About the Meze Audio POET
Meze’s top-flight headphone experience in a smaller, lighter package
There’s something special about unboxing a set of Meze Audio headphones. When I pulled the company’s striking POET open-back headphones from their latched leather case, it conjured memories of similar multisensory experiences I’ve had with their previous offerings. In fact, these headphones are designed to be smaller, lighter versions of their flagship planar magnetic models, the Elite and Empyrean II — two of the most finely crafted sets of headphones I’ve ever seen, held, or worn.
Meze uses many of the same build and design techniques, so the POET headphones are just as easy on the eyes and pleasant to the touch. They are larger and heavier than your average over-ear headphones, but the weight is distributed well. For the sound, they teamed once again with Rinaro, a Ukrainian research team and frequent collaborator, to retool their planar magnetic drivers and optimize the size, tuning, and airflow.
Solidly constructed with fine attention to detail
From a distance these might appear to be closed-back headphones, but a closer look at their robust aluminum grille reveals a different story. The etched art-deco-inspired pattern on each earcup allows air to flow in and out freely. The small, symmetrical openings are chiseled with the help of a CNC milling machine — a meticulous process that we detailed in our interview with company founder and lead designer Antonio Meze.
Comfortable, no-fuss fit
Meze uses a spring-suspension system inspired by their own 99 Classics, with the geometry slightly adjusted for the bigger earcups. Those winning ergonomics scored the 99 Classics the title of Crutchfield’s “most comfortable” headphones after extensive in-house testing. Here on the POET, they feel a little snugger, but the fit was still “one and done” for me. The headphones needed no adjustment once I secured them in place.
Sonic accuracy and authority
A closer look at the planar driver reveals some key details, too. By separating the voice coil on the transducer, Rinaro figured out a way to deliver the spacious, evenhanded planar sound — with Meze’s authoritative bass. Meze made some tuning tweaks to preserve the powerful low-end punch, while serving up more clarity and presence across all frequencies. Acoustic engineer Alex Grigoras said it took years of R&D to create compact drivers that are “every bit as capable as our flagship models.”
Dan Clark’s resonator helps smooth “peaks and holes” in upper frequencies
To help smooth out harsher high frequencies and expand the soundstage, Meze turned to technology from fellow high-end headphone maker, Dan Clark Audio. They’ve included DCA’s patent-pending “AMTS” damping filter to expand the soundstage and smooth out harsh high-end frequencies.
AMTS stands for “Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System,” and it’s essentially a slope-shaped baffle between the driver and the ear. This baffle is pockmarked with a series of grooves, deliberate in their depth and placement. By diffusing and absorbing the standing sound waves inside the earcup, it creates a more spacious sonic presentation with accurate, intricate upper-mids and airy, resolving highs.
Special magnet array for greater efficiency
One of the coolest features of this headphone from a tactile standpoint is the planar magnet system. The same magnet array that moves the drivers also helps secure the earpads to the earcups, which fasten into place with a satisfying snap. That extra magnetic flux also increases the driver output and the overall efficiency of the POET headphones. (We still highly recommend using a separate headphone amp to hear them at their best.)
Product highlights:
- open-back design offers transparent sound
- smaller, lighter design than Meze’s highest-end models like the Empyrean II and Elite
- art-deco-inspired outward-facing grille helps control airflow
- planar magnetic drivers with patented hybrid array design
- delivers articulate mids and highs with tight, strong bass
- tuned for linear, well-balanced sound with enhanced resolution and dynamics
- machined and hand-assembled at Meze’s headquarters in Romania
- made with premium materials and metals
- a separate headphone amplifier is required to properly power these headphones for optimum sound quality
MZ26 Isodynamic hybrid array driver details:
- planar magnetic drivers offer exceptional musical detail with low distortion
- extra-light, rigid isoplanar diaphragm starts and stops quickly for clear, articulate sound
- oval-shaped diaphragm increases efficiency and lowers mass of drivers
- separate voice coil traces for accurate sound across a wide frequency range
- “spiral” coil positioned directly next to the ear canal for resolving mids and highs
- “switchback” coil dedicated to low-end reproduction for authoritative bass
- co-designed and co-developed with Ukrainian research group Rinaro
Baffle and magnet array:
- Dan Clark Audio’s patented Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System (AMTS) helps eliminate standing waves
- precisely designed baffle widens soundstage and smooths out high-frequency inconsistencies
- features a complex series of waveguides, diffusion controls, and Helmholtz resonators
- strong, symmetrical magnetic array for greater diaphragm efficiency with fluid movement
- patented ferromagnetic plates lock earpads firmly in place
- earpad mounting system sends the magnetic field back into the driver to increase driver output
Build quality:
- milled-aluminum frame with lightweight carbon headband
- leather headband strap evenly distributes the weight on your head for effortless fit
- well-cushioned, soft-touch ear pads
- earcup and pad venting system improves airflow and helps reduce pressure
General info and specs:
- 8.2-foot detachable oxygen-free cable terminated by a 1/4″ headphone plug
- heavy-duty design with braided cloth covering
- terminated at each earcup with 3.5mm mini connection
- hard-shell latched case with soft foam protective interior
- frequency response: 4-96,000 Hz
- sensitivity: 130 dB
- impedance: 55 ohms
- weight: 14.9 ounces
- warranty: 2 years
