Meze 99 Neo

I think it would be pretty fair to call Meze 99 Classics last year's sensation. Appeared early 2016, they quickly prove themselves being an excellent price/quality performer. Meze engineers decided to sustain those achievements and released a more affordable model.

First of all, I'd like to thank Meze for providing me a review sample in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Luckily, Meze doesn't have a big marketing department like some other companies do, so instead of "clipping" their flagship to create it's younger sibling, Meze merely tweaked Classics a little bit and released 99 Neo.

As usual, I'll try to make a part with box, accessories and design description as brief as possible.

Box has the same size as Classics one, but polygraphy is done in more "hi-tech" style, representing the shift in Neo's design. Inside there is a hard case with zipper, but this time it's done from nylon. In this case, you'll find headphones, cable, 6.3 mm adapter and "airplane" adapter with dual 3.5 mm mono jacks.

Design-wise Neos are absolute doppelgängers of Classics: same headband, same stylish casted details, same comfortable earpads, and head pad. The only difference is cups material, in Neo, they're made of qualitative ABS plastic with a pleasant texture. Other truly minor difference — model's name on the head pad. In theory, wooden cups of Classics should look more "luxurious" than plastic ones, but in practice, Neo looks as stylish as it's more expensive brother. Even more, if you're looking for a pair of headphones for street usage, Neo will be a better option as they are less conspicuous.

I must admit that 99 Neo are also comfortable and provide reasonable sound isolation (not superb, but good for almost all circumstances) and they are pretty comfortable (at least for me).

But let's move on to the most exciting — sound. The sound of this version is close to Classic's one, it's not surprising as Meze used same drivers, but cups materials causes a small difference in the form of a more forward upper mids.

Lows in Neo still has a charming accent in the mid-bass region. Deep bass is present but isn't so noticeable. Low frequencies aren't the fastest ones, but they don't sound bloated and boomy. Instruments separation and textures rendering are at a right level. Bass has a decent body and gives music a solid foundation, causing a bit darkened sounding but without the excesses.

Mids are very musical, and a bit smoothed, giving 99 Neos a hint of warmth. Microcontrast in this headphones is "reduced," so lovers of "hearing any tiny nuance" should look somewhere else, but the actual level of details is right. Simply put — all details of music is here, while different noises, recording imperfections and so on won't bother you. Small upper mids accent in 99 Neo causes a little less relaxed sound, compared with classics and very rare can sound a bit sharp (really, really rare and just a bit!). The imaginary stage is not bad for closed back headphones but can't compete with open models.

Treble range is absolutely the same as the 99 Classics', they are just as well developed concerning quality, but slightly subdued in attacks for general "non-fatiguing" sound. This treble fits well with the overall presentation of the model, providing a good balance of tonality, which is the main advantage of these headphones. The resolution of HF is better than average, but it does not reach the ideal but is magnificent for this price tier.

Meze 99 Neo sounds pretty good even with smartphones and tablets (besides those which sound totally sick), but they do benefit from good mid-level DAPs. Style-wise, these headphones are pretty universal, but keep in mind that over-compressed recordings will sound miserably with them.

To summarize, in my opinion, Neo is a no way worse then Classics both sonically and aesthetically, so Meze could easily ask for it same $310, but they've selected more affordable $250.

As usual, I've made a video with initial impressions.

Thank you very much to Meze for letting me have the new 99 Neo for a week as part of their world-wide loaner program. I wanted to hear the ‘Meze’ sound since the 99 Classics came out however I did not have a chance yet to try the original wood-cup version.

My daily driver is a NightHawk these days, connected to Chord Mojo. The 99 Neo was plugged in to Mojo for most of the time, and I will often refer to NightHawk as comparison even though these headphones are rather different, not playing on the same fields.



Package:
The 99 Neo is pretty impressive for the price in every sense. Here in the U.K. they cost around £200, and I have to say Meze does deliver for this money. The headphones come with a very nice, semi-hard and good sized carrying case and two non-tangling, good quality cables: a shorter one with built-in play/stop button and a long one for home use.



The headphones are well-built using good quality materials. I am not a big fan of plastic cups, would happily pay a little more for wooden ones, but they look and feel fine.



Interestingly there is no left or right sign on the headphones as they are completely symmetrical. The cable determines which cup will be the left and the right one. Unfortunately the L/R signs are hardly visible on the plugs, but you can decide which side is which if you look at the writing on the top of the headband.

Comfort:
Coming from NightHawk I am pretty spoiled regarding comfort. The 99 Neo are not uncomfortable, but I also wouldn’t say they are very comfortable. They are fine, won’t cause you any discomfort, however I couldn’t forget they are on my head and after 30-40 minutes it was a smaller relief to take them off and let my ears breath. (Or change for the NightHawks.)



I don’t think my head is much bigger than average, however I had to stretch the self-adjusting headband to its maximum. The only other headphones I experienced this small size issue were the HE-400s’s. They are still big enough for me, but someone with a slightly bigger head would struggle. My ears on the other hand are relatively small, and still they were touching the cups inside which I don’t particularly like.
Another small annoyance for me was that occasionally my hair stuck to the small screws on the headband tearing a couple of hairs out as I took the headphones off my head.



Sound:
The sound of these cans is quite impressive for the money. They sound big, fun and musical with plenty of bass. I have to say, I didn’t expect such a big sound from relatively small plastic cup closed back headphones. They were built for fun listening and probably beat pretty much anything in their category (closed-backs around £200) for this purpose. I definitely like them more than I liked the NAD HP50 or the Momentums.
Bass, especially mid-bass is a bit too much for my taste it is not always in line with mid and treble quantity, more about that later.
Interestingly the sound signature often reminded me for the Fidelio X2s, although those have a much bigger soundstage.



Being closed-back the soundstage of the 99Neo is not very big. It is quite narrow actually, with a pretty upfront presentation, far from being laid back. Spaciousness is ok for a closed-back, but I did experience a little ‘in the box’ feeling with the mids and treble. They are just not as airy as sound can be on semi-closed or open headphones, but that is not really a surprise.
Imaging is ok again for what it is, an affordable closed-back. Nothing really stands out, but also nothing is really lacking.
In my opinion the biggest difference between Meze 99 Neo and NightHawks is sound resolution. NightHawks being a category higher, offer far better resolution which translates to more details and clarity, much closer to a ‘lifelike’ sound presentation. Again, not a big surprise looking at the price difference and different design (closed back vs. semi-opened).



The Meze 99 Neo has a very warm sound signature, which I tend to prefer. It is about music and enjoyment rather than analytical detail hunting. Meze Neo was made for easy-listening. As I mentioned before this warm and musical sound comes with a pretty upfront presentation which can be too much after a while if someone prefers a more laid back sound. Not as aggressively 'in your face' as the Fostex X00s for example, but still very ‘bravely’ in the front line.



Treble is always clear enough, and the 99 Neo being warm sounding headphones are never harsh or piercing.
Mids are slightly recessed and bass is always plenty, occasionally a little bit overshadowing the lower mids. Bass is definitely the strength of these headphones, it is fun and enjoyable, however it is quite far from neutral which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
The 99 Neo is not a detail monster, won’t win hearts with extreme resolution and supremely clean and controlled bass. It is an affordable, musical closed-back headphone for music listening, and for the asking price it does its job pretty well. Overall sound is coherent, nothing is really missing. Mid-bass could be tamed down a bit, as it rules the sound too often, not always giving a chance to mids and treble to be present with the same weight.
Partly this is personal preference, but if someone prefers a more linear and balanced sound which is a bit closer to neutral, they have to look elsewhere.
Bass and treble extension is enough 90% of the time, but if someone is longing for the deepest bass notes to be as audible as the rest of the bass frequencies, they have to spend a little more money for headphones that can deliver that.



Meze 99 Neo is very easy to drive. It can easily be powered by a smartphone, and will deliver a good enough sound for most people however the improvement what an external DAC/amp like Chord Mojo brings to the picture, is quite significant. With other words, the 99 Neo scales well to its limits.

Finishing words:
I really enjoyed my time with these headphones. It is good to see that good quality (portable) audio is more and more affordable. The Meze 99 Neo is well worth its price, in case someone is looking for a musical closed back headphone. They are not perfect and for 1.5x or 2x of its price there is better sound available, however if your budget is limited to £200, with a very good chance you won't regret buying these.

INTRODUCTION:

Meze Audio is a high-end audio company based in Baia Mare, Rome, producing a wide range of audiophile grade headphones and earphones with high precision engineering. Their products are known for its warm sound with their handmade craftsmanship which brings the exquisite design language and premium feel to their audio gears. Their flagship product named Empyrean Phoenix is one of a kind and I hope their 99 neo will stand to their brand image.

SPECIFIACTIONS:

Transducer size: 40mm

Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz

Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW

Impedance: 26 Ω

Rated input power: 30mW

Maximum input power: 50mW

Detachable Kevlar OFC cable

Plug: 3.5mm gold plated

Weight: 260 gr (9.2 ounces) without cables

Ear-cups: ABS Plastic

PACKAGING:

The box is pretty big with the image of the headphone printed on the front with the specs mentioned on the back. The box is a slip on package and after opening a big carry case is placed and inside that the headphone is present. Along with the headphone there is a small carry pouch which has the 3.5mm terminated cable and 6.3mm gold plated jack is also present to use it along with high end amplifiers.

The carry case is built very sturdy and is a hard EVA pouch. It’s designed to accommodate the headphones accurately and can withstand some shock when dropped on the floor.

DESIGN:

Just beautiful! The 99 series are hand built and the design is not common. The headbands are designed in a way that we don’t need to adjust them manually to fit our heads. They get automatically adjusted by the use of elastic bands. Cast zinc alloy hardware with electroplated coating, stamped manganese spring steel headband, memory foam and soft PU leather are premium materials to be found here as well. As the Neo shares the DNA of the Classics, we guarantee that the 99's are serviceable if any parts ever need to be replaced.

The ear cups has the black textured finish which is very soft to touch and the all black theme with the hint of silver trim gives the sense of premium feel to the headphones.

FIT:

The ear cups are oval shaped and the pads are very soft. Even though they are soft they are shallow and not deep hence some might find the ears to be touching the driver every time. The pressure distribution is done well here where the total 260gm weight is nicely distributed all over the head. Even after wearing for long listening periods they is no sense of discomfort until you use them in a colder environment. With warm surroundings the pads gets warm very quickly and you can literally feel the warmness in your ears.

SOUND:

Meze is known for its warm sound signature which most people like and is done in this some good way.

Source:

iPhone XR + Apple 3.5mm lightning dongle

Since this is only rated as 26ohms and having higher sensitivity it is very easy to drive via the smart phone.

BASS:

The strong aspect of this headphone is the bass. There is enough quantity of bass with nice sub bass extension. The rumble in the sub bass and the slam in the mid bass region is felt evidently. Though the bass quantity is more the definition and the texture is slightly lacking. The bass some times over shadows the details and sounds muffled

In the bass light tracks they sound nice and good with good low end presence but when the bass heavy tracks starts playing the bass tends to gets muffled and bloated due to excessive mid bass compared to the sub bass. The slam of the bass over powers the rumble hence they feel slightly bloated when comes to busy tracks.

The overall weight is nice and good but the texture is what lacks and that extra refinement in the bass could have made this headphone a notch better.

TRACKS USED:

Anywhere I Am – Mats & Rvmor

The bass is really sweet here. The drums sound deep and can feel the low end rumble. At 2:10 the sub bass presence can be felt nice and very tight. The background instruments sounds muffled since the bass is excessive.

Tron Legacy – Overtune

Tron legacy soundtracks are the best tracks to test out the bass definition and the quantity. The bass is presented well in this headphone with good sub bass extension and the background details can be heard since the track is not a busy one. At 1:38 the sub bass strikes and it sounds sweet.

MIDS:

Since this being L shaped signature the vocals are slightly distant and not forward. Nevertheless they sound smooth and no harshness is felt. Both the male and the female vocals sounds smooth and has that body due to the mid bass presence

Since there is a good amount of mid bass the vocals sounds warm enough and gives the girth and body to the music which is a welcome package. As the track gets busier the excessive mid bass becomes a biggest con where they start to bleed into the mids. As long as the track never gets busier the mids sounds nice and sweet. For most part in my opinion this headphone handles the mids well.

Tracks Used:

Love Story - Taylor Swift

The vocal sounds smooth and well bodied. No peak or harshness is felt during my listening experience. At 1:04 as the track becomes very busier the mid bass struggles to cope up with the vocals, background instruments, they start to get muffled.

As for as the rest of the track goes they sound very nice and smooth. They are very nice for casual listening and fun listening too.

Believe in Life – Eric Clapton

The male vocal sounds nice and smooth with no harshness. They sound as natural as possible.

HIGHS:

The highs definitely smoothed out a lot. They sound fine for casual listening but if you are into analytical listening then this will not suit you. There is a roll off in the treble section and the brilliance in the high region is not good enough. People who are prone to sensitive highs will definitely love this headphone since it’s relaxed and smooth.

Tracks used:

Lonesome Lover – Max Roach

Here the trumpet doesn’t sound rich. They sound smoother but lack brilliance. The sparkle is missing and gives very relaxed listening experience.

Terry’s Song – Bruce Springsteen

The guitar strikes nice and sweet. The smoothness gives the sense of relaxed bed time listen which some people will definitely love it. Overall they sound nice but the bass being the dominant here some lack of details is seen. The harmonica sounds well bodied and smooth which is very nice for casual listening.

SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING:

The soundstage is average considering the closed back type. Overall a good staging and the background instruments are felt clearly. The deep bass impact creates that sense of expansive soundstage.

The width, depth and the height all are normal and not as big as open back headphones.

Tracks Used:

Hotel California

At the initial part of the track the guitar sounds sweet and the background instruments are separated out clearly. As the track continues they sound a lot sweeter and relaxed.

Hideaway – Jacob Collier

Has the same staging as a budget range in ear monitors. The instruments sound nicer and can be felt separately without any clubbing.

The imaging is also spot on. The object sweeps from extreme left to the extreme right.

Track Used:

Crossing – Yosi Horikawa

The movement of the auto can be felt nice where it moves side to side. Overall they have good imaging.

VERDICT:

Meze 99 Neo is a good sounding headphone with interesting design and fabulous craftsmanship. From the packaging to the end product they are done with high precision. The sound signature being L shaped will satisfy the needs of a casual bass head. They have nice warm sound with lush mids and average treble.

If you like the warm sound with good bodied vocals and a relaxed treble then this is really a gem considering the build and fit of it. They are well constructed with awesome fit. The retail price is 200 USD which is quite expensive considering the competitors providing planar and open back headphone but if you really admire the craftsmanship and the warm relaxed sound then this is the one to get in this price range.

