From the beginning, we never wanted to make a conventional full-size headphone.
Closed-back designs were never what we had in mind. But even with many open-back full-size headphones, we still felt that something was missing — especially in real-world use. In summer, many of them still feel too warm, too heavy, and too enclosed. For us, “open” should mean more than just sound. It should also mean lightness, breathability, and freedom in the way the headphone feels on the head.
That idea is what eventually became LYRÖ MX.
Rather than simply making a larger version of an existing product, LYRÖ MX became a complete redesign from the ground up. It has a very different form, a very different wearing method, and a very different tuning direction. For a product that had already gone through years of refinement, starting over in this way was not easy. It demanded far more time, energy, and experimentation than we first expected.
In many ways, that is why it needed its own name.
The “X” in LYRÖ MX was always meant to suggest something unknown — something that had not yet been fully revealed. And while some technical details are still in the patent process and cannot be shared just yet, we can now finally begin to show what this project has become.
Rethinking What “Open” Really Means
What makes LYRÖ MX special starts with its structure.
This is not a traditional full-size headphone with a normal ear cup surrounding the ear. In fact, it does not use a conventional ear cup structure at all. Instead, it creates a new wearing experience through a front pad and an air-cushioned silicone support behind the ear.
This approach allowed us to rethink comfort from the beginning. The result is a headphone that feels more breathable, more open, and much less physically enclosed than most full-size designs. We also kept the ventilation groove design used in our silicone headband, which further improves breathability during longer listening sessions.
For us, the goal was never to make a headphone that merely looked open. We wanted one that truly felt open in everyday use.
Materials That Support the Idea
To make a structure like this work, we had to make unusual material and production choices.
One example is the rear pad surface, which is covered with traditional Chinese mulberry silk. This is not a material commonly used in headphone pad design, but we chose it for a reason. It is cool, breathable, smooth, and comfortable against the skin. At the same time, we adopted a dense weaving method that also helps improve durability.
The main structural parts of LYRÖ MX are produced using laser additive manufacturing in nylon. This significantly increases cost, but it also brings major benefits. It allows the structure to remain extremely light while maintaining the stability and mechanical performance we needed. It also gives us porous acoustic properties that work especially well with our patented acoustic design.
The result is a remarkably low weight: the two side assemblies together weigh only 61g, and the complete headphone weighs 164g. For a full-size headphone, that level of weight is extremely rare.
At the center of the structure, we also use a highly complex acoustic crystal design printed in acoustic resin at extremely high precision, with deviation controlled below 0.03mm. This is one of the most intricate parts of the entire project, and one of the clearest examples of how much of LYRÖ MX was shaped by acoustic purpose rather than styling alone.
A Different Kind of Listening Experience
LYRÖ MX was designed with the Harman target as an important reference, but not as something to follow mechanically.
Because of its fully open structure, this design naturally introduces a certain degree of bone-conduction effect. That changes the way bass is perceived in actual listening. If we had followed the target literally in the low frequencies, the result would likely have felt excessive in practice. So instead, we made careful adjustments based on how the headphone really sounds when worn and used.
The result is not just a more spacious presentation from the floating open structure. LYRÖ MX also offers a higher level of resolution and a more revealing overall character. Compared with our earlier work, it presents more detail, more information, and a cleaner, cooler sound signature.
There is also one detail we are quietly proud of: LYRÖ MX may be the first floating open headphone tuned purely through acoustic structure, without relying on inductors, capacitors, or electronic EQ. For us, that is not only a technical decision — it is also a reflection of how we believe sound should be shaped.
Behind the Scenes
Projects like this never come from a single design decision.
LYRÖ MX took shape through many rounds of redesign, prototyping, listening, adjustment, and rethinking. In order to move this project forward, the team put in an enormous amount of time and commitment. Some even gave up part of their Lunar New Year holiday to keep working on it.
That is part of why this product means so much to us. It is not simply a new model. It is the result of years of questioning what a full-size headphone could be if we were willing to let go of the usual assumptions.
Could a full-size headphone exist without the traditional ear cup?
Could it still feel stable?
Could it remain lightweight?
Could its structure serve the sound directly, instead of being built around convention?
LYRÖ MX is our answer to those questions.
Where Things Stand Now
At this point, the development of LYRÖ MX is complete.
Some technical details still cannot be shared publicly while patent filings are in progress, but we will continue releasing more photos, measurements, structure details, and related updates over time.
Thank you for following this journey, and thank you for your trust in ZAYLLI.
— Harvey Zhai
