Meze thread, LIRIC / Empyrean / Elite / 99 / 109

Headphones
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I have the 99s from Drop, and they’re pleasant for entry level closed backs, if you can handle the warmth. Empyrean disappointed me for the price–it was good, but not without some annoying sonic blemishes (at least when I heard it at RMAF). I liked the Elite, but not a fan of the chrome (at all), and $4k is more than I spent on Susvara, which still feels like it’s playing in another league.

I bought LIRIC for exactly that reason–good closed backs are hard to find. At $2k, this is the first time a Meze can has felt like a good value proposition, precisely because it’s an outstanding closed option.

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I realized yesterday that it’s been a year since I bought any headphones. I picked up MEST MkII customs early this year, and FuSang customs more recently, but no big cans in 2021. Since settling on VC and Susvara for over ears, the bar is incredibly high for anything else to find its way into my collection.

LIRIC earned it’s spot for having big stage in a closed back, sounding extremely open and airy (no boxiness or weird tonal issues), and having a clean and energetic presentation that’s different enough from VC to be a nice alternative.

After spending a day with them, I’m only more impressed. I ran them through a gauntlet of tests and learned some more cool things:

  • LIRIC sounds great on tubes; I had my suspicions, but spent a good deal of time on Pendant yesterday, and I like that pairing. LIRIC benefits from extra warmth, and though it already sounds pretty fluid and has well-controlled treble, tubes helped on a couple tracks where things got peaky.

  • Warmer amps are better; I have A90 on my desk, but V280 is a much better pairing. Pretty ideal, really. GSX Mini was also great at CAF (I bought one, but need to hook it up still).

  • LIRIC works great for gaming and can be run directly from an XBox controller. Bass is mildly soft, but not bad sounding–just lacking in impact. Imaging is as good as anything I’ve heard.

  • SP1K+Amp drives LIRIC nicely, making for a compelling portable experience (as advertised). Due to warm amp synergy, other DAPs might be better. But LIRIC does “clean” extremely well, and SP1K is a clean source.

Well, when you have HE-6 on the RAAL amp as your benchmark, nothing really measures up, lol.

For me, LIRIC offers a tuning that feels like an homage to the extreme vivid clarity of your HE-6 and the 1266 Phi TC I heard at CANJAM. I appreciated the same types of music pairings and similar characteristics like clarity and separation from all three headphones.

I haven’t heard anything else quite like that in a closed can, and the execution is really quite good. Stellia has phenomenal detail, but the stage is too closed in. Timbre and dynamics are better on LIRIC.

Stealth is just dead-sounding. I liked it on Nautilus, but it didn’t sound anywhere near $4k to me. It was “fine” on GSX Mk2, but not really engaging. Comfort was excellent and physical build is impressive (great machining, for example). If Stealth were $2k, I probably would have bought one, but I probably would have been annoyed later when I heard LIRIC.

VC is a different beast altogether, and doesn’t feel like as much of a direct competitor to Stealth. I still feel like VC needs tubes, and tubes aren’t super portable. LIRIC is a much better fit for an office environment, for example.

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Anyway, those are thoughts so far. If nothing else says “LIRIC is good,” it’s the fact that my wife keeps stealing them, lol. Seriously, she’s super picky (I feel like her unfiltered opinions would make company reps cry, lol).

Admin note: edited to include higher end meze models

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Moved to a new topic for the headphone itself, since I feel like impressions like these would be better suited for a dedicated thread for people looking into the headphone (to more easily find and discuss it)

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very interesting. looks like meze might actually be playing in the correct price range this time around lol It looks like these might make for a excellent pair of portable otg headphones. Will wait for them to start showing up on the secondhand market before i consider it though :laughing:

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I listened to LIRIC hours before I heard the HE6+Raal combo and I wasn’t using that or any TOTL cans as my standard of comparison. I more compared it to my innate experience with other closed backs like VC on GSX mini (a combo I owned for many months) and the DCA closed backs.

The accuracy of the separation and imaging were the standouts on LIRIC but to me the average detail
retrieval, lack of music “depth” and certain hissy peaks in vocal tracks I heard made it a tough buy for me personally. A tube amp may have changed my opinion on it but I wanted to stick with the GSX mini for my demo which is an amp I owned and was quite familiar with. For reference I think GSX mini is very nicely holographic, has good detail retrieval, and is neutral/very very slightly bright (but not the glarey bright like THX or Topping amps are).