Rating: 8
Sound: 7.8



Intro
MEZE always has the ambition to combine design and sound, so that their products not only functionally provide what they are made for (music playback), but also an aesthetic claim behind it.
Since I rather value the functional aspect, I often complain that this part comes too short with some manufacturers and then you have a headphone sparkling in the sunlight with unique hand paintings of Native Americans, but in the best case can also hold a tin can or a shell to the ear, where then the "sea noise" still sounds more natural than from the extravagant work of art.
For my taste, MEZE usually finds quite a good mix, even if the SOLO (IEM) could not fully convince me sonically, as well as the 99 NEO.
The 99 NEO is the successor of the 99 Classic and enriches the company's portfolio with a warm, bass-heavy and relaxed sound, which, however, brings enough energy to make the L-signature musical and lively.



Handling
The 99 NEO is not only visually very appealing, it also does not show any weaknesses in terms of workmanship. The only weak point might be the ear cup's attachment to the headband, but that's more of a haptic "weakness" than the materials would give in.
The ear pads could be a bit larger and deeper, but the padding is extraordinarily comfortable, even if it rests slightly on the (large) ear. Other pads (e.g. those of the Brainwavz HM5) provide a remedy here.
Even though I am very sensitive especially with the padding of the ear cups, for example, if my ear bumps against the inside or the pads do not completely enclose my ear, I have no major problems with the NEO even after hours, except for a slight feeling of pressure. The headband automatically adjusts to the shape of the head with rubber grippers and distributes the 260 grams (which also makes the 99 NEO lightweight) evenly across the skull.

The scope of delivery includes a robust, fabric-covered cable with microphone and remote control, which is connected to the left and right of the headphones via mono jack (3.5mm). In addition, there is an airplane as well as 6.3mm adapter and a small fabric box for the cable. All this incl. the 99 NEO is in an attractive hardcover case.

With 103 dB at 26 ohms, the 99 NEO plays extremely effectively and also without problems on the smartphone.
The isolation, on the other hand, could be a bit better, at least in terms of sound emission to the outside world. Direct neighbors can sense music on the bus or train even at moderate volumes and certainly sing along at slightly higher levels if they know the song. However, the isolation to the inside is quite good when the music is playing.



Sound
Bass
The NEO actually offers me exactly what I expected in advance. A musical and full sound. This is primarily due to the bass, which clearly wears the pants on the NEO. Unfortunately, it sometimes lacks the necessary precision and firmness, so that it sometimes grumbles grumpily instead of hitting hard. Actually, a bit of a pity, since this fact is the only serious point on my list of shortcomings of the NEO, respectively runs like a red thread through the signature, together with the somewhat limited stage dimensioning. Nevertheless, the bass does a good job overall, as it is not outrageously overloaded or overpowering despite the clear elevation.
Somewhat more neutral and colder music sources are recommended here in combination, since warmer ones could thicken the bass even more. However, it is always fun due to its powerful punch and it can also present finer passages without too much exuberance. In addition, it has an appealing sub-bass response if you cut back the upper range a bit with the help of an equalizer.

Mids
The mids are equally relaxed as they are detailed. Musicality is certainly the keyword here as well. However, they are warmed up a bit too much by the bass, especially when music provides a lot of "boomy" upper bass. In general, bass guitars are a bit too fat and boomy. This detracts somewhat from the overall performance of the mids, although it depends on the genre and mastering here. But the problem is more the interaction of the upper bass with the lower mids, which makes some things sound too fat and emphasized. I would wish for a bit more directness and firmness there. Towards the top, the mids clear up well and have a lively character. Voices sound a bit too warm, but still authentic.
If you like very physical mids that can still score with a good range of detail and transparency, especially with less bass-intensive music, you might find what you're looking for here. To me, however, they are a bit "hollow" at times. Garishness or other nasty peaks are not discernible.

Trebles
The treble blends in with the relaxed, warm and softer sound of the 99 NEO. They lack a bit of bite and certainly some brilliance, but they still don't necessarily lack liveliness. They shouldn't pull back much more at all, otherwise the 99 NEO would slip into absolute darkness. So they more or less keep it alive. Sibilants or unpleasant harshness are a foreign word for the NEO. Even if cymbals could like to sound a bit more grippy and it sometimes gets thinner in the treble, I can't complain about the variety of information. However, you have to listen a bit closer so that you don't miss anything.

Stage
The stage won't make you tip backwards from your chair, because it has more of a studio character than live event feeling. On the other hand, it is just as well positioned in terms of depth as it is in terms of width, even if there are limitations in both cases.

Imaging
The imaging can convey a good 3D image due to the good utilization of the individual axes and an appealing breakdown to different layers, if the songs were produced that way. However, the bass ensures that the finest blade is not unpacked in the separation, as it sometimes acts a bit growly. However, instruments and details can be located well, even when things get hectic.



Outro
Unfortunately, I have no comparison to the MEZE 99 Classic. However, I can deduce from MEZE's own advertising that the 99 NEO will not necessarily meet the taste of those who already found the Classic too bass-heavy. Even if optics and sound are not necessarily connected, the appearance of a headphone can already give an indication of the expected sound, especially if the design is deliberately used as a support by the manufacturer.
The 99 NEO looks robust and powerful to me (especially due to the headband and the silver brackets). Like a warrior that always attacks in the dark.
For me, this is also directly reflected in the warm and rather darker sound, which is nevertheless quite musical and despite its physical character does not seem oppressive.
I would still wish for a bit more bite and firmness, especially in the basement, but the NEO is for me a good example of how a harmonically tuned L-signature can sound, albeit a bit too relaxed for my taste. Despite the bass emphasis, mids as well as highs still have enough room to breathe and the audiophile demand does not come up short. For me, it performs consistently in a good range within the targeted signature over the entire frequency range. However, a few dB less in the bass can work wonders.

MEZE
___________________________________________________________
More reviews: CHI-FIEAR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHIFIEAR/

~::I first published this review on The Headphone List. Now share it with my Head-Fi fellows::~

:: Disclaimer ::
Meze provided the 99 Neo free of charge in exchange for my honest review, for good or ill.

The Meze 99 Neo sells for $249
www.MezeAudio.com
_________________________________

I received an alert from Joker: Meze had offered The Headphone List a review unit of their newest spawn, the Neo. Did any of us care to tackle it? Quick on the draw, I was. The 99 Classics is currently my preferred portable over-ear. In fact, I wrote such a thorough, flattering review, Meze felt certain I had been part of the original tour. No Meze, I was merely doing what I do, celebrating exceptional equipment. The 99 Classics’ signature resonates perfectly with my tastes, and is one of my favorite things to listen to, at any price range. I simply adore it.

So I was eager to get my hands on their Neo variant. I expected… well, I don’t know what I expected. On paper, it seemed like Neo was nothing more than a plastic-cupped version of the 99C. But I don’t know of any headphone company which does that. When a manufacturer releases a new unit, and gives it a new name, they almost always retune the thing, if for no other reason than to appeal to a new segment. The broader the range of flavor on offer, the broader the potential customer base.

I just didn’t know what the Neo would be. It could go either way.

Everything about the Neo proclaims its new flavor. It isn’t Rocky Road to the 99C’s Neapolitan. Nothing so extreme. Rather, it’s Double Fudge Brownie to 99C’s old-school chocolate. Richer, chewier, and more adolescent.

You can see this even in the carry case. Meze didn’t have to redesign the case. Why would they? But they did it anyway, as a statement: Neo is not Classic. The case is neither better nor worse than the old one. It’s just different. Both are beautifully crafted and a great way to carry these phones about.

The cable has been redesigned. Though, I think that is for the whole 99 line, not just Neo. The lower-portion of the cable is still covered in a nice cloth, but now, after the Y-split, the cord is sheathed in rubber. I think this is meant to reduce microphonic vibrations. Whatever the reason, the cable was well-made before, and it’s well-made now.

Just as the 99 Classics before it, the Neo is highly comfortable. The clamp force holds them secure, and the pads keep things soft and easy. I have no trouble wearing them for long hours at a time. Due to the plastic cups, Neo is a touch lighter, and will prove even friendlier for those long listening sessions.

Neo is using new pads. When the 99 Classics first released, they had small pads, which garnered more complaints across the web than anything else… by far. So Meze released new pads to go on their next batch. I have those larger pads, they came with my 99C. Yet Neo’s pads are bigger still. They’re wider, and deeper.

Certainly, these new pads play a role in what I hear. How much of a role, is hard to say, so we shall take on this challenge now.


Let’s not mince words here. The Meze 99 Neo is warm and profoundly bassy. Folk complain about the Classics’ low-end being too exaggerated. Well, crap just got real. The bass dominates everything else about these headphones. Fortunately, the lows are possessed of lovely tonality. There is a textured, chasmal feel about them. It’s huge, it’s thick, and it colors every goddamn thing.

Things like the vocals. I would never have called the mids on the 99C “lush”. But they’ve crossed that line with Neo. They aren’t as clear and vibrant anymore. They are thick, extremely smooth, and mighty warm. Yet there is still more than enough detail and articulation to paint a lifelike image. If you’re a fan of the HD650, you may fall in love with Neo’s vocals. They are a deep, soothing bowl of oatmeal on a cold day.


After some proper burn-in, the highs have finally come out to play. I no longer believe they’re rolled off, which was my first impression. Indeed, Neo has some lovely sparkle up top, with delightful extension. It’s not quite on the same level as the 99C, but close. I cannot express how paramount this is for Pinky’s enjoyment of these cans. Not because I’m a Treblehead, but rather that indomitable bass threatens to choke the whole presentation, and the treble brings a much-needed balance. It lets in the sun and the air, clearing out some of the stuffiness.

Blessedly, Neo is just as capable in the soundstage as the 99C, being one of the widest and deepest closed-back headphones on the market. Ok, it might have taken a little hit, but not much. These things create a grand sense of space. Instruments are well defined and positioned with good accuracy. Resolution is above average, but not jaw-dropping. What impresses me is how much air and layering there is, given the heavy-handed sub frequencies.

Even though most of this review has been a comparison to the 99 Classics, let’s take a paragraph to condense the differences.

The Meze 99 Classics are clearer. Greater detail comes through. The treble glistens more, giving superior air to the stage. Things don’t sound so excessively thick, as the bass is not trouncing over everything else. Instead of lush, the vocals are transparent and realistic. The soundstage is a hair bigger, though both are excellent.

I have marked a few physical differences, which might account for some of the disparity, beyond the wood/plastic of it all.


The earpads are deeper, and wider on the Neo. And as I mentioned earlier, I already have the improved 99C pads.


While my 99C does not have a damper glued to the front of the driver, it does have thicker material in the pads themselves, which should have much the same effect.

What does it all mean? *** if I know. Meze changed so much it’s hard to track. The bottom line is these two headphones don’t sound the same.

AudioQuest’s NightOwls are nearly three times as much as Neo. But since I don’t have many closed-back headphones, and I’ve really been crushing on these lately, why not do a comparison?

The NOs are cleaner. More liquid. That low-distortion AQ advertises is indeed audible. It’s weird how little grain or blemishes come through. The bass goes into the deepest registers, and can just hold it there, without pounding or booming. Its sub-bass doesn’t sound like drivers generate it, but rather like it simply exists. It’s the most natural low-end I’ve heard outside of the LCD-2. And it’s not too exaggerated, either. More like the 99C instead of Neo.

Those lows don’t bleed, either. While the vocals have a lush flavor, they are brilliantly detailed and clear. You get superior separation and layering than either Meze can manage. A level of refinement is conveyed by the NightOwl which elevates it beyond lesser options. Sweet Jesus, these are an elegant set of transducers.

Even after something like 60-70 hours of burn-in, NO’s treble is not as shimmery as Neo. It takes a little time to adjust to the darker tone. Once you do, the highs show themselves to be well-extended, soft as silk, and without any unnatural peaks. They remind me of the 64Audio U12 in this aspect. You have to sacrifice a little bit of brightness for the magic. If you can accept that, you get to enjoy a special treasure.

Soundstage is grander on all levels. Imaging and resolution don’t get much better than this. As one might infer from the price, NightOwl is on another level.

One of the best comparisons to make is the Sennheiser/Massdrop HD6XX (Special edition of the HD650). Neo has more bass, by a not-insignificant gap, yet the tuning has the same warm/lush quality. In spite of one being open-back, and the other closed, they feel cut from the same cloth. The lows on the HD650 are tighter, with superior texture. Meze goes deeper, though, with real sub-bass. Neo’s treble possesses more bite, whereas HD6XX is an easy, laid-back listen. The mids are alike in so many ways, with detail, prominence, and clarity awfully close. I may have to give it to Neo for soundstage, whereas imaging and separation are of a higher quality on the Senn.

Due to the open nature of the HD6XX, and its balance, you get a sense Sennheiser is a friend who loves you. Neo, on the other hand, is constantly kicking you in the stomach with bass, and flicking your nipples with treble. Only you will know which excites you more. I judge not.

Because of the Neo’s propensity for bass and warmth, I recommend a player that is as neutral as possible, or at least one that does well in the treble and has strong, clear mids.


My Opus#2 makes a great pairing with Neo. On its own, the Opus#2 is just slightly on the warm side. But it has outstanding dynamics and treble presence. There is tremendous body to the notes, and WAY more driving power than you’d ever need for the new Mezes. It’s also the widest sounding DAP I’ve heard, so Neo gets to stretch out to its fullest. You won’t easily find a smoother, more natural renderer than Opus#2, which gives Neo all the ingredients to become its best self. It’s very hard not to fall for these headphones when plugged into this music player.

Cayin’s i5 is a rather warm, thick DAP, with extreme bass presence. While it’s not a disaster for Neo, it does take it even further in the direction I’m trying to avoid. Nonetheless, I found myself digging this pairing. There’s something about rich, powerful musicality that defies prejudice. Is it my favorite signature? No. But I can’t deny it has its charms. And an ample supply, at that.


The Opus#1 is my choice for best mid-fi audio player. With Neo, it brings in more air, giving a better sense of space and separation. The highs are nice and glistening, the mids are more vivid, and there’s solid kick down low. The Opus#1 is amazingly neutral, without ever being cold or analytical. It’s the best version of neutral, where everything shines, due to exquisite dynamism. I’ve said it before, this DAP brings out the best in every headphone, no matter the profile, and Neo is no exception. Opus does an admirable job balancing this bottom-heavy gorilla.

