Meze Audio 99 Classics

Disclaimer:
I am posting this review as a co reviewer at Amplify, a hobby project founded by Mr. Sajid Amit, a veteran audiophile from Bangladesh . Our reviews are made for fun and to share our passion for audio with the rest of the community. This Unit was sent by Meze in exchange of our honest opinion. No external influence as always.
Our YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EqdhwdpmxZxzNxEC42FOg
Our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/amplify.audiophile.show/

Meze 99 Classics Impressions
Meze is a Romanian brand and offers a limited number of offerings compared to its peers. 99 classics is not a new model. It was released back in 2015 and the only thing Meze changed thus far are the pads. Is the 99 Classics/Noir (noir is the drop version. Costs 110 usd less and has a less fancy packaging) still relevant years after its release? Let's dive right in.

Build, Comfort and Aesthetics
Simply put, a marvel when it comes to overall design, build and aesthetics. Looks like an art piece and there is no sign of hard cheap plastic anywhere (only plastic part being the elastic material used in the self adjusting headband system, that too being vv high quality). Ear Cups are made of CNC cut hand polished walnut and those are held together by steel arches over the self adjusting headbands. Everything is bolted/screwed on and nothing is glued together (take notes, Hifiman). They are also incredibly light at just 260 grams. Quite an achievement for cans made of wood and metal.
Comfort Wise, they are solid. The pads are a bit on the smaller side but I have larger than avg ears and never had any comfort issue even with my glasses on as the pads are super soft non sweat prone. Self adjusting headband system works perfectly and takes away the hassle of readjusting
All in all 10 out of 5 stars in B.C.A Dept.

Accessories and Packaging:
Great. Meze provides a high quality carry case made of EVA material that houses the headphones perfectly. Two cables of different lengths and adapters are supplied in a different pouch that can be perfectly stored in the EVA case as well. The outer packaging is made of hard cardboard material and opens magnetically. Overall luxurious unboxing experience that matches the luxurious looks of the 99 Classics
5 stars

Sound:
It will be wrong to pass any verdict without trying them out for at least 3 or 4 days. They sound good out of the box but if you are coming from highly technical bright sounding headphones these will sound a bit too dark and mellow at first. These are kinda the full sized version of final audio e4000 and distant cousins of Sennheiser HD650. Very slightly V shaped with superb natural timbre. 99 classic is the master of bass under 500 usd. It's not overblown or too forward. The bass decay & rumble is just perfect and that's the ultimate recipe of fun here. Midrange remains fairly neutral and natural (very slight coloration in the lower mids but not as much as the senn HD599, negligible) and the smoothness is the upper mids and presence region can be compared to Sony IER M7/M9. This can be a double edged sword. I actively look for this type of smoothness in iems and headphones while many find this sort of tuning boring and muffled. Thus if you are into energetic upper mids and leaner lower mids (will sound perceptively cleaner but tonality might suffer. Will be less organic/natural) then 99 classics are not for you. Treble is interesting. Just like the bass, Cymbal hits have the perfect decay in these cans. Vinyl ver. of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams (Search in YouTube, published by Rhino. Best version of this track IMO) are mad mad fun on these thanks to how the cymbals and bass sound. Treble extension and detail is good but loses some air in the top end resulting in a more mellow, less energetic treble. Big no for treble heads, big huge yes for those who crave chill fatigue free listening sessions.
The sound overall ticks all the boxes for me at this price point. This is probably my fourth most favorite headphone so far followed by Final D8000,Susvara and HD650.
5 star for me, 3 or 2 stars probably if you are in the different club

Technicalities:
These are pleasant sounding headphones for chill sessions like I mentioned before. Won’t win any awards in the technical dept.
Surprisingly though, despite being closed backs, they don’t sound that closed. Fairly expansive and wide. Imaging is impressively good tho. Perfect for gaming and movies. Explosions and gunshots sound visceral with authority. Instrument separation was avg in the beginning but I suspect there is some sort of burn in going on as they are sounding incredibly good with every passing day (or can be mental burn in). Details are not as good as open back headphones in this range (HD 600/650, Sundara, Beyers) but good enough in my book.
Oh and forgot to mention, incredibly easy to drive and sounds good out of everything. You can probably run them off a calculator lol.
All in all, Great headphones and completely worth the MRP in my opinion despite my initial doubts.

Link to my review and measurement index thread where one can also find a full review overview, more information about myself as well as my general-ish audio and review manifesto: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/956208/

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I only give full stars. My ranking/scoring system does not necessarily follow the norm and is about as follows:

5 stars: The product is very good and received the "highly recommended" award from me.

4 stars: The product is very good and received the "recommended" award from me.

3 stars: The product is good/very good, but not outstanding/special enough to get any of my two awards. ["Thumbs Up"]

2 stars: The product is only about average or even somewhat below that and somewhat flawed/flawed in some areas. [neither "Thumbs Up" nor "Thumbs Down"]

1 star: The product is bad/severely flawed to outright bad. ["Thumbs Down"]

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Meze 99 Classics


Source:

Personal unit. (I won them as part of a gear bundle in a competition.)


Miscellaneous

Come with a sturdy hard case (headphones fit in even when the cable is attached) that looks good and is very protective.
Two cables are included – a short one with microphone/remote unit, and a longer one. Both have got a 3.5 mm plug. Last but not least, a 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm adapter, airplane adapter and zipped bag (for the spare cable) are included as well.

There are no side indicators on the headphones (Meze dedicated that job to the cable).
Build quality and design are good, however ultimately the headphones don’t appear as premium. Still very good.
I really like the wood grain. Beautiful.

Self-adjusting height adjustment mechanism (somewhat comparable to that of my AKG K701). Likes to pull my hair out, though (at least as badly as my Koss Porta Pro, probably even worse).
Headband bracket made of metal; very unpleasantly microphonic and ringing when touched, which is a big factor of annoyance.

I don't like the cable. It's fabric-coated everywhere, even above the y-splitter. Quite microphonic as well. Will show signs of wear fairly quickly due to that fabric, as it will fray over time (mine already does a little in some places).
3.5 mm mono plugs on the cable’s headphone-facing side.

Fairly small and shallow ear pads. Still manage to seal well, though. Good noise isolation.




Sound:

Tonality:

Big, bassy, smooth, natural, dark.

Really strong bass elevation with only moderate roll-off towards the sub-bass. Lots of impact and punch.

Warm fundamental range transition into the upper fundamentals; therefore warm, lush lower mids without becoming overly muddy or muffled sounding.

Treble generally evenly in the background, even already in the lower treble. Therefore on the darker side but relaxed and smooth instead of lacking. Natural kind of relaxed. Not fatiguing.
Pleasantly lacking any noticeable dips or peaks.

Resolution:

Good midrange and treble resolution; nothing to criticise here.

Unfortunately the bass doesn't really blend in with the rest. Appears somewhat dull and also a bit loose, lacks some differentiation; doesn't have the details of the mids and highs. Also shows some already slightly audible distortion even at quiet listening levels.
While not very bad, I expect better bass quality for the price. What the 99 Classics deliver is the bass performance I'd expect from a set of 150$ headphones. That said, I'd rate my Sennheiser Amperiors’, Shure SEH440s’, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros’ (250 Ohm) and the 1More Mk801s’ bass quality above that of the 99 Classics. Solely the Mee audio Air-Fi Matrix² (wired use) and Brainwavz HM2 are about comparable to the Meze in terms of bass quality, but both headphones cost much less.

Soundstage:

Average for closed-back headphone in terms of dimensions.

Not too much width but fairly good localisation and decent layering. Instrument separation could be a little better, just like the separation (it's not foggy but not spot-on sharp and exact either).

Still fairly decent imaging overall.


Conclusion:

Beautiful wood. Unfortunately highly microphonic headband arch (rings when touched). The headband really likes to pull hair out. Small ear pads.
Bassy. Smooth and natural, warm-dark midrange and treble tuning; even response that lacks peaks/dips. Decent midrange and treble resolution. Underwhelming bass quality and low-range details, though.

Meze 99 Classics is an over-ear headphone that has been present on the market for some time now. Let’s check if it’s still worth getting in 2020 for 309$.


Packaging


If you saw our Meze Empyrean’s review then you would know that Meze is pretty serious about the unboxing experience of their products. The box of 99 Classics is great looking, it packs some exciting accessories and the overall experience is joyful.

Inside you’ll find your headphones, a very useful hard case, a 1.2m cable with mic and remote and a 3m cable. Also, there is a soft puch for your cables, a flight adapter and a 6.3mm adapter for your stationary gear.

It’s worth to mention the hard case one more time. It is nicely made of hard shell imitating leather. It is quite spacious, so you won’t have to worry about your headphones being squished, and you can easily fit both of your cables inside. Great touch.

Cables

As I’ve mentioned before, you’re getting two different cables in the box. First is a 1.2m one with mic and remote terminated in 3.5mm jack, to use with your smartphone (which you easily can, as these are very easy to drive). The second one is a 3m cable, also terminated in 3.5mm jack. The longer cable is pretty useful if you plan to use the 99 Classics in your home, as you won’t have to be glued to your desk.

Build quality

I believe that the 99 Classics are the best made pair of headphones in this price range. No sight of plastic, beautiful wooden cups, metal headband with an elastic band for improved comfort, detachable cables in both ear cups. There is really nothing to be afraid of in terms of durability. Also, Meze has a fantastic customer service, so even if you’d murder a part of your 99 Classics, these guys will easily deliver spare parts for you to fix your headphones yourself.

Comfort

Thanks to the lightweight construction (260g without the cable) and a great headband construction Meze 99 Classics sits on your head very comfortably and it’s a pleasure to use, even for a long period of time.

The only problem I see for some people is that the ear pads are not the deepest, so if you have large ears it could result in some slight problems with fitting your entire ear inside, or you can end up touching the driver cover. Not happening to me, but I have rather small ears and I’ve heard that some users had this kind of problem. It wasn’t a deal breaker in any of this cases, but it’s surely worth mentioning.

Sound

I believe that the simplest way to describe the sound of 99 Classics is – bassy, fun and energetic. It’s nowhere close being neutral or analytical, focusing more on a huge dose of fun and being just easy to listen to.


The bass is quite dominant, but it’s not in your face like in Sony WH-1000XM3. It sound’s full and thick, but it lack’s a bit of this subsonic rumble, thanks to a slight recession in the sub-bass region. Anyway, it sounds energetic, has a very pleasing rhythm and sense of presence. Compared to Hifiman Sundara is lacks definition and texture, but it’s a completely different approach to the sound, rather than being worse.


The midrange is more neutral than the bass response, yet thank’s to the defined focus on the higher bass male vocals sound thick and full. The rest of the midrange’s spectrum is quite flat and neutral, presenting a very universal representation of the sound. Also, 99 Classics have this lovely timbre of vocals and live instruments, which is pretty easy to love. Again, compared to the Sundara it is less texturized and the overall resolution is better on the Hifiman, but 99 Classics are more pleasing sounding of the two.

