My route to headphone bliss!


My story wouldn't have started at all if it wasn't for the crappy headband quality of my previous pair of headphones, the Focal Spirit Professional. After a 2nd pair cracked-up on me, believe me when I say I wasn't! Pity, because the sound was all I wanted in a headphone, or at least I thought that to be the case at the time. Comfort, on the other hand was bearable, certainly not in the same league as my Sennheiser HD558's but noticeably better than my Grado SR80's. I have to start by saying that my headphone requirements have somewhat changed since my early foray into head gear. I used to be of the opinion that closed back headphones were boxy sounding and lacking in "air" and soundstage qualities. That was largely true at the time(early 90's) and I went for the highly-rated and reasonably priced Grado SR-80's, which to my ears were dynamic and free-flowing in sound but also quite harsh sounding as well. About 4 or 5 years ago I picked-up the Sennheiser HD-558's for a bargain price(about £90 if remember correctly). These were so comfortable, very smooth sounding and their soundstage was excellent. Quite the opposite of the Grado's in fact but lacking dynamic expression. However, I was able to listen to them for hours on end in comfort, without my ears getting fatigued as they did with the Grado's.

So coming more up to date, a couple of years ago I decided that in a busy household I needed sealed headphones to keep sound both in and out for everyone's sanity. I had listened to the Bose QC25's, which were amazing for keeping out sound, but made me feel like I was on a train going through a tunnel at times. They also lacked clarity and refinement, so were out of the running. I went into a branch of GAK and checked out the Shure SR840(good value but harsh), Shure 940(very bright and lacking bass - these were on special offer and I could see why based on what I'd heard), Beyer Dynamic DT770(comfy but closed and muffled sounding to me), Audio Technica M50's(boomy bass and harsh treble). I also listened to the Sennheiser HD650's as a reference, just in case there is, in fact, something wrong with my hearing. Fortunately for me, these sounded great, even on an iphone, but being open cans, they were contrary to my headphone objectives. Onwards to Richer Sounds. I listened to the AKG 550's, which are highly rated by many publications. Good open sound for closed cans, but they were harsh in the upper midband and treble. Onto the Shure SR1540's. Incredibly well made and comfortable. Very smooth sounding(too smooth and a bit boring really), but with an elevated upper bass and treble in a "loudness button" fashion. Expensive too! The Oppo PM3's were very neutral and clean but unexciting to my ears. Probably didn't give these enough of a chance, but none of these cans compared to the Focal Spirit Pros! So after 2 years of headphone contentment from a sound point of view, if not comfort and build quality, I found myself in the market for headphones once again. Step forward the Meze 99 Classics! As I had done with the FSP's, I read many reviews to gauge the quality of sound and comfort, especially as there were no dealers within a sensible distance to audition. It would cost me almost as much in travel costs to audition as to buy, so I took a punt based on reviewers I have come to know and trust as having sound preferences similar to my own and ordered a Walnut/Silver pair of 99 Classics.


Comfort

As soon as I put these onto my head I knew the comfort concerns were not going to be a problem. My main concern would be with the earpads getting warm and they do a bit. However providing the ambient temperature isn't too high and you are not doing anything too strenuous they're not too bad. Head clamp force seems fine to me, although after the FSP's I was used to this and the 99C's are much nicer to wear. Not Sennheiser 558 comfort, but close enough. They are nice and light too!


Construction

After the Focal Spirit Pros, I could not bring myself to trust Focal's quality of construction again. So when I was looking into the 99 Classic's, the metal headband(even if it does ring occasionally when you go to scratch your head, it won’t snap in a hurry), wooden ear-cups(look and feel quality), kevlar cables(cable microphony isn’t a big deal to me) et al definitely had an influence on my purchase decision. Opening the box, surveying the walnut and silver finish, quality of fit and finish is first class. They are stunning to behold and every pair is unique to boot!




Sound

Straight out of the box, the bass bloats a bit and the treble is wispy and lacking in detail - all the usual qualities of a brand new set of cans really.

After a few hours things improved noticeably in the areas mentioned and I could clearly hear the potential of these cans.


On the third day with my new Meze 99 Classics. Sound-wise, the changes are more subtle now. I think the bass is a bit more solid but it still has a luscious warmth to it, which I am liking for the most part. My Focal Spirit Pros were more controlled throughout the bass region, but burn-in times are not on a par just yet so it's too early to say, although I think the bass warmth of the 99C's is here to stay. I'm not sure if I prefer it to the FSP's but it is a nice change after having got used to a particular sound signature for a couple of years, one that was punchy and extended, albeit slightly drier and more neutral in presentation. One area where I think the 99C's have improved is in what “Naimee's" would call P.R.A.T. which I guess falls into line with my previous comment about improved solidity in the bass region. I imagine this will be where the 40 hour burn in time comes into play - not there yet, but homing in rapidly. Reckon I'm on 25 hours now. The treble seems a little more incisive at this point, with a more natural decay to cymbals. Now I'm only listening via a Macbook Pro headphone output and I haven't hooked up my Firestone Fubar 4 headphone amp at this point, so it'll be interesting to see if this makes any difference at all(it certainly did with my FSP's but I'm not convinced it'll make such a difference with the 99C's).