The new Cayin N3 is currently in my possession for testing. It’s only seen around twenty hours of burn-in. So much might change as the days roll by. Right now, however, it gives Neo a thin, weak sound. Warm, but not much going on at either end of the spectrum. It’s quite lifeless right now, with a tiny, boxed-in stage. Let us hope the N3 will open up with time.


Even my pathetic Galaxy S6 gave Neo a FAR better spring in its step. Together they sound… okay. Get well-loud. Plenty of energy. But, this is not a great smartphone for audio quality. I suggest you choose a different one, or better yet, a nice DAP.

So that’s the Meze 99 Neo. Pinky is fond of these headphones. They are a terribly fun listen. Too much bass! For sure! Give me the 99C any day of the week. Yet Neo is decidedly sweet nonetheless, and knows how to delight a fellow. There’s no way around it, Neo’s got the goods. Coming from Meze, I’d expect nothing less.

-~::Pinky_Powers::~-

Meze 99 Neo headphone review by Musicday



I would like to say a big thank you to Meze Romania, especially to Mr. Lorand that was kind enough to provide me free of charge a review unit of the relatively new 99 Neo headphone in exchange of my honest written review.



Introduction:


Meze Audio is a company from Romania who design and produces high quality headphones and IEMs at affordable prices and they have a great success among audiophiles and anyone who love to listen to music on headphones around the world. Their current flagship Meze 99 Classics was introduced to the market late 2015 and it was a huge success.

Meze 99 Neo is based on the same philosophy and concept of 99 Classics with great build quality while the price was reduced and that make these headphones more affordable for anyone wants a great headphone and have a limited budget.

At the time of writing this review Meze 99 Neo price on Amazon.uk is £220.19



Box and accessories:



The headphones have arrived in a well packed box and their own box feels smooth and doesn't betray the relative affordable price.




In the box we find 1.2 m long Kevlar reinforced cable for extra durability. The headphones are very well built and will last you a long time.



They can also can make a very nice present to your loved ones.




Specifications

Transducer size: 40mm

Transducer Type: Dynamic Neodymium / Mylar

Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz

Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW

Impedance: 26 Ohm

Rated input power: 30mW

Maximum input power: 50mW

Detachable Kevlar OFC cable

Plug: 3.5mm gold plated

Ear-cups: ABS Plastic

Weight: 260g (without cable)




For the retail price of 99 Neo what’s included in the box quite nice. The hard case to store your headphones is nice and offer protection. Also there is a small velvet like pouch to store your cable when not in use.
A 3.5 mm-6.3 mm adaptor is included and an airplane adaptor.



Comfort and usage :



Having a low impedance and high sensitivity makes them very easy to drive, straight from your mobile phone or laptop. But i recommend a powerful music player or a DAC for best results. They weight only 260 gr without cable and they are very comfortable to use, but unfortunately after a long listening time my ears got warm and pause was needed. More likely leather earpads had to be sacrificed to keep the cost down.







Music players used :



I have used when listening to 99 Neo the Tera Player, Shanling M2s and Chord Hugo 2 DAC paired straight to my laptop.







Sound impressions:



Tera Player with 99 Neo paired sounds good with warm and detailed texture, with punchy bass. The soundstage is not as opened semi opened headphones but it does a good job for a closed back headphone at this price point. I suppose the high impedance of the Tera Player didn’t help too much in this test.



A better pairing was with Shanling M2s. This player has enough power to drive 99 Neo load and clear. Mids are smooth and clear and both male and female vocals are well reproduced. I find this headphone to be a bit bright for my taste but the treble is detailed and extended. From my understanding Meze Audio recommend that the headphones need to be burned in for around 40 hours for the sound to open up and stabilize.



Foreigner: To know what love is being a good example of male vocals, and the higher mids clarity. Isolation is better than average for this type of headphones and there was no sound leakage when playing music next to someone.





When using Chord Hugo 2 things started to improve dramatically especially the clarity and the micro details that this headphone is capable of when paired with high quality gear. Is a pair that i have enjoyed using, being listening to music or watching a movie. 99 Neo offers more than one can expect at this price point.

I am glad that Meze Audio came along to decrease the gap between affordable good sounding headphone and expensive headphones.



Final words and conclusion:



Meze Audio created another fine headphone in 99 Neo. Is nearly up there with the 99 Classics flagship at a lower price. Once again has been proved that in the low end headphone market you can still get very good headphones, still affordable that sound more then they cost. You need to give them a try and hear yourself but at the retail price IMHO there is not much to ask for.
Well done Meze Audio !

Meze 99 Neo Headphones Review - Expatinjapan

Meze 99 Neo review

Meze 99 Neo and Opus#3 dap

https://www.mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/99-neo

`A fresh take on the 99 series for the uptown audiophile, 99 Neo brings together Meze Audio’s signature sound quality with cutting edge style.` - Meze website

Head pie has previously reviewed the Meze 99 Classics:
http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/08/meze-99-classic-headphone-review.html

A headphone which we love and has a strong fan base.
let us see how the newer Neo measures up when compared.



Build and unboxing



The Meze 99 Neo packaging echoes the 99 Classic packaging.
The Meze 99 Neo packaging echoes the 99 Classic packaging.
The Meze 99 Neo packaging echoes the 99 Classic packaging.




Meze 99 Neo and CEntrance Hifi-M8


Some specs for that special someone who likes specs and stuff.




Repeating the name so it gets embedded in your consciousness.
99 Neo, 99 Neo, 99 Neo...




99 Neo! By Meze! Designed by Antonio Meze.


Its a box, Jim!


Ooh, nice hard ass case to protect your precious goods whilst commuting or traveling across the world. But we all know you will just hang them around your neck to look cool.


Whats in the soft circular pouch? Is it a tiny cat hat?




Exquisite detailing. Each piece specially designed to be replaceable If the need arises.




Those cups. Smexy styling for the audiophile about town.


As an earlier review unit my headband lacks the 99 Neo logo that the final version will have.
Buuurnn for Head pie *sad face*


Ah there we go, a detachable cable for the 99 Neo.
When you just want to look cool, hang em around your neck without the cable and tell everyone they`re bluetooth.




Bits and pieces of my broken heart, mind and soul.
Oops, my mistake. included bits and bobs of fancy.
*The retail version will not include the longer cable or airplane adapter. Buuurn for you this time.



Sound.
As expected there is the obvious question of what is the difference between the two models?
The 99 Classic and the 99 Neo. Looks, material and sound in a nutshell.
Some will buy based on looks alone, one crowd preferring the natural and smexy wood finish of the 99 Classic, the others perhaps more cyber urban preferring the sleek black look of the modern commuter or inner city cyber punk.
Regardless one can`t be disappointed with either of these headphones by Meze. Like their earphones which echo the headphones look on a smaller scale having both would be ideal to match ones mood on any given day.
As usual I burned in the headphones for a a decent amount of hours before commencing on the review to keep the believers and non believers alike happy.
I used FLAC tracks of 16/44 mostly, and usually on a random shuffle mode. Daps employed for the purpose were the ipod touch 6G, iBasso DX200, Opus#1, Shozy Alien Gold and Opus#3.


Meze 99 Neo and Opus#1 dap.
Can`t got wrong with The Ramones!
Not a fan? GTFO!

The Meze 99 Neo differs from its predecessor in its cup change, from wood to black ABS plastic.
The sound differences happily echo the experiences I had with the 12 Classic and 11 Neo earphones.

Please see the earlier Head pie reviews:
Meze 12 Classics http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2017/03/meze-12-classics-review-expatinjapan.html
Meze 11 Neo http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/10/meze-neo-11-gun-metal-review.html
One expects a certain sonic signature difference from wood versus plastic, whilst this is most certainly true with these two headphones the valley between them both isn`t so wide. They share much in common as the general specs reveal.


Meze 99Neo and iBasso DX200. A bit of the sultry Lana del Rey.

Lets take a look back at the Meze 99 Classics
http://headpie.blogspot.jp/2016/08/meze-99-classic-headphone-review.html

`Vocals: Neither too forward nor recessed the vocals on the Meze 99 Classic hit the sweet spot for me.
Bass: A slight slow decay is present, but overall is fast enough to please with most music.
Mids: As with most woodies the mids play an important part in the overall presentation, not overly warm as such, more on the liquid side of things rather than a deep lushness. fairly neutral and dynamic with a quick decay.
Treble: It is clear and offers the detail one expects, it veers away from being extended to the point of harshness or sibilance and is pleasing to the ears. It reaches far enough for a good balance with the bass and the mids, each not over stepping their individual bounds.

Instrument separation: Good separation, not crisp as such with a slight smudging at times. Overall very good.
Sound stage: A decent soundstage that feels larger than my head, good instrument placement.`


The Pixies, one of the groups along with The Smiths who redeemed the 80s.

And now lets look at the Meze 99 Neo
Vocals: nice and balanced with the music, not too forward nor back overall (mens vocals can be slightly forward at times), very smooth and even.
Bass. Is tight and fast. At times deep and with a punch to it.
Mids: Quite lush, present and defined. Very clear and smooth.
Treble: It is not as stretched as I would imagine it might have been. But is more than satisfactory. It has a nice reach. It balances out the overly dark leaning sound signature and is its saving grace.

Separation: Is crisp and well defined. Individual instruments are
are differentiated from each other.
Sound stage: It is above medium. It is a closed headphone so there are some limitations, but this didnt interfere with any enjoyment. Sound stage is more outside ones head, rather than inside it.

It has a bit of a xXx signature at times, a bit of a lil something extra in the mids. at other times a XXx signature depending on what music is being fed to them.


Meze 99 Neo and iBasso DX200
`Laaaana` - ABC Warriors.



Value
Slipping in at a easy to digest US$249 - US$300 the Meze headphones are certainly an affordable entry point to high end sound, and high street looks.
Build quality is immaculate. And If not, If per chance any part fails all the parts are replaceable.


99 Classic versus the 99 Neo visually.


A comparison of the packaging between the Meze 99 Classics and 99 Neo.


Meze gave me a woody.


Old and new pads.
The new pads have a larger circumference and fit more comfortably over a more varied size of ears, also they are slightly thicker/higher.








Simply stunningly gorgeous in looks and sound.


The 99 Neo has some a dampener, the newer 99 Classic also have the dampener over the headphone speaker....mine does not `insert sad face emoji`. So whilst my comparisons may be `close enough`, perhaps they aren`t exact due the lack of dampeners.



Overall
The Meze 99 Neo are a great complement to its older sibling the Meze 99 Classic and both echo the sonics of the earphone series which also match up wood against synthetic materials.

Isolation is very good, so its handy for about town or commuting.

Slight micro phonics with the cable, but not really noticeable unless one is jumping about.

They are very easy to drive at 26ohms which is less than the 99 Classics.

I found the 99 Neo performed well when fed to the Opus#2 , but very much enjoyed them when paired with the more neutral Opus#1 which tamed some of the low end.

There isnt much between the Neo 99 and the 99 Classics being fairly near identical in build.

The 99 Neo has more bass, but not in a bass head sense, and also more mid heavy. Not to mention the obvious cup difference

It seems to handle most genres well, and my usual shuffle test rendered no complains, its a good all rounder as head phone.

I recommend a more neutral dap to pair with the 99 Neo to bring out its best.

I could listen to Mazzy Star for instance for hours with these headphones.

Smexy, stylish, superb lows and super smooth highs and vocals.



Thank you to Meze for sending Head pie the Neo 99 headphones for review

Meze 99 Neo
I've reviewed their Classic, and appreciate Meze letting me review this model. Stay tuned for comparisons.

Background
I'm a lifelong musician, live and studio sound engineer, always with heavy duty earplugs. Often the only one in my band wearing them, but then, I've retained my unusually sensitive hearing because of it. I've tried too many headphones and in-ears to list. I'll refer to what I've tried where it's relevant in the review, to keep it simple. I've got some I'm happy with now, but I'm never tired of trying new things, so it brought me to these headphones.

What I Look For
I prefer warmer headphones, full lower mids, flat mids, reduced high mids. More than a moderate mid bass bump bothers me, and sub bass rarely extends low enough in most quality cans I'll try. I'll say "quality" since there are plenty that are explosive down there, but often at the expense of everything else. Some have said you can't have all frequencies well represented, but enough come close to this, so I know this can be done.

Common Issues
Fit has had me reject 80% of what I've tried. I much prefer over-ear. It's hard enough to get an over-ear to go over your ears (Senn. Momentum 1 for example and Momentum 2 isn't much better). My ears are fairly flat but learger around, proportional to being 6'5". My head is also, triple X hat size. Most companies could fit larger heads, with just an inch more band extension, but only some seem to take that into consideration.

Design and Comfort
These arrived well package and designed. Nice solid case and aesthetics. Very light yet sturdy. The plastic replacing the Classic's wood is sturdy, and not inclined to fingerprints. Still, I'm more into the sound aspect (and the fit, naturally). The band auto-fits easily, though like many w/ this style on me, they tend to contract when worn and have to be pulled back down sometimes. The design seems to allow some flex to fit better.

Fully extended they reach my ears but press on the top of my head. The pressure at the top of the cups that I had with the Classic is not there now. You'll see in pictures I slipped the band on top of the metal hoops to make more room. Pads are better, still not quite deep enough. As pictured, I'd put on Audio Technica MSR7 pads, perfect fit perfect, more space for ears, and sound. I'll go into that in more detail further into my review.

Sound Quality and Ideas
A bit warmer vs Classics and I prefer that. That Meze treble magic that no other company has pulled off. Clarity without any lack of detail, yet no audible peaks and no fatigue, even for one as sensitive to treble as me. This is their strongest point. There is still a bit of mid-fi quality, but that's not a bad thing. For their price, they are among the best. Many long for a "closed HD650 (now 660s) with more bass and air" and these are that.

The high mids are just right, blending with the highs perfectly. Another big win. The true mids (roughly 500 hz to 2 khz) are close to flat but with a pleasing bit of low mid warmth the Classic didn't quite have making them enjoyable, without a hard sound, yet you feel like you are missing nothing. Like the highs, they do this better than almost everyone else I've heard. A sound you can trust for accuracy, but is easy on the ears. Nice work.

The lower mids are not lacking, the Classic did a bit. There is a bit of a buildup here, and in the higher bass, evident on some recordings. That bugs me. My headphone earpad swap (to AT MSR7 pads) got rid of that as they added spaciousness, treble detail (without fatigue) and no loss of bass (rare with a pad swap) or maybe even a touch more sub bass. Low mids are a 6-7 stock, and a 9-10 with the MSR7 pads. Yes, it's that good.

Mid bass is nice with the right amount of boost. It has a bit more than the Classic, but till within an ideal range. Not for purists and not the "fastest" thing, but very pleasing. The fun goes lower (to my ear at least) than the Classic that rolled off under 40 hz. These don't roll off until under 30 hz with useful sub info at / below 20 hz. Graphs don't show this improvement though, in fact they show the Classic with the same or more extension.