Treble is pretty much delicate up until the higher notes, when the interesting things are starting to happen. Once again I’d call the sound quite neutral and even up until around 10k, where the focus is being held on. It isn’t prone to sibilate, yet is quite detailed and defined. Treble response isn’t neither dark nor bright, but I find it quite temperamental.

The soundstage is probably the least expressive and impressive part of the sound of 99 Classics. Compared to the Sundara it sounds a bit hollow, the imaging isn’t exactly on the level of the Hifiman’s and it is not as spacious. I know it’s unfair to compare an open back headphone to the closed back 99 Classics tho. Overally, the staging of 99 Classics is pretty good, but nothing extraordinary, even for a closed-back pair of headphones.

Summary

It’s pretty hard for me to objectively rate the Meze 99 Classics. While the overall sound quality isn’t on the same level as for example Hifiman Sundara, it is a very enjoyable pair of headphones and you just simply want to listen to them. I believe that’s the definition of a great product. At the end of the day, some customers are looking for the best quality in a specific price range, and others just want to have a fun experience with a very pleasingly tuned pair of headphones. If you lean more towards the latter, I’d highly recommend the Meze 99 Classics, as it’s just an emotional sounding headphone, but keep in mind that in terms of pure SQ the Sundara is an overally better product, and by some margin.

Gear used during this review for the sake of comparison and as an accompanying equipment:

• Headphones– Hifiman Sundara, Sony WM1000XM3, Meze 99 Neo, Meze Empyrean, Audeze LCD3, MrSpeakers AEON2, Sendy Aiva
• Source – Smartphone, DX3 Pro, Hip-Dac, Fiio M11, Cayin N5ii, iFi iDAC2, Topping A50+P50

www.ear-fidelity.com

Good resolution and sound stage.
Produces more detail, more "V-shaped" (bass hits harder, more sparkle, more brightness), at the same time less forgiving to non-professional recordings.
At low-to-moderate sound levels, they sound quite nice and one could "forget" that they're listening to music and could focus on the stuff they're doing, so the headphone doesn't get in the way, and is not "in your face".
At the same time, the headphones do quickly become fatiguing and "in your face" at high volume levels due to the V-shapedness (that highly depends on the individual properties of a listener's ear though).
The cups look like they could use some extra space, and the ear does touch the speaker side, so comfort is not ideal, and my ears already feel "crumbed" ("stiff", "numb", what's the word) after 15 minutes of wearing them.
The looks're cool.
Overall, a nice good-looking portable pre-mid-tier headphone, if it fits your ears.

The Meze 99 Classic is a beautiful walnut wood headphone that can be purchased with either gold or silver accents, the ones we will be reviewing today are the walnut silver. Meze was kind and gracious to lend the 99 Classic to me for review, greatly appreciated. I am not being paid or influenced in any way to review the product; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Presentation, Build, Comfort:

The Meze 99 Classic comes in a small,durable box that has all sorts of pictures and specs on it. The magnetic flap on the right side flips open to reveal a small black carry case that has a silver/black Meze logo on the front. The case is rounded and curved to the perfect dimensions of the 99 Classic so they fit tight and snug. There is an included cable bag along with a 10’ cable and a 4’ cable with inline mic and a ¼” adapter and airplane adapter. I find that the cables are a little on the tangle and janky side, not terrible but I just seem to be constantly removing twists and tangles. The shorter inline mic cable is the worst culprit of them all. Also the silver on silver letters make it very hard to determine which is right and left. The headphones themselves are beautifully crafted with the walnut cups and the all metal headband. Everything just feels premium for the price. The lightweight build is very comfortable and the leather head strap disperses the weight evenly across the top of the head. The pads, even though on the smaller side, have just enough room for my ears. I did find that the pads were a little shallow and can be uncomfortable after 30-45 minutes of listening. I did change the pads to the Brainwavz micro-suede pads, more on that later. Overall, the presentation of the Meze 99 Classic is top notch, nothing to major complain about. Build of the Meze 99 Classic is also top notch but the cables are the disappointment. Comfort is fantastic but it is enhanced even more by swapping pads to the Brainwavz micro-suede. I found that swapping to the Brainwavz micro-suede pads did change sonics slightly.

Sound:

Meze Audio 99 Classic was an interesting headphone for me. I had heard them randomly in brief listening sessions at some audio meets and they always sounded dark and warm but nothing that was drawing me to purchase them. But, like all other headphones, I wanted to hear them on my own gear and with my own tunes, before making any final conclusions. So here is my attempt at reviewing the Meze 99 Classic walnut silver. I found that swapping to the Brainwavz micro-suede pads did change sonics slightly and more to my liking. The stock pads were a little more closed in and they had more treble energy which made them at times sound artificial. With the Brainwavz pads the treble was more tame but still had energy and the soundstage sounded more open.

Bass:

The Meze Audio 99 Classic has a warmer, thicker bass presence. The sub-bass is lightly implemented and most of the impact and thump comes from mid and upper bass. The bass has a nice punchiness and keeps the toes tapping. There is a decent amount of details within the bass, though it can get a little muddled on busier tracks. Also the warmth bleeds slightly into the mids. Tone and timbre of the bass is pleasing. Overall, the bass of the 99 Classic is fun, engaging and detailed.

Mids:

Mids of the Meze Audio 99 Classic are warm and lush. The upper mids do have a little bit of energy and can be slightly, aggressively hot in presentation on some recordings. Vocals are presented in a pleasant way and have a balanced approach. Vocals sound full and present with good clarity and tonality. Instruments have nice separation and detail portrayal. Instruments that reside in the upper mids region do sound somewhat forward and can at times be on the hot side. The “hotness”can be cooled with a pad swap; I found that the Brainwavz micro-suede pads made the upper mids smoother and less hot BUT did add a bit more warmth to the overall sound without losing any of the detail retrieval. Overall, the mids of the 99 Classic are full of warmth and lushness with good detail retrieval and clarity mixed with tone and timbre that will please the ears.

Treble:

Treble of the Meze Audio 99 Classic is relaxed and smooth for the most part. There is a slight hot presence in the lower treble region that is associated with the upper mids. There is a lot of detail retrieval in the treble and it is portrayed in a smooth way. The treble comes across with good air and presence without being too thick or too thin. I actually really enjoy the treble on the 99 Classic for it’s laid back, relaxed tone that doesn’t stress the ears all the while delivering a detailed sound. Overall, the treble of the 99 Classic is a stress free relaxation zone of details, tone and timbre.

Soundstage and Imaging:

The Meze Audio 99 Classic soundstage is medium sized. The width is larger than normal for a closed back and has a nice amount of depth. There is enough room that the vocalist and instruments are spaced around the stage with good separation and isolation. The depth is deep enough to determine seating and placement without too much effort. It is only on very busy tracks that the soundstage and imaging will sound confused and cramped. Imaging and placement is well done and it makes for a relaxed sound that is easy to dissect what is going onstage. Overall, the 99 Classic soundstage is an above average performer for a closed back headphone with good width, depth and a fun image presentation.

Sources:

Sources used during the review of the Meze Audio 99 Classic is listed below but I want to point out a few notes I made along the journey.
Samsung Note 10 Plus with the xDuoo Link:
Plenty of power to push the 99 Classic, rarely went over 60%, sound was lush and warm with plenty of details and clarity. My favorite portable closed headphone setup.

iFi Audio Pro iDSD:
Less warmth but more clarity and details and a bit more upper mids/lower treble excitement. My second favorite desktop with the Meze Audio 99 Classic.

Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 788:
A tad warmer then the Pro iDSD but not as much as the xDuoo Link. Smoother upper mids and lower treble. My favorite desktop with the Meze Audio 99 Classic.

Geshelli Labs Enog 2 Pro with the Geshelli Labs Archel and Archel 2:
Nice bass impact but mids sound thinner and too much upper mids/lower treble shimmer, gets hot easy. Least favorite desktop setup with the Meze Audio 99 Classic.

Grace Design SDAC-Balanced with Massdrop THX 789:
Very clean and clear sound with good bass impact, mids are more full and upper mids/lower trebles are better controlled then the Geshelli Labs.

Grace Design SDAC-Balanced with APPJ PA1502A:
Tube warmth, plenty of detail retrieval, controlled upper mids/lower treble. A fun, exciting, toe tapping time.

Comparison:

VibroLabs Curly Maple:

The only other wood headphone I own and one of my favorite closed back headphones along with the MrSpeakers Ether C. The Curly Maple is a lot harder to drive as it is based off a Fostex T50rp mkIII. The VibroLabs have better control in the upper mids/lower treble and also have a slightly more detailed tone and timbre. The Meze has a little more warmth and a little less air. Overall, these two are very similar with the technicalities going the way of the VibroLabs and the musicality going to the Meze. I am very content with either one of these on my head for a relaxation session.

Conclusion:

So in conclusion, the Meze Audio 99 Classic Walnut Silver has been a blast to review and I am really disappointed to have to return them. The 99 Classic have been on my radar for a long time and I wish that I had picked them up sooner. They are a fun, relaxed can that plays well with any genre of music that you want to relax with. I took these with me on a trip to a cabin in the woods and they felt right at home with the warm, relaxed tones blending in with the cabin setting, I was so comfortable sitting on the couch forgetting about all the hustle and bustle of my normal work week and just focusing on my favorite tunes. If you are searching for a headphone for those times of relaxation and forgetting about work then you should consider the Meze Audio 99 Classics.


YouTube:



Gear:

iFi Audio Pro iDSD
Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 788
Massdrop THX 789
APPJ PA1502A
Geshelli Labs Enog 2 Pro, Archel and Archel 2
Bellari HA540 mk2
Cavalli Liquid Carbon X
Cavalli Tube Hybrid
SMSL SU-8
Grace Design SDAC-Balanced
Pioneer XDP-30r
Sony Walkman NW-A105
Shanling M2x
Shanling Q1
xDuoo Link

Sources:

Tidal
Deezer
Foobar (local dsd and flac)

