This is the review of the brand new Meze Audio POET. The Meze Audio POET is selling for $2,000 USD or €2.000 Euro.
Disclaimer: The Meze Audio POET was sent to me by Meze directly in exchange for our honest opinion.
Meze Audio
Meze Audio has become famous and big over the last few years, Their headphones have top-quality sound, great build quality and they even offer budget-friendly gear. If you haven’t heard about them then you can read their “Philosophy” on their website, right here.
The Meze Audio headphones have won awards all over the world and that doesn’t come as any surprise, as a lot of people seem to love the Meze creations. On top of that, the Meze team is always friendly, they know what they’re talking about and they’re just really nice people to communicate with. It’s one of the nicest companies in audio for sure.
We have reviewed many of Meze’s products here on Headfonia, and you can find all of those reviews here. Not so long ago we reviewed their Alba IEM and 105 AER headphone, but Meze is back already with a new open-back headphone named “POET”. And that’s exactly what we’re looking at today.
Introduction
It again was a well-kept secret, and we found out about the POET only like three weeks ago. The Meze team got in touch and introduced us to the new POET, though we couldn’t share the news at that time.
The new Meze Audio POET was officially announced on February 20, so most of you have seen the news by now already. That said, we’re only a few days after the launch now, and we have the POET review for you already. If you’re not familiar yet with the Meze Audio creations, we strongly advise you to read up on the brands’ headphones first. You can do so in our reviews here.
No need to keep you all waiting any longer, let’s dive in !
Meze Audio POET
The POET is a new high-end open-back, circumoral headphone which is positioned at the same level as the company’s Liric headphone.
With the POET, Meze Audio wanted to create something unique, which translates to a more compact orthodynamic headphone, just as capable as their top-end offerings. Like the Liric it is selling for $2K USD and it even resembles the Liric’s design in some ways, but more on that later.
POET is a carefully crafted audio masterpiece inviting listeners to experience a journey through inner worlds – where sound, emotion, and purpose intertwine. Combining cutting-edge Rinaro Isodynamic® Hybrid Array technology, luxurious materials, and ergonomic design, POET elevates audio performance by redefining what is possible in a compact, open-back form factor.
The new POET uses a new driver built by Rinaro, and the be more precise it is the Rinaro Isodynamic® Hybrid Array MZ6. It has an impedance of 55Ohm and a sensitivity of 101dB which makes it fairly easy to drive. We’ll go deeper into this in our part on Synergy, later in this article. More info on the driver can be found on Meze’s website.
Like with the Liric, Meze chose to use dual 3.5 mm TS Jacks for the connection, which makes it easy to use a multitude of aftermarket cables.
The Meze Audio POET’s dedicated website can be found here. You can buy the POET directly from them, or through one of their resellers here.
The Box, Accessories & Price
As mentioned, the Meze POET is selling for $2,000 USD and the headphone is packed in a nice brown POET labelled box, with a very sturdy hardcase on the inside.
In that box you will find the headphone, as well as the copper cable which is terminated with a 6.3mm plug. The cables comes in a nice little pouch, and besides that there only is a nicely printed book which tells you all about POET, Meze and Rinaro.
It’s a simple but nice package, where especially the hard case is impressive. I do wish there would have been different cable options or at least an adapter in the package. I myself have been using the balanced cable from Hifiman’s Susvara Unveiled, but you can of course get a nice aftermarket cable with a different termination from Meze or your favorite cable boutique.
Design, Build Quality & Comfort
I think we all agree that Meze Audio builds stunning headphones and IEMs, and it is no different this time.
The Meze POET is a gorgeous and recognizable looking headphone, mixing the design of the Liric and Empyrean/Elite headphones. You get a beautiful steel grill (in copper color this time), satin grey ear cups and yoke finish (magnesium chassis) as well as dark copper colored rods. New here is the headband system (suede leather) which we have not seen before at Meze, but it works just as well as all of their previous head bands. From an esthetic point of view, I myself prefer the Liric and Empyrean style head bands but it’s a detail. All-in -all it is a stunning, sexy headphone that with its soft satin finish even is nice to the touch.
Comfort wise, all of Meze’s headphones have always scored top marks and that’s no different here. The POET without pads(?!) weigh 350g, and with pads that increases to 412g. The soft suede leather pads (62g) use Meze’s excellent magnetic system and they can very easily be removed.
Each driver is hand-assembled and tested at Rinaro’s state-of-the-art facility in Ukraine, ensuring unmatched quality and performance.
The head band system does a great job of distributing the weight on the top of your head and the side pressure is actually quite light. The soft pads do a great job here balancing comfort with security, making sure the headphone stays firmly on your head when moving around. My ears not especially large, but they do touch the pads at all times. All-in-all the POET is super comfy and I can wear it for hours without any discomfort whatsoever. Top marks again here.
Looking at the build quality of the POET, we can only be impressed. Everything is flawless and Meze with the POET again uses top quality materials, making the POET a luxurious and perfect headphone. The Meze POET is fully serviceable, with every component designed to be easily disassembled and replaced.
Looking at the provided cable, it’s the same as the PCUHD copper one they are offering. Looks great and works fine, it’s just too bad the stock option is unbalanced.
Sound – Intro
In this section we check out how the companies describe the sound of their new units. For the POET, we found the following from Meze:
At the heart of POET lies a sonic experience with lush, airy vocals and precise bass impact, balancing low-end depth with delicate high-frequency clarity. The headphones’ natural tonality is enhanced by subtle hints of sparkle, providing a lively yet effortless listening experience. POET’s exceptional detail retrieval and separation breathe life into your music, delivering a harmonious blend of technical finesse and emotive expression. With POET, every note resonates deeply, every detail emerges vividly, and the listener is immersed in a soundscape that feels both expansive yet intimate.
In their POET manual, we find the following:
POET caresses your audio palate with lush, airy vocals and precise bass impact for a balanced low-end. Its natural tonality is delicately enhanced by subtle hints of sparkle, adding a lively character. Excellent detail retrieval and separation bring your music to life, making POET a harmonious blend of technical finesse and emotive expression.
Sound – General
I used a series of desktop amplifiers for this section, but mostly the Auris Audio Headonia 300b.
The first thing you will notice is that the sound stage of the POET is smaller in both directions. It is an open-back headphone, but you do get a more intimate presentation, even if the mids are airy and well separated. The layering is good in bass and mids, but there certainly is room for improvement (as the EMP and ELITE show).
The second thing you will hear is the weight in bass (mid-bass) and the mids, and especially the latter is quite special for this Meze creation. The POET is a full bodied and balanced sounding headphone in bass and mids, and it has an elevated vocal presentation with the popular peaks in the Frequency Response. The vocals are really nicely done, and especially female vocals really impress (Try Melody Gardot or Anna Ternheim). The top end is lively and exciting but safely tuned at the same time. During my testing I never found the top end to sound sharp or aggressive, it’s easy on the ear but nicely contrasting the bass and mid fulness. Do note treble doesn’t extend very far. If you’re looking for sub presence and rumble, you will hear it’s there, but it’s light as this clearly isn’t a focus point for this driver/headphone. This also shows in the FR graphs.
The POET’s part on sound continues on the second page! Click here to go to the next page.