How They Make This Better
Consider an easily removable pleather padded band vs. what is clamped on, as larger head folk like me can get by with just the outer metal hoop wires. They can be gently bent to fit even better. Their light weight, even lighter without that band, means no padding is no problem when the weight is spread out, with those two flat bands, which could always be wrapped in some thin padding, if needed. That would not be any issue for me.

Meze, please consider buying Audio Technica MSR7 pads. Test them, and develop your next pad based on that. They slip into the groove and fit perfectly. Images show the same depth - but the less rolled off interior means it helps the cups sit a bit farther out to fit ears better. The better stereo depth and width, cleaning up low mids / mid bass, no loss of subs and better treble clarity (with no extra treble level) is a worthwhile goal.

A word on the Audio Technica MSR7 ear pads. These are not as comfortable as the Meze stock pads which are amazingly soft. That firmness allows them to stay a bit farther out, giving you that space. The MSR7 pads ARE still very comfortable, it's just that the stock pads can spoil you, as they are among the most soft and compliant pads I've felt. So you won't feel uncomfortable, you just won't have the super pillow stock pads on them.

Additionally, that firmness can cause the clamp to increase, if you have a large head and the clamp bothers you, you will find it increases with these pads since they don't compress as much. I'm already to where they are a little too small for my head so that did make it worse. If I did a "big head mod" and removed the band to just leave the outer rings, this will not be an issue and I'm considering buying these and doing just that with these.



Mid December EDIT / Update for Brand New Pair

I need to add an update / edit to my review and on every Meze post, where I had said something in particular. The Audio Technica ATH-MSR7 pads, which worked a miracle on the Sony MDR-1A, did change the sound of these headphones a bit. The test pair I had had a bit of a lower mid to high bass resonance build up that these tamed. I think that's what also bothered Tyll and others. They still do that, and if you want that area cleared up a bit these do it. They don't increase treble or decrease the sub bass, but the mids are every so slightly more recessed (true mids, 500 to 2 khz), the high mids aren't changed. I ordered a brand new pair. Not this may be because of slight quality improvements but these new Meze 99 Neo were best stock. Right out of the box, no burn in. The MSR7 pads had the above minor effect, but it is no longer needed, high bass and low mids had no excess to me, and true mids were full and as accurate, as do I prefer. I can't say these are the best in my collection, as each as a purpose, but they are now my favorite sounding all-rounder. My EMU Teak and my Sony MDR-1A are a bit more extended on both ends of the spectrum but don't have quite the stereo magic and gets a bit fatiguing on some songs with that. My Sony MDR-Z7 has slightly more soundstage / warmth.

My Samson Z55 is a bit more flat / accurate. These still do treble better than any headphone I have ever heard. As easy on the ears as Senn HD650 but not 'veiled'. It you want a closed option - with a bit better imaging, more sub bass and more detail without any harshness, get these. I don't feel I lose any detail v. brighter phones I've heard, all the way up to the brightest and most expensive tested (the Focal Utopia or Sennheiser HSD800 / 700). Mids are absolutely perfect. Nothing missing, but no hot spots in true mids as Sony MDR-Z7 had before it was modded, and still can have occasionally, as some Planars can have. Even very neutral Samson Z55 is slightly north of what I'd like in that area vs. these. Without a high bass, low mid issue, I can't find a frequency area on it I'd want to change even with EQ if I tried to (I mix and master lots of music, I can usually find something). I'd maybe add 1 db at 10-20 hz (yes - I can hear that low), and that is it. Maybe 1/2 db less mid bass. If they did a slight tweak in design or quality control that caused this keep doing it. These are the BEST headphones under $250, period. I'd say even under $500. Open or closed. Being free of resonances and so spacious sounding, you don't need them open to to get that kind of width in their sound.

I signed on for Meze Audio's Head-Fi tour a few months back, and their latest product arrived for a short visit this month. The Meze 99 Neo (US$249) headphones. Thanks so much to Meze for including me in the tour.

This is my first time sitting down with any of their products, though I did read some reviews of both the Classics and the Neo in advance. I will keep this short, as there are many exhaustive reports already available online. I'll try to get to what I think are the key characteristics before you grow tired of me.


Photo courtesy of Meze Audio

Design
I love the look of the 99 Neo. The build quality is impressive, and the design is classy. The electroplated zinc alloy hardware combined with the plastic black cups and memory foam ear pads makes for a sleek look. The fact that all parts are serviceable is outstanding. Not many out there today that can make the same claim.

The hard shell carrying case for the 'phones, and the smaller accessory case are high quality. Both have a texture that is pleasing to touch. I assume the 99 Neo are aimed at users who are on the go. I did not have an opportunity to step out with the Neo.



Fit
The 99 Neo are 3oz. lighter than my main comparison for this report - the Audioquest Nighthawks. The Nighthawk's ear cups are slightly larger and shaped differently, so for my large melon, they're more comfortable. I've big ears too, so while the 99 Neo are quite comfortable, I've got more room in the Nighthawks stock pads.

Again, the 99 Neo are very comfortable headphones. I had no problem with them over longer sessions. Of course, the closed design is going to be warmer than an open one. Out here in the desert, it is something to consider. Of course, for their target audience, the closed back may not be negotiable.

Meze provide two cables - the short and the long. I used the longer cable the entire time, and appreciate having enough length to move around my office. My DHC cables are short, and keep me tethered to my source.



Both headphones have similar impedance - 26db (99 Neo) vs 25db (Nighthawks). The Neo is rated at 103db sensitivity. That's 4db higher than the Nighthawk. Wow. I'm sticking with my AQ Dragonfly Red paired with an AQ Jitterbug for power. Streaming cd quality tracks via Tidal the entire session. I listened with both a PC source and Android phone.

Listening
These are great sounding headphones. And fun. The bumped mid-bass, or bloom, is readily apparent. That bloom - and, maybe a dip in the upper mid-range - in combination result in a somewhat warm and close presentation. Intimate. Cymbals lack some of the overtones that the Nighthawks present. It's quite subtle, and overall they sound linear and natural. The 99 Neo are an energetic headphone. Dynamic, and driving. Punchy. At times, the shove in the low end brought to mind two channel speakers.

Based on my short time when them, I feel it's less about high frequency extension, and more about the slightly lifted low frequencies - this warmer, shadier tone. I really enjoy the sound. To my ears they are slightly less linear and natural in comparison to the Nighthawks with my Double Helix cable. You know, I would've have tried the DHC cable with the Neo, but the connectors did not fit. The Nighthawks are more relaxed, being a more open design.



Fiona Apple's voice on "The Idler Wheel..." illustrates my earlier point. Less head, and a tiny bit more throat and chest in vocals. And, cymbals lose some of their overtones. Acoustic drum stick attack and body are highlighted with the overtones slightly diminished. Pianos and other assorted keys on this record reflect this same downward shift of the stage. Again, this is subtle, and not necessarily a mark against the Neo. Just my own observations set down here for your consideration.

As for isolation - I don't have another closed pair available for a comparison. The 99 Neo seemed to isolate well. I was not able to test this in an office or elsewhere it might be needed.

The 99 Neo are a great sounding and stylish headphone. They were easily driven by my OnePlus3 phone streaming Tidal HiFi. Likewise with my pc in combo with the Audioquest Dragonfly Red. I wanted more time to test a more powerful amps affect on these sensitive phones. I am currently without my usual tube amps, so have stuck with the portable rig for the entire session. I think this may be more relevant for folks who are considering the Neo, anyway.

So, they are easy to drive, have a warm, natural voice, and are really comfortable. I think you can't go wrong if you are looking for a closed back and portable headphone in this price range. Add to this that they are stylish and fully serviceable, and they begin to compete outside this range. In a world of primarily recyclable products, one that has a higher probability of outliving me is very attractive.

In my reading I found that Meze has a devoted following, and I now know why. The 99 Neo are an excellent product.

Thanks for listening.

Disclaimer: This is a review of a review unit of the Meze 99 Neo's.

Meze 99 Neo Review

The Meze 99 Neo is quite and attractive looking headphone that actually sounds quite nice as well. It's an excellent choice for a portable headphone and is best suited for electronic, energetic, and modern music genres as it has a slightly v-shaped sound in my honest opinion. I had two other headphones to compare the Neo's with, but not going to directly compare them much sound wise as the other two are open-backs and much more expensive than the Neo's but I will draw some comparisons between them. About my sound preferences, I personally lean towards more neutral headphones or slightly warm headphones overall as I have a very eclectic taste in music and like my headphones to play well with most any genre.

The specs of the headphones:
26 Ohm impedance
Sensitivity of 103dB at 1kHz, 1mw
Rated input power of 30mw
Max input power at 50mw
Weight without cable is 260g

Comfort & Build
The Meze 99 Neo is quite a comfortable headphone to my head, the headband mechanism is an auto-adjustable system similar to what is found on AKG headphones and headphones such as the Audioquest Nighthawk/Nightowl. The earpads have been notably changed from the original earpads found in the early Meze 99 Classics, earpads which I found too small and uncomfortable, the larger earpads are definitely a good design change on the Meze teams part even if it does change the sound signature a bit. I can wear the new earpads for hours without much discomfort, though some readjusting at times is needed for me so the Neo's get an B+ rating from me on comfort.

Build quality is something where the Neo's really shine in just like in the Classics, the heavily modular design, large amounts of metal, robust ABS plastic earcups, and a design that feels like it was made with longevity and durability in mind gives this headphone high marks for me. The cable also feels nice and I didn't really have any complaints with it on my usage of the headphone. This headphones gets an A+ in build for me at it's price range. The feel of quality of the build is closer to my Amiron Home and below the DT 1990 Pro. Next I am going to talk about the sound of the headphone. The ABS plastic earcups while not as pretty as the wooden ones on the Classics to my ears I feel they are more durable and make it honestly a more robust portable option overall than the Classics.

Sound:
Arguably the most important part of any headphone. So how do the Meze 99 Neo's sound? Quite frankly, they sound very good, they are a slightly more colored and slightly more bassy and sparkly sounding version of the Meze 99 classics which is more smooth sounding. Fidelity between the 99 Neo and 99 Classic's is the same, they seem to use the same transducer so it's more housing differences between the two.

Soundstage & Imaging:
The Meze 99 Neo's soundstage and imaging is honestly quite good, just like with the classics may be the best headphones in their category I have heard in terms of how spacious the soundstage is and how natural the imaging comes across. The 99 Neo's do have a mild chamber effect to their soundstage where you notice it at times but it's not really an notable issue for most tracks. Not sure how much is the new pads and how much is the different housing material compared to the 99 Classics. I'll give the soundstage an imaging a B+ rating overall.

Midrange & Vocals:
The midrange and vocals of the Meze 99 Neo's are overall quite good. There is a bit of a recession in the upper midrange which does take away from the presence of the vocals a bit and part of why I say the headphone is a little v-shaped sounding. The vocals sound natural but do take a bit of a step-back. The midrange overall is quite smooth and without any major issues. I'll give the midrange and vocals a B on the Neo's as I would personally prefer a bit more presence in the vocals and more balance compared to the highs and bass.

Treble:
The treble on the Neo's is quite non-fatiguing, non overly-sibilant, and overall quite pleasant to listen to, but it does have some extra sparkle to it which I feel does detract from it overall at times, but like any headphone with a slightly v-shaped sound this does lend itself well to to certain tracks and genres. The Classics with the original pads didn't have this extra treble energy and were smoother overall. Treble gets a B overall.

Bass:
The bass on the Neo's is quite prominent and strong with good impact, I would say it's a little too accentuated overall. This makes the bass very nice for EDM and some contemporary music but can be a bit of a problem with some other tracks as it can come off as a bit too much and maybe a tad bloated at times. Overall the bass also gets a B rating from me as I personally despite some excess as I found the bass of pretty good quality overall and quite fun with bassier genres.

Conclusion:
The Meze 99 Neo is a solid headphone in my books, while I personally would prefer to own the Classics for their more natural and smooth sound and honestly I'm a bit of a sucker for wood, I would be perfectly content with the 99 Neo's as a portable option and I would be less afraid of damaging them as I would be worrying about nicking the wood of the 99 Classics as I can be a little rough on portable headphones. The Neo's are incredibly easy to drive and can be driven with ease and authority out of most portable devices. If one listens to a lot of contemporary music and wants a nice robust portable closed-back the Neo's are on the top of my suggestions. The Classic's are for those who want a more natural and analog experience. The "Neo" name is quite fitting for these headphones. I do recommend these headphones and a must listen to those looking for a very efficient circumaural closed-back. A nice benefit to both the Neo's and Classics is there is no extra cost in buying an amplifier, etc. Whether one likes the Neo's or Classic's sound more simply comes down to preference.

Intro

Meze Headphones is a company with a simple philosophy; Motivation, Values, People. With a passion for art and music, achieved through patience and dedication, Meze design timeless masterpieces. Ignoring current trends that come and go with the seasons, influenced by none, they create headphones as if for themselves. Consisting of passionate specialists, with backgrounds in sound engineering, design, crafting, and music, the team has stood by their company’s values since the beginning.

In late 2015 Meze Audio blindsided the headphone community with their release of the 99 Classics, a full sized headphone built from the ground up that combined a stunning and timeless fusion of wood and metal with an incredibly detailed yet smooth sound. The following year Meze introduced us to the 11 Neo, a balanced sounding IEM sporting an all metal construction, and soon after the IEM brother to the 99 Classics in both aesthetics and sound, the 12 Classics. Meze Audio once again showed us that affordability and style doesn’t have to compromise sonic fidelity. While the full sized Classics have the smaller companion Classics, the 11 Neo sat alone, seemingly longing for a kinship of it’s own. Enter the 99 Neo, a full sized headphone who’s design and sound is based around Meze’s current flagship, the 99 Classics!



Disclaimer

As part of the Canadian leg of the World wide pre-launch tour, I had 7 days to audition the headphones before shipping them off to the next participant. Besides one week of pure listening enjoyment, I received no compensation or incentives for my words. As always, my review will be objective and free of bias.

About Me

38 years old, I grew up in a family consisting of musicians, broadcaster/sound engineers, and amateur DJs, I always had a deep appreciation and understanding of both music and sound. I was further educated in this self interest after taking courses in both electronics and sound (Electro-Acousto aka The Path to Golden Ears). While I believe a listener’s preference in sound is subjective, the science behind it is not. I am not swayed by buzzwords, hype, trends, brand recognition, or big numbers on charts; I am the nemesis of the commissioned salesperson. Opinionated as I am, my words are not only objective but honest. I view all criticism as constructive, as long as it is sincere.