Like I alluded to in my original comment, the $2000 LIRIC is hitting a perfect sweet spot in the closed back market. It’s not outperforming TOTL stuff like the Stealth in pure technical capability or tonal “correctness” but it’s also not fighting major competition in lower end closed backs like LCD-XC or other Dan Clarks. Meze’s direct closed back competition is stuff like Focal Stellia and VC which are dynamic drivers. Based on your comment, I suppose my impression is more “LIRIC is good, but is probably better on a warmer amp.” So Meze is playing the market well here.

Side notes: All our heads have different shapes so comfort actually wasn’t a standout feature to me on LIRIC. I found myself readjusting head placement a lot. I don’t think VC needs tubes. The DCA Stealth were clearly dead sounding to me as well and would say it’s more appropriately priced at ~$2500. To me, an office headphone shouldn’t need an amp with a lot of current like a gsx mini or something so most of these headphones I just mentioned shouldn’t really be in consideration for that. Get a Focal Elegia or something lol.

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Great post. Sounds like we’re hearing the same general characteristics from these chains–you’re spot on with the same limitations I’m hearing in LIRIC: lack of depth, slightly hot treble, great-but-not-totl detail, etc. While I wish the depth was better, it’s not a deal-breaker for me. Treble and detail are merely areas where TOTL cans outdo LIRIC, but they’re in rare company in a closed back.

FWIW, V280 all but cures the hot treble, and Pendant totally did. I need time with Mini to figure it out, but I trust your ears. One of these days I’ll run a bunch of cans on that and V280 to see how they compare.

That’s the headline, certainly.

You nailed it. LIRIC does well out of a warmer amp. A90 accentuates the treble issues (which are track dependent and mild to me). Meanwhile, V280 has more musical tone, better control of violent percussion, and less piercing treble. More so for tubes.

Anyway, warm amp pairings all the way.

Ha! You have seen my “Mt. Elegia” picture, right? :wink:

Elegias were among my first office daily drivers (they replaced Drop+Fostex Ebony, which were too bassy for me–colored everything). Those probably had the longest tenure as office can, until Stellia replaced them.

Anyway, I suppose an “office can” depends on the office environment. I’ve been working in a small company with no outside access, so nothing was going to go walking. But I wouldn’t want to leave my D90+887 stack in a cube farm.

However, if I were forced back into the office today, I could easily see dragging Pendant to work as my full time office amp, some time after I give in and sell a kidney for Nautilus.

Sorry, that came across poorly. I meant that if I owned your HE-6, I wouldn’t have found what LIRIC does to be as impressive since it feels like a less refined version of a similar flavor. Instead, I leapt on it because it’s not unobtanium like HE-6, and it was clearly designed to fit human heads (not naming names). However, it does give me a decent facsimile of that presentation with all the bonuses of decent portability and isolation, so big win for me.

Anyway, I didn’t mean to challenge or critique your opinions and methods, but I chose my words poorly. I actually quite admire your insights. And I respect that HE-6, man. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I received these on loan today (thanks @sa11297).

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So far I’m liking them. The build is amazing, and the comfort overall is excellent. I do have a minor issue with my ears touching the grills, but it’s not too bad (it’s similar to how the Focal Clear MG touch). It’s related to the new shallower hybrid pads, but it’s not terrible.

Sonically they’re pretty good (I’ve only listened for a few hours). I’ll update my impressions after I have more listening time with them.

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The Susvara + VC is a pretty great combo that I’ve also tried for a brief amount of time. What I really enjoyed about the VC is that it had lots of depth while also being a closed back, I can’t really say the same about the Liric. The Liric just sounded very flat and rough to me. The MRSP is definitely more digestible than the Empy or Elite, but I just don’t see why someone would take the Liric over a VC or Radiance… or even an LCD-2C Closed. I thought the empy and elite were tuned great (if nothing else), so maybe Meze is just going with a different tuning that doesn’t line up with my preferences.

I also found the DCA Stealth to sound dead, but it wasn’t flat in the same way as the Liric. The Liric lacked depth and layering while the stealth lacked dynamics. I found the Stealth to be a very enjoyable listen after giving it some time and adding a slight bass shelf

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Any further impressions of the Elite? I considering getting a pair myself, but I am a little hesitant. I have lots of ZMF experience, having owned the Aeolus, VC, and Auteur. My only planar is the Argon, so I have zero experience on the high-end of planar technology.