Songs:

https://tidal.com/browse/track/128215119 Sinne Eeg “We’ve Just Begun” - multiple layer soundstage

https://tidal.com/browse/track/77568002 Molly Johnson “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” - female vocal tone

https://tidal.com/browse/track/120190149 Leslie Odom Jr. “Under Pressure” - male vocal tone

https://tidal.com/browse/track/230625 Eric Clapton “Change the World” - soundstage layering and placement

https://tidal.com/browse/track/18016422 Yo Yo Ma “Ecstasy of Gold” - acoustic instrument timbre

https://tidal.com/browse/track/103401770 Adam Baldych “Spem in Alium” - acoustic instrument timbre

https://tidal.com/browse/track/31759874 Tingvall Trio “Beat” - piano tonality


https://tidal.com/browse/track/52532480 Pain of Salvation “Stress” - percussion balance

https://tidal.com/browse/track/98069001 Michael Buble “When I Fall in Love” - orchestral dynamics

https://tidal.com/browse/track/41094997 Patricia Barber “Code Cool” - sibilance check
Christian Scott “New New Orleans” - shouty upper mids

https://tidal.com/browse/track/116415078 Tool “Chocolate Chip Trip” - imaging

https://tidal.com/browse/track/1855831 Hans Zimmer “Why So Serious” - sub bass extension

https://tidal.com/browse/track/89386285 Marcus Miller “No Limit” - bass control

https://tidal.com/browse/track/77646106 Dave Holland Quartet “Conference Of The Birds”- bass check

https://tidal.com/browse/track/132139860 Ilhan Eshkeri “47 Ronin”- orchestra and bass dynamics

https://tidal.com/browse/track/79530261 Hans Zimmer “2049” - sub bass extension

https://tidal.com/browse/track/36764745 Queen “Somebody to Love” - dynamics, sharpness and transients

https://tidal.com/browse/track/114330493 Tool “Ticks & Leeches” - dynamics, sharpness and transients

https://tidal.com/browse/track/63345703 Galactic “Doomed” - sub bass extension

https://tidal.com/browse/track/3468730 Bela Fleck & The Flecktones “Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo” - sub bass extension

https://tidal.com/browse/track/118552925 Motley Crue “Dr. Feelgood” harshness and shouty

https://tidal.com/browse/track/55391456 Pink Floyd “Young Lust” - mid bass and soundstage

https://tidal.com/browse/track/72947822 Shawn Mendes “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” - forwardness

https://tidal.com/browse/track/85963727 Alexander Desplat “Ïsle Of Dogs: Toshiro” - dynamics

https://tidal.com/browse/track/107749134 Marina “No More Suckers”- sibilance

https://tidal.com/browse/track/75202408 Tauren Wells “Known” - male vocals and micro dynamics

https://tidal.com/browse/track/86330323 Kacey Musgraves “Wonder Woman” - female vocals

https://tidal.com/browse/track/84340438 Dennis Lloyd “Nevermind (Wankelmut Remix)” - soundstage

Playlists:
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/3e4a5ae5-cde5-40fa-bbaa-4e432fe79e3e

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/0ba4d6a8-9d95-4f16-b79e-ef084a091d73

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/c5bc66bd-a907-4a0e-a976-9f02e75c126f

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/0e3aa4a1-ba36-44fe-aabb-d8976dc8a908

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/9e6568e7-8bdd-4ddd-964c-f5453d8761e8

https://www.deezer.com/playlist/744...utm_term=3243482124_1585500966&utm_medium=web

https://www.deezer.com/playlist/744...utm_term=3243482124_1585501023&utm_medium=web

https://www.deezer.com/playlist/744...utm_term=3243482124_1585502653&utm_medium=web

Massdrop x Meze 99 Noir are smooth and fun headphones with elevation in bass. For closed headphones, the staging is wide. Before delivery, I have been aware that there are some discussion and comparison about the original pads and the new pads in Meze's later production (which are supposedly to be bigger and more comfortable).

At the end, the guys in Massdrop and Meze did a great decision for the MD version, which is providing both the new pads as well as the "Revised" original pads in the package. Having heard the previous discussion about how the pads affect the sound quality, I have decided to stick to the revised pads. Inside the earpads it is a bit congested but acceptable. I use a 8 core OFC 7N balanced cable with DP-X1A. Compared with the stock cable, I feel the vocal is a tad more forward. The bass is more impactful.

Some Impressions (All songs were listened thru the Revised Original (RO) pads. Some songs were also auditioned thru the new pads (and the impressions are denoted as "(NP)" below):

• It is a bliss to listen to the titled track of Ondekoza's Fujiyama (鬼太鼓座 富嶽百景)- the drumming is just oh so powerful.
• (RO) Listening to "Uh Uh" Thundercat's Drunk, I could hear the details in the bass solo quite clearly. (NP) The bass is less boomy here and less detailed.
• (RO) For Norah Jones' "Burn" in Day Breaks, the separation is good that I could hear Wayne Shorter's pure sax clearly even when Norah sings (also the good separation between piano + double bass + sax in the outro). (NP) Wayne Shorter's sax is less prominent here. His sax is less detailed when Norah sings at the same time.
• (RO) On the titled track + "Cure" of Moonchild's Voyager. the vocal of Amber Narvan is as intimate as ever against the good dynamic syn-bass. (NP) The bass is far less present and less dynamic and Amber's vocal has less sparkle.
• (RO) On Queen's "Dragon Attack" in The Game, the bass solo is more present (but Brian May's guitar solo in the middle is somewhat recessed). John's bassline is more detailed even when Freddie sings. You can feel how groovy John is here. (NP)The bass solo is less forward and less detailed.
• "Manha De Carnaval" in The Paul Desmond Quartet's Live, the double bass provides good dynamic to support Paul's more forward alto solo. The bass-solo in the middle is quite present and detailed.
• I have some problem with "Capicornus" in Austin Peralta's Endless Planets, the double bass is so overwhelming. But I guess it is about the problem of the recording.
• Marina and the Diamonds' "I'm a Ruin" in Froot is a song with strong bass and sweet vocal. The separation is good that the punchy bass does not veil Marina’s vocal.

• On James Gang's "The Bomber" in Rides Again, the guitar and bass solo both manifest themselves in a nice balance way. Having said that, the bass is detailed and with slow decay.
• Black Sabbath's songs like "Sabbra Cadabra" of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, or "Neon Knight" in Heaven and Hell, these phones help reproduce the signature wall of sound (Tony's guitar and Geezer's bassline).
• On Judas Priest's "Painkiller" of The Essential, I am somehow surprised (in a nice way) by how detailed yet impactful the drum-kicking in the background.
• On The Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Sounds of the Loop" in Jazz Impressions of the U.S.A., each note of the double bass, again, is detailed in the background. The imaging of the instruments is quite clear - Desmond's Alto and Dave's piano is the front and Joe's drum set is a bit farther and Gene's double bass is in the back. Joe Morello's lengthy drum solo is quite present here.
• (RO) It is so fun to listen to Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" from the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction, especially the bassline. wow. You can hear Tommy Cogbill is walking his funky bassline here! (NP) Dusty's vocal is less forward here and the bigger disappointment is that the bass is more laid back
• (RO) On 陳潔麗 Lily Chan's live rendition "非走不可/男朋友/祝君安好" from her Purely For You 2013 Concert, the vocal is sweet. (NP) The vocal has less sparkle here and bass is quieter.
• The titled track of Michael Franks' Tiger in the Rain (WARNING: 2015 Remastered Version) is badly remastered and the the bass is unnecessarily elevated. The song has almost reached the point of unlistenable thru the Noir.
• On Agnes Obel's "Familiar" from Citizen of Glass, the double bass here is very clear and dynamic.
• BADBADNOTGOOD's "Kaleidoscope" from the III Album, the epic bass solo is impactful but it seems the decay is a tad too slow.

First off this headphone will arouse you to enjoy the music in anyway possible and not critical listening is what i have found with these headphones.

Despite the hype and excitement i just want to get to the point.

They are not titan killers when i say that things like flagship headphones like hd800 etc, but i am rather confident that can stand against headphones costing twice the price of these.

Secondly they are a fun listen in a natural way that does not sound artificial and good sound or great sound varying on the recording etc, but not the best but however for the price range they are one of the best and i am confident about that as also being a nice all rounder type sound but the sound is exceptional very exceptional when i mean when they sound great.

As for the price and being one of the best, for some people who is after sound quality highs mids and lows presented in a beautiful way then i would recommend them this headphone then at this price range and would be the very best for them as these would be hard to beat at this price range and also forgive me but i am not aware of any headphone sounding like these that i personally know of, but the 1 more triple driver headphones (European model) sound something like these for sure as i have them in my audio inventory and maybe the denon mh 400.

Since i am a audio newbie i have these paired with the pro-ject head box s2 digital which is recommended on the meze audio website and i would definitely recommend this amp/dac for audio newbies like myself.

So what do they sound like, Silky smooth for a start...as well as being lively and engaging sound never sounding emotionless for me anyways and the bass oh do i love sub bass, it is sub bass with a skirt which suits all bass types as best as possible whilst it is presented like that and yeah i am confident to say these do have ample bass to satisfy you also they have a spacious sound also more importantly they sound sweet also they have a surround sound type to the sound of these headphones anyhow they have a velvet sound to them which is perfect for jazz music when i say velvet sound, the music track you listen to either brings out the velvet sound or it doesn't and all in all these have lovely energy to them.

The reason why i gave these 4 stars was because my expectations for this headphone well put it this way, not a flagship killer for a start and people have to get real about this headphone when comparing this to flagship headphones when i mean that well this is hard to explain because these are very good value and i do think they do come close to a flagship but not bested or the same regarding their strengths and weakness and also i say that these really is worthy of being listened too for sure but i have the desire to hear more and more and more of the sound these baby's give you, so yea i reckon these really are worthy to be tested by anyone if that is possible because they do sing and for me this is impressive.

All in all since i own way to many headphones like 15-20, these hold a bright spot among them because of my music taste.

The build quality i might add is very good.

Well that is all i have to say.

If you have any opinions or criticism let me know because i know i have contradict my self when writing this review anyways i have never listen to a flagship headphone like the hd800 so i can't judge really but i have 15-20 headphones costing around about the same as these like hd 650 and the like and these really blow all of them out of the water with the great sound which is impressive and sensational for me anyways.

Headphones like dt 880, dt 990, dt 48, hd 650, k701, q 701, t50rp, ultrasone pro 900 and the list goes on and on and on and for me well nope.

Basically most of the the mid fi headphones promoted on this website and still nope.

These are a yes for me, and for people who is after music pleasure these have to be among the best for musical performance.

My 2 cents,

p.s. You will melt in the music.

If you was to introduce someone to the world of audio for me i would certainly tell them to go with this headphone for an epic start to the journey along with the head box s2 digital amp dac and the 99 series 2.5 balanced upgrade cable on meze audio website.

This headphone well i am addicted to it so yea with the right recording it will give you a big wow factor when i mean a big wow factor some recordings barely scratch the surface others are better like 3d sound and then the full potential which will i think make your jaw drop with the big wow factor, it sounds out of this world and out of my headphone collection they do not sound like these regarding out of this world sound which is what i find really impressing.

So yeah i for one am hooked on this headphone, i can spend hours and hours listening to music with these to no end.

Dan.

Specifications
Transducer size: 40mm, Dynamic
Frequency response: 15Hz~25KHz
Sensitivity: 103dB @ 1KHz, 1mW
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Rated input power: 30mW
Maximum input power: 50mW
Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
Weight: 260 g. (9.2 ounces), without cables
Ear-cups: Walnut wood

Price: U$309.

Official 99 Classics info

Credits go to the Meze team for lending the 99 Classics unit. Had for more than a month before posting the full review. Thank you!


The 99 Classics headphones arrive inside a hard EVA case with no cables attached. In the middle of the case, there is a small round pouch holding the two cables and a pair of adapters (6.3mm and airplane).


