Meze Audio LIRIC 2 Review

Sound

The part on sound was done with a large number of amplifiers as well as DACs. Some of the selection is discussed later in this article. I used a balanced connection whenever available, together with the stock balanced cable.

Before starting the part on sound, I want to stress that the earpad seal is super important with these headphones. It’s important in general but even more so here as a leak will result in a serious loss of body and bass. A comparison with the original LIRIC can be found later in this review, so I’ll try to keep this part on sound comprehensive and to the point.

The new LIRIC 2 has a slight v-shaped presentation where the mid bass and treble regions get the focus. You get a good amount of body and fulness from the bass all the way up to the highs. The sound stage is average, but the spaciousness, separation and clarity, as well as the note extension really help in improving the stage experience. What the LIRIC 2 really excels at is the 3-dimensionality and positioning. You feel immersed by the music compared to a regular closed-back headphone and this is a treat for the pinpointing instruments. The airy and spacious presentation, together with the smoother and warmer delivery, make it a headphone that in the lows and mids is softer on the ears and easy to listen to. I should say easier to listen to than before, because the vocal presentation and peaky treble still is quite impressive and especially sensitive ears will suffer from this.

The LIRIC 2 has a good level of detail and the precision is what to expect around this price range, though there always are exceptions. Overall, the LIRIC 2 has a warmer and more balanced sound, especially compared to the original LIRIC. Where the V1 often was described as boomy and shouty, this now is the case to a lesser degree.

The bass elevation is mostly situated in the mid-bass and bass always has a more than neutral presence. Bass has a good impact and punch, with good layering but the sub bass part is a bit lacking. The midrange is excellent yet slightly pulled back. It’s nicely layered, spacious and full sounding with good resolution, layering and decay. It’s pleasant to the ear in general, but here the vocal presentation can be bit hot and forward for some. That said, it’s much better than in the original (see later). The treble region now is more clear, spacious and precise. The note extension and decay elevate the technical performance and it is easier on the ears than before, That said, it’s still a very much treble focused, energetic headphone.

Sound – Sources / Amplification

With its 61Ohm impedance and 100dB Sensitivity, the Meze LIRIC 2 on paper isn’t the hardest to drive headphone. For this section we have selected four popular portable and desktop devices. We except for with the Chord unit always used the balanced connection.

Portable

My main portable player still is the SP3000, though we all know it isn’t the best DAP when it comes to full-sized headphones. With the new LIRIC 2 it however is excellent as it delivers a highly detailed sound with excellent PRaT, without adding any additional bass and body. The result is an energetic, clean, precise yet full sounding combo where body and bass go combined with energy, a more v-shaped presentation and top end extension. The combo sounds musical and fun but the AK gives it a good technical level as well. I had a lot of fun with this setup, and will gladly listen to it any day and anytime.

The Cayin Audio N8ii is a lot more powerful and it offers both solid state as well as tube flavors. It also has more body than the SP3000, which possibly could be too much for the LIRIC 2. Low gain is all you will need here, but I do prefer turning the P+ mode on which means we’re using the class AB mode. In solid state mode the LIRIC 2 carries a bit more speed and it sounds energetic and clear. There in ss mode isn’t as much body present as with the AK, and that was quite a surprise. In tube mode the LIRIC 2 sounds a bit fuller and more spacious and airy, but perhaps also a tad slower. Both modes are really musical and a joy to the ear but the bass and overall weight with the N8ii is on the lighter side. Quite a surprise. Imho the technical level of the AK still is better than that of the Cayin, and this is audible in the Meze, and it just isn’t quite as precise and revealing as with the SP3k. All-in-all not a bad combo, but not the best for me.

The Mojo 2 from Chord Electronics only rarely disappoints but with full-sized cans, a great synergy isn’t always guaranteed. In single-ended mode here, the LIRIC 2 does performs nicely. You get the speed and technical excellence of the Mojo 2 combined with the bass and body of the fuller sounding LIRIC 2. It’s musical, energetic and engaging. I love the timbre here as well as the layering and the vocal presentation. For some, the high mids and especially the top end could sound a little hotter. I quite liked the energy boost on top but I also have to admit that after a longer listening session, my ears really needed a break. So it’s a good backup combo, or a combo to take to the office with you, but I wouldn’t use it as my main DAC/AMP for the LIRIC 2.

When dongles are concerned I rarely use full sized-headphones, but I did want to include at least one in this test. And that brough me to the Cayin Audio RU7. In low gain it really surprised me with the LIRIC 2, and more or less get the same sound as with the Mojo. In high gain the combo unfortunately reinforces the top-end effect of the Mojo 2, and as such it’s even sharper up un top. In low gain you get a full, musical, enjoyable and technically ok performance but there isn’t really anything that makes it special or makes it jump out. To me it’s not a combo I will be using in the future.

Desktop

I have to admit that I have listened to the LIRIC 2 with a ridiculous amount of amplifiers since it got here. For this chapter I made a selection of new and popular amps. Except for with the ERCO @, I used the Aquarius R2R DAC.

The Hifiman Serenade has been getting a lot of playtime lately, both as a headphone as well as a pre-amp. It’s a full and musical sounding amplifier and that perfectly matches LIRIC 2’s tuning. You get a heavier sound from bottom to top, with softer vocals and a more energetic upper end. I did expect the bass to play a more prominent role in this combo, but this actually isn’t the case and bass is quite civilized. My ears really like the combo and while it’s not the most refined, precise sound, it makes up for that with musicality and liveliness.

The Ferrum Audio ERCO 2 is brand new and only arrived last week at the HQ. The clarity and spaciousness in this combo is what strikes you first. Next to that you get a lighter sound with excellent resolution and immersiveness. The vocals here are more forward and they have a lot of focus on them. The top end is very energetic, and for some might even be a little too fatiguing. It’s not that the top end is hot, it extends well and has good precision, but it is a bit on the shouty side. It never sounds harsh however. If you like a more neutral tuning with an elevated top end and more forward vocals, the ERCO 2 is the amp for your LIRIC 2.

One of my favorite amplifiers lately has been the SAEQ PDA-1b.  With the LIRIC 2 you get a powerful and full sound, but also amazing clarity, speed and precision. The immersiveness here is as good as it gets and you feel surrounded by the music. The vocal forwardness is still present of course but you get a realistic and live-like presentation. What I absolutely love here is the mid timbre and layering, but the precision and resolution also get top marks. Like with the ERCO2, the top end is a little spicier but as it carries more weight here, it doesn’t have the same impact. A fully recommended combo!

I absolutely wanted to include one tube amp in this overview and then the choice for Feliks Audio is pretty easy as Meze very often uses their amps at shows. With the Feliks Envy, the LIRIC 2 however doesn’t sound its best to me as the vocals and upper frequency is where it all happens. I am even missing a bit of body and fulness here. I switched to the HA2-SE+ to double check if anything was wrong, but I there got a similar lighter tuning which in my opinion doesn’t suit LIRIC 2’s tuning. It’s not that the LIRIC 2 is not listenable on these amps, but it just sounds better with other amplifiers.

If there is a specific combo you would like to see added to this review, let us know in the comments and we’ll see if we can make it happen for you.

The part on Sound continues on the third page with comparisons, our conclusion and summary. Click here or use the buttons below.