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I don’t own them (yet), but it is my next planned headphone purchase.

I had them for a few weeks on loan and they were my second favorite headphone I’ve heard (only second to Susvara, which is beloved by many for good reason).

It’s very detailed, but in a slightly restrained, laid back way. Meaning that it doesn’t force detail into your face by elevating the presence region. It’s just a very capable transducer.

The stage is pretty large, but still very focused, and what I think is very “accurate”. Vocals are presented in a very neutral, and slightly stepped back (which is what I believe is accurate to recordings) way, but still very clear and articulate. Instrument pans are really sweat on them.

Bass is very good and well textured. It’s pretty neutral to me, but some may find it slightly elevated (I think it’s pretty spot on).

Timbre is also very good. It’s the second best I’ve heard on a planar (second to Susvara, again). Very natural sounding. I think it’s a mix of the FR and the speed of the transducer. Things sound pretty realistic through them.

I pretty much loved them, and like I mentioned earlier I plan on purchasing these as my next headphone. I hope that helps.
Cheers.

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I think listening over a period of time in your own system may be the best way to hear the Elite because it’s pretty neutral and natural, so it doesn’t immediately jump out at you as something special.

I most recently heard it at CanJam last weekend on the new dcs Lina stack, and it all sounded ‘nice’ but nothing blew me away. I put the Elite down after a song and replaced it with an Empyrean, which has a much more distinctive flavor, and I preferred the Empy in that moment, not because it was better, but because I already knew what an Empy sounded like, and it therefore reduced the variables when listening to the dcs stack. Similarly, I then replaced the Empyrean with my personal Stellia.

I’d love to try an Elite for an extended period at home, stress-free, just listening to music instead of trying to analyze 100 different audio characteristics in 10 minutes. I bet it would shine then.

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I appreciate your insight! I am leaning towards the Elite, but I’m on a loaner tour for the new Atrium. Might be a couple of months before I get the loaner set though. Then again, it might be nice to have the Elite already when the Atrium arrives so I could compare the two.

My main headphones at the moment are the ZMF Auteur, but I just acquired a beautiful Epoxy Stabilized Verite Closed as well. It’s the third VC I’ve owned, and every time I sell it, I end up regretting it. I had been planning on being an early adopter of the Atrium Closed whenever it gets released, but who knows.

I’m considering trading my Epoxy VC for an Elite because I don’t have as much of a use for closed-backs as I thought I might. I’ve always wanted to hear a TOTL planar to compare to the dynamics from ZMF I’ve owned.

My chain consists of a Quicksilver Headphone Amp fed by an iFi Zen Stream and Bifrost 2. Will this be a good matchup for the Elite? Are tube amps known to be good with low impedance planars? I understand the Elite is very easy to drive (32 ohm and 101 dB/mW), so I wonder how much range on the volume pot I’ll have available before things get too loud. With all the ZMFs I’ve owned, I’ve usually listening at between 9:00 and 10:30 on the pot.

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I haven’t heard the Quicksilver, but from what I have heard it’s a very capable amp that seems to be a real value.

My guess is that it would more than sufficiently power the Elite, but that’s just a guess on my part.

I know that @Hazi59 owns a Quicksilver and has heard the Empyrean (though I don’t know if he had the Quicksilver at the time). Perhaps he can tell us a bit more on the Quicksilver’s power.

As far as ZMF, I’ve only heard the Aeolus and a stabilized Verite Closed (both at home on loan). I preferred the Verite to the Aeolus, but there was a little too much energy at around 6k for me. Other than that it was quite enjoyable (off of an LTA MZ3/Chord Qutest).

The Atrium seems like it would be more to my preferences but I haven’t heard one yet.

If you can find a used pair at a good price it might be worth a try regarding the Elite. $4k MSRP is very high imo, but again it’s my second favorite headphone I’ve heard. :man_shrugging:t4:

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Definitely best if you can audition one (or any gear) at home. It can go either way with short impressions made at a single listening session.

It’s still pretty awesome to try something, even if it’s briefly at a show.