Specifications

• Transducer size: 40mm
• Transducer Type: Dynamic Neodymium / Mylar
• Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
• Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
• Impedance: 26 Ohm
• Rated input power: 30mW
• Maximum input power: 50mW
• Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
• Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
• Ear-cups: ABS Plastic
• Weight: 260g (without cable)

Accessories

• 1.2m OFC cable with 1-button control talk module
• 3m OFC cable
• Airplane adapter
• 6.35mm adapter
• Cable pouch
• Headphone travel case

For more information and nice eye candy, head over to the 99 Neo website.
To read up on general discussion and impressions, check out the official thread here.

Design & Ergonomics

Made of high quality and durable black textured ABS plastic, the 99 Neo share an identical design to it’s older sibling the 99 Classics. The metal hardware is a cast zinc alloy with electroplated coating, and are fastened to the spring steel headband with screws and nuts; There is zero adhesives and plastics used in their construction! Both the memory foam ear pads and the headband are made of a soft polyurethane leather.



Due to the use of ABS plastic in the 99 Neo’s design, the headphones are incredibly light, weighing in at 260 grams. Thanks to the extra wide headband and the double-wishbone style of the spring, wearing the 99 Neo feel almost weightless; The headband extends to a perfect fit every time. Clamping force is extremely tolerable, with very little discomfort coming from the ear pads. Included with the 99 Neo are the new 3rd generation ear-pads. Listening to the community, Meze Audio increased the size of the included ear-pads giving the 99 Neo a more universal fit. This combination of design features ensures for long term wearability.




The detachable cables are of the Y-design, meaning that the left and right channels connectors are separate. With no cable running through the headband, not only is there less microphonic noise, but less potential for channel imbalance due to unequal cable lengths, all while making the 99 Neo more user serviceable. Listened to community feedback, once again, this time around the 99 Neo’s cables are a hybrid of sorts. The included cables with 99 Classics featured a cloth sleeve that ran the full length, where as the 99 Neo’s cable have only rubber after the Y-split. Because of this change, microphonic noise has been greatly reduced after the split, making it virtually silent when rubbed or knocked. All three of the jack plugs (2.5mm and 3.5mm), as well as the Y-split have silver and black metal housings featuring seamless rubber stress reliefs.




First Impressions

Like reuniting with an old friend, I was greeted with the familiar well designed mag-latched embossed black box featuring the outlined portrait of the “Classics”. Inside sat the re-skinned moulded hard carry case containing the 99 Neo, featuring a fibre weave design over the hard leather found with the 99 Classics; An unexpected yet nice touch that helps distinguish the two models from one another! I actually couldn’t help but pet the case as it’s texture is extremely pleasant to the touch. So smooth! Once again, Meze presented me with a quality product that radiated elegance!

Much like the box, the contents of the travel case was all too familiar but instead of a stunning pair of wood wrapped headphones sat a pair of Classics all dolled up, ready for a night out on the town! Damn the 99 Neo looked sexy staring back at me. Black textured housings highlighted by a subtle silver band, much like the carry case I couldn’t help but run my fingers across the surface. I didn’t think I would like the ABS plastic on the 99 Neo as much as I do the natural walnut wood of the Classics, but that assumption was quickly removed. While I had seen pictures, nothing compares to viewing in person as natural ambient lighting strikes the surface! This seems to have become my normal response to ALL of Meze Audio’s products; Open box, stare in awe, touch the product, drool, come to senses and place on head!

Since owning the 12 and 99 Classics, I half expected the 99 Neo to have a very similar sound to the 11 Neo, and I wasn’t wrong in my thinking. The 11 Neo offer a very balanced, smooth sound with a slight emphasis on bass whereas the 12 Classics had a little more control and refinement with a warm, crisp, organic sound very reminiscent of the 99 Classics. In other words, the 99 Neo sound like a full sized version of the 11 Neo, and I couldn’t be more pleased! I would have been very disappointed if the 99 Neo were simply a more affordable version of the 99 Classics. In my opinion, from a business point of view it would serve no purpose as it would cannibalize sales of the more expensive model while offering consumers nothing new.

Sound - The Basics

Bass - First and foremost, the 99 Neo are bass heavy cans. Not in the realm of bass-head territory, rather the bass can be described as somewhat omni-present. Mid-bass is fairly tight and quick, with excellent punch and the ability to slam with authority. While overall linear with excellent detail, it does poses a slight hump that does at times walk the line of spilling over into the lower midrange. I wouldn’t describe the mid-bass as boomy or sloppy, however it does somewhat lends a hand to the mids giving certain instruments and vocals an added layer of warmth. Gently rolled off, sub-bass is nicely weighted and has a fair amount of detail. Overall the sub-bass is slower and a tad looser than the mid-bass, but in no way does it overpower the rest of the spectrum nor distort.

Midrange - Warm and detailed with fantastic texture and resolve. The 99 Neo’s midrange ins’t aggressive or hyper-detailed, instead offering a very smooth and relaxed listening experience. Make no mistake, detail and resolution is there it’s simply not in-your-face. Lower mids are slightly elevated over the upper region, accounting for the added warmth to the frequency range. Both male and female vocals sound sublime, possessing excellent body and outstanding resolve, yet at the same time sound incredibly smooth. Likewise instruments sound very natural with great texture and resolve while at the same time posses a velvety smoothness that flows effortlessly within the soundscape.

Treble - Well detailed and extended with a gentle roll-off, treble does it’s job and nothing more. While the 99 Neo’s ability to render the finer details with just the right amount of sparkle and shine is done so with ease, much like the mid-range it does so with added warmth. In other words the top end does lack a bit of air, slightly tilting the 99 Neo’s overall tonal quality more towards dark from neutral. However this contributes to absolutely zero accentuation or peakiness to the sibilance in recordings, and adds to an absolute fatigue-free listening experience.

Soundstage - For a closed back headphone, the 99 Neo’s soundstage is far above average. Left/right and up/down have excellent width and height, giving the listener a good sense of hearing the sound “outside of the head”. Front and rear depth is there and can be described as above average, however it’s only so because it takes a back seat to the width and height. 3D and holographic imaging is spot on with excellent instrument separation; I never got the sense of things sounding congested nor cluttered. Overall, despite it’s hugeness, I found the 99 Neo’s soundstage to be natural sounding and not forced.

Isolation - In terms of passive sound isolation, the 99 Neo are basically average for a headphone of it’s design. Nothing exceptional but nothing garbage either. Wearing the 99 Neo out in public running errands or heading to work on public transit, they fall within the same range as my Sennheiser Momentums; Most sounds were blocked out to a moderate degree (dependant on the track and volume setting) with only the deep rumble of a Diesel engine while riding or passing a city bus being able to really penetrate and annoy my ears. In terms of sound leakage, the 99 Neo has virtually none! Sitting next to my wife while listening to heavy metal at a louder than moderate volume she heard absolutely nothing, which also meant I was not able to hear her! Ha ha, zing!! Of course, wearing glasses/shades and/or a cap of sorts may break the ear pad’s seal, thus causing both sound leakage (in and out) as well as slightly changing the presentation of the sound (i.e. less prominent bass). But like always, this depends on each individual’s head and YMMV.

Sound - Music

Listening to the audiophile classic Spanish Harlem - Rebecca Pidgin is a must for all music lovers. I always turn to this song as a test of a headphone’s dynamics, and the 99 Neo handled this track with ease. Rebecca’s voice was well rendered, with a good sense of naturalness. The sibilance of her voice can pose problems for headphones of all quality, including ones that cost numerous times more that the 99 Neo, but not so here! Every note was pitch perfect with a velvety smooth naturalness. The bass, while a touch more prominent over neutral, had excellent definition and weight yet played perfectly, un-obscuring towards the rest of the sound. Each draw of the bow across the violins had great texture with a silky resolve. Every shake of the rattle sounded unique, and could be easily discerned, never sounding lost in the background. The piano was smoothly rendered without glare or congestion.

Colour to the Moon - Allan Taylor, is another great audiophile classic. Between the deeper octaves of the vocals and the lower registers of the acoustic and electric guitars, this song is a great test of both the male voice as well as separation of bass frequencies. Allan’s voice is beautifully rendered with detail and emotion, trenched with warmth it’s deep sound saturates the sound-space. The delicate picking of the acoustic guitars glistened with great texture and resolve, each pluck sounding clean and distinct. Possessing an almost holographic quality, the bass cleanly resonated from the back with deep, enveloping, and powerful detail, yet never sounding overwhelming nor overshadowing the rest of the spectrum’s sounds. Despite it’s somewhat strong bass, the 99 Neo smoothly rendered this song both truthfully and effortlessly.

Stravinsky’s The Royal March - Soloist New York is an excellent track to demonstrate a headphones ability to handle transients. Between the brass, strings, and percussion, this song features powerful transients. To fully appreciate the 99 Neo ability, (as always) I turned up the volume to above average listening levels. What I was presented with was an awesome sense of excitement! The drums were tight and taut, never sounding dull, sluggish, or lacking definition despite the 99 Neo’s somewhat omni-present bass. The horns sounded smooth yet crisp and clean, well defined with just enough ear-tickling bite! Cymbals splashed with very fast and accurate attack, sustain, decay, and release albeit lacking just a touch of air. The bass-strings resonated deep with both speed and definition, never overshadowing any of the more delicate sounds heard thought the track. Nothing sounded flat or congested rather I was presented with a large, well defined soundscape.

The trance/electronica track ‘Up On You’ from the Audiophile compilation by Audiomatic features both impressive amounts of elevated mid-bass and sub-bass as well as a plethora of 3D sounds. Thanks to the detailed mids and large soundstage, the 99 Neo rendered the computer generated and digitized effects with both speed and clarity. The electronic sounds filled the soundscape with a fantastic texture and a great sense of 3D imaging! The 99 Neo was able to deliver mid-bass punch with authority, yet still revealing the nuanced low frequency textures of the electronica sounds. Though rolled off in the extreme lows, sub-bass possessed impressive amount of weight and energy and was rendered with decent speed; Never did the bass sound too sloppy or sluggish. Simply put, the 99 Neo is more than capable of supplying ample but appropriate bass when needed, but nothing more. Bass-heads should be satisfied with the output quantity while audiophiles will pleased with the quality.

Sound - Movies, Games, and General Use

Movies - Admittedly, I was half expecting the 99 Neo to sound way too bass heavy or perhaps boring given their neutral-warm tonal quality, and thankfully my concerns were short lived! As per usual, 2013’s Pacific Rim, specifically the 15 minute intro, is my go-to movie for critical testing. Nominated and awarded in both audio and visual effects categories, this action packed movie brings to life Guillermo del Toro’s tale of giant robots vs monsters in an against-all-odds rollercoaster ride of humanity’s last chance for survival! Thanks to the slightly elevated bass and exceptional soundstage coupled with their well rendered midrange and detailed yet fatigue free treble, the 99 Neo deliver a theatre-like experience! Both Charlie Hunnam’s narrative overlay as well as general dialogue came across as both well rendered and well centred. From the rain drops pelting the Jaeger’s metal plating, the hydraulics, mechanics, and instrument inside the cockpit, the waves crashing against a massive Godzilla-like Kaiju, every nuance of the background sounds was easily discernible with excellent 3D positioning all while the epic soundtrack pumped excitement into my ears! Normally after the intro and the title credits roll is where I end things, bit I ended up watching the whole movie! From start to finish not only did I have an enjoyable listening experience but did so without any discomfort with either the headband nor ear-pads and I must note, for anything other than music I wear glasses.

YouTube/Podcasts - Lets face it, next to music streaming media would probably rank a very close #2 in terms of the general public’s use for headphones, myself included. As someone who used both public transit and a good set of runners to get around town I see it everywhere, even at work. Two key factors are a must here; Comfort and balanced sound. Combining both comfort and decent passive noise attenuation, the 99 Neo check off the first with ease. For the 7 days I had the headphones I used them as my daily driver. Sitting in my gaming throne watching various YouTube vloggers, both male and female of various ethnicity, in a room that not only has 2 lovebirds and a parrot but a wife watching TV while babbling on the phone, I was able to do so un-bothered by neither outside noise nor discomfort. Thanks to their smooth and balanced sound, the 99 Neo do a remarkable job rendering the human voice. I was worried that, again, the added bass would make certain presenters, especially the ones who like to add a “broadcaster’s” effect to their voice (you know the ones), would sound way too bass heavy and again, the 99 Neo proved me wrong and held their composure! For use as a pair of desk warriors, the 99 Neo do a fantastic job for daily use.

Games - Over the years, up until I took interest in true audiophile headphones (albeit mid-fi), I have owned virtually every top-tiered gaming headsets from Corsair to Sennheiser. I even pop in to my local computer centre and demo the latest offerings, and things haven’t changed much at all. Because of the gamer’s need to hear the most minute of detail, by design their sound signature is always very mid centric with rolled off (yet detailed) bass and treble. In other words, unexciting. Fantastic at hearing footsteps, great at hearing both in-game and chat voices, but there is a reason they all come with a software suit of sorts; To add some pizzaz! Well, I don’t believe in any of that jazz (though I do love jazz!) rather a headphone should be able to render what the game designers intended on their own. The 99 Neo absolutely destroy gaming headsets I have heard in their price range! Whether it be the latest Call of Duty or Battlefield, Forza, Tomb Raider, Witcher 3, Diablo 3, Prey, Doom, or Hitman, not only was I able to hear the minute details needed for pin-point accuracy and survivability, there was an excellent sense of natural 3D positioning as the environments came alive within a large soundscape! DolbyHeadphones or SBX be damned, the 99 Neo did a far greater job at rendering the sound engineer’s model than cheap sounding post processing! Because of the 99 Neo’s well extended low and top end, nothing ever sounded dull or uninspiring. Explosions hit hard but never overpowering, bullets sounded like they whizzed past my hears, spells dazzled and sparkled, the music was as clear and concise as it was dynamic, and voices/dialogue was smooth and clean! And of course, comfort wise, while wearing glasses and spending hours in front of my monitor with few breaks, absolutely zero issues what so ever! If the 99 Neo had an option for a boom-mic, I would argue that we’d have a new top contender in the gaming headset market!

Sound - Summary

Jack of all trades and master of none! What impressed me about the 99 Neo is their ability to handle every genre flawlessly. From Classical to Heavy Metal, Jazz to Electronica, gaming or watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster, I was never let down by their evenhandedness towards the genres; None were fundamentally better suited for the 99 Neo! I would like to point out that if the track is poorly mastered, or an mp3 of a low bit-rate, you will notice the flaws. While not of the ear-screeching-in-your-face here-I-am sort, the 99 Neo will gently point them out. On the plus side, high bit-rate/High-rez music tracks sound fantastic! While not hyper detailed, the 99 Neo are detailed and resolving enough that one will benefit from the tracks taking up more space on their storage device.

