A-Audio Lyric On-Ear Headphones
Newcomer A-Audio is jumping on the stylish headphone bandwagon with
the first entries in its Lyric line. Style and substance are equal
priorities for A-Audio, which has eschewed the colorful, glossy Beats
aesthetic in favor of an attractive, metal, industrial look. The A-Audio
Lyric on-ear headphones retail for $xxx and feature rock-solid
construction and a striking look. The sound signature leans slightly too
much towards the low end to appeal to purists, but it doesn't blow it
out completely like wholly bass-focused headphone pairs do. It's a very
solid first effort from A-Audio, even if audiophiles looking for a flat
response would be better served by the Editors' Choice .
Design
Whether you choose the Phantom Black or Liquid Chrome version, the
Lyric is visually striking. The earcups and headband are built out of
aluminum with zinc hinges that let the headphones collapse for easy
storage. The outside of each earcup has a striking, riveted design built
around a silver-colored A-Audio logo. The earpads and headband padding
are a plush black leather that feels soft around the head, though they
tend to get warm after long periods of use.
A 3.5mm port sits at the bottom of each earcup, letting you connect
either of the included cables (one with an in-line remote and
microphone, one without) to your side of choice. Multiple headphone
pairs can be daisy-chained together. Besides the audio cables, the Lyric
comes with a sturdy, hard-shell carrying case and a polishing cloth
(which is puzzling, at least with the matte Phantom Black version I
tested).
Performance
We test bass performance with The Knife's "Silent Shout," a track with heavy kick drum hits and extended low-end notes. The Lyric handled both with ease, even at maximum (and unsafe) volume levels. The tricky bass notes brushed up against distortion without touching it, and the kick drum hits felt punchy without popping or crackling in my tests.
We test bass performance with The Knife's "Silent Shout," a track with heavy kick drum hits and extended low-end notes. The Lyric handled both with ease, even at maximum (and unsafe) volume levels. The tricky bass notes brushed up against distortion without touching it, and the kick drum hits felt punchy without popping or crackling in my tests.
The Lyric's strong bass response is balanced with slightly sculpted
high-mids and highs, which were very apparent in MC Lars' ode to ska
"This Gigantic Robot Kills." The bass and drums stand out with force,
but the horns and MC Lars' slightly squeaky voice command enough
presence to keep at least part of the center stage. The mix is still a
bit heavy in the low-mids, but not so much that it blots out the
sharpness of the high end.
Miles Davis' "So What" really shows how the low end is emphasized
over the highs. The Lyric doesn't blow out the upright bass or
completely undersell the piano notes necessarily, but the ivories
clearly take a back burner to the heavy plunk of acoustic bass strings.
A-Audio's Lyric on-ear headphones are attractive, very well made, and
offer a satisfying, if imperfect, sound. The bass is laid on a little
too thick (but not as thick as headphones that outright boost the low
end above everything else), but performance is solid. If you want a more
flat response, the Editors' Choice Sennheiser HD 558 or the are both
excellent choices. Serious fans of booming bass might want to look at
the and the , for thumpier alternatives.