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I don’t foresee myself getting the opportunity to audition the Elite. I certainly won’t be buying new. My tentative plan is to find someone to trade with. I have an Epoxy Stabilized Verite Closed that I am hoping to swap for someone’s Elite. Finding that person might be difficult, but you never know.

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The Quicksilver should be able to power it without any issue at all. The only planars it may struggle with is the HE6, Susvara, etc. When using my HE500, I can’t put the volume knob past 11 o’clock before my eardrums start to bleed.

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Sweet! Thanks for answering.

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FWIW, I have an Elite on order, so can probably offer more thoughts down the line a few weeks. I also have VC and Auteur, so will be sure to do comparisons between those cans (can tell already, VC will be quite a bit different flavor). Also have Arya OG, Susvara, and LIRIC for planar comparisons.

I first heard Empy at RMAF 2019, and there was a minor thing with the tonality I didn’t really care for. But that was so long ago, and a brief listen in a show environment; I don’t want to make a big deal about that. However, I did hear Elite at CAF last fall and both my wife and I really enjoyed it. I did feel $4k was pretty steep given that’s roughly the street price of Susvara, and Susvara is still a clear step above in terms of sound quality and technical performance, but Elite is still a great headphone with some compelling features. In particular, the Elite’s build quality and comfort are spectacular, and specs suggest it doesn’t need an amp forged in the heart of a dying star to power it. :smiley:

In any case, I already have Sus, and I’ve already spent another wave of time / money / energy boosting my source chains (Nautilus for tubes, and HM1 pre-ordered for SS), so Elite finally managed to justify a purchase on the grounds of flavor + comfort, and possible consideration for portable / transportable use.

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You will definitely be able to offer some great insight as a fellow owner of an Auteur and VC! I’m almost tempted to hold off on the Elite until you get yours.

Do you plan on keeping both your VC and Auteur? If so, are you going to upgrade your Auteur to the “Classic” when Zach makes that available?

Edit: Well I already found an Elite owner willing to trade for my VC! Should have them by the end of the week. I’ll report back on how they directly compare to my one remaining ZMF, the Auteur. I’ll try to compare them from memory to the VC and Aeolus as well.

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They’re here!

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Actually, they’ve been here for a week, but I got caught up in work + listening and nearly forgot to come back, lol.

These are fitting a very nice niche for daily listening out of Hypsos + Oor while I work. Overall tuning feels pretty close to neutral, with a bit of lower-mid warmth, but nothing that stands out too much or causes any problems for certain genres; I can comfortably listen to all kinds of material without feeling like anything too important is lacking.

I do find Elite especially fun for electronic music because of how precise they sound–really excellent imaging and nice tight frequency control (particularly down low, which I like for synthesized bass–this seems to be a common attribute among higher end planars, if not a hallmark of so-called “planar bass”). Moreover, Elite seems to handle busy tracks quite well. All of these combine to make for superb long-session listening to stuff like house, trance, and similar electronic material that keeps my pounding out code until quitting time. Even now, I’m wrapping a 10 hour day, but reluctant to stop the music and get on with my evening.

I do feel that ZMF tends to extract maximum magic from source material, and I would still prefer any of my ZMF cans for connecting with vocals and “soul” in genres where human performance is more the focus. There’s definitely some overlap–like give me a track by Rezz and I’ll be hard-pressed to choose between VC’s soaring vocals or Elite’s clean, open music. Both are compelling listens.

VC is never going anywhere, lol. I got an early stabilized set, and it’s one of my favorite cans ever. It’s the lock screen image on my phone. BAE.

Auteur is a more interesting case. I think if I didn’t also have Atrium it would be a much harder call–or maybe an easier call to upgrade. However, given that they’re being discontinued and I have a much-loved LTD set, I’m inclined to sit on mine since it will become more rare over time. Worst case it will be a nice historical reference against newer ZMF designs, and it’s still a great headphone as is. However, I feel like Atrium captures some of the best features of both Eikon and Auteur; even an upgraded Auteur might feel superfluous? In any case, I’d love to compare my OG Auteur to an upgraded one someday to see if I’m being crazy. But in the meantime, it doesn’t hurt anything to leave well enough alone. :slight_smile:

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Are you sure those are Elites? I’ve never seen an Elite with the copper color scheme of the Empyrean.

I just snapped a picture of my set. It should say “Elite” at the top of the chassis like this:

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