The Meze Audio Poet headphones arrive encased in stunning packaging, promising a premium audio experience. Initial impressions are indeed striking; the exquisite craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail are immediately apparent. The headphones boast a luxurious design, with features like magnetically detachable earpads and a comfortable, lightweight build. However, this initial charm is somewhat tempered by some practical drawbacks. A noticeable creaking sound during adjustment and a headband design that may not suit all head sizes slightly detract from the overall user experience.Despite its undeniable aesthetic appeal, the Poet’s sound signature presents a more complex picture. While boasting a full, linear bass extension and a spacious soundstage, the presence of a harshness in the upper treble frequencies and a mid-range dip, along with a sensitive response to amplifier impedance, prevents the Poet from reaching the sonic heights suggested by its luxurious presentation. This review explores the balance between the Poet’s stunning design and its potentially compromised audio performance, comparing it to competitors like the Modhouse Tungsten to determine if its premium price is truly justified.
Pros And Cons
- Impeccably well-engineered mechanical design.
- Beautiful aesthetic design.
- Uses Meze's MZ6 driver (similar to Elite and Lyric).
- Includes a nice booklet, case, and braided cable.
- Full cup swivel and tilt.
- Removable magnetic pads.
- Reasonably lightweight (just over 350g).
- Comfortable for most people (except reviewer with large head).
- Easy to drive in terms of power requirements (high sensitivity and low impedance).
- Full, linear bass extension.
- Forward character to the lower mids, creating an enveloping sound.
- Appropriate ear gain.
- Flat linear base extension.
- Low harmonic distortion.
- Creaking and clicking sound when adjusted.
- Headband design (wire system similar to DCA headphones) uncomfortable for reviewer with large head.
- Clamp pressure remains consistent.
- Upper treble frequencies boosted, potentially too much for some listeners.
- Sound signature not as resolving or engaging as Modhouse Tungsten (similar sound signature, but inferior according to the reviewer).
- Subjective resonance around 7.8-8kHz causing harshness in treble frequencies (not reflected in measurements).
- EQ required to improve sound to reviewer's preference. Difficult to EQ precisely based solely on measurements.
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Unboxing and Initial Impressions
The Meze Audio Poet arrived in a beautiful package, exceeding expectations even before unboxing. The headphones themselves are a sight to behold; the pictures don't do them justice. The craftsmanship is impeccable, a hallmark of Meze's high-end designs. Every detail is meticulously engineered.
Included in the package is a stylish case and a high-quality braided cable with 3.5mm TS connectors. The attention to detail extends to the packaging itself, further enhancing the premium feel.
However, initial impressions weren't entirely positive. A concerning creaking and clicking sound was noticeable during adjustment, a significant drawback for a headphone at this price point.
Build Quality and Design
The Meze Poet boasts a full cup swivel and tilt mechanism, along with magnetically detachable earpads. These features enhance adjustability and user-friendliness. The earpads themselves are generously sized, addressing a common criticism leveled at Meze's previous models.
The headband design, similar to that of DCA headphones, is unfortunately a point of contention. While many might find it comfortable, the clamping force and the headband's design proved slightly uncomfortable for my larger head size.
Despite the headband issue, the lightweight design (just over 350g) is appreciated. It's a trade-off, prioritizing weight reduction at the cost of perfect fit for all head sizes. Overall, the build quality is exceptional, despite minor comfort issues for some.
Sound Quality and Driveability
The Meze Poet is surprisingly easy to drive despite its specifications. However, it's crucial to note its non-linear impedance curve. This suggests an internal filter impacting the sound tuning, which, while potentially beneficial, also means that using high output impedance amplifiers (like tube amps) will drastically affect the treble response.
For the intended sound signature, a low output impedance source is recommended. The headphone's unique impedance curve leads to a more noticeable change with different amp pairings than many other headphones, particularly affecting the treble frequencies.
Overall sound signature blends elements of Meze's Imperion 1 and 109 Pro. Comparisons were made to the Modhouse Tungsten, which shares similarities, yet the Poet falls several steps behind in terms of resolution and engagement.
Detailed Sound Analysis and AMT Technology
The Meze Poet shares characteristics with many Meze headphones, including a boost in upper-air frequencies. This is attributed to the Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver, a collaboration with Renaro, and contributes to an airy, shimmery quality. Although subjectively, the reviewer finds this boost to be excessive.
The headphone features AMT (Air Motion Transformer) technology, similar to what Dan Clark Audio uses. Meze's implementation, while not identical to DCA's, uses a waveguide to tune the sound, potentially influencing various frequencies.
Measurements of the Meze Poet reveal a lack of a prominent peak between 7-9kHz, but subjective listening revealed a significant peak, highlighting variations in sound between measurement equipment and real-world listening.
Conclusion and Verdict
The Meze Audio Poet is a visually stunning headphone with exceptional build quality. However, its sound quality, while decent, doesn't quite match its aesthetic appeal. The sound signature is described as having a full, linear bass extension with forward lower mids and a pleasant blend of lower mids and bass. However, some colorations, particularly a harshness around 7-8kHz, detract from the overall listening experience.
While possessing a generally pleasant and spacious soundstage, the presence of a subjectively prominent mid-range dip and excessive upper treble adds colorations that the reviewer does not find favorable. The subjective listening experience differs significantly from the objective measurements.
The Meze Poet is a beautifully designed headphone with a unique sound signature, but its less-than-stellar sound performance and tricky equalization needs, along with comfort issues for some, may not justify its high price tag. The Modhouse Tungsten offers a superior overall listening experience. Though the poet is very pretty.