Build Quality & Design

The Meze 99 Classics are closed-back headphones with a very unique design and excellent build quality. There is a mix of high quality materials that consists of metal (zinc and steel), wood and pu synthetic leather with no signs of cheap plastic components or glue used to attach any of the parts. The walnut wooden cups are made by CNC machine and well polished for completely smooth finish, and as any wood product they are not 100% identical to each other adding a classier look to them.


The upper headband is made of spring steel, very solid and looks durable enough, holding the whole headphones' structure in a fixed shape. The lower headband is the part that actually sits over the head, made of an elastic material completely covered by a wide synthetic leather piece with the 99 Classics at the upper side. The design is quite interesting, as the headband naturally adjust to the user's head size.


The walnut wooded cups are also very light. They are well attached to the metal band and feature a simple yet effective swing mechanism that allows them to adjust to the best angle for easier fit. The pads here are the new ones that were introduced on the 99 Neo version, made of soft and elastic pu leather and very soft memory foam inside.


In terms of fit and comfort, with the combination of the self adjust headband and swing feature on the cups, the 99 Classics headphones are very easy to use with no need of readjusting them from time to time. Moreover, despite the 260g weight, in practice they sit very comfortable and less noticed than even a bit lighter headsets. However, the cushions size won't fit everyone the same way; for me they are like over-ear full size headphones, covering entirely the whole ears, but for others they could fit as a large on-ear set. There is also practically no clamping force (again, thanks to over-ear like fit), tough the pads aren't too deep. The seal is good but not always best, probably due the too soft memory foam material, which seems to have some effect on the sound (usually on the treble area). The level of isolation good for a closed headphone design and there is no sound leakage.


The headphones feature a detachable dual cable design. The package includes 2 cable options, one of standard 1.2m length with in-line remote single button (play, pause, call answer), and a much longer 3m cable with single 3.5mm plug. There are no right and left sides on the headphones part just the on the cables. The lower cable part is thick and well covered by Kevlar sleeve. The y-split has a mix of rubber coating and small metal part with Meze logo on it; there is no cable slider, tough. The upper cable right and left sides are covered by a rubbery coating and a bit stiffer than the cloth part on the lower half, but the whole cable doesn't carry any noise when moving around.


Sound Quality

The 99 Classics headphones rate normal impedance and enough sensitivity for a portable closed set and in practice are very efficient with any portable source. They can get loud enough at moderate volume levels without asking for high gain or extra amplification. Even out of ultra portable DAPs like the Shanling M0 and Lotoo Pico, or even the pocket friendly Fiio M3K, the 99 Classics sounded good enough. However, most of the listening was trough the iBasso DX120 as a main source for best results, Aune M1s as a second option, as Dragonfly Red as DAC. Pairing the headphones with either a warmer or more neutral source was more a matter of taste, but they definitely benefit from a good sounding player with good overall control.


The Meze 99 Classics signature is mostly balanced from lows, mids to highs, but not in a neutral, reference type of tuning. Considering the wood material one would expect a colored, warm and very rich presentation, however, with the 99 Classics there is very little coloration to the sound that avoids being too thick or overly warm. Instead, it brings a more musical and engaging presentation that occasionally may sound even bit of lively v-shaped depending on the paired source, but mostly full on the bass region, slightly forward on the midrange with well weighted notes.

The bass is enhanced and full with more than enough power. Not a heavy bass type, but definitely more than just north of neutral. The emphasis is mainly presented on the thicker mid-bass region and drops a bit when going higher to the upper bass, leaving a cleaner lower midrange. It does bring a very enjoyable sense of warmth that plays well with many music genres, rich in texture and with good level of dynamics. The layering is good and so is the speed, though overall bass is a bit loose on more complex or faster tracks. Sub-bass is softer in impact, extended with enough rumble just less body than the mid-bass part.

The midrange is probably the most favorable characteristic on the 99 Classics, rich and a bit forward with some coloration thanks the warmer bass response. The separation is quite good and there is some extra touch of sweetness for vocals. Timbre, while not best, is very natural; not tuned for critical reference listening, rather for a more enjoyable, relaxed presentation. There is a touch of sibilance that can be heard on the upper midrange, though may be because the lack of seal with the stock pads; not very annoying, but can be noticed with more neutral sounding DAPs. Overall, the mids are clear, dynamic and very musical.

Highs have some accentuation but wouldn't classify as bright sounding. It's more about giving a better balance through the whole frequency. There is a small dip on the lower treble resulting in a less aggressive or 'hot' sound. A good thing for the 99 Classics as the sound results less tiring, smoother and still very detailed. It avoids the usual treble peaks and there is still more than enough energy and sparkle, though will missing the extra bite and crunchy texture for string or upper brass instruments at this region.

For a closed design headphone the soundstage is surprisingly good, with a wider effect and fair height and depth. The slight midrange forwardness limits the dimensions, but it sounds coherent and very airy.

I tried out the 99 Classics, and wrote up my opinions on the sound. My opinions were not positive. I've had a bunch of comments and messages that the pair I tried were probably defective. If this is the case, then I can't use the pair I tried as an honest standard to judge these headphones. So I am going to seek out another pair to test, and if they sound good, well, I'm going to rewrite my review. If they sound the same, well...

Firstly I would like to thank Meze for sending me this sample, they have been used for well over 50hrs before writing this review.

*disclaimer: This sample was provided for the purpose of writing a review, no incentive was given to write a favourable review. All opinions expressed are my own subjective findings.

Gear Used: HP Laptop > Keces S3 / JDS Labs OL DAC + O2 / iBasso DX200 / Audio Opus #2 > 99 Classics



Tech Specs:
· Transducer size: 40mm
· Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
· Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
· Impedance: 32 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: walnut wood
https://www.mezeaudio.com/products/meze-99-classics-walnut-silver-wood-headphones

Packaging, Build Quality and Accessories:
The Meze 99 Classics come in a lovely box, with a picture of the headphones on the front, a frequency graph and tech specs on one side and features on the other. On the back it is just black with the shape of the headphones in a glossy black outline. The packaging looks and feels great, you open the front via a magnetic flap and inside you will find the headphone case, and inside this are the headphones and accessories. I really like the detailing on the outer packaging; it is a great first impression.



Built quality is flawless; each pair will be unique due to the wood having a different shade/grain naturally. The cups are impeccably finished and everything feels great. The cable is detachable, they come with 2 cables which are covered in fabric below the y-split and rubbery above, the 3.5mm jacks that go into the headphones are very slim so using aftermarket cables will be tricky, but the stock cables work fine and are well built. There is good strain relief and the microphone and controls on the shorter cable feel great. I have no issues with the build quality, and every part should be easily replaceable if anything goes wrong.

Accessory wise you get a nice hard carry case that is just the right size to fit the headphones in, they do however fit better if you remove the cable before putting them in the case. You also get a little fabric pouch that holds the rest of the accessories, like both cables (1.2m with mic/controls + 3m regular), airplane adaptor and 3.5mm to 6.3mm adaptor. Overall the included accessories are brilliant and everything you need to get going.



Comfort and Isolation:
The 99 Classics are super comfortable, the self adjusting headband distributes the weight perfectly and they are pretty lightweight anyway. The earpads have changed since they originally came out, to slightly larger ones that fit my ears fine and are just the right depth. These are closed back so your ears will heat up a little over time, but overall they are very comfortable and I can wear them for long periods of time with no issues.

Isolation is pretty good on these, not as good as most IEM’s but they do drown out most moderate noises quite well and would be perfect for office use. They don’t leak either, and they would also suit general daily use well.



Sound:
Split into the usual categories with a conclusion at the end.

Lows: The 99 Classics have a great low end; they are full with good extension yet without sounding too bloated. There is great articulation of bass guitars, and they sound relatively well controlled too. There is one tiny bit of resonance in the mid-bass that creates a little bloat, but this can easily be fixed with EQ and this is a result of the newer larger earpads. I really like the low end response of these as they have enough quantity to please most, but they are also well behaved for the most part; without bleeding heavily into the midrange. As I said previously, bass guitars have really good articulation, and kick drums have good slam. The lows only fall slightly behind when it comes to very fast and technical passages of some heavy metal where that mid-bass resonance can be a little overpowering.

Mids: The midrange is well separated from the lows, there is a small amount of bleed but for the most part they are clean and well detailed. The strengths here are timbre, acoustic guitars sound exceptional and there is great separation in the midrange. Both male and female vocals sound excellent, with plenty of detail but no harsh or sharp edges to notes. They are not quite as forward as the lows, but these are not really v-shaped sounding headphones, they manage to have a full low end with an insightful midrange too. Electric guitars don’t always have the bite that some more neutral headphones have and notes can sometimes sound a little rounded. But they are fatigue free with a smooth transition from the midrange to the highs.

Highs: The treble response of the 99 Classics is actually fantastic, it is smooth and fatigue free but not lacking in detail or presence. I was worried with the bump in the mid-bass that these headphones may come across a little dark, but again after spending some time with them I was pleasantly surprised at how transparent they are in the treble regions. There are no annoying peaks, they are not aggressive but they are resolving with good air and extension. The key up here is the tonality, they avoid the slight metallic tone that some headphones suffer from, and they are very natural and effortless.

The soundstage is wider than most closed back headphones, but they are not the most spacious sounding headphones. There is however good separation between everything and you can easily separate complex mixes.



Conclusion: As I said before, the more time I spent with these the more I came to appreciate their strengths and sound. At first some might find the bass to be the focus point, and in some ways it is, but they strike a fine balance between sounding fun and technical prowess. They do have a slightly elevated bass response, but the midrange comes across with excellent clarity and the highs have an effortless tone that is always present but never fatiguing. As a whole the 99 Classics individual attributes come together to create a relatively well balanced sound that is highly enjoyable without forgetting about the finer details.

Sound Perfection Rating: 9/10 (slight mid-bass resonance, but highly enjoyable overall)

I recently reviewed the 99 Classics on my blog page so I thought I'd share a brief summary here and my video review.

The 99 Classics are made by Meze Audio out of Romania. Retailing at approximately $300 they are at the lower end of the mid-price range of headphones and compete with many long-standing stalwarts of the industry, but they do it a bit differently.

To summarise my thoughts, the 99 Classics look amazing - they are one of the best looking headphones on the market and they are supremely comfortable thanks to the very soft ear pads and suspension-style headband. In terms of sound, they are warm and bassy, but articulate and fairly precise. They lean strongly towards warmth and musicality, but I don't ever find them slow or thick. Check out the video below for more details...

Long-winded background

While far from claiming to be an audiophile, I have always appreciated good quality sound – driving from Devon to Cornwall to buy Heybrook HB1s and later becoming obsessed with Irving M. Fried’s ‘IMF’ transmission lines. After a succession of headphones that broke far too soon I settled on the Soundmagic E10 and the Grado SR60s. After a year the Grado’s cables detached from the cup but welding them back proved a simple fix. After a while, however, it seems I had welded them one time too many and they packed up. The Soundmagics lasted a few days longer than their warranty before their (non-replaceable) cables also packed up, and the electrical shop wouldn’t even look at them – saying earphone cables were too small and fiddly to repair.

