[ExpatinJapan]

I put some unboxing photos in the impressions thread

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Wow! Cannot wait to receive my review unit now!
Also, have you guys received any tracking number for the shipment? I haven't received anything yet.

 
Yes (?) 

Meze did a great job here 

 

[Ike1985]

I have received the Meze 99 Neo's Sunday after I got back from vacation, I look forward to offering initial impressions tonight and further impressions after I've had an opportunity to source match and dive deep into them. Thank you for this opportunity!

 

[MezeTeam]

99 NEO SHIPPING ORDER 

 
Hello there tour members,
 
We've updated the shipping order for the 99 Neo tour units. We've updated the order in the first post as well. 
 
 
Europe
 
1. @Dobrescu George
2. @VilMo
3. @tommycha
4. @OSiRiSsk
5. Yethal
6. @HondoMUC
7. @betula
8. @peter1480
9. @leaky74
10. @FortisFlyer75
11. @MezeTeam
12. @chaturanga
13. @MezeTeam
 
 
Australia
 
1. @ryanjsoo
2. hemtmaker
3. @Mightygrey 
4. Addicted to Audio
 
 
Asia
 
1. @LikeABell
2. @donunus
3. @Schizodyslexic
4. @mxroadie
5. @noobandroid
6. SLT Technologies
 
 
USA
 
1. @Ike1985
2. @ngoshawk
3. scottcriswell
4. @ZJee
5. @Jayzz
6. @yage
7. @darmanastartes
8. @AudioE
9. @expontherise
10. @Mark Up
11. @pkcpga 
12. @Howlin Fester
13. @swspiers
14. @jinxy245
 
1. @reddog
2. @Change is Good
3. @Army-Firedawg
4. @Mshenay
5. @kman1211
6. @HK_sends
7. @lotech
8. @dmhenley
9. @moedawg140
10. @Mikualotic
11. @MXTape80
12. @nmatheis 
13. @Delance26 
 
 
Canada
 
1. @dweaver
2. Bansaku
3. @SOULSIK
4. @cs098
5. @makan

 

[ngoshawk]

Excellent! Ike1985, I expect the unit to be fully burned in, by the time I receive it...

Congrats to all, again!

 

[Ike1985]

Initial impressions right around the corner, just waiting for my S7 Edge to return from repair (it'll be in tonight).  The pictures from my old iPhone 5 I'm using now are garbage.  I can say I am very impressed with the 99 Neo @ this price point.  Spectacular.  You'll have to wait for the rest!

 

[MezeTeam]

Hey guys,
 
We created the official Meze 99 Neo product profile here on Head-Fi. Check it out!
 
Now you can link all your reviews to this product page. 

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Hey guys,
 
We created the official Meze 99 Neo product profile here on Head-Fi. Check it out!
 
Now you can link all your reviews to this product page. 

 
Thank you! 

This will surely come in handy soon enough! 

 

[dweaver]

Something arrived today .

You will have to excuse my amateur photos...







Some physical and cosmetic stuff up front. I love the black finish with silver highlights. Anyone who loves a classic black headphone is going to love how this headphone looks. i know its Neo but damned if it isn't classic .

So are people who own the Classics going to feel ripped off? They shouldn't... The Classic is made of wood and has a more premium case and is well... even more classic. But if anyone has held off buying the Classic because they are not enamored with wood or wanted something a bit more affordable then the Neo is going to fill that hole.

I especially love the silver between the cup and the pads, it offers an excellent contrast and demarcation between the cups and the pads.

Cabling seems to be identical in construction to my Classics with the exception of being silver on all the connectors versus black and brass.

I am hearing subtle sonic differences between the headphones but will hold off on what those differences are at this time as I want to let the headphone break in for a while in case all I am hearing is the difference between a burned in set versus brand new. I also don't want to bias anyone with to much detail in an early impression.

 

[hemtmaker]

Are the cups larger?

 

[dweaver]

I have not been able to do an actual measurement of the cups with a ruler but looking at them side by side they appear to be the same size. But when I wear them the Neo seems to fit on my head a bit better. But this could also easily be the difference between worn pads and brand new ones.
 
Having a quick listen while typing this, lil bit o Led Zeppelin All of My Love followed by some Kansas Hopelessly Human damn these are sounding good...
 
