Meze Audio 109 Pro
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My first contact with the Romanian headphones maker Meze dates back to 2017, when I first listened the 99 Classics model. I liked its freshly new design, the earcups looked impressive and felt very comfortable and the sound was more pleasant than on my M50x. Recently I got the opportunity to listen the Elite, and after a 4 hour listening session I was convinced that these are my all time favourite pair of headphones and in the future they will sit on my desk. So, when the 109 Pro were launched, I was eager to get my hands (and ears) on them. Luckily, a friend of mine got them and I had the pleasure of testing them for a whole week-end. I liked that they are coming in a solid box as you can take them when you`re traveling but also keep them clean at home, as dust is a headphones (especially open back ones) biggest enemy. The cups are beautifully crafted, the attention to details remains at a high level, the wood looks awesome and the velour pads are smooth to the touch and fit your ears perfectly. The headband design makes them one of the easiest to wear and comfortable headphones I have ever had, you can listen for hours without feeling them on your head. But what about the sound? Well, compared to my LCD2C or the Elite, they sound completely different. The first thing that you notice is how clear and present the highs are. If on the LCD2C the highs are very discrete here are on the opposite side, as they offer a wide presentation, with lots of details and clarity. Depending on the source and amplification, they could get a little hot on treble peaks (or when playing low quality records), but when they are powered by a warm A Class amplifier solid or Tube based they will sound awesome. The bass completely surprised me, as I didn’t believe that from a dynamic and open design I will receive a decent amount of low frequency, but boy I was so wrong. They have a solid representation in low end area and mid bass, and listening to electronic music was so fun. The voices sound extremely clean, maybe too much sometimes, and the instruments also. I enjoyed to listen to Rock albums, blues, jazz, they handled all the genres effortless.
TLDR version on YouTube: TDLR - Meze 109 Pro
The Meze 109 Pro have been sent to me on loan by DeCine, the official distributor for Meze in Spain. DeCine don’t sell direct so I have left a link to the official Meze page for these headphones on my blog. As always, DeCine has not made any specific requests and my review will aim to be as unbiased and sincere as humanly possible.
Intro…
I got to try out the Meze 109 Pro, powered by the Feliks Audio Envy, last year and the 20 minutes or so I spent with them left me wanting to try them again ever since. So when DeCine reached out and asked if I would like to review them, I jumped at the chance.
Sometimes we will try something out for a brief period and form a first impression (good or bad) that may change when we get to spend more time with them. In the case of the 109 Pro, the first impression was very good and except for one set up (that I have mentioned plenty of times in the past), these were the most interesting headphones that I got to try out at the High End show.
Also, my setup is a little more modest than the setup in the Meze listening room, which probably added up to at least ten times the price of the headphones (or more), so I am happy to be able to get a more “real world” (for me at least) experience than that brief period.
The 109 Pro use a 50mm Beryllium coated polymer and cellulose-carbon fiber composite dynamic driver. This is mounted with a copper-zinc stabilizing ring and which serves to reduce distortion, at least according to the Meze literature. This is actually the first open back dynamic driver headphone by Meze, coming in at just a little under 800€, which is certainly not cheap but is quite a lot less than some of the flagship models from the same brand.
So, let’s take a look at how all of this translates into my personal use case and what I think of the Meze 109 Pro after being able to put it through its paces for a more extended period.
Presentation…
The presentation of the 109 Pro is simple but elegant, arriving in a black box that opens to reveal the transport/storage case, inside of which we find the contents.
Those contents are the headphones, 2 unbalanced cables (one is 1.5m and the other is 3m long), a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a storage bag for the cables and of course the EVA molded case which is of very good quality.
Underneath the case, we also get a nice booklet that speaks in depth about the headphones and the properties I already mentioned above (with much better detail of course).
Build and aesthetics…
Meze makes some of the most beautiful, well built and comfortable headphones I have ever had the pleasure of trying and the 109 Pro are no exception.
Starting off with the build, they use a combination of Walnut, Zinc, Manganese Steel and vegan leather. All of these are of high quality and assembled in a way that leaves no doubt that these are a very well built set of headphones. They are also very proud to announce that these headphones are meant to last and every part of them can be dismantled and serviced if the need should arise.