Amping and Scaleability

With an impedance of 26 Ohm, the 99 Neo are efficient enough to be driven by virtually any source with a 3.5mm jack. This however doesn’t mean that the 99 Neo will not benefit from a higher end source, quite the opposite in fact. I always say that the quality of a headphone is determined by the user being able to discern the differences between not only higher performing hardware but higher quality recordings. While the 99 Neo sound fantastic straight out of my iPod listening to 256Kbs AAC, they are in a whole different league running out of my iFi stack listening to 24-bit high-res audio! I was easily able to hear a substantial gain in fidelity both in the source file and the hardware, something that simply can not be said about quite a few (over-priced) headphones at this price-point I have owned/heard, even from well established and well regarded competitors.

Burn-in

40 hours is what is recommended by Meze, and I highly encourage anyone to give the 99 Neo at least that amount of time before any critical listening. I am not only referring to driver burn-in but the breaking in of the ear-pads as well. Bass becomes more controlled, less loose and bloomy, and treble detail definitely comes up a few notches. Overall, after burn-in of both the drivers and ear-pads, the sound becomes less stiff, more natural, and balanced.

Value

Sitting at the sweet spot of $249 USD, like all of Meze Audio’s products, the 99 Neo offer great value for the money that won’t break the bank. High quality hard travel case: √! Two high quality 99.99% pure OFC cables: √! Cutting edge style and construction: √! Incredibly smooth and balanced sound that is detailed yet non-fatiguing: √ √ √! At it’s price point, there is a lot going for the 99 Neo that would warrant it’s purchase over it’s competitors, and I would gladly shut up and give Meze my money!

Conclusion

It matters not if you are a headphone junky who wants to add to their ever growing collection, or if you are simply someone in the market looking to find a headphone that offers a detailed, fatigue free, and balanced sound, you can’t go wrong choosing the 99 Neo over the other more established brands. With a price of $249 US, Meze Headphones has another solid contender with the 99 Neo. Combining a smooth and natural listening experience that incorporates a visually striking modern-yet-timeless design while maintaining a comfortable fit, much like the 99 Classics there are few reasons not to fall in love with these headphones! Once again my hat’s off to you, Antonio Meze, and your awesome team; You have made yet another great headphone!

by Tom Lewis
aka Squeaky Duck
13 Jan 2018

Recently I had the pleasure of being included in a worldwide tour posted here on Head-fi.org of the Meze Audio 99 Neo headphones. This is my personal opinion of these headphones.

Disclaimer - I am by no means an audio professional. I am an audio enthusiast & hobbyist who likes to tinker, so this is my experience with the NEO 99 headphones pertaining to their sound quality, comfort, price and construction merits. My regularly used headphones are the KRK KNS-8400.

The music I had chosen is what I am very familiar with and have had the pleasure of actually listening to live. My personal preference is jazz, 80's rock, classical, and some opera.


My primary sound source is a digital audio workstation with Samplitude 2496 Recording & Editing Suite and VU Player running through an ASUS Xonar DS DTS sound card locked at 24bit/192k 2ch with Burr Brown op-amps, Monster interlink II cable feeding my Kenwood KA-5700 integrated amplifier. All of my electronics are powered from a 1kW APC Smart UPS which has good AC power filtering, and yes, it does make a difference and the noise floor is exceptionally low. All of my digital sourced music used here is FLAC or uncompressed PCM format.

The Meze 99 Neo showed up in a nice storage box detailing some of the headphone's specs and features. Inside was a felt lined ballistic nylon hard case that provided excellent protection to what was inside, something many headphones should include but do not. I would love to get a case like this for my KRK headphones too. Nestled inside was a small round soft case with the full length 10 foot cable, a 4.5 foot cable with microphone for your smart phone, 1/4 inch adapter and an airline adapter. All bases covered here for use pretty much anywhere.

Looking them over I was impressed with the attention to detail in the build quality. The main part of the headband is all black spring steel with silver colored die cast zinc mounts for the adjustable padded comfort band. The ear cups are ABS which seem inert and the ear pads are soft leather which was a nice touch and reflect the quality & workmanship. The cable connected to each ear with a 1/8 inch plug on the bottom of each ear. I liked this since it made it easy to store them and if your cables were to get damaged it would be a simple swap for new ones. The left plug has a ring crimped into the shell to identify it from the right. The headphone cable itself is wrapped in Kevlar weave to protect the wire and the connectors are metal, not cheap molded plastic.

Meze Audio did their homework on the fit and comfort of these headphones. The ear cups are attached to the band to allow them to fit comfortably and secure without the proverbial "C-clamp" feel. The soft leather ear pads provided a good seal around the ears without the sweaty feel other leather pads may have. Their softness allowed me to wear my glasses with minimal discomfort. As for weight, they are very light, weighing in at only 9 ounces. I felt no big addition of weight even of an hour or two of use each night. The Kevlar jacket on the cable reduced the typical headphone microphonic rumble from moving around which is very good.

Now as for the sound, this is subjective and merely what my impressions of this set can do.

The mids and highs were smooth and balanced. vocals have a fairly neutral sound. The bass was more than I expected. These headphones will go as low as human hearing will allow, but with a pronounced hump in the mid-bass region that on some of my older recordings was a blessing, yet on well recorded music it was admittedly annoying and a bit muddy. I played around with the equalizer a bit to smooth it out which made a huge difference in long term listening. The settings I used were:
80Hz, -3dB
150Hz, -4.5dB
300 Hz, -3.5dB
Filter Q 1.4

99 NEO Specifications
Transducer size: 40mm
Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
Impedance: 26 Ohm
Rated input power: 30mW
Maximum input power: 50mW
Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
Weight: 260 gr (9.2 ounces) without cables
Ear-cups: ABS Plastic

Audio Playlist:
Dawn Upshaw - World So Wide
Lee Ritenour - 6 String Theory
Michael Murray - Bach - Great Organ at Methuen
Victims Family - Voltage and Violets
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - The Power and the Majesty
Tappi Tíkarrass - Miranda (vinyl)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Listening Impressions

Dawn Upshaw's - World So Wide
This album was a good test of female vocals as Dawn's vocal range can and does reveal breakup on a lot of headsets & speakers making her sound a bit screechy if there is any breakup happening. In this case vocals came through in full detail with no detectable screechiness or sibilance. The vocals sounded neutral. Strings, woodwind instruments and percussion were well defined and clean. The only oddity I heard sticking out was tympani drums sounds a bit bloated despite the EQ curve I listed in this review.

Lee Ritenour - 6 String Theory
This had a nice warm sound listening to 16-year-old Canadian classical guitarist Shon Boublil playing two caprices by 19th Century Italian guitarist/ composer Luigi Legnani. You can hear him breathing and his sleeve moving on the nylon strings of his Martin Blackwell Classical guitar. What was interesting is being able to audibly judge how his fingers were sliding across the guitar frets as he played. The sound is clear with no harshness and the guitar's natural wood sound comes through.

Michael Murray - Bach - The Great Organ at Methuen Memorial Music Hall
If you like pipe organ music Michael Murray is an exceptional organist to listen to. Bach's Tocatta in F Major (BVW 540) played on the great organ at Methuen Memorial Music Hall in Methuen, Massachusetts. This used to be one of the largest organs in the world with 6,088 pipes and 84 registers. The biggest one I know of is the Fratelli Rufatti organ in the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco with 9,235 pipes and 147 registers. WOW. If you live in or near San Francisco GO SEE AND HEAR IT. Anyway, without the EQ curve used, the sound was heavy and there was loss of detail throughout. With the EQ curve, you can hear a lot of low end detail and the acoustics of the hall clearly. Listening to Passacaglia & Fugue in C Minor (BVW 582) you can hear just how BIG this organ truly is (and you can hear the mechanics of the valves working in the background if are listening closely for it).

Victims Family - Voltage and Violets
Quivering Lip is a tune making fun of movie plots. The recording is very clear on all vocals and the NEOs played them nicely and the sound was actually neutral. You can tell it was recorded in a basement. Son of Church is a snappy and well recorded instrumental. The drums came through with good percussion and were really snappy with punch. When I lived in California they performed often at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma. They are hardcore punk but a lot of fun to listen to.

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - The Power and the Majesty
Just for fun, I tried Mobile Fidelity's Thunderstorm on CD. The thunder sounded pretty damn real on the NEOs with the volume up. Just listening to the raindrops, wind and water running made me feel cold and wet. That's convincing sound.

Tappi Tíkarrass - Miranda (vinyl)
The recording on vinyl is very good but Björk has a natural edginess to her sound on this album. On lesser headphones Skrið has a hard sound that is not enjoyable. Listening to it on the NEOs without the EQ curve was actually good and very listenable. Drek-Lek and Beri Beri had a good sound stage on the NEOs. Vocals were good. Get Ekki Sofið had ambience with a large sound stage. With the EQ curve in play the vocals became more alive with a more defined sound stage which was very apparent with the drums. I've always liked listening to Björk Guðmundsdóttir. She has a unique sound and style to her music. When she was in San Francisco I saw her performance on the stage at pier 32 (great show). Tappi Tíkarrass was her first band in 1983.

Lastly I tried them out on my Sonim XP5 smart phone with the same music. Now this is where these headphones really shine. Their inherent pronounced mid-bass characteristics and faint drop in the upper mid-band actually made for a really fun time listening to these and made up for the shortcomings of my phone's audio electronics. The sound was very well balanced and quite smooth with no equalization needed at all. I think I found a new add-on to buy for my smart phone here.

Conclusion
Overall, I like them. The build quality is there. The included accessories and hard shell case complete the ensemble well. The fact you can change out cables and use them with your cell phone to listen AND talk is a plus. Yes, they have a definite sound signature of their own, but on a lot of music they do the job well. If you are into critical monitoring for recording these are not headphones to get (that's what my KRK's are for). But for general listening at home they do the job well. They are very efficient which is good for portable electronics giving you more run time on batteries.

Overall at $249 a set I think they are a good deal.

In a nutshell, these are a good set of headphones I'd like to own for my portable electronics.

At the time of the review, the Meze 99 Neo were listed for pre-sale on their website. Here is a link for information and purchase:

http://bit.ly/2n6YzEx

Introduction
Meze is a relatively newer headphone company. Last year they released their inaugural headphone, the 99 Classics. It seemed as though there was a new review of the product on the Head-Fi front page once or twice a week for a long period of time, with most reviews being very positive. I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to review the 99 Classics, and was pleased with their price to performance ratio. Here is a link to the review:

https://www.head-fi.org/f/showcase/meze-99-classics.21066/reviews?page=2#review-16685

The more I listen to the Classics, the more I can appreciate what Meze has done. They aren’t necessarily an audiophile or consumer friendly tuning. Their sound falls somewhere between the two and gives owners a pair of full-size headphones that are sensitive enough to be used with their smartphones and can also paired with a high end desktop rig. Considering the price to performance and unique tuning and sharp looks, their headphones appeal to a diverse crowd.

The Meze team is a group of nice guys from Romania who found a niche in the headphone market with the 99 Classics. Their success has led them to release a reasonably priced and similarly tuned line of in-ear monitors, the 11 Neo and 12 Classics. I have a pair of 11 Neo and they sound excellent in their own right. Having heard their entire lineup, it seems that Meze is sticking to a highly enjoyable “house sound” that many can appreciate.

When Meze contacted me to see if I was interested in reviewing a new headphone called the 99 Neo, there was no hesitation in accepting their offer. From how it was explained the 99 Neo was basically a new spin on the Classics, using ABS (high quality plastic) cups instead of wood. The more cost effective material would also help drop their asking price as compared to the 99 Classics. Let’s take a look and listen to the Neo.

REVIEW

The 99 Neo comes in a black and gray box with black lettering and glossy photos of the product. If you own a pair of Classics you will see almost identical information on both sides of the box, with the only difference being six Ohms variance in the headphone’s impedance.


Opening the box, I’m greeted with a travel case a-la the 99 Classics, but with a cloth jacketing as opposed to the synthetic leather material used in the previous model. Functionally speaking, they both are identical in shape and do the same job.

Specifications and Accessories

Specifications:
Transducer size: 40mm
Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
Impedance: 26 Ohm
Rated input power: 30mW
Maximum input power: 50mW
Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
Weight: 260 gr (9.2 ounces) without cables
Ear-cups: ABS Plastic

Accessories:
1X Pair Meze 99 Neo headphones
1X Cloth hard-shell zipper travel case
1X Cloth zipper accessories pouch
1X 1.2 Meter cable with mic/remote for Android and Iphone (version 6 and lower)
1X 10 Foot stereo cable
1X 1/4 Inch stereo adapter
1X Airline adapter


Overall Build

The build is identical to the 99 Classics but with one exception, the cups are made of black ABS plastic. Holding them in my hand, they have the same weight, and almost identical build quality. The ABS cups look more modern than the wood cups of the 99 Classics. If you are familiar with the build and fit of the 99 Classics you might want to skip ahead to the sound portion of this review.


The build quality of the 99 Neo is great in comparison to many headphones in its price range. They have a spring steel headband with a synthetic leather band that attaches via an elastic band on each side of the frame. Those who own AKG headphones, it's basically the same concept.

The frame of the 99 Neo attaches to a ball and socket design which connects to the ABS cups. The cups have ample oscillation which helps create a comfortable fit. Memory foam pads stretch around a ABS plate which holds the 99 Neo’s 40mm mylar drivers.


Each side has a 3.5mm mono terminal, meaning each channel runs separately without sharing any wiring in the headband. You can easily order an aftermarket balanced cable without having to do any modification to the headphone itself.

All in all (and just like the 99 Classics) I’m very happy with the build quality of these headphones and don’t see them breaking any time soon (if handled with a reasonable amount of care). I personally prefer the more modern black and chrome look of the 99 Neo over the wood cups of the Classics.

Cable, Cable Jacks, Strain Reliefs

Meze gives you all the cables you need to get started. The 1.2 meter mic/remote cable is Kevlar coated and has high quality and durable connections. The mic/remote is a single button variation (no volume control) that's made of metal and has a high quality rubber button. Strain reliefs are adequate. Also included is a ten foot cable that comes in handy when using them at home.


