Meze Audio POET Planar Magnetic Headphones

Introduction

It will be a strange day when Meze Audio releases a product that is not of the highest quality; these POET headphones are no exception. It is time to reach for Roget’s Thesaurus.

Design

This is a review of the latest Meze Audio circumaural open-backed POET planar magnetic headphones. These headphones include their top-of-the-line diaphragm technology, the MZ6, which was developed by RINARO in Ukraine. This diaphragm is featured in the EMPYREAN, ELITE, LIRIC, and these POET headphones.

This planar magnetic driver is extremely light and offers low distortion across the frequency range to an upper frequency of 96kHz.

Additionally, the POET includes Meze’s implementation of the Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System technology licenced from Dan Clark Audio. AMTS is like a waveguide on a loudspeaker, attenuating the soundwave, improving performance and, they claim, reducing fatiguing with the higher frequencies in the listening experience.

Additionally, the POET features the integrated magnetic ear pad system from the closed-backed LIRIC 2. Finally, the POET features a premium hand-braided Furukawa PCUHD copper cable with a 6.3 mm termination and dual mono 3.5mm jacks in the ear casings.

Quality

As with most (all) things Meze Audio, the feel and finish are sumptuous, with a premium unboxing experience. The outer packaging is recyclable, which is thoughtful, the hard plastic POET case is for life and will protect for years ahead on travels as needed. Indeed, many of the parts are either serviceable or replaceable, offering a lifetime’s investment.

The headband has the ELITE style headband and frame construction (though the frame is notably thinner and so lighter) as opposed to the LIRIC’s more portable headband construction. The compact feel of the POET, hints at an open-backed version of the LIRIC 2, as does the price point.

In the box, there is a hard PC-ABS case with a solid latch, a hand-braided Furukawa PCUHD copper cable with a 6.3 mm termination, a cable carry leather pouch with Velcro cable tidy and an artful POET booklet explaining their design philosophy.

Specification and Price

Performance

Review Equipment

I’ve been using a Chord Electronics Hugo 2 mainly because it is on my desk, as well as the brilliant iFi Audio Diablo 2, which has a huge power output.

I have driven them separately with an Auralic ARIES transport to the iFi Pro iDSD DAC/amp and the studio-level Nuprime DAC-9X, which has a headphone output.

Physically

These headphones are firmly desktop/lounge, with both the 6.3mm jack and the frame construction dictating usage. The earcup design is, however, compact and on my average head, and the POETs are loose-fitting. I would have liked to play with the Astell&Kern A&ultima SP3000M; however, the lack of a 3.5mm jack option in the box seems an oversight since you have this choice with the Meze Audio 09 Pros.

The thick, noiseless cable is a triumph, though it seems overlong to me for desktop usage.

Chord Electronics Hugo 2

Using the Hugo with Filter 2 on the middle crossfeed option, I am getting a premium desktop headphone experience. These compact headphones are deliciously comfortable and hint at a relaxed, immersive and long listening experience.

With a planar magnetic design, one might expect high accuracy, detail, and clarity. These characteristics are revealed in the bittersweet Oh My Sweet Carolina (Ryan Adams, Qobuz 24-bit, 44.1kHz), with the gentle resonance of the snare drum reminding the listener that home is where the heart is.

I usually head for the close of London Grammar’s Rooting for You (Qobuz 24-bit, 44.1kHz) to find a measure of sub-bass response (from about 3’30”).  With the Hugo 2, these POET headphones have a lighter bass response than some might prefer, a bit like the Meze LIRIC.  I recall a greater bass response from the planar magnetic EMPYREAN headphones. However, that review was a good five years ago. Interestingly, although not unexpectedly, the iFi Audio Diablo 2 desktop headphone amplifier delivers the bass response I was looking for from the same track in ‘Nitro’ mode, given it has an enhanced output over the Hugo 2. This suggests the POETs have it, but a measure of intensity will be needed to extract the response you may be looking for.

This enhanced performance is illustrated further with the iFi Pro iDSD with an Auralic ARIES streaming transport and a Melco library. In this arrangement, the POETs are a dynamic joy, and Lana Del Rey’s heartbreaking A&W (Qobuz 24-bit, 48 kHz) delivers a powerful and emotional response. However, the bass response in the track is a fraction lighter than I was looking for.

Switching out the iFi Pro iDSD to the Nuprime DAC-9X, a crystalline studio-level DAC with headphone output, I find the POET’s sweet spot. Here, everything comes together, with Lana Del Rey’s delightful midrange vocal to the fore after the former experience. The Staves’ version of Jolene (Qobuz 16-bit, 44.1 kHz) is hugely moving with low-level detail and beautiful guitar notes.

Moving to something a fraction punchier, it is time for a bit of New Order and their flawless eight-minute Perfect Kiss (2022 Digital Master, Qobuz 24-bit, 96kHz). Bizarre Love Triangle gets an airing here, too, as does Thieves Like Us. Peter Hook’s bass introduction is the key to the Perfect Kiss, and the POETs perform at their best with pace and power with the Nuprime DAC-9X.

Thoughts

These POETs are possibly my most relaxed listening this year. They have a controlled bass end and a smooth midrange, with absolutely no hint of aggression in the high treble. I have had the best performance from these headphones with the excellent Nuprime DAC-9X and the aggressive iFi iDSD Diablo 2, which has a high milli-voltage output. My tube Schiit VALI 3 headphone amplifier is simply not up to the job, so amplifier choice is going to be important with this choice of headphones.

The real kicker is that with the recently reviewed Meze Audio 105 AER coming in at £369 with such excellent resolution, there is a financial choice to be made here.  If you are firmly at the desktop or in the lounge, these POET headphones are a worthy investment and certainly demand an audition.

Overall

The Meze Audio POET is a high-quality pair of planar magnetic headphones leveraging planar magnetic technology from the flagship ELITE and EMPYREAN products at a significantly higher price point. I would characterise them as having engaging resolution and an extremely resolving midrange that demands an audition if this is near your budget.