I had had enough of headphones that were neither robust nor repairable. But I wanted good sound! I visited Harrods, Selfridges and John Lewis in London to try on everything from high end open back to budget headphones – keeping an eye out for that rare thing, great sound and robustness.

In the middle of trying on the much-commended Oppo PM-3 headphones in Selfridges, an employee pointed me towards the Meze 99 Classics, signalling that these were his favourites. I didn’t recognise the brand and had never been a tremendous fan of AKG-like headbands, which these had, but tried them on briefly. I was taken aback by their sound, which stood out from that of the other portables I had been trying. Later, seeing Meze’s claims about build quality with the rare words ‘built to last’, combined with the reviews on this page, I was even more curious about the headphones.

Disclaimer: I wanted to trial the Mezes more thoroughly outside of the busy store and Meze very kindly provided me this pair for review.




Sound quality

My interest in these headphones was based largely on accounts of sound quality on this page and many reviews cover this part well. Here is my novice interpretation.

Immersive. When first listening to the Mezes in the store I was absorbed by the particular nature of their sound, unlike my experience with other headphones in the store. This quality held up while trialling them more thoroughly. The 99Cs make you want to listen; I found hours went by immersed in the music.

Portable, adaptable. Another appeal to me was the fact that they were said to be driven well without an amplifier and that they suit many genres of music. To me, this made them both portable and adaptable. Playing through a phone (a Huawei P9 Lite) produces plenty of volume. They sound as good playing folk band Lau’s ‘Lightweights & Gentlemen’ as they do grime artist Kano’s (wonderfully produced) ‘Roadman’s Hymn’. Nitin Sawhney’s ‘The Pilgrim’ sounds as spellbinding as it should, with wonderful soundstage and separation. The detailed midrange means Joss Clapp’s guitar in Kathryn tickell’s ‘Air Moving’ is a joy. The sub bass isn’t conjured out of nowhere but controlled and satisfying where I want it, as in Murlo’s ‘Lava Leaf’ and Joker soundtrack ‘Why So Serious?’. The treble in Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s ‘In the Back of a Taxi’ is crisp. After listening to them briefly with an Arcam Alpha 8 amplifier, I'm sure there is even more to get out of the 99Cs with decent amplification.

Sonically, the 99Cs impressed me more than the B&W P5, P7, PX, B&O Beoplays, Bose QuietComforts, Sennheiser Momentums and Oppo PM-3s. Of course, some of these have dramatically different emphases, but I found that unless you have a particularly strong liking for bass emphasis (Momentums) or accuracy (Oppo PM3 – which I didn’t find nearly as engaging!), the Mezes were an incredibly solid contender. It might be interesting to compare them to the Denon AH-MM400s, which I tried once and feel could be somewhat comparable – although I’m not sure if the Denons are as repairable.




Comfort, design

I find the look and functionality come together very well. The wooden cups are exquisite, and the whole thing has a very 'quality' feel. The initial prejudice against the metal headband design is long gone, I find it brings the headphone together well.

The ear cups feel good and isolate decently for commuting, although they can occasionally get a bit warm and sweaty. The adjustable headband strap is simple and works as it should. A very minor point I find is that the metal headband can resonate quite loudly when tapped or knocked.


Overall thoughts

It is impressive that a company’s first headphones can tick so many boxes that other manufacturers fail to address.

I would choose these headphones alone for their sound character; soundstage, natural presentation and absorbing qualities alone, but their exquisite build and serviceability in the portable headphone market really sets them apart.

It feels like a rare find, to come across a small company making such fine headphones in this price bracket; I wonder how long it will be before they appear everywhere?

"Remember this: classics never make a comeback. They wait for that perfect moment to take the spotlight from overdone, tired trends."

Click to expand...

Tabatha Coffey

Introduction

In 2015 Meze Audio released a headphone called the 99 Classics which led to what they call their "breakthrough year". It was their first headphone created entirely in house whereas before they were buying components externally. The Classics took the audio enthusiast community by storm and suddenly we were seeing it everywhere and just about everyone seemed to own one.

What was it that made them so desirable? Well, there were a few reasons they have been so successful. First of all they look dope, especially if you're a fan of wooden earcups. They have a design aesthetic that's is immediately appealing with it's simplistic elegance. Not only that but they're built with longevity in mind, each individual part being easy and inexpensive to replace. They also sound good, which obviously matters as fickle audio aficionados aren't going to buy something purely on looks alone. Wrap all that up with a very affordable price tag and the rest is history. Today I'll be taking a much belated look at the walnut and gold variant of the Meze 99 Classics.

Disclaimer

This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. I am not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.

The Meze 99 Classics cost $309 USD and are available from the Meze Audio website and Amazon.

Packaging and accessories

The 99 Classics come in a tasteful white box with a nice picture of one of the earcups on the front and back along with some of the various awards the headphones have collected since their release. There are some specifications and features listed on the sides and first impressions are positive.



Opening the box we find a very nice, contoured, clam-shell carry case with a smooth matte texture and finish. I actually like this more than the one that comes with the Neo although they're essentially the same albeit with a different finish.



Inside the case are the headphones and another small zippered pouch which contains two cables, an airline adapter, a 6.35mm adapter, user manual and warranty information.



Let's look at the two cables - one is ten feet long and ideal for desktop or living room use and the other four feet long with an inline control and microphone which is great for portable use, whether you're taking the Classics outdoors or just moving around the house. Both cables have a braided material cover from the plug to the Y-split where it changes to a rubberized style to reduce microphonics. They Y-split has a nice gold band with the company logo and this matches perfectly with the gold accents on the headphones. At the top are two 3.5mm plugs and both cables terminate in a straight, gold plated 3.5mm plug. These cables have just the right mix of strength and suppleness so they feel durable yet sit and roll up nicely.



Specifications

• Transducer size: 40mm
• Frequency response: 15Hz - 25KHz
• Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
• Impedance: 32 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: walnut wood

Build, comfort and isolation

For many users appearance is an important factor when purchasing headphones. If you're one of those people then this could be the one for you. Enter the Meze 99 Classics with their simplistic yet sophisticated and elegant looks that are so easily distinguishable from all the rest.

In a lot of cases if a single piece or section breaks you're up the brown creek in a barbed wire canoe or in other words, you're out of luck and have to start looking for a new headphone. Well this isn't the case with Meze's 99 series headphones as they've been designed in a way so they can be fully disassembled. Thus if a component breaks the headphones are still fully serviceable. You can simply order the replacement part and get yourself back up and running in no time. Kudos to Meze for doing this rather than going with the usual "designed to fail" practice of so many products.

Starting with the spring steel headband which is very sturdy but also due to the minimalist design using two thin strips it's very lightweight. Attached to this via a cast zinc alloy cross structure is the wide and well padded self adjusting headband. The steel headband extends all the way down to where it's attached to the center of the earcups. The conical earcups are made from a single piece of wood - in this case walnut, which not only looks great but has wonderful, natural resonating properties. On the underside of each earcup is where the 3.5mm cable plugs connect, again highlighted with a subtle gold ring surrounding the holes to fit into the the overall style.



Onto the earpads now and I believe that these have been improved since the early versions of the Classics and now share the same ones that are used on the 99 Neo, being a bit thicker and more plush than the original ones. They're large enough to fit around my big ears and deep enough so that my ears don't come into contact with the driver covers.

These are very comfortable headphones and I can wear them for hours on end with no discomfort whatsoever. They are closed backs though so if the weather is hot your ears can become a little warm over time. The earpads are soft and plush, clamping force is just enough to hold the headphones steadily in place without putting the squeeze on your precious dome and the headband sits really nicely without any unnecessary pressure on the top of your head. This along with the light weight means top marks for comfort.

Isolation is about average for a closed back headphone so they do block a good amount of external noise and should be suitable for most situations whether at home or out and about.



Sound

Gear used for testing

Acoustic Research AR-M20

ATC HDA-DP20

Galaxy Note 5

JRiver/flac > Arcam irDAC-II

JRiver/flac > Topping DX7

The 99 Classics are very easy to drive. With an impedance of 32 Ohm and 103dB sensitivity they can be paired with just about any device. The Galaxy Note 5 had no problems driving these and for my preferred listening level 70-80% volume was plenty loud enough without any noticeable drawbacks. Obviously using a high quality DAC or amplifier is likely to give even better results. Because of their warm and bass heavy nature I prefer to use them with a neutral or bright source but in fact they still sound great regardless.

After having experience with the 99 Neo I had a fairly good idea what to expect from the Classics and I was not disappointed. Just like with the Neo the first thing that struck me was the bass - again there's a lot of it. Then there's the silky musicality and superb tonality. The 99 Classics have a fun approach to sound reproduction but that doesn't mean they can't also take on a serious tone. Listening to Beethoven's string quartets is just as satisfying as some hard hitting Infected Mushroom. There's an energy to the Classics that belies their technical ability.

As I mentioned above there is loads of bass present and while it's not the most controlled and sometimes even a bit loose it does sound very natural. Bass notes are fairly rounded, so they don't have a sharp or etched presentation but one that is more liquid and relaxed. There is a little bass bleeding into the midrange but it's not a detriment, it just adds to the overall warmth and the mids are not compromised as a result but rather enhanced by it. Sub-bass hits pretty hard but isn't as prominent as the mid-bass. There's enough of it to give you that sense of an earthquake without bringing the house down around you.

Midrange on the Classics is definitely one of the highlights. Despite the warm overtones the mids still manage to reveal a great amount of detail and maintain their excellent tonality. Vocals are forward sounding but not overly intimate and possess that same silky smoothness throughout. It's organic, natural, even and ridiculously easy to listen to. Just like with the Neo stringed instruments sound amazing from classical pieces to the crunch of electric guitars and everything in between.

Treble has a crisp and airy appeal that brings some much needed lightness to balance the Classics' warmth. There's good extension without ever being harsh or sibilant. It really helps to bring out some of the detail that might otherwise be lost in the richness of the bass and mids but somehow Meze found the perfect amount to keep the balance without making the headphones overtly V-shaped.

For a closed back headphone the Classics have a great soundstage that provides immersive depth and excellent layering throughout. Imaging is superb and instrument placement makes for a truly engaging experience. This also makes the 99 Classics a pretty good companion for gaming and watching movies too.



Comparisons

Meze 99 Neo ($249 USD)

The Neo comes very close when it comes to audio quality but the Classics seem to have something that gives them a slight edge. Is it worth shelling out the extra money for the Classics? When it comes to pure sound there's not much in it but the Classics do seem to have a little more refinement, most notably for my ears in their treble which has a little more sparkle and air and in the bass which is slightly tamer and tighter. In terms of appearance the two are obviously very similar but for me there's something about wooden earcups that makes them that much more desirable. Either way if you buy one or the other I'm sure you'll be more than pleased with the results.

*The next two comparisons are basically copied+pasted from my 99 Neo review (here) because the Neo and 99 Classics are so very alike in terms of sound quality.

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 Classics 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 Classics 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 Classics. 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 Classics'. 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 accurate and less emotive manner compared to the “fun” tuning of the Classics.