I left them to burn in over night and have to head out so leaving them cook all day, they should have around 20hrs of burn in by the time I have chance to sit down and have another listen. I will do some A/B testing at that point and see if I am still hearing differences.

 

[dweaver]

OK finally had time to look for a tape measure. The new Neo Pads are about an 1/8" larger than the pads on my Classics which I believe are the larger pads. So the Neo appears to have a slightly bigger opening in the pads and I notice the difference when I wear them as they are more comfortable.

 

[dweaver]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I have allowed this pair to burn in with right around 24 hours of combined music and my own burn in files that consist of pink, white, and brown noise and other tidbits I have picked up over the years.
 
So I am going to take a couple of songs and do a comparison between the Classic and the Neo. I will leave the volume unchanged switching between the 2 headphones and will simply replay the songs in segments focusing on specific things and whether I hear differences and if so what they are.
 
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain - First 32 seconds of the song. The Neo has slightly more thump and body in the kick drum and the guitars are slightly more warmer sounding with less crunch. The 99 sounds thin in comparison but in some ways more articulate. I like both ways and the differences are VERY subtle. 2:30 to 3:15 of the song the 99 Classic has slightly more shimmery cymbals and the vocals are a bit brighter as well the bass guitar that cuts in at around 3:05 lacks a bit of authority though. The Neo on the other hand has slightly starker contrast between cymbals and the drums and vocals are slightly warmer and when the bass guitar kicks in there is more authority and weight to the guitar.
 
The differences are pretty subtle again may change as this unit burns in but my initial impressions are that the Neo has subtle differences in signature which are probably a result of slightly different materials or might very well be a deliberate tweak of the Classic 99 signature by Meze.
 
Beckah Shae - Rest (song with a pretty heavy Bass), Hmmm this song has a pretty deep electronic bass but surprisingly both headphones went about the same in depth and weight. Vocally the 99 classic was slightly brighter and similarly had a bit more shimmer. This seems to indicate the midbass of the Neo is slightly more boosted than the classic but they both have similar sub bass. At the 4:13 point in the song their is a simulated heartbeat section and the Neo definitely has more weight and presence and is also stronger contrast in the cymbal like percussion as well.
 
Hans Zimmer - Cornfield Chase - Intersteller, throughout the majority of this song there is a subtle deep bass that gains strength and urgency as the song plays. This bass presence is more evident in the Neo than the Classic.
 
Patricia Barber - Code Cool, this song has a heavy Double Bass beat contrasted with cymbals and fine drumkit work and Patricia's impeccable vocals. This bass is heavier on the Neo but also feels every so slightly more closed in. The drumkit work is more clear and shimmery on the Classic and vocals are slightly more airy and dry. I personally prefer the Classic ever so slightly for this song.
 
To my ears if the Neo does not change much more has a slightly more V shaped signature with a slightly bigger midbass hump that extends just enough to affect the midrange slightly giving it more warmth along with a small spike in the lower treble range where cymbals start.
 
Now I want to be clear here these differences are not massive and if I was not able to A/B test I would have a hard time pointing out these subtleties. So this may just be because this headphone is not broken in yet.
 
But if these changes stay the same this means there are subtle differences in the sonic signature between the Neo and the classic. So if someone owns the Classic or has heard it and wished it had a bit more oomph to it the Neo might be just the ticket for that person. Conversely if you absolutely adore the Classic sound you might find the Neo to be a bit to heavy and thick sounding. Personally I think the Meze team might be envisioning the Neo as a bit more of a road warrior with it's tougher cup material and the changes I am hearing are engineered to give a better listening experience in a slightly more noisy environment.
 
OK, now that I have discussed these subtle differences I am hearing. What do I think of the new Neo??
 
DAMN IF IT AIN'T ONE FINE PIECE OF KIT! I love how it looks, how it fits, and how it plays. It is an amazing headphone that is every bit as wonderful as the 99 which is work of art in my opinion. I love my Classics but would be just as happy owning the Neo as they both exude a level of sophistication physically and sonically. In fact their differences in appearance in MANY WAYS directly reflect the subtle differences in their sound...

This post contains my early impressions and comparison's between the Neo and the Classic. Don't open if you don't want my analysis and fan-boyism to affect your judgement... Otherwise go ahead and have a peak...

 

[FortisFlyer75]

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I have allowed this pair to burn in with right around 24 hours of combined music and my own burn in files that consist of pink, white, and brown noise and other tidbits I have picked up over the years.
 