I think the stand out sound point for me is the sheer sweetness and musicality of the 99C's, they are a lot more of an easy listen than the FSP's, unsurprising really as they are a studio monitoring headphone. Liquid comes to mind and at the moment I am loving it.


Day 4 - things have settled down across the frequency range now. Far less of the errant bass and treble of day 1, but the lovely, musical warmth the 99C's exhibit still shines through like a beacon. Been listening to some more rock today and another thing has struck me about the sound, the 99C's really shine when there is a distorted guitar sound. I guess the effect is akin to that of tube v solid-state amp and you fellow guitarists will know what I mean by that. There is something about the way distortion is rendered, in that it makes the music much creamier and more listenable. I often find the sound of distorted guitars to be a problem for headphones(and hi-fi equipment generally) in that there is often a glare to the sound that is harsh, making certain genres of music unpleasant to listen to. Now the 99C’s certainly aren’t perfect, but my hearing isn't and I'm not sure that ultra high end headphones would do a "better" job than the 99C's in terms of listenability. I am convinced that the slightly elevated bass warmth and possibly the wooden maple tonality may be the reason for this. Again, I have to stress that I am listening through the bare output of a Macbook Pro, so I'm sure the sound will notch up further when a dedicated headphone amp is used.

Something I haven't mentioned yet is the soundstage. Wow, for closed back headphones the 99C's are very good and that along with fairly good sound isolation means they are very practical for all kinds of situations. The sense of space instruments are given is fine indeed, not in a sterile, analytical way, but retaining the feeling of togetherness at all times and the focus on the emotion and performance of a song. Don’t get me wrong here, they are detailed enough, without being overly analytical.


So here we are just over a week in. I reckon I'm just past the 40 hour burn in point and I can speak more clearly about my impressions of the 99C's. The bass seems to be getting better as time goes on. Listening to "Forgotten places" by Alif Tree there is a pronounced double bass line which sounds wonderfully fluid and tactile without being boomy. This track would highlight bass inadequacies quite clearly and I'm happy that the drivers in the 99C's are subtly changing for the better. The bass has P.R.A.T. whilst remaining warm. The treble seems to have smoothed out and become more detailed as well. These headphones are so easy to listen to and yet they are not "easy listening" in their presentation owing to the vivacity and musical pleasure they convey. My first week has been immensely satisfying and I'm glad I didn't splurge on the B&W P7 wireless I'd auditioned in a shop the week before. These headphones are much better than those, sonically speaking, although the bluetooth convenience would have been nice.


Three weeks in and I'm not sure if my ears are deceiving me but I'm still hearing improvements in the bass. The tubbiness has largely gone, although the warmth is still there. Midrange performance seems to be better as well, although I think this may be because the bleed from bass region has reduced, bringing out the midrange qualities. Listening to James Brown’s classic album “In the Jungle Groove”, snare and drum hits seem to have more dynamic expression and those subtle shuffles that Clyde Stubblefield produces on the “Funky drummer” have more impact and separation than before. Charles Sherrell’s bass line is rich and mellifluous. Some people scoff at burn-in time on equipment - I beg to differ!


I am about 6 weeks into ownership of these cans now. I have been listening with my iPhone 5S, MacBook Pro headphone output and finally, my headphone amp, the Firestone Fubar 4 amp/dac.

The sound definitely steps up in definition and clarity through this amp, but the fundamental musicality of the 99C’s remains the same. What is nice is that I don’t really miss not having playback through a higher end source, which I thought might be the case when I finally got around to using a dedicated headphone amp. Having said that, one can definitely appreciate a better source - it doesn’t go un-noticed when it’s there.

Just sounding out my thoughts(pun intended), I’m amazed by how the 99C’s scale up or down without embarrassing the sound source. The quality of the recording matters, of course, but a lot of headphones are barely listenable on poor, compressed recordings - not the case with these. This is good news because I don’t feel the need to seek out the best recordings any more, which makes a lot of music more accessible now. This would not be the case with my Grado SR80’s, which would literally strip the skin off the inside of my ear drum on poor recordings that I can listen to quite comfortably with the 99C’s. Critics might say this is the transparency superiority of the Grado’s - say what you like, but if I can listen to music comfortably for longer, both physically and aurally, that is good news as far as I’m concerned.


At the 2 month point, I would say the 99 Classics have really settled in now, to the point where they are, to my ears, not going to change noticeably any more. They are not perfect sonically, but musically they are divine. I have continued to hear their sound attributes blossom. Whether this is still burn-in or me getting used to their sonic signature, I don’t know anymore. What I can say is that these are extremely enjoyable and sound exceptional for the money. Highly recommended, whatever your choice of music or means of playback, as a long-term investment in head-fi pleasure. Enjoy!

I have pasted a review I wrote a while back posted on Amazon - saved me saying all the same stuff again.
 
I've had these headphones for a few months now and so feel in a better position to comment on their merits, in my eyes(or should I say, ears) as they have been burnt in nicely and the headband/earcups have settled in. I have been so enamoured with their sound and comfort, I felt compelled to share this.