The aesthetics play with the wood and copper highlights on black steel, which really stand out and give the headphones a look that is elegant and places them as a premium set of headphones. Obviously aesthetics are a very personal thing but there is no denying that Meze has paid attention to each small detail, even to the point of the copper on the back of the drivers being visible through the grill matching the highlights found on the headband, or the internal grilles that also match etc.
While the build is very good and the aesthetics look great (in my opinion of course), when it comes to comfort, these are in a league of their own!
Using a simple dual steel headband, the 109 Pro have a padded strap that is mounted on an auto adjusting system that makes them seem to float on the head. These are not really a heavy set of headphones anyway, but once they are on my head, they all but disappear. In fact, I even found myself forgetting I was wearing them when between calls and forgetting to press play on the music
I admit that it is winter, which makes it much easier for me to wear headphones for an extended period of time (as we are not getting temperatures of over 40ºC every day) but these are still the most comfortable set of headphones that I have worn for a very long time, maybe only second to the Koss KPH40 (which are obviously not a rival in any other category).
My only complaint would be with the cables. They are nowhere near the worst cables I have received with headphones but they are quite rubbery and do seem to have a bit of a life of their own. As they have been coiled (this is a demo unit, so I am not sure how long they have been stored inside the bag/box), they have memorized the coil shape and have a habit of springing to that shape.
This is obviously a minor complaint in comparison to the great aesthetics and amazing build quality of the headphones.
Sound…
All tracks mentioned are clickable links that allow you to open the reference track in the streaming service of your choice (YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, etc.)
For those that just want the TLDR (and didn’t just watch the TLDR on YouTube), these are the dynamic driver headphones that I have most enjoyed to date. I don’t think they work for all genres but for 80% of my preferred music, I would be quite happy to have these as my only set (although I would probably suffer from planar withdrawal
).Ok, so, knowing that I am going to praise these headphones, let’s go through the usual steps and test tracks, doing my best to point out why I like these for so many things and what I feel are the weaker points.
Starting off with the usual look at the graph:
Seeing that I haven’t gotten around to coming up with a personal preference target for over ears, I have included the HD6XX as a reference point but I have also included one of my favourite planar headphones, the Arya v3 (SE), as another reference point.
Starting off, as always, with the lowest frequencies, the extension into the subbass range is very good, with no perceived roll off at all. I find that they reach way down into the depths of “Chameleon”, presenting the rumble in a way that is certainly present but not boosted. In fact, I find that the low ranges of the 109 Pro are very planar like in their presence but have more of a smooth timbre than the somewhat cold timbre that is found commonly on planar headphones.
That is not to say that they are warm, I do not find the bottom ranges of these headphones to seemingly add any warmth at all, it is more about the way that the bass is reproduced that is more “normal” than that of the planar alternatives. As I have mentioned before, I play bass (although not very much recently) and dynamic drivers just seem “right” to me when reproducing those bass guitar notes, probably due to being what I have been used to for so long. When listening to some of my tracks, while there is no additional presence over something like the Arya SE, it does come across as smoother and more natural to my ears.
I wouldn’t say that the bass is quite as detailed as on some other alternatives but it is nicely balanced and things like “Elephants on Ice Skates” I find to have a very natural timbre to the bass guitar.
I don’t think that these would be the first choice for someone who is more into EDM than acoustic, I feel that “No Sanctuary Here”, although the bass is nicely balanced, may be lacking a bit of additional boost for those who listen mainly to this genre.
The mids are very well balanced, with acoustic instruments sounding very clear and realistic, keeping lower percussive hits well clear of interfering with any of the mid centric playing. The same goes for vocals, with the various voices of The Fairfield Four harmonizing in “These Bones” without ever getting in each other's way. The lower tones of the deeper voice could possibly benefit from a little more warmth but that is more of something I am used to with dynamic drivers than anything wrong per se.
Even the climb to the 3k mark is very similar on the Meze to the Hifiman offerings, something that I have found over time that I really like. It brings vocals forward but does not make them harsh or nasal, something that I have found to be the case with other sets that attempt a similar tuning.