Conclusion

So there you have it. It was almost a forgone conclusion after experiencing the 99 Neo that I would enjoy the 99 Classics but I didn't expect to enjoy them that much more. Yes, they sound very similar indeed. Yes, they look similar but there's just something about the 99 Classics that I love. It's an experience from the moment you pick them up until real life obligations or things like food and sleep force you to put them down.

They're attractive, lightweight, comfortable, portable and a totally enjoyable listen. They're fun but they also give you juicy detail, great extension on both ends, a full-bodied and rich midrange. They're easy to drive and sound good even straight from a smartphone. If you're looking for a pair of headphones and $309 is within your limits then the Meze 99 Classics come highly recommended from me.

Maybe Meze Audio knew they had something special on their hands when they named these Classics because they have essentially become that in their own right.

Video review:


sound demo:



INTRODUCTION

Previously, I reviewed the Meze 99 neo, a great headphone that everyone on my team loved. I even put it as “all in one solution” for both home and portable usage. Now we review its bigger brother, the Meze 99 classic. With minimal differences, I was doubtful that there would be any sound differences. However, to my surprise there were few notable differences aside from the “looks.” Read on to find out more.

ABOUT MEZE

Meze is a Romanian audio company that has their values set right.

Their values:

Meze Headphones had stood by its values since the beginning of the company, we did not follow trends and let them influence the audio quality and design of our headphones. They are timeless objects that will not go out of style the next season. We achieved this through patience and dedication.

And where there is values lies passion:

Our passion for music and art is the drive behind Meze headphones. We created our range of headphones and earphones with this aspect in mind. We created them as if for ourselves.

and their wood craftsman ship set above normal standards:

The choice of wood is an inherently difficult one. Obtaining the desired qualities for wooden parts is a long and hard path. The rich colors of walnut require the use of air drying, the longer and more expensive process. Steam or kiln drying are cheaper techniques, but the colors tend to be washed out and there are also structural risks. It takes eighteen months for the wood to dry properly. This is the timeframe needed only for curing and drying the lumber before any further processing can begin. We are patient: we know that the result is worth the wait.

Then, the process of shaping just a single pair of earcups takes up to 8 hours. The whole process of sanding, lacquering, and finishing lasts 45 days. We could cut corners, but we don’t sell ice cream. We fight time: this is the pride of the creator.
The craftsmanship of our designs is paramount. It allows us to show the world our products almost exactly as imagined. The wooden components are carefully inspected and no flaws are permitted to reach the final assembly. Aesthetics are as important for us as they are for you. We want you to wear a pair of Meze Headphones and know that you are enjoying a timeless art piece.

It is worth mentioning that all the wood that we use in our headphones is strictly harvested from sources with certificate of origin. That is, mature trees that have reached the end of their life cycle. This way, we are helping the environment and we’re giving the old trees a chance to shine one more time in the shape of Meze Headphones.

DISCLAIMER

This review unit was sent to me by Meze for this review. As usual, all my reviews will stay honest and unbiased

SPECS

• Transducer size: 40mm
• Frequency response: 15Hz – 25KHz
• Sensitivity: 103dB at 1KHz, 1mW
• Impedance: 32 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: walnut wood

THE BUILD QUALITY

The build quality is incredible for the price and I have no complaints. Might as well skip this section if you are looking for anything but praise.

The headphone is asymmetrical, allowing you to plug in the connectors any way you like it. Left & Right is irrelevant. This might seem like a small thing but it is extremely convenient in the long run. – same as the 99 neo

Meze also decided to magically make the headphones more comfortable and fit large types of head sizes be making the headphone adjustments “auto-adjustable,” with it stretching mechanism. There is nothing you need to do to get the perfect fit, Meze says “this is our job.” The headphone fit perfectly with great comfort and isolation. I felt like the headphones were customized for my head. – same as the 99 neo



Unlike its little brother, the classic comes in nice walnut wooden cups, which in my opinion looks incredible and contributed to the sonic characteristics of this unit.

I do not understand how Meze can automatically find a way to make great stock cables when most companies out there cannot. With that being said, they do come with two cables, one longer cable for home use and one shorter one with control buttons for travel. The cables are braided up to the point of the splitters and then splits into a plastic/rubbery material that also do not feel cheap. I prefer this kind of mechanism (as long as it does not feel like cheap plastic/rubber) because it reduces the microphonic. – Same as the neo

The connectors are 3.5mm and terminates in a 3.5mm with a ¼ inch adaptor.

The case that comes with the headphones is very nice and sturdy however, the headphones do not fit unless you unplug the connectors. They do include a separate case just for the cables but this is very inconvenient on the go and I would like to see a case where you do not need to unplug the connectors. – same as the neo

The clamping force is less than the neo, which I believe contributes to the sound differences.

The metal suspension seems sturdy and very solid. Although I felt like it was a little bit thin, I understand that the headphone needed to lose all the weight it can, for transportation use. – same as the neo

The pads are also very soft and surprisingly comfortable despite its small size. I did find that the cups were a little bit too small and may not fit everyone’s ears perfectly “inside the cups” – same as the neo



You want to talk about style. Let us talk about style. Hands down, my favorite looking headphones. I personally like the wooden design more than the 99 neo.



SOUND QUALITY

Overall, the sound signature is like that of the neo, so go check out that review for more “how it sounds like,” here, I will be talking about the differences.

What I believe changes the sound: different clamping force & wooden cups.






Overall Thoughts

There is not much sound difference unless you really sit down and go back and forth numerous time on the same track. If you want a great all in one solution at a cheaper value, you go with the neo. If you have a big head or really like wood then you go with the classic.

A lot has been said about these headphones so I will try not to focus on how awesome they are, revealing some aspects a potential customer should take into account before spending his or her hard earned money.

Construction: These babies are built to last. The wood is prone to scratching of course but other than they will not break so easily. And don't forget you can always replace almost every single part in case it breaks. 5 stars.

Design and fit: Best for casual or classic style. I would not recommend taking these headphones for a hike or in the gym. The band tends to stretch on every abrupt move and you'll get quite a lot of microphonics. Especially from the metal parts. Also the pads will get hot over time so you'll need to literally cool your head once in a while. The clamping force is very well managed and you can even wear glasses with the headphones (which is big plus in my case). Even so, a few minutes of rest every hour or two would be welcome for your ears and jaw muscles. 4 stars for comfort.

Sound:

• Bass: coming from an open back DT-880 Vintage (where the bass is like a whisper), I was literally blown away by M99C. The bass is punchy, well defined and controlled. It feels too much at times, especially in quiet environments but that is normal for a closed back. 4.5 stars.
• Mids: The main reason why I bought these and I was right. A very natural reproduction of piano and guitar sound. Vocals are a bit forward, "in front of the orchestra", you can hear every whisper, every drop of saliva in the mouth of the vocalist. That is truly something. 5 stars.
• Highs: I'm a spoiled child here. I own a pair of Sony XBA-H3 and their armature drivers create a tremble that is hard to beat. Meze's dinamic driver is simply not in the same league. Highs are played accurately and only on very complicated compositions a slight loss of detail can be observed. Still, they are not sparkling like on XBA. If you are into jazz or trap, Meze may not be for you. 4 stars.
• Soundstage: It is OK. No praise, no complains here. The average soundstage of a closed back. The separation is good, though and that is enough. 4.5 stars
• Overall: a mature sound signature, very natural and pleasant, with an engulfing bass and forward mids. I don't think these headphones have a "warm " sound. That is an epitet reserved for Senns. That makes M99C your best bet for live music, rock and classical music. In fact, Meze are quite omnivore and I am almost sure that every genre could be enjoyed with these cans. 4.5 stars

Requirements to source:
They work well straight from my iPod touch but will scale significantly with a good DAC (I use them with a Pegasus II HP). 5 stars

My route to headphone bliss!


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

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


Comfort

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


Construction

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




Sound

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

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


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

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


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

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


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


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


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

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

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


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

The review you are about to read is very personal and contains details some might find boring or unimportant. You have been warned.
 
My personal search for a great headphone began with a love for music. As my tastes changed over the ears, getting very into jazz and classical, so did the need for a headphone to better express the genres. Though, I remember with great emotion a period from 10-15 years ago, owning a pair of Senns CX95 and a Sony Walkman NW3, strolling through the city, enjoying notes on a fun level. At some point I began to feel the need for a on/over ear headphone, as the earpiece began to feel somewhat uncomfortable.
 
As my budget started growing I bought and then sold a big number of headphones: Koss Porta Pro, Senns PX100, Grado Sr60, Grado Sr225, Senn HD600, Audio Technica AD900 ... and ultimately The HD800. I just loved the soundstage on the HD800 ... yet the headphone sounded a bit tiring. I switched from a SS Burson to the Wooaudio WA2, then bought too many lamps for it...
 
In the meantime I also spent a fortune on a Meridian G08 CD player and a large number of CDs. One day I found myself inside the house with a huge headphone over my had, not being able to enjoy the music elsewhere, having to manually change the CDs and, on top of that, with a sound quality impressive yet fatiguing.
 
Having previously heard a large number of headphones, I decided to sell the combo and buy a pair of fun speakers with an amp, ending up owning the Focal Aria 906... A mature decision.
 
After a while I began craving for music on the go... the previous experience felt like a rock on my heart, so I wanted nothing of importance. One day, as I was on vacation I saw the PX 100 II, for sale in a store in Paris, 40 euros. Paid the price, got the phones, got another inexpensive piece of equipment, the Sandisk Sansa Clip+ and suddenly I could enjoy music again, of very decent quality and more important, with great soundstage. All that for  a little over 100 euros.
 
Two years later, a friend managed to convince me of the bass on the PXs is a bit enhanced. An idea then started to grow in my head. Months later I managed to listen to the new Sennheiser Orpheus along with the LCD4 and other great stuff. I found superb music quality in headphones I would never buy, not solely because of the price (!), but lack of portability.
 
Being so interested in soundstage, I would never thought of trying closed headphones. Yet, a few weeks ago I ended up listening to the Sennheiser Momentum M2, and I couldn't believe my ears. I wanted to buy the pair on the spot, but somehow managed to retain myself, pending further investigation. 
 
So I dwelled into the dark depths of the head-fi forums and other internet pages, seeking for the perfect no-amp headphone at a decent price, because I would never want to spend 1000+ dollars on audio equipment, not when I have the PX 100 II for 40 euros.
 
So did the Meze 99 appear in the picture. I couldn't believe all the good reviews, so I decided to buy a pair. Of course, I was a little afraid that the good marketing of the company would influence those reviews, not to mention the bad experience I previously had with other people's ears (the LCD2? really?). On top of that, the company is romanian, so a state of patriotism began to grow...
 
Having received the phones yesterday, I can only tell you the following: sell the other **** and get a pair. If you happen to own the Stax SR009 and the BHSE, sell it, get a pair, and travel the world for a month or two with the money, and I guarantee you will enjoy your music and you will forget about equipment, bass, treble, soundstage, amps, etc... It's gonna be just you and Mozart (or Ozzie?).
Do the headphone sound as good as the Focal Utopia or the Audeze LCD4? No, they don't. But if you happen to love music, I urge you to forget about all the technical stuff and to find a phone you will be happy for the rest of your life. Instead of discovering new planar magnetic drivers, discover new recordings of Mahler's 5th, or new albums by Miles (or new death metal?).
 