So I am going to take a couple of songs and do a comparison between the Classic and the Neo. I will leave the volume unchanged switching between the 2 headphones and will simply replay the songs in segments focusing on specific things and whether I hear differences and if so what they are.
 
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain - First 32 seconds of the song. The Neo has slightly more thump and body in the kick drum and the guitars are slightly more warmer sounding with less crunch. The 99 sounds thin in comparison but in some ways more articulate. I like both ways and the differences are VERY subtle. 2:30 to 3:15 of the song the 99 Classic has slightly more shimmery cymbals and the vocals are a bit brighter as well the bass guitar that cuts in at around 3:05 lacks a bit of authority though. The Neo on the other hand has slightly starker contrast between cymbals and the drums and vocals are slightly warmer and when the bass guitar kicks in there is more authority and weight to the guitar.
 
The differences are pretty subtle again may change as this unit burns in but my initial impressions are that the Neo has subtle differences in signature which are probably a result of slightly different materials or might very well be a deliberate tweak of the Classic 99 signature by Meze.
 
Beckah Shae - Rest (song with a pretty heavy Bass), Hmmm this song has a pretty deep electronic bass but surprisingly both headphones went about the same in depth and weight. Vocally the 99 classic was slightly brighter and similarly had a bit more shimmer. This seems to indicate the midbass of the Neo is slightly more boosted than the classic but they both have similar sub bass. At the 4:13 point in the song their is a simulated heartbeat section and the Neo definitely has more weight and presence and is also stronger contrast in the cymbal like percussion as well.
 
Hans Zimmer - Cornfield Chase - Intersteller, throughout the majority of this song there is a subtle deep bass that gains strength and urgency as the song plays. This bass presence is more evident in the Neo than the Classic.
 
Patricia Barber - Code Cool, this song has a heavy Double Bass beat contrasted with cymbals and fine drumkit work and Patricia's impeccable vocals. This bass is heavier on the Neo but also feels every so slightly more closed in. The drumkit work is more clear and shimmery on the Classic and vocals are slightly more airy and dry. I personally prefer the Classic ever so slightly for this song.
 
To my ears if the Neo does not change much more has a slightly more V shaped signature with a slightly bigger midbass hump that extends just enough to affect the midrange slightly giving it more warmth along with a small spike in the lower treble range where cymbals start.
 
Now I want to be clear here these differences are not massive and if I was not able to A/B test I would have a hard time pointing out these subtleties. So this may just be because this headphone is not broken in yet.
 
But if these changes stay the same this means there are subtle differences in the sonic signature between the Neo and the classic. So if someone owns the Classic or has heard it and wished it had a bit more oomph to it the Neo might be just the ticket for that person. Conversely if you absolutely adore the Classic sound you might find the Neo to be a bit to heavy and thick sounding. Personally I think the Meze team might be envisioning the Neo as a bit more of a road warrior with it's tougher cup material and the changes I am hearing are engineered to give a better listening experience in a slightly more noisy environment.
 
OK, now that I have discussed these subtle differences I am hearing. What do I think of the new Neo??
 
DAMN IF IT AIN'T ONE FINE PIECE OF KIT! I love how it looks, how it fits, and how it plays. It is an amazing headphone that is every bit as wonderful as the 99 which is work of art in my opinion. I love my Classics but would be just as happy owning the Neo as they both exude a level of sophistication physically and sonically. In fact their differences in appearance in MANY WAYS directly reflect the subtle differences in their sound...

This post contains my early impressions and comparison's between the Neo and the Classic. Don't open if you don't want my analysis and fan-boyism to affect your judgement... Otherwise go ahead and have a peak...

Without spoiling the spoiler that is a good take on them both as I found similar experience from when I heard the Neos as two shows within the space of a week recently albeit in show conditions could hear subtle differences which made me have the same conclusion I liked both just as much in their own way and by no means with the Neo been cheaper offering with lesser exotic material used for the cups make it a lesser headphone.  I look forward to when I get to hear these in proper comfort and quite levels of home surroundings to been at a show but so far I was pleasantly surprised with my experience of the Neo with already owning the Classics. 
 
Cool report on the Neo effect anyway 

 

[Ike1985]

It's been a great 7 days with the Neo's, they'll ship out today to the next guy on the list. Enjoy!