The treble extension is good, with a nice sensation of air and openness which I find very impressive. Some people may find them to be a little overly present in the upper ranges but that is not the case for me, I like the presence and find that they deal very well with these higher frequencies.
My usual sibilance test with “Code Cool” places Patricia Barbers just about where I would expect her to be, in comparison with what I hear on my speaker set ups of choice, maybe with just a tiny hint more. In other words, her vocals are just slightly over the verge of sibilance. If I go back to my usual non-scientific -12 to +12 scale for sibilance, I would maybe place her somewhere between the 0 and +1 mark.
Paul Simon’s “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” basically confirms (to me) the same result with his vocals just edging into sibilance.
Details are also impressive on the 109 Pro, making everything sound detailed and complete but without pushing those details at you. Where some sets of headphones can push details in a way that can create a “wow” factor upon first listen and then become tiring over extended periods, that is not the case here. All details are nicely presented and not overly exaggerated.
Soundstage is very good, with a nice wide feel to it, and image placement is excellent. Everything is in its place, with plenty of space between things like the vocal layers in “Strange Fruit” or the main hit of the guitar body and the reverb in “All Your Love Turned to Passion”.
Conclusion…
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, when I first tried the Meze 109 Pro, I was impressed but I really wanted to spend more time with them to see if it really was a set that I would enjoy over extended periods or if it was just the initial impression. After spending this time with them, I have to say that I am just as impressed now as I was then.
I would describe the 190 Pro as a set of headphones that is very good for almost anything you throw at it, at least with my personal preference as far as tuning. It is not a set of headphones that is aimed at those that like a large presence in the bass area and I could see some people maybe finding it a little too hot in the upper ranges. But again, for my preferences, I find it a very enjoyable set of headphones.
As a fan of the Hifiman sound, I find that the 109 Pro gives the same sort of general tuning, maybe with a little less speed, yet with a touch of that dynamic driver sound that just seems natural. I understand that for many, planars are an acquired taste and here Meze gives you a dynamic driver option for a very reasonable price, especially factoring in aesthetics and build quality etc.
I also found that the Meze 109 Pro are not very picky about what they are powered by. I tried them on all kinds of set ups and while I really enjoyed them on the Echo Mk2 (not quite an Envy but still has that Feliks flavour
), I found that they were just as good powered by things like the Gryphon (used for this review) or the Asgard 3. They even sound good powered by the iFi Uno.If you are someone who enjoys a nicely balanced sound and are looking for an all-rounder set of headphones without getting into 4 digits, then I think that the Meze 109 Pro should be high on the list of candidates to try out.
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As always, this review is also available in Spanish both on my blog (www.achoreviews.com) and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/achoreviews)
Meze 109 Pro
Meze 109 pro is the latest open-back dynamic driver model by the Romanian manufacturer, Meze. It features their first fully in-house driver design and a lot of wood and metal. Let’s check if it’s worth $799.Introduction to the Meze 109 Pro review
A couple of weeks ago, after a Meze Liric review, I thought “Ok, how many times will I write about Meze in such a short period of time? That’s enough reviews of their gear for this year”, but it was November 2022 and DHL had some problems with delivery and now it’s 2023 and another review of Meze headphones – Meze 109 Pro.Let’s start with the formalities because I think if you’re considering spending almost $800 for a headphone then you will probably know some popular brands like Sony, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, HiFiman, or finally the manufacturer of the reviewed headphone – Meze, but for those of you who are just beginners in the hobby, let me write something about the company.
Meze Audio is a Romanian audio equipment manufacturer that has made a name for itself with its premium audio products. The company has been consistently delivering high-quality audio devices since it was founded in 2010, and its headphones and earphones are highly regarded by audiophiles all over the world. Meze’s first headphone, the Meze 99 Classic, was released in 2015 and quickly gained popularity among audiophiles who appreciated its powerful bass. The company later joined the summit-fi club with the Empyrean, an innovative and highly sought-after headphone.
The Elite – the natural successor of the Empyrean’s legacy, followed becoming one of the best High-End headphones available. Now, Meze has introduced the Meze 109 Pro, its latest offering. The over-ear headphones feature a sleek and modern design that is sure to appeal to audiophiles who value both form and function.
