad, it will be damaged and can't be reused, that's why we put up a warning in our manual to alert our users that they must not attempt to pull, remove, replace or repair this component.
2. The earpad are replaceable. If you want to replace the earpad, you'll be provided several options for replacement, and one of the options will be an replacement kit for users who want to change the earpad themselves (and we are going to make a video to explain the procedures). We'll treat each case individually, depending on our customers needs and possibilities.
3. We expect the ear pads to last for 2 years, as stipulated in the warranty, therefore we assume the video and earpad replacement kit is not urgent. We plan to spend some time to look for user-friendly replacement components and try to simplify the procedure before we produce the video.
4. We have revised our online user manual to minimize unnecessary frustration or misunderstanding.

By the way, please check out our EAF system, this is one of our innovations in Liric, the secret behind the relatively small earcup for closed back planar.

Thanks for the reply, Andy. Nevertheless, I find it mind boggling, at the very least, that any manufacturer is willing to release a $2,000 headphone that does not allow for quickfire replacements to a fundamental component of its composition - the earpads. Even Audeze's oft-maligned "glued on" pads are user-replaceable, albeit with a little more effort than what is normally required.

With that being said, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the LIRIC's pads will remain in tip-top shape for the near future. I can foresee a slight problem for owners residing in hot and humid climates.

I'm looking forward to trying them in person soon!

 

[FullBright1]

To be frank, I take reviews from a variety of sources with a bucket of salt;

I started listening to headphones when i was about 10 yrs old......and Im now 200 Headphones + purchased, and own many still, and now 20 + yrs into this audiophile game, having spent well over 50-Grand on just this (headphone) part of it.... so, yeah, ...... i think you're correct.
Good one, Malevolent.
We are definitely agreed.

Here is what i can tell you.....
Bloom's review, (and he owns the Store).... was lightly reticent and marginally dodgy, and mostly non-committal, other then to forward to the "it competes with the top tier.." video sign off .

I also talked to Him this very day about the resolution and detail retrieval offered by the LIRIC, ... as i asked him if this Meze gear has more resolution and detail retrieval then the SUNDARA and the HD600, as those have more then enough.

His Quote """"Regarding the sound quality of Liric, the detail, resolution, and clarity would clearly exceed Sundara or HD600."""

So for my money, that cautiously reveals to me that there is ample detail and resolution inside the Liric's sonic Tech.

The "boy from Audio46" courtesy of Major HIFI, offers the same value as the other boys who reviews there, and they always love the gear they are selling for Audio46......but in this case, this boy's remarks were tilted toward downright "color me very very very impressed".
Ive never heard him say that he loved it, regarding any other set of headphones he's reviewed till this Liric Review, and He's reviewed all the recent Top Tot'l.....
He has a good understanding of FR and what a Headphone is supposed to do, when its supposed to be $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ = GREAT.

 

[PopZeus]

I'm glad there's a solution being worked out for the pad replacement process as this can seem like a big step backwards when it comes to usability. It took me back and made me reconsider saving up for the Liric tbh. For me at least, the jury's still out. I think us Meze customers have gotten accustomed to easily swappable pads as baseline convenience. It's just that in the case of the Liric, instead of magnets being the connection between the pads and driver unit, it's the glued pads creating an air flow that is the connection. Makes sense in an Audeze sense, but I'm curious to see how much effort replacement actually is.

 

[Makiah S]

-
Well, i hope you love your LIRIC's.

If we consider the LIRIC's Target audience, i think we can observe that its quite possible that the LIRIC is not designed, most of all, for the audiophiles, as the Empy and the ELITE have this audience covered.
Does MEZE need a 3rd "flagship" that is $2000 less then their current?
A.) No.

So, if the target audience is the mobile crowd, then this is the consumer audience that is going to want a consumer sound.
This means......."pump up the bass and give them more treble, and the mids are included".

Reviews, taken as a whole, will reflect if MEZE has created the "consumer" sounding $2000 LIric.

I appreciate your enthusiasm thank you!

Liric does an amazing job at realizing bringing what I'd consider a lifelike neutral/energetic presentation into a portable product. It does especially well with low powered products too so I think Meze has successfully realized their goals! I wouldn't say it's a "consumer" tuning at all. No Focal Radiance was an example of that and it was a lot of fun.

It's very much an audiophile type of sound, as there's minimal emphasis outside a little top end sparkle. All in all it's superbly clean, open and natural sounding. I'd consider my self an audiophile as much as I am a musician and overall music fanatic and it checked all of my boxes!

And that is when you compared it to your Stealth, that you own.
Ok.

Time will surely tell us all what we want to know sbout this new Meze Gear.

Regarding Stealth, I sat down stairs at CAF with my own system [which was present for any one to listen to and enjoy] and did some brief comparisons. While I like both headphones Stealth, to my ears, does best on desktop systems. For portable use I feel like Liric is a great option! Ideally I'd love to heave a Stealth at home and a Liric for on the go!