The sound of the Mezes? You have the innerfidelity review on that, it's accurate. The bit about the loose bass too . I honestly hope everyone will rediscover the love for music with these headphones, as I did. Because, man, it was really a painful journey!

Introduction

Meze Classics 99. The title says it all – great potential and elegant style.

Head-fi banners showing a classy headphone started popping up a while ago and you can’t stop but wonder, how does that sound like?

Meze is a Romanian headphone producer that even though new, made a statement with their headphones and their great customer support. They’re one of the companies that not only offer great support to their customers but actually listen to them, as seen with C99 which was modified after reviewer and market support came in to Meze. Even though very few companies to answer to customer requests, those who do always do a good job as the customer knows best what they wish for.

I didn’t really know about Meze before and I’m actually sad about it. For one thing, I am Romanian, and it is a shame for me to not know that there is a Romanian headphone producer and for the other thing, the headphones themselves sound really interesting.



About me

My name is George and I enjoy music. I listen music while working, listen to music for enjoyment and listen to music while I'm gaming. Music surrounds me and it is part of my life, there are very few moments in the day when there’s no music around me. I also listen to music while working on our games at here https://www.facebook.com/seventh.heart.studios/ and here https://twitter.com/7heartstudios . My love for music has had impact on our games as we hold the music close to our hearts and we are committed to only use ogg -q10 as the encoding format for our music since it offers the best space to sound quality ratio.

I have a pretty good hearing and the higher treble means quite a lot to me (8-18kHz area), and I generally hear even minor changes in equipment but it takes bigger changes to amaze me. I’m also hard to impress since I already own Sennheiser ie800.



First Impression









First impression with Meze as a whole company is a very good one. They respond very well to customer requests, are very supportive and are ready to walk that extra mile for you.

Meze 99 Classics come with a carry box that slightly reminds one of a biker helmet, but with a unique elegance to it. The zippers were really smooth (appreciable on high end products) and the case did not degrade one bit even after some usage, being thrown in backpack with other supplies.

The headphones themselves sound similar to Oppo PM series or Sennheiser HD5XX series, depending on the music and source that’s being used. Given the price range and looks, the sound was fair upon first listening and they were not necessarily a WOW headphone but rather a good headphone. In the 300$ price range the fight is quite fierce, but then again, no other 300$ headphone received a rather better than good or fair upon first audition.

Another thing that’s related to the first audition is the comfort. While 99C looked a bit small after opening them, with a bit of adjusting, the ears fit well inside the cups and the headphone makes the headphones themselves really comfortable. 99C upon first listen was comfortable and sits well on the head. The weight is low and they don’t cause fatigue.



Packaging












99C comes in a cardboard box, in which is the carry case. Inside the carry case are the headphones themselves, two cables, a pouch for carrying the cables and an airplane (I think?) adapter. The inside of the carry case is made of a fine material that leaves no scratches on the headphones and the carry case is hard, preventing damage to the headphones, even if they are thrown in a backpack with other objects. The cables must be disconnected for the headphones to be carried inside the carry case, but the connectors are easy to use and the whole experience was nice. HD380Pro for example, has really awkward connectors that are a pain to connect, even after owning them for more than 3 years.

The addition of two cables to 99C is very welcome as they are different lengths and one of the cables includes a remote (and I think microphone). The short cable is ideal for outdoors usage while the longer cable makes a fine computer companion, especially if working as a digital artist and having to move around quite a bit. The cables are braided and look resistant, any damage that’s to be done, will be done to the thing they are plugged in , before the cables will get damaged.

Given the size and shape of the headphones, the only accessory that might be lacking from the box is a second pair of ear pads, as seen with Ultrasone headphones, but 99C pads might hold up better in time, so it seems like a fair trade.

The inside of the cardboard box is made of a hard sponge, this adds to the unpacking experience.

I really appreciate that Meze included a little warning about listening levels in their little book – instructions paper. It is always good to know that prolonged exposure to loud noises can be dangerous. The paper also includes a frequency response graph which shows that 99C is fairly flat in its response.



Technical Specifications




Build Quality/Aesthetics





99C is one of the classiest / most elegant headphones out there. The headband design, while slightly reminding of Autio Tehnica series, feels good and it is sturdy. The headband is made out of leather or pleather, but it is soft and doesn’t seem to take any damage from being worn.

The cups of 99C swivel a bit and this makes the headphones more adjustable. This comes in handy as they need a bit of swiveling around for getting the best fit possible, but I also have big ears.

The cups are made out of wood, and have a smooth design. Since this is a rare feature, Meze must be commended for walking that extra mile for delivering a better experience to their customers by including a real wood.

The cables are braided and come in different lengths, making 99C a good headphone for both indoors usage and outdoors. The jacks with which the cables are connected to the cups are 3.5mm and they feature a tight and secure lock. In the time I had 99C, the cable did not fall once and it didn’t get any scratches either (from plugging and unplugging the cables)

The headband mechanism is actually nice to wear and while I feared that the metal parts will get scratched, they are good and well, even after a considerable amount of usage. There are no scratches on any art of the headphone after extended usage, so the build quality is good. The earpads did not degrade either in the time I spent with 99C.

Aesthetically speaking, 99C would easily fit with a bow and tie costume, but they will fit in with a sport shirt and a pair of jeans as well.



Comfort / Isolation

When asked about the comfort of 99C, the best way to describe them would be comfortable. The cups are a bit small in size for people with larger ears, but will fit most people well. The cups have good depth and provide comfort for many hours of listening.

Being word outside, 99C does not get very hot and can be worn even when jogging or taking a longer walk outside though the weather will play a role in this.

The isolation of 99C is extremely good, to the point where I was able to listen to music very loud and my wife couldn’t hear my music at all, and the headphones isolate very well from the outside noise. It is almost impossible to hear a conversation while wearing the headphones, even louder noises are muted, making 99C a great choice for those in need of a well isolating headphone.






After 8 hours of continuous usage, 99C still feels nice to wear and the headband didn’t get uncomfortable at all. This is even more interesting as I did doubt the system itself before trying them on, but 99C surprises in a good way, making them a very interesting choice even for long nights of work.


Compared to Dj1P and HD380Pro, 99C isolates much better and it is the most comfortable to wear out of the bunch, both because the cable is long enough, the headphones are not heavy and the cups have enough width / height / depth.

This came as a surprise, especially as they are not advertised as this, but 99C are one of the best isolating headphones I tested to date, regardless of price segment or other constraints.



SOUND QUALITY

99C offers two different types of sound: One is their natural sound and the other is their Equalized sound. They also respond very well to different sources making source synergy an interesting pursuit, but they will play really good with any source thrown at them.

Because my Equalization algorithm for 99C is very aggressive, I will split every part of the audio spectrum in Natural and Equalized descriptions. All components of the sound change with aggressive Equalization due to the phase change, but certain aspects of the sound will stay the same, regardless of the EQ applied.

99C is a natural sounding headphone, with sweet sounding mids, smooth treble and good extension both ways. They amazed me again in their sound as the presentation is rather wide, and instrument separation is very good, thing which is amazing since they were not advertised as such. The instruments are vivid in general and the texture quality is insane for their price point and very good for any price point. The sound without any EQ can be described as enthusiastic and detailed, well textured, smooth and airy. There is a hump on 250-500 Hz. I tracked this specific sound to the wood in the cups as wood has its own acoustic properties and tends to enhance the 250 – 500Hz area.



Channel imbalance
I detected no channel imbalance on 99C even though I am sensitive to channel imbalance. Especially when it comes to loud music, even a slight channel imbalance is very easy to detect.



Bass

Classics 99 have a solid bass that can hit even down to the lowest octaves, but is also very fast and can respond well to tracks, playing textures with very good agility. On the stock setting, the bass is slightly enhanced, or rather the 250 – 500 Hz area is enhanced due to the wood in the cups. Wood is known for its acoustic properties and for offering this kind of resonance. After hearing 99 Neo which have their cups made of plastic and them not presenting the same bump in this area, but having the same drivers, it is easy to point the small bump in bass to the wood construction.

This bump in bass gives the headphones an euphoric and sweet presentation, the drums in rock songs sound crisp and the snare drum has a very good presence. Regardless of the Equalization applied, the bass is generally well rounded and it is a delight to listen to. Although the bass is enhanced sometimes, it does not take over the mids and the presentation is well balanced.


When put against a much more expensive model, namely ie800, C99 is able to hold its ground and shows a similar presentation in bass quality and detail but a smaller amount of sub-bass. This change is actually for the better as the amount is feels just right.

With the song Gorillaz – El Manana, the bass area is well rounded, clean and albeit the headphones are very solid in general, the bass of this song has a good reverberation and has the fluid feeling of this song. The bass also has good stage for this song, being heard through all the stereo space.

With Infected Mushroom – Becoming Insane, the bass has good hit and impact, it also covers the right amount of space it should. The texture is there and doesn’t lag behind (as seen on some models, where the bass doesn’t keep up with the song). The upper bass also has enough speed to do its part for the mid parts of this song, making all effects sound their best.

The Glitch Mob – Our demons: The bass doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the frequencies, but is strong enough to give the song the impact it needs, the drops having the right amount of strength and presence. The texture of the bass is vivid and it doesn’t lag behind the mids, giving the whole song an overall coherent sound.



Midrange

This is where the Equalization begins to play a role in the sound. The default midrange is pretty forward, detailed, well textured and all instruments are rendered well. This would be a similar signature when compared with most 300$ headphones, so there is no problem with going for this signature. The soundstage with no EQ is pretty intimate, and 99C are great headphones for metal music since the forward mids will make all voices sound strong and guitars have a sweet / euphoric tint to them. It is pretty important to know what you pair 99C with. Paired with FiiO X5-3, the music sounds happy and even death metal has a friendly tone to guitars. Combined with the rather silky top end in the default presentation, 99C + X5-3 sounds friendly and every single piece thrown at them is returned enjoyable and most mistakes in songs are slightly masked leading to a sound that is well detailed, forward but never dull.

After Equalizing the sound with custom phase and Frequency response tests, the midrange improves to the point where it easily competes with that of Sennheiser ie800, a headphone costing more than twice the price of 99C. The phase of the sound is affected as well, but the negative effects by phase changes are mitigated by a wider soundstage albeit with less depth. The tests are made using mastering and analysis tools, but the results are staggering. Since the EQ applied is quite aggressive, it is possible for 99C to have even better transient response and texturing than Sennheiser ie800 with enough EQ, but it makes the sound a bit excited leading to every single error / bit of noise come as twice as strong.

The higher midrange is slightly recessed in the default signature, making the pianos and violins have a friendlier sound, especially for people who are sensitive to treble. On the other hand, the default signature does not present any loss in detail.