Tech
Meze 109 Pro is another milestone in the company’s history, that’s because of the 50mm dynamic driver. It’s the first driver fully designed and manufactured by Meze in-house. This achievement is significant for Meze Audio, as it highlights the company’s dedication to innovation and quality.
To achieve their acoustic goals for the 109 PRO, Meze Audio engineers focused on materials research for each component of the driver. They developed a Dual-Composite Diaphragm, which combines Beryllium-coated polymer and cellulose-carbon fiber composite to find the perfect balance between mass and stiffness. This diaphragm is encased in a CNC-machined, high-precision aluminum frame for exceptional reliability.
The Meze 109 PRO headphones with an impedance of 40 ohms and high sensitivity of 112 dB per 1 milliwatt are really easy to drive with almost any amplifier. This means that they can be used with almost any device that has a headphone output without the need for a dedicated headphone amplifier. However, with a better source, the 109 PRO headphones can achieve even greater resolution and soundstage, allowing the listener to fully appreciate the headphones’ capabilities.
Packaging
The unboxing experience of Meze products is always a pleasure and fun and in the case of Meze 109 Pro nothing changed. The headphone arrives in sleek-looking black cardboard, padded with foam, so you don’t have to worry if your headphone will survive the journey with a delivery service and arrive at your house in one piece.
Inside the cardboard, you will find an accessory set that is pretty similar to the one you will find in the Meze Liric package – a hard EVA pouch, a 6.3mm jack adapter, and two 3.5 mm terminated cables – one shorter which is about 1.5 meters long and the other, longer one that is about 3 meters long. When compared to Liric there is missing an airplane adapter.
The hard EVA pouch is a great addition to the package, as it provides a safe place to store the headphone when not in use, ensuring that it remains protected from any accidental damage. The two cables that come with the package are of high quality and offer flexibility in terms of usage, depending on the length you need. The absence of an airplane adapter may not be a big deal for most users, as the Meze 109 Pro is an open-back headphone designed primarily for use in quiet environments. Overall, the accessory set that comes with the package is well thought out and practical, adding value to an already exceptional product.
Design, Build Quality and Comfort
This part of my reviews, when I’m writing about Meze products, is getting really boring, that’s because the design and build quality of them are just superb. All parts are fully replaceable, so if something breaks you don’t have to throw the headphone into the rubbish, you just can call Meze and they will send you the necessary parts, take a screwdriver and fix them in a moment. The biggest drawback of the headphone is probably the cable sockets, Meze repeated the issue known from their Meze 99. On one hand, it’s a very popular 3.5-millimeter jack socket but unfortunately, it’s nested very deep inside the earcup, so none of my aftermarket cables can fit in, and probably this will apply to most 3.5mm jack plugs available in the market.
When writing about build quality I need to mention that one of the most striking features of the Meze 109 PRO headphones is their premium materials. The ear cups are made of black walnut wood, while the headband is crafted from leather and metal. The leather band provides a comfortable and secure fit, even during extended listening sessions.
So as I already mentioned the comfort while listening with Meze 109 Pro is good. The clamping force is perfect – not too tight so you won’t feel like your head is being crushed, but also not too loose so the headphones won’t fall from your head. Another great thing is the material that the ear pads are made of. The velour is soft and breathable, providing a comfortable listening experience during long use even in a warm environment.
Regarding comfort, I need to mention one of the key features of the Romanian headphone, which is their low weight, coming in at just 375 grams. This makes them an excellent choice for extended listening sessions, as they do not exert undue pressure on the head and ears. This is particularly important for users who enjoy lengthy listening sessions, as it allows them to fully immerse themselves in their music without any discomfort.
Sound of Meze 109 Pro
One of the most significant advantages of open-back headphones is that they provide a more natural and spacious sound. The Meze 109 Pro is no exception, with its open-back design offering a wide and immersive soundstage. The headphone features good, old-school dynamic drivers that deliver a detailed and accurate sound with fine clarity and resolution.
Let’s start with the bass since it’s the major part of the Meze 109 Pro’s sound characteristics. It has a powerful, fast, and very well-controlled punch in the mid-bass. The bass guitar line in Les mots d’amour sounds juicy and very engaging. The only issue I hear is that I wish the headphone reproduced some more sub-bass. When listening to Vertigo Valley by French 79 I feel a lack of well-defined contour, but don’t get me wrong, it’s not that bad I could hardly listen to the music. I just compared them head-to-head with other headphones that performed better, but at the same time, they cost much more. When regarding price to performance ratio, then the 109 Pro’s bass response is pretty impressive.