 

[FullBright1]

I'm glad there's a solution being worked out for the pad replacement process as this can seem like a big step backwards when it comes to usability.

IN the Retail Game, you always create your Flagship to have all the options, and your next level to have something missing.
The reason for this is to 'move you up" to the more expensive, as its the more expensive that has "all the options".
So, what MEZE did with the LIRIC< is ....exactly that..

Its no different in the Camera world, or the Automobile world...
The Top End models have all the goodies.....and the mid, and the lower range, dont. So, that is designed to move you UP.

Its nothing new, as this is how Retail works.
If you want the Leather and the Turbo, then you pay for it.
IF you want the cloth seats and the 4 cylinder, then that is what you get for your money, unless you are willing to pay for the Flagship.

However....Meze will have to do better than......>"Pay us $2000 and then when your pads wear out, YOU pay for shipping and enjoy the wait, and yes, the cost of the Pads is going to be significant, as will be the cost of the repair and the cost of the shipping back to you".

See all that?
That is WRONG, and it will have to be revised, or they will eventually end up with a storehouse full of LIRICS that will sit in boxes and make no sound.

This means they will have to sell you the pads, or they will have to pay for the shipping and the replacement.
They are not going to do that, so, they'll have to get that problem solved.

It could be that they are already in the process of creating the "LIRIC v2" that has removable pads, and an extra set in the nice wood box, and balanced cables included.

Price : $2600 USD

Ship date : November '2022.

Stay tuned......

 

[Makiah S]

IN the Retail Game, you always create your Flagship to have all the options, and your next level to have something missing.
The reason for this is to 'move you up" to the more expensive, as its the more expensive that has "all the options".
So, what MEZE did with the LIRIC< is ....exactly that..

It no different in the Camera world, or the Automobile world...
The Top End models have all the goodies.....and the mid, and the lower range, dont. So, that is designed to move you UP.

Its nothing new, as this is how Retail works.
If you want the Leather and the Turbo, then you pay for it.
IF you want the cloth seats and the 4 cylinder, then that is what you get for your money.

However....Meze will have to do better than......>"Pay us $2000 and then when your pads wear out, YOU pay for shipping and enjoy the wait, and yes, the cost of the Pads is going to be significant, as will be the cost of the repair and the cost of the shipping back to you".

See all that?
That is WRONG, and it will have to be revised, or they will eventually end up with a storehouse full of LIRICS that will sit in boxes and make no sound.

This means they will have to sell you the pads, or they will have to pay for the shipping and the replacement.
They are not going to do that, so, they'll have to get that problem solved.

It could be that they are already in the process of created the "LIRIC vs" that has removable pads, an extra set in the box, and balanced cables included.

Price : $2600 USD

Ship date : November '2022.

Have you actually worked with Meze before? It's not entirely fair to comment on the warranty process if you've not actually been thru it. There also the consideration of durability. Having put hands onto the pads they felt well machined. Clean stitching, sturdy but light weight materials not at all flimsy

An speaking of Camera's yea when my lens defects I have to wait for repair. Pretty common thing for high performance products, knives are the same way. IF I chip it I have to either have it serviced or re-establish an edge myself. Either way it seems Meze has done something new/different here so I don't see any issues with what they've done...

I mean I use my cellular phone EVERY single day and the batteries are no longer user serviceable, yet millions of people never have an issue or need a replacement. While having a user serviceable replacement is a nice option it was removed in lieu of better more functional features, namely waterproofing and wireless charging, so the same applies here

New concepts have been applied and I'm confident, like cell batteries, the ear pads will last assuming the user isn't abusive or excessively hard on them.

 

[DemolitionMan]

@FullBright1, You my have missed my query.
What sub $315 closed-back gets your enthusiastic recommended seeing as the Meze 99's exhibit hazy, bloated low mids.

 

[someguyontheinternet]

I guess the question is........ if there is only one style of Stealth Pads, then why would you want to take them off "a couple of times".
Just to swap sides?

And as you stated, the Stealth pads are currently not for sale.

Just because they are currently not on sale doesn't mean that they won't be in the future. The pads should probably last long enough to survive until replacements and variations are available for purchase. The system cannot be changed post-production so it had to be created such that the system would be prepared for the future.

Also you mentioned that its difficult to create a pad/magnet system, as a possible reason that DCA chose to use glue.
Well, Meze found a way to do it on the Empy and Elite, , but decided not to do it on the new Liric.
The glue magic that DCA has created to allow pad swaps regarding the Ether 2, is a decent option, but the MEZE magnet solution is the clear winner by a mile.

I think you didn't fully understand the reason I gave for the usage of glue.
For a properly closed back headphones specifically it is necessary to create a sealed off system. Glue is a good and secure way to achieve this.
This is not as much of an issue for an open design. I speculate that this is the reason Meze decided against a magnetic system despite having one that works on their Empyreans. Designing a magnetic system that also fully seals is a challenge that is likely not worth the effort since pads are likely not swapped often in most cases.