Comfort, Isolation, Microphonics

Between the stretchable PU leather headband and memory foam pads, the 99 Neo is better than average in terms of comfort. The 99 Neo is easy to wear and no adjustments are needed to achieve a secure and comfortable fit. Simply set the headphones on your head and stretch the cups down and over your ears. For a closed headphone, the 99 Neo works great for long listening sessions. They will get warm on the ears, but not excessively hot (unless used in hot weather). Under normal indoor conditions I was able to wear the 99 Neo for extended listening sessions without breaking a sweat or needing to take a break.


Meze has made a positive change in comparison to their older models of 99 Classics by making the circumference of the ear pads a bit larger. Just for the record, newer versions of the 99 Classics also uses a larger circumference pair of pads as well.

Isolation is better than a semi open design, but a bit below average as compared to other pairs of closed headphones. External noise is easily hears when music is not playing, but eliminated when it is.

Just like the 99 Classics, one of my biggest gripes about the 99 Neo is the amount of microphonics. Simply put, the spring steel frame creates a lot of of microphonics and noise inside the cups when they rub against or make contact with any other surface. Avoid making contact with other materials and you won’t have a problem. Give them a tap on the spring steel frame while wearing them and you’ll see what I mean. There is also noise from the headband when the amount of stretch on the headband is changed. I don’t consider this to be a deal breaker, but definitely something that can get annoying if you’re trying to rest your head against the back of a chair or wall while listening to them.


Sound Review

I did my demo with my usual gear. I used an LG-V20 for smartphone use, and either my Shanling H3, Fiio X7/AM3 combo, or iBasso DX80 DAP/Bushmaster D14 DAC/Amp for high fidelity portable use. For desktop use, I used my Toshiba Satellite Laptop in combination with my Aune S6/S7, or ifi micro iDSD playing at 32/192 kHz. I tested them with several other sources as well. I used Google Music in its highest download quality (320 KBPS), and also streamed FLAC via Tidal streaming service. I also used purchased and downloaded tracks in MP3, FLAC, WAV and DSD. I make sure that any gear I test has sufficient playtime before writing a review.

I used my usual same songs for testing gear:
“Limit to your love” by James Blake (bass speed, punch, response)
“Doin’ it Right” by Daft Punk (sub bass)
“Get lucky” by Daft Punk (bass to midrange transition resolution, male vocals)
“Madness” by Muse (soundstage, separation)
“Some nights” by Fun (soundstage and male vocals)
“The soundmaker” by Rodrigo y Gabriela (texture and imaging)
“Bassically” by Tei Shi (bass to midrange resolution, female vocals)
“Skinny Love” performed by Birdie (female vocals, acoustic playback)
“One” by Ed Sheeran (male vocals, acoustic playback)
“Outlands” from the Tron Legacy Soundtrack (symphonic presentation, imaging)
“Sultans of swing” by Dire Straits (detail, separation, balance)
“And Justic for All” by Metallica (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)
“Ten thousand fists” by Disturbed (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)


Note: Other tracks were used, but the listed songs were primarily used to assess and break down the gear’s response.



Source Selection
Coming in at 26 Ohms, the 99 Neo is easy to drive for a full sized headphone and can be used with a smartphone. It will sound decent with low power sources, but gets a boost in fidelity when used with added amplification.


The 99 Neo sounds best to my ears with a powerful and neutral source. My favorite sources used where the iFi micro iDSD in medium gain setting and Fiio X7/AM3. A lean and powerful source seemed to compliment the 99 Neo tuning and seemed to make them sound more responsive and natural than colored sources. The Meze tuning is very forgiving, and will sound great with any recording and genre of music you throw at it.



Sound Signature
Have you heard the 99 Classics? If you have, they sound nearly identical to my ears. Meze uses the same drivers, pads, and cup shape. The only different effects on the sonics is the ABS housings. I did extensive A-B comparisons and found some very subtle differences. The differences are so subtle that it could be a matter of burn-in hours on the drivers, or variances in production models. I will however report this in the sound review and comparison sections.



The 99 Neo falls somewhere between audiophile and consumer friendly. They are slightly bass forward, have a slightly emphasized mid-bass and lower mid-range, warm tilted mid-range, and polite yet adequate higher frequency response. They sound good at low or high volumes and don’t discriminate any genre of music. These are a headphone that will work fantastic for those who enjoy an eclectic music library.



Bass
Bass on the 99 Neo is somewhat forward. The low frequency emphasis doesn’t venture into “basshead” territory, but brings enough thump and rumble to give listeners all the slam they need to enjoy almost any music genre. At the same time the 99 Neo has the refrain to not butcher stuff meant to sound natural and organic.

Sub bass is present but takes a small step back from mid-bass frequencies. I’m not sure if the ABS housings (or larger circumference pads) make the difference, but the sub bass of the 99 Neo seems a bit tighter and slightly more responsive than the Classics (this is a good thing). Even still, this isn’t the tightest and most responsive sub-bass you’ll hear. It’s better than your average pair of headphones, but not on the same level as the more elite planar or high end dynamic headphones I’ve heard.

Mid bass is somewhat bold and has a nice impactful punch. The forward nature does impact lower mid-range a bit but doesn’t make it sound overwhelmingly distorted or sloppy. It’s big and bold, with a slight veil that doesn’t seem to ruin the listening experience.

If the Neo had more bass I might be calling these things bloated or terribly veiled, but that’s not really the case. These headphones have a bold and robust lower frequency range, period. Bass heavy music will sound, well, bassy. Those looking for a neutral, linear and fast response, you’re not going to find it here. Those who like a splash of added dynamics and color will like what’s going on with these cans.

Mid-Range
Mids are dynamic in lower registers, soft at upper mid tones and somewhat soft in attack. Overall the mid response is pleasant and easy on the ears. I would say that it is overall neutral with a bit of warmth and impact in the lower half.

Male vocals and lower midrange instruments take a step down from mid-bass frequencies and are still a touch forward. Mid bass does impact the lower midrange sounds, especially with bass heavy modern genres and complex music passages. Female vocals for the most part are natural. Higher pitches female vocals come across a bit soft and slightly distant.

All vocals finish smooth to my ears. Upper mid-range has a somewhat soft attack that isn’t significant, but noticeable during critical listening. Overall, I like the balance Meze provides. I can see some not caring for the lower mid-range and consider it to have unwelcomed and thick resonance while others will love it for the same reason and state that it has nice texture, color and warmth.

Treble
Treble is forward enough to prevent listeners from calling them dark, and has a clean delivery. Of all frequency ranges this is the clearest sounding. I’m not going to say it’s the farthest back in the mix, but the Meze 99 Neo avoids sibilance in recordings and still maintains an adequate and snappy presentation.

99 Neo’s treble isn’t the most extended thing you’ll ever listen to but won’t take away from your listening experience at all. Cymbal crashes are audible and clean, but a bit in back of the mix and don’t have a lot of energy or shimmer.

Overall I enjoy the the treble tuning of the 99 Neo and feel it’s one of their best attributes. PRAT is good with the 99 Neo, and at the same time they avoid harsh frequencies that would take away from the overall listening experience.



Soundstage and Imaging
This is the criteria where source and music genre matters most. With modern genres, synthesized bass lines and colored sources, the 99 Neo soundstage suffers a bit. With a leaner and more neutral sources and less bassy recordings, the soundstage is perceptually large and vocals will pop. The somewhat L-shape tuning and forward bass response doesn’t create a very good sense of instrument placement. To be honest, the less bass a track had, the more out of head the headphones sound. The more bass, the more “in-head” they became.



Comparisons

Meze 99 Classics ($309 USD on Meze’s website)
The 99 Classics are the original Meze headphone and the 99 Neo is it’s offspring. The Classics differ in terms of materials used on the cups (Classics=wood, Neo=ABS plastic). Both headphones have the same drivers, housing shape, ear pads, design and build (aside from cup materials).

In terms of sound there are subtle differences between the two. As I said earlier I can’t guarantee the difference is consistent because my pair of 99 Classics is older, so age of the product could be an issue.

Comparing my pairs, the 99 Neo bass seems a bit cleaner, punchier, and a tiny bit more mid-bass forward than the 99 Classics. The attack and decay of bass notes with the 99 Neo (primarily sub-bass tones) seems to be a bit more clean and responsive. Midrange of the 99 Classics is a bit more spacious sounding (partly due to the softer and slower mid-bass response). Treble is pretty much identical to my ears.

At the end of the day, I could easily confuse the two. The cup material may be whats causing a slight difference in impressions when comparing them, but it’s a small difference. I don’t prefer the sound of one of them over the other. The Neo has an improved bass response over the Classic, but loses a little bit of magic in the midrange as a result. To my ears it’s a draw. They both accomplish the same level of listening experience in my opinion. Those of you who found the Meze 99 Classic’s bass to be a little sloppy (especially at sub-bass levels) the Neo is the upgrade in this regard.

In terms of build quality, I guess I would have to give the 99 Classics a slight advantage because of the more premium material used for the cups. However, I find the black ABS cups of the 99 Neo to be a little more modern and visually appealing. The Neo cups don’t look or feel cheap whatsoever, and the finish gels well with the rest of the parts. Accessories are virtually identical.

There are a couple reasons why I think these will appeal to the headphone market. First of all, the 99 Classics have a mature look to them. Hold them next to a pair of Beats and it’s almost laughable how different they are in terms of style. The Neo however sits somewhere between the two. I think the appearance of the Neo will appeal more to a younger audience. Secondly, They perform on the same level as the Classics and come in at sixty dollars cheaper. I have to mention the increased price to performance ratio thanks to the drop in price.

Soundmagic HP150 ($130 to $150 USD on many sites)

The HP150 is a somewhat V-shaped tuning with a large soundstage for a closed headphone.

Comparing the two, the sound of these headphones are substantially different. The HP150 has a responsive sub bass focused tuning while the 99 Neo has a mid-bass forward lower frequency response. Midrange on the HP150 is thinner, drier and a bit more recessed on the HP150 while the 99 Neo mids are fuller, warmer and more fluid sounding. Treble on the HP150 is crisper and more extended as compared to the more relaxed and controlled highs of the 99 Neo. Soundstage on the HP150 is larger thanks to the V-signature. Meze’s 99 Neo has a smaller but more natural sounding stage. The HP150 sounds better at low volumes and the highs are harsh at louder volumes. The 99 Neo sounds better at louder volumes (with leaner and cleaner sounding sources).



Design and build goes to the 99 Neo. They are a more stylish and better built pair of headphones that is also more comfortable to wear. The HP150 does a much better job with isolation and handling of microphonics. I give a slight edge to the 99 Neo in terms of accessories. Their case is more sleek and stylish, and the cables Meze provides is superior to the what you get with the HP150.


Conclusion (TLDR)
Meze has brought to market a more affordable version of the Meze 99 Classics. The cups are ABS this time around instead of wood. The cup change appears to make a very subtle difference to the sound, but other than that they are a more affordable version of the classics. The Bass response appears to be a touch more responsive. The black ABS cups look pretty stylish as well.

Just like the last offering, the 99 Neo is a headphone that is easy to drive and works decently with almost all genres of music. Meze’s mid-bass and lower mid-range forward sound will probably be too emphasized for those who are looking for a linear and neutral sounding headphone. Those who like a little oomph and color at this range will like what’s going on here. Lows and highs are pleasant to listen to and don’t get in the way of enjoying them.

When rating a product I have to take all criteria into account (including price). I’ll cut to the chase with this one. I gave the 99 Classics four stars and the Neo gets the same score. They have almost identical strengths and weaknesses. However, I give the Neo a thumbs up for the sleek black and chrome look to go along with the drop in price. If you have been on the fence, deciding whether or not you want to buy the Classics and prefer the look of the Neo, the price drop and updated aesthetic might be the factors that push you over the edge.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Disclaimer
This sample was sent to me for the purpose of an honest review. I'm not affiliated with the company in any way and all observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.

The Meze 99 Neo is currently priced at $249 and can be purchased from the company's website: https://www.mezeaudio.com/


Packaging and accessories

The Neo arrived in a high quality, light gray cardboard box with a partial image of the headphone on the front. The box is sealed by a magnet and when opened reveals the hard carrying case inside, nestled among some black protective foam.

Opening up the case presents you with the headphone and a hockey puck-shaped zippered case which contains the cable and two adapters (x1 airline, x1 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm). The hard case is a great addition and is perfect for protecting your headphone when not in use or during transport.



The included cable is nice and a perfect length for desktop use while still being practical enough for portability. The lower section has a braided material covering and above the Y-split it changes to a rubberized sheathing. At the top end are the two 3.5 mm plugs that connect to either side of the headphone. A small feature that goes to show Meze really does pay attention to detail is the slight raised ridge on the left cable plug where most manufacturers opt to make both sides identical.



On the left side is the metal in-line microphone and rubberized single button controller. The button has a nice tactile click to it and feels quite durable. Finally the cable terminates in a straight metal, 3.5 mm plug.



Build, comfort and isolation

Onto the headphone itself now and this is where so much of the Neo's appeal comes from, in its sublime form and design. Simplicity is key in this aspect and it lends an effortless elegance to the Neo's appearance. The basis of the frame consists of a double sided manganese spring steel arch which is lightweight yet very sturdy. Connected to this is the self adjusting headband that's screwed in to the lower section. This particular headband is a wide pleather with "99 NEO" embossed on the top side. There's very little down force to it which is a good part of the reason this headphone is so comfortable but the fit feels really secure and sits firmly in place, even when you're moving about.



Meze have cleverly forgone the usual clasp that secures the metal arch and instead connected it directly to the earcups. This time around, gone are the wooden earcups and they've been replaced by charcoal black ABS plastic. The earcups have a slightly textured matte finish, look great and at the same time very robust. Lastly the earpads are a medium density memory foam that softly hug your dome and have enough space inside to accommodate even large ears.



Comfort is excellent with the soft pads and light clamping force and I can easily wear the Neo for hours on end without discomfort. The closed backs mean that your ears might get a bit hot but hey, closed back headphones are always going to be like that. The wide, well padded headband and low down-force add again to the comfort.

Isolation is pretty good too as you'd expect with closed backs and there's really not much more to say about that. While I personally prefer to use in-ears on the go the Neo is also well suited to the task and there's enough isolation given to use it in most scenarios without issue.

Sound

Gear used for testing

• Acoustic Research AR-M20 > 99 Neo
• ATC HDA-DP20 > Phatlab Sassy II > 99 Neo
• Foobar2000 > Topping DX7 > 99 Neo

The Neo does not require amplification as it's super easy to drive with an impedance of just 26 Ohm. It can be paired with almost any low powered device but as always, a better DAC will usually provide superior overall sound. Due to the warm nature of the headphone I'd recommend a neutral source to get the best results.