When listening to the Invincible movie score, I got some goosebumps on my back. Maybe the bass doesn’t have as much wow factor as the one reproduced by e.g. Denon AH-D7200, but it’s tremendous and airy – I felt like I was listening to the song in a big concert hall, not with mid-range headphones. About the texture of the sound, you will probably read also in the following paragraphs, but damn, Meze engineers did a great job with it and the bass line in Killing In the Name Rage Against the Machine has an awesome beefy, thick texture.
The midrange of the Meze 109 Pro headphones is warm and full-bodied, providing excellent instrument tonality and a natural sound. The result is a rich and detailed midrange that brings out a lot in vocal performances and acoustic instruments. While listening to Mettavolution by Rodrigo Y Gabriela I felt warmth like I was sitting under a blanket by the fireplace. Nonetheless, it’s the least attention-grabbing part of the reproduced frequency range, but it still has a Meze legacy, thanks to its tuning the 109 Pro provides an engaging and immersive listening experience.
Yet again I’ve used many headphones that knocked me down on my knees, but the reviewed headphones have that something, which motivates me to keep listening to them. I constantly discover some nuances I haven’t noticed even while listening to the songs with way more expensive headphones. As I have already pointed out, the reproduction of vocals is another big strength of Meze 109 Pro. Mat Berninger’s baritone in Demons by The National has hypnotizing, warm timbre with a great texture, so I can hear in his voice each dose of alcohol he has drunk in his life.
To be honest, when I heard about the Meze 109 Pro for the first time, I thought that there will be another open-back Meze headphone that has pretty relaxed top octaves, but after some burning-in, I need to admit, I was wrong. The treble is pretty interesting, lower parts of this frequency range are natural with a slight boost at the top end. This causes the treble to sound very sparkly and energetic but it’s still not too tiring even after extended listening sessions.
While listening to Magalehna by Sergio Mendes I was focusing on the sound of the triangle for most of the song because it was powerful enough to get through vocals and drums, but at the same time, it didn’t drill my ears in an unpleasant way, just perfectly balanced between sparkle and smoothness, without any harshness or sibilance that can often be present in other headphones.
Another great example of top-end demanding songs is Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, it’s over 26 minutes of… Tubular bells sound, to hear all the sounds you need headphones with a great resolution and very well control of the treble, but at the same time, the highest frequencies can’t be too sharp, because after that long exposition, the ears can start bleeding. After listening to it with Meze 109 pro I want to listen to it more and more because it’s so fresh, and I don’t feel any fatigue caused by the treble.
And here we are coming to the last part of the sound description in this review – the soundstage. It’s quite spacious, with a really good separation of sound sources. Sometimes the separation was so good that when playing Hogwarts Legacy I was wondering if my headphone wasn’t broken, but then I was moving the camera, and the “broken” side was magically fixed and the working one “broke”.
I didn’t test them in any competitive FPS games, but I think they will perform amazingly. Nonetheless, if you’re a gamer or not, you will definitely appreciate the soundstage. Its depth and width are pretty impressive, and thanks to it you don’t feel that the sound comes from inside your head but it surrounds you. It’s almost like listening to stereo speakers.
As I previously mentioned, the separation of sound sources is on a great level, but if you haven’t played Hogwarts Legacy yet, let me base my description on a song. At the beginning of the song Pools by Glass Animals, there are some animal sounds surrounding the listener, and damn, I felt like I was in the jungle. The animals were quite far from me but I could easily localize each one.
Comparisons
HiFiMAN Ananda
HiFiMan Ananda is a planar-magnetic, open-back headphone made in China with a recommended price of $999. Since its release in 2018, they have been available with many discounts, and I think it’s possible to get them even cheaper than the Meze 109 Pro. I would say that we should start with the build quality comparison, but ugh… HiFiMan is a company that I can write many great words about, but the build quality of their products isn’t their strength. I would say the build quality of 109 Pro is superb as other Meze products, while the build quality of Ananda is (just is) as other HiFiMan products. Here the Romanian product easily wins.