First of all, I was looking for some closed back headphones for a degree of sound isolation, as I'm often in an environment where sound needs to be kept in or out. The Focals are exceptionally good in this regard because their memory foam ear cups provide a good seal around my ears. I guess this will vary dependent on the size of your ears, but they work for my "average" size ears. They are obviously not going to be Bose QC25 standard for noise isolation, but they are no where near as "coloured" sounding and muffled as those cans either.

The Focal Spirit Professional cans are the least congested sounding headphones I've ever heard. Now I know that starting with a double-negative doesn't sound like the best way to describe the positive attributes of these headphones, but believe me, when you put these on after some others you will be surprised by the clarity and "see-through" ability of these cans. Now I've not listened to loads of headphones and certainly not headphones in the £500+ category, so I guess you'll have to qualify my comments with cans in higher echelon as I cannot speak from experience. However, given that most people will be spending well under £500, I hope I can make some relevant comparisons.
I didn't purchase my headphones from Amazon, but from Thomann and paid just over £150 for them.
Headphones I have owned or own are:
My main cans before I purchased the Focals were the open backed Sennheiser HD558 - you can get these on Amazon for £120 ish at the time of writing and so this puts them in a similar price bracket. Now when I got the Senns I was blown away by the soundstage, smoothness, comfort and what I thought at the time, clarity. I have always thought that open backed cans gave a better soundstage and up to this point that has definitely been the case, to my ears. Personally, I feel the Focals have an exceptional soundstage for closed cans and what they lack in "air" they make up for in precision. Dynamically, they are light years better than the Senns and tonally neutral and true to life. A lot of headphones I have heard in the past can only be described as harsh. The Senns aren't harsh, which I like, but it's only when you listen to something like the Focals that you realise that headphones tend to be harsh or veiled. The Senn HD558 are definitely veiled in comparison. My Grado SR80's are positively harsh in comparison - dynamic yes, but definitely harsh. On my auditioning journey, I listened to the AKG K550, greatly reduced in price and therefore a definite option given their closed back design. Unfortunately they sounded harsh and congested to my ears and were off my list as a result. Next up I thought I'd try the Shure SRH 1540. Now these are luxuriously comfortable and definitely not harsh in any way. However, they are close to £400 and I thought they had a boosted upper bass and treble, albeit with a nice soundstage and smooth sound - too smooth and slightly lacking in dynamics in my opinion though. I have also listened to the Shure SRH 840(great value, good sound for the money but still a little edgy) and the Shure SRH940(were on offer but I can see why - way too trebly and harsh to my ears with poor bass). Onto the Beyer Dynamic brand, T51i(on ear closed back - I really liked these and nearly bought them. Sweet musical sound and comfortable but I didn't want on ears), DT770(just sounded muffled to me). Audio Technica M50's(harsh and bass emphasis). Sennheiser HD650's as a reference(loved these but they are open backed so there'd be no point buying them given my requirements). There have been others but I forget. So, as you can see, I have tried a few en route. Now I bought the Focals on a bit of a punt, but only after a lot of research and reading of reviews, including those here on Amazon. There are few places to audition the Focal Spirit Professionals in store, so I found the best price at Thomann and bought them, thinking I'd send them back if they were crap!
I've still got them in spite of a few concerns about manufacturing quality(no problems so far) and comfort(some people complained of a high clamping force). They do take a week or so for maximum comfort as they do have a fairly high clamping force to begin with. Mine are fine now, either because I've got used to them or, more likely, they have loosened off somewhat with use.
Finally we get to the sound. Amazing clarity, neutrality, lack of congestion, great soundstage and instrument placement. The treble is smooth and detailed but not overly so. Bass is extended and very detailed but not woolly or bloated in the way "fashion" dictates how bass should be. Dynamics are exemplary - listening to percussive sounds on these is so addictive. They can sound a little dry or bland, I guess, with some recordings because they are none too forgiving of mixing quality or compression, but give them something well produced, they sound amazing. Piano is a great way of testing sound reproduction and nothing I've listened to come close to the reproductive qualities of the Focals when playing back piano sounds. I'm a big fan of Oscar Peterson's playing and his dexterity and touch come through with aplomb.
I have worn these headphones on journeys too and from social events and when people have tried them, on the whole, with the exception of people who don't care, weren't listening or are plain "deaf" to anything of quality, they have been blown away with the clarity of the sound these things produce - as have I.
For the money, they are in a different league from most of the competition around them and provided you are not into the heavily equalised, bass bloated sound of Beats headphones you might be pleasantly surprised. They are a sonic bargain of massive proportions!

Update to review above.
Sonically there is nothing to add, but I am on my 2nd pair because of a crack in the headband which forced me to return them.
New pair are fine for the moment but I don't hold out much hope for these in a year's time, so buyer beware in terms of construction quality.
If they go again I will be looking to another brand, which would be a pity, because these sound perfect to my ears.

Further update (Mar 2017)
My second pair have developed a crack in the headband as well. Sending them back and will be asking for money back this time. Pity because all my earlier comments re sound still apply.