I never had an opportunity to hear the 99 Classic so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the Neo. I was pretty certain they'd be good considering the coverage, awards and hype that had surrounded the Classic. My first listen gave me something very different from what I was anticipating. I thought it was going to be a very "audiophile" tuned sound, rather linear, perhaps even close to neutral with a clean, tight bass, loads of detail and resolution etc. Imagine my surprise when I heard the accentuated, meaty bass and warm overtones. "Wait a second" I thought... This is tuned for fun. It's built to be emotive, to make you forget that you intended to do some critical listening and instead draw you in and lose yourself to the music. These things are designed for pleasure plain and simple.

Bass has a healthy boost taking it way north of neutral. It has a slow attack, giving bass notes a soft edge and similarly the somewhat slow decay adds to the rounded effect. At times it even seems a bit loose but that's not necessarily a bad thing although on occasion it does mean that some detail in the music gets lost. There's a definite mid-bass hump that carries over into the lower mids and adds to the overall warmth. Sub-bass in contrast is quite tame in tonal balance but can still provide a satisfying rumble. It extends fairly well but does roll-off a little and plays second fiddle to the mid-bass dominance.

Midrange is lush and organic, very musical and not in the least bit dry or analytical. In "New Horizon" by The Gentle Storm the mids occasionally struggle for a foothold and are suppressed by the thick drums. In Loreena Mckennitt's "Emmanuel" however, the Neo shines on this vocal and strings based track, its warmth smoothing Loreena's high notes and bringing out the rich resonance of the classical backing strings. An album that's a great match for the Neo's properties is Language of the Ancients by S1gns of L1fe, with it's soothing, ambient sounds and hypnotic bass lines.

Treble is unremarkable but only because it plays a lesser role in the overall warm tuning. Timbre is accurate and the extension is there, it's just that the treble doesn't have much prominence. It does make the Neo easy to listen to and should appeal to the treble sensitive. Listening to Utada Hikaru's "Traveling" the track's inherent sibilance can still be heard, so the treble is not artificially smoothed over but rather sits at the back of the mix. Still in Bill Withers' "Soul Shadows" the hi-hats have a great lift and come out to play throughout the whole track.

Soundstage is above average for a closed back headphone. There are plenty of times when it can reach outside of the headspace, generally in music with lighter bass this becomes more evident. Depth though is very good and the imaging is excellent. Positional cues are accurate and defining in the large sized sphere portrayed which provide the added bonus of making the Neo good for some first person gaming as well.



Comparisons

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250 Ohm ($179 USD)
The DT990 is well known for its strong V-shaped signature so it has similarly boosted bass levels but also has a lot more treble as well. It's more resolving than the Neo and reveals more small details but can get a little strident or overenthusiastic on the high frequencies. The DT990's bass notes are more defined and controlled bringing more punch where the Neo brings the thump. Both headphones are exceptionally comfortable and well worth their respective prices.

Ultrasone Performance 860 ($362 USD)
The 860 is much more linear across the board so offers a very different sound compared to the Neo. Bass is tighter and faster without any of the same boomy properties found on the Meze. Midrange in comparison is a lot thinner and less lush than the Neo's. The treble is where these two have the most in common, being neutral-ish on both. The 860 reveals more details in music but presents itself in a more clinical and less emotive manner compared to the "fun" tuning of the Neo.



Conclusion

The Meze 99 Neo is more than just a good sounding headphone. The look and feel of it combined with the sound provided all add up to make it an experience that's quite unique. If you're a fan of attention to detail and subtle elegance you'll get a kick out of how well this headphone is designed. However those looking for neutrality should seek other options. Sure it might not provide the best audio quality out there but you have to keep in mind the very affordable $249 price tag which ultimately makes this a very easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, stylish and downright fun to listen to.

Specs:

• Transducer size: 40mm
• Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
• Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
• Impedance: 26 Ohm
• Rated input power: 30mW
• Maximum input power: 50mW
• Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
• Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
• Weight: 260 gr (9.2 ounces) without cables
• Ear-cups: ABS Plastic

In early 2016, I had the pleasure of participating in the Meze 99 Classic tour. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. A new release from a relatively unknown company that sounded that good was impressive, not just to me but to many of those who had the pleasure of hearing them. When I heard that Meze had planned to release a less expensive version, ($249 USD MSRP, and an advertised $50 discount for Black Friday 2017) I was excited to sign up for the Neo tour. To see how the 99 Neo stacks up to its more famous older brother, read on.



I found the 99 Classics to be a beautifully designed headphone, and the 99 Neo doesn’t fall far from that mark. Where the Classics had wooden earcups (Walnut is all that is offered on their website currently with either silver or gold trim) the Neo is listed as having “coal black textured earcups” made of ABS plastic, but I personally find them to be solidly built and no less attractive.



The rest of the build is (from memory) all but identical to the 99 Classics, and the website states “As the Neo shares the DNA of the Classics, we guarantee that the 99's are serviceable if any parts ever need to be replaced.”

Comfort wise, the Neo feels exactly how I remember the Classics to be, which is to say very comfortable (in fact the larger pads provided are even more so). The weight (260 gr or 9.2 ounces without cables) is very well distributed with no hot spots noted and the clamping pressure never caused me any discomfort (larger heads may have different results).

There has been much discussion (here and elsewhere) about the earpads, so I’ll put a bit of my 2 cents in here. When the Classics were 1st released, there was much ado about the size of the earpads. Many felt that they were too small and uncomfortable (I and a minority of others had less of a problem with them). Meze, being the responsive company that they are had issued a couple of different pads to counter this, eventually settling on the size that is offered with the 99 Neo here. Since Tyll from Innerfidelity reviewed the Neo, there has been even more of a kerfuffle around how they affect the sound. I’ll leave my sound impressions for the appropriate section, but comfort wise, these earpads certainly fit the bill for me. Plush, fairly roomy, and made from medium density memory foam, I have no real complaints with the comfort these pads provide (of course YMMV, yadda yadda…).



Accessories are very good for this price range. 1st off, there is a useful & sturdy carry case which is a decent size for throwing into a backpack without taking up too much room. The case could be smaller, but like the Classics, the Neo doesn’t fold flat. My major criticism is that you have to unplug the cable to fit the Neo into the case. Although the review unit came with a 10ft long cable more suited for desktop or living room listening, the Neo is only shipped with a 4’ cable best used portably, but long enough if you sit close to your computer. That cable has an inline button remote which is said to be compatible with Smartphones and Android capable DAPs, but I didn’t get the chance to test this myself. The headphones themselves are symmetrical, so the only way to tell the left from the right is the white on silver writing on the connections, which I found to be difficult to read without glasses.



Rounding off the accessories is a 1/8” x ¼” adapter, as well as an airplane adapter.





Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself. I’m 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and I learned to listen a little more critically during the few years I sold audio equipment (and I continue to learn the more I listen). My fascination/infatuation with headphones began about 5 years ago, and has only gotten stronger. The majority of my listening was done listening to FLAC, WAV & various MP3s with my Shanling M2 (1st gen), Fiio x3 (1st gen.) or through my HP all in one PC and Audioquest Dragonfly(V1.2). My tastes are fairly eclectic, but my listening centered on classic rock, folk, jazz, classical and some of the genres of EDM. I didn’t bother with burning in the headphones since this is a review pair and probably already have a few hundred hours on them, nor did I hear any difference throughout my evaluation.

Isolation is about average for a closed back headphone, muting outside noise but not totally blocking it out. Even with music playing at reasonable volumes, some sound can intrude .The metal frame I found to be highly microphonic, noisily clanging whenever knocked against just about any object. The cable seems to be improved from the Classics in that regard; I experienced less microphonics than I remember with the Neo’s older brother. The Meze is incredibly easy to drive, reaching deafening volumes with any source I tried, but they did scale up with better sources.

I’d describe the Neo as a lush and warm headphone. It’s not the most resolving headphone by a long shot but it is enjoyable to listen to nonetheless. It throws a fairly wide and deep soundstage for a closed back can, which I find particularly impressive in this price range.

The bass on the Neo is pretty far north of neutral. Since the emphasis is more on the mid bass, I wouldn’t call these basshead cans. In fact there does deem to be bass roll off starting in the neighborhood of 50Hz. The lowest notes are audible, however they aren’t presented with authority. The quantity of bass can be problematic as it does bleed into the lower midrange, and it’s not the most detailed bass either. While not as crude as ‘one note bass’, upright bass can sound smeared and indistinct if the recording isn’t up to snuff. To spite all that, I found the presentation is pleasant, if not downright addictive. I doubt that the lack of nuances would be noticed by the majority of listeners, and most will enjoy the extra boom the Neo brings.

The midrange is present and has good clarity overall. The biggest problem here is a slight ‘cupped hands’ resonance with certain voices, which is further evidence of the pumped up bass. It’s most obvious with male vocals, but it’s not a glaring problem and is fairly track dependent. There is little to no problem with sibilance or other upper midrange anomalies, so guitars and such sound natural with a good amount of bite, without glare or fatigue.

The treble isn’t horribly rolled off, but I wouldn’t call it airy and extended either. There does seem to be a dip between 5 & 8K, but I found that to be pleasant and not ‘sucked out’ but rather smooth. Occasionally some of the more delicate cymbal work and other audio markers can get lost in the mix, but that is track (and age) dependent, I think. If you’re a fan of shimmer and sparkle, these won’t likely scratch your itch, but in the other direction all but the most treble sensitive would likely find these to be a satisfying headphone. The highs can be a tad coarse in ‘texture’ on some recordings, but again it’s never piercing, and it’s not horribly egregious.

As I alluded to before, I feel any review I did would be incomplete without touching a bit more on how the earpads affect the sound. When Tyll from Innerfidelity reviewed the Neo, he concluded that “the sound is more colored and uneven” with the newer pads and that Meze had “gone backwards with these pads”. Anyone who hears the original 99 Classics & the 99 Neo will notice the difference in the bass right away. Even from memory, the difference was pretty stark. Personally, I’m not nearly as critical of the sound of the Neo. Is it a reference quality headphone? No…no it’s not. Nor was it intended to be, unless I miss my guess. Tyll is absolutely correct (IMO) that the Neo comes off as “colored & uneven”. This is a take on a ‘fun’ sound signature, and fun it is. There are always tradeoffs when designing headphones, and Meze made their choices.

I couldn’t help but be curious how much the sound would change with a little pad rolling, so I did experiment a little. The closest pads I have on hand to the original Classics pads would be the stock AT M40X pads.



The plastic lip on the rear of the pads are a little different in size compared to the Neo, so it was a bit of a PITA to get the pads on properly, but once I did, the Neo did come much closer in sound (from memory) to the original Classics. The Neo retained most of its bass slam, but there was less bass bleed into the mids. Clarity overall was improved, and a bit more air and definition was added to the treble. It didn’t work miracles, no sub bass was gained, and the bass was still on the loose side, but it was very similar from memory to the 99 Classics with the original pads. The other thing it had in common with the original pads was, yes, the comfort. Every complaint lodged against the original pads would apply here as well. It wasn’t unwearable to me, but others with larger (or different shaped) ears would likely have a problem. The newer pads are indeed more plush and roomy, and for many that could be a deal breaker. What a difference a pad makes.

I have to stress that to spite all its flaws I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the 99 Neo. I was fairly critical of the Neo in my review because if you look (or listen) from a ‘reference sound’ perspective, this headphone falls short on several points. However, if you’re looking for a smooth bass enhanced sound signature that’s definitely more on the ‘fun’ side of the audio equation, The Meze 99 Neo is hard to beat. It is like audio candy for me. It's great every now & then, and satisfies a craving but I wouldn't really want it as a steady diet. Imperfect or not, I smiled many times while using the 99 Neo. In the end, that’s what many of listen to music for anyway

About 25 years ago, I had this horrible set of Pioneer 4-Way speakers. Not the wonderful ones built in Japan with premium drivers and accurate crossovers. Nope, these were the kind of speakers you find at garage sales with cheap the near peeling off the edges, along with Cerwin Vega and old JBL’s. As much as I can criticize them, I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a stereo as much as I enjoyed ‘em hooked up to an early nineties Yamaha stereo receiver. I have since moved on to much more accurate, expensive, and well-built equipment. But to be totally honest, listening with the Pioneers was just flipping fun.

Nowadays my tastes have matured, and my headphone collection includes the Alpha Primes and the Sennheiser HD-800S’s. My search for neutrality has paid dividends, and my music collection is an eclectic blend of Stoner/Doom, Prog, World Music, Jazz and Classical. I have no complaints about my gear. However, I still remember the headbanging fun of those old speakers, and no matter how good my current headphones are, they don’t scratch that particular itch.

Enter the Meze Neo 99’s.

I tried the Classics when they were part of the tour about a year and a half ago, and reading my notes as well as my review clarified my memory of the experience. I loved those headphones, and gave them a solid four-star rating. I recently decided to reward myself with my first set of new headphones in a long, long time. Reading the reviews and thread comments confirmed my suspicion that the Neo 99’s might bring me even closer to the Pioneer experience. To make this review really, really short: I was right.

You may notice that I am rating these headphones with a rather harsh three-stars. They simply do not have the clarity and detail of the Classics, at least not compared to the notes I took. For instance, the bass bleeds all over the mids, obscuring fine details. The most recent album by Argus is a good example of what I mean...

“From Fields of Fire” is one of the best traditional or classic metal albums I’ve heard in years. The recording is exceptional, and the performance by the musicians is pretty strong. When I listen with the Neo 99’s, all of the emotional impact remains in the recording, but the tonal properties of the guitars, and especially the bass guitar, are severely lacking. Comparing the exact same recording on the exact same equipment with my venerable Grado SR-250i’s, the detail embedded in the recording was nothing short of remarkable. The sonic character of the bass as well as the drums were as if from an entirely different recording, and I heard the same thing with every other headphone that I own.

Returning to the Neo’s, the fine detail, my reason for using headphones in the first place, was all but absent. This was also apparent in the vocals, guitars, and cymbal work of the drummer. Even the bass drum presence was limited to a lively ‘thud’. As a transducer, the Neo 99’s are simply not accurate instruments revealing the subtle, and even not-so-subtle, details of the recording. But for that matter, neither were ancient Pioneer 4-Ways sold at Circuit City and the Good Guys in the 80’s and 90’s. And the more I grow in this hobby, the more convinced I am that we should all have some Pioneer/Cerwin Vega/JBL speakers in our lives. Because the truth is, when I listen to anything heavy with my other cans and IEM’s, I always seem to reach for the Neo’s to hear if they give me that extra something I crave, and they usually do. I’m just not fooling myself into believing they are anything but what they are: good headphones at a competitive price that sacrifice detail for impact.

I’m totally okay with that!