But the build quality isn’t the reason people buy HiFiMan, it’s their sound quality and in this term, both headphones are on a pretty similar level. The soundstage of Ananda is slightly smaller and I feel like I’m slightly below everything that happens, while the vertical extension of the soundstage in 109 Pro is slightly flatter. The treble is slightly more detailed when reproduced by the Meze headphone, HiFiMan sounds like it from behind a blanket, it’s not a serious issue, but it’s definitely worth mentioning.
The midrange is on the other hand the biggest strength of Ananda, the vocals have a better texture, and it’s a bit more powerful. If you’re looking for a headphone for acoustic music, then probably Hifiman will be a better option, because of how engaging their midrange is. Last, but not least in this comparison – the bass, here I would say Meze 109 pro are yet again taking the lead. The Bass of HiFiMan is typical for most planar-magnetic headphones, very well controlled, and fast, but it lacks power, especially in the lowest audible frequencies. While the bass of the Romanian headphone is strong, but yet very well controlled.
Shortly speaking if you’re looking for a W-shaped, dynamic sound in great packaging you should go for Meze 109 Pro, but when you want a powerful midrange with better texture and you don’t really care about the build quality then HiFiMan may be a better option.
Audeze LCD-X 2021
Audeze LCD-X is an open-back headphone priced at $1199. Its heart is a planar-magnetic driver. It was designed as a reference headphone perfect for studio applications but audiophiles can find it a great device as well. The build quality is very good in both headphones, you barely can find any plastic parts, hinge housings are the only ones in LCD-X, while at 109 Pro I couldn’t find anything, only metal, wood, and leather.
I would say you can easily feel the build quality of the Audeze headphones, so unless you have an F1 driver’s neck or listen only while lying, the weight of the LCD-X affects the comfort and to be honest I couldn’t handle long listening sessions with it. On the other hand, the comfort while listening with Meze 109 pro is as great as any other Meze product – simply amazing.
The power requirement of the power is similar as well, they aren’t very demanding, but of course, these aren’t headphones that will sound good powered with an apple dongle lightning jack.
Now let’s move to the sound comparison – directly to the soundstage. The imaging and separation provided by Audeze headphones are amazing, while Meze 109 Pro does it almost as well, but at the same time, it provides way more space. The treble and details are slightly better reproduced by the American headphone – Audeze provides a bit better resolution, and I would say here you can hear the price difference, $400 is pretty much and I wouldn’t expect Meze will win in all categories.
The midrange is also slightly better, it sounds more natural but Meze 109 Pro is still reproducing it very well. Finally the bass – well, in this term LCD-X is easily beating most headphones in its price range, but the cheaper Meze is also a great performer. Maybe the slam and texture aren’t as great as provided by a planar-magnetic opponent, but it’s still good, and especially when powered with tube amplifiers, Meze 109 pro can show a lot.
To sum up this comparison, If I had extra 400 US Dollars and the resolution that I want to gain muscles in my neck, I would consider Audeze LCD-X but when considering value for money and you’re fine to train your neck at the gym, not while listening to music, then I would say Meze 109 Pro wins.
Meze 109 Pro review – summary
The Meze 109 Pro is an excellent open-back headphone with a natural and spacious sound that is worth its price. Its slightly warmer sound signature makes it ideal for people who prefer such headphones.
Low impedance and high sensitivity make it easy to drive with almost any amplifier, but it scales very well with a better source. The headphone is also highly comfortable, thanks to its optimal clamping force and the design of ear pads. The Meze 109 Pro is expected to be a strong contender for the Ear Fidelity best headphone of the year award in 2023.
Overall, the Meze 109 Pro is a great option for people looking for high-quality open-back headphones that offer natural, spacious sound and deliver an exceptional listening experience without breaking the bank.
Highly Recommended.
Big thanks to Meze Audio for providing us with the 109 Pro for this review. I wasn’t paid or asked to say anything good or bad about this product, all of the above is just my personal, unbiased opinion. Meze Audio hasn’t seen this review before publishing it.
Enther
How is compare with Hifiman R9 in sound ?