Rammstein – Ich Will: Regardless whether we’re talking about the Equalized or the default signature, I was surprised to notice that the little noise at the first “Ich Will” parts was there. It sounded like it was part of the song on the default signature, while the equalized signature made it clear that it was a noise, and even made it an offending noise. Another really nice effect is that the “Ich Will” that was coming from the monitors worn during the record are easily heard in the mix.

Obscurcis Romancia – Sanctuare Damne: The piano is always heard and every note, regardless of the length is easy to be heard. The voices bear the strength they should and there is a good texture to all guitars and the voices. It is easy to discern all guitars and they don’t smear on each other. The effects / keys are kept in their designated place and don’t come neither too forward nor are lost. The guitars have a really nice transient response and the textures are really crisp resulting in a very well rounded general sound. Cold guitar picks bear the necessary resonance to them in both mids and bass, and the fastest parts of the song have precise attack and don’t lag behind. It is also possible to notice the fingers moving on the frets at times, effect which I greatly appreciate.

Iron Maiden – Dance of the dead: The guitar picks are really crisp and they don’t come too forward but are not erased either. The voice has great presence, but it has a more natural response after EQ albeit it is very good without any EQ. Unique guitar notes are easy to discern and there is no smearing between distinct notes. The guitar solo is tasty and is presented vivid, with enough bite and the background guitars are not erased but rather create the right type of rhythm and company to the song.

Female voices present just the right amount of sweetness and crispness Jill Tracy’s voice sounds fluid and melodic, the prophecies made in her music are received through the entire body and the music works well.

Teddy Loyd w Daoko – Me Me Me : Her voice sounds clear, has the right amount of sweetness and depth. Without EQ, the song is euphoric and has a special type of melody to it. It is a fun experience and the whole song sounds sweet and warm. The song is easy to listen to and will cause no listening fatigue. Even though the song is slightly prone to sibilance, 99C presents no sibilance in either stock form or after applying aggressive EQ.



EQ
By now it is time that I explain what EQ I have been applying to them. The treble is changed entirely by EQ and the stock treble and EQ’ed treble have less in common compared to the midrange and bass, which are less affected by the EQ.

The EQ applied is:





31 Hz - 5dB

62 Hz - 3dB

125 Hz - 0 dB

250 Hz - -3 dB

500 Hz - 3 dB

1 kHz - 3 dB

2 kHz - 3 dB

4 kHz - 3 dB

8 kHz - 0 dB

16 kHz - 21 dB

As for more details, the 250 Hz area is where it is a bit strong by default, and if increasing the 16 kHz area, it is a must to decrease the 8kHz area otherwise the treble can come in a bit hot. There is a specific spike that happens in the treble if the 8 kHz area is not decreased when applying such a strong enhancement on the 16 kHz area.

The magic part of Equalizing 99C : Most headphones do not respond very well to aggressive EQ. For example, EQ-ing Ultrasone Dj One Pro with a similarly aggressive EQ results in distortions all across the soundscope and will be unbearable. With 99C, the amount of EQ that can be applied before distortion occurs is incredible. To put it in better words, I didn’t get any distortion regardless of how much EQ I applied – be it a 21 dB enhancement or a over 30 dB of treble enhancement. This is quite exciting as most headphones will distort from as little as 10 dB of EQ.

From this perspective, the drivers found in 99C are a golden grail of headphone drivers and act like a pot of clay which you can model to your liking. If you like sound vivid and sparkly, you can achieve it, if you like your sound bassy and impactful, you can do that and if you like your sound sweet and euphoric – then it is your lucky day as this is their default sound.

I generally don’t get as excited about this since I haven’t been able to apply this much EQ and adaptation to any headphone in the past.

The EQ profile applied above will allow for a much stronger (and questionably harsher) treble, a larger sounstage and a slightly more sibilant sound. The disadvantages are vastly overwhelmed by the advantages in this case, at least for those ears. 99C is able to sound more or less like Sennheiser ie800, a pair of IEMs costing more than 2X their price. The signature of ie800 was the guide to obtaining this EQ as well.

While the stock sound will be loved by a large part of the buyers and 99C does not appeal to exactly the same market as ie800, it is baffling to know that you can obtain the sound of ie800 out of them. The same applies for most signatures as 99C does not distort under heavy EQ.



Treble

The treble of 99C in stock form is silky smooth, slightly rolled off and it is extremely forgiving. This means that many songs that would otherwise sound harsh will now sound smooth and happy. With Jazz and Classical, the music keeps its euphoric tonality that is present in 99C in general, leading to a very fun and pleasurable experience.

With metal, the treble can be too smooth and silky at times, resulting in an experience that is more fun and friendlier than it should. Many people prefer this type of signature, where the treble is silky smooth, but I frankly prefer a harsh / sparkly treble.

On the happy side, 99C responds extremely well to EQ and after applying the trick above, the treble extends up to 20kHz and has the right amount of sparkle and fizzle to it, without being sibilant or too harsh. Taste being relative, the EQ I apply might be too aggressive or not aggressive enough for you. The only way to get the best results for you is to play with it until you’re happy with the results.

Royal Repulic – 21^st Century Gentleman:

No EQ: The treble is clear and vivid, all instruments are audible, but they are not very loud and the cymbal crashes are very smooth. The sibilance is absolutely zero and there is no trace of listening fatigue. I could get used to this relaxing sound – the bass is smooth, the mids are forward and melodic and the treble is laid back and relaxed.

EQ’ed: The treble is a bit sibilant, it is much louder and it is harsh. The decay of treble is a bit longer than it should. The whole sound is sparkly but there is no trace of distortion or aliasing. The coherency is still very good. Because the treble is increased, the bass to treble ratio changes and this makes the headphones sound less bassy, but there is no loss of impact.

The offspring – Me and my old lady

No EQ: The cymbals are audible, but they are quite quiet and there is a trace of very slight roll-off. There is no sibilance to this song (this song can be quite sibilant). The rhythm of the cymbals is not lost either way and it works well for the whole composition. The bass is strong and has a good presence, but it gets a bit strong in the 200-400 Hz region making the attack strong. It works fairly well with this song and it increases both the musicality and the euphoria of this song. (Me and my old lady is a song that’s supposed to have some Euphoria to it.)

EQ’ed: Each cymbal crash is pretty long and it leaves a trace of tingling. The spark in treble are there and the cymbals sound crash-y as they would sound when a cymbal is hit in the same room as the listener. The song is a bit colder after the EQ is applied, but it sounds very good nevertheless.

Incubus – Summer Romance:

No EQ: The singer’s voice is very deep and it is well separated from the bass. The bass is pretty strong and it is enhanced over the whole song, giving it a warm presentation. Due to the treble being slightly recessed, the song is very smooth but it is not dark. There is no rolloff noticeable in this song and the song is airy but silky smooth. The symbols and special percussion instruments are always heard and are not masked but the smooth nature of the headphones and the strong bass makes them sound like a background instrument. The soundstage of the song is quite good and it extends well on all planes, except for the bass which is forward and which sounds a bit stronger. This also gives the song more impact and considerably increases all low notes attack and decay. The textures are not affected and they sound just right on both guitar and voices and trombone. The bass texture is fluid and fairly precise while it stays forward.

EQ’ed: The singer’s voice is deep and profound, it plays well along the bass notes. The cymbal crashes are harsh and sparkly, the effects are coming from a wide area around the listener and the guitar notes come from where they were recorded. The bass is considerably recessed after the EQ is applied. As the song had some effects applied at certain parts (Like a static noise), this is also enhanced by the EQ while without EQ it is almost not noticed. The sound is arguably harsher and there is less overall bass impact, a very similar mids impact and there is much more treble impact with the EQ applied. Since many people are sensitive to strong treble, the EQ might not work well for everybody. The background guitars are not affected in their texture and details, but are affected in their tonality. There are certain effects that are better exposed this way – some of those effects can be considered noise or distractions from the song so it is a matter of taste whether you prefer hearing every single detail in the song (including the errors) or a relaxed and smooth sound.



Soundstage

The soundstage of 99C is very good for headphones of all types and one of the best soundstages in a closed back headphone. It can easily rival the soundstage of the largest soundstage bearing headphones like Ultrasone Signature Dj or Ultrasone Dj One Pro. Compared with most headphones in the ~300$ range, 99C has a larger and deeper soundstage (With EQ applied). With no EQ applied, the soundstage is still large and will expand well in both width and depth, but the bass will be forward and it will not fill the whole stereo space. Since this is a typical characteristic of wood, Meze 99 Neo will feature a different bass and their soundstage is well expanded in all directions.

Regardless whether there is an EQ applied or not, the soundstage expands very well and will be one of the first things to notice when you first listen to 99C. When coming from ATH – mXX series, 99C will sound considerably less congested, will sound open and airy. In 99C sound, the sound comes from every area in the 3D audio space.

The soundstage and instrument separation are comparable to ie800 and given that ie800 is my current benchmark for both soundstage and instrument separation (in both terms of quality and precision), 99C does a much better job than expected. It is generally easy to tell the voice apart from the bass notes on which certain syllables are sang and it is easy to tell even four guitars apart in one song, even if the guitars are singing at the same time.

Inubus – Calgone: The song has parts that are very hard to render for most headphones, like the bass notes that are overly aggressive or the guitars that are already quite distorted. 99C plays all well and doesn’t add any more distortion so each musical note is easy to tell apart. The voice stays clean although with no EQ added it does a pretty strong impact.

Dope – Addiction: The song has an effect at the start of the song that’s supposed to be played somewhere in the right and to the back of the listener. 99C plays it exactly in that spot and doesn’t bring it forward nor displace the effect. The guitars are easy to tell apart from each other during the solo and there is absolutely no smearing. The scream is sustained very well during the solo and the whole song has a certain enthusiasm / sweetness to it, albeit the screamed part keeps its intended warmth and strength.

Space electro – xxx: The song has a very good width to it and there is no congestion to the voice nor the instruments / effects. The bass has very good presence across the entire sonic scape. The key effects are played at their intended positions (they move around the listener both in the front and in the back of the listener) and there is no trace of smearing between instruments. With Dj1P, there is smearing on certain parts of the song and this causes many of the details / effects to be lost.

Infected Mushroom – Wanted to: The soundstage is really good. The female voice has just the right amount of drive to it and it doesn’t sound try but melodic. The male voices are melodic as well and act to their intended role. All effects are very wide and have a good depth to them. The bass attack is very good and the whole song is clear and vivid. The cymbals are pretty smooth regardless of whether the EQ is added or no, leading to a very fun experience either way. The speed of the song in the very fast segments of it is good and the song doesn’t feel lagging, the decay times are very good and the song has the right amount of speed.



Drive factor

99C has been tested with FiiO X5ii, X5-3, Xiaomi mi max, Custom ESS DAC solution and a few other devices. The overall impression is that 99C is fairly easy to drive, but responds very well to a better source. It is able to pick small changes in the sound caused by different DACs (both Dj1P and ie800 are less sensitive to different DACs). 99C requires very little power to be driven to their maximum potential but won’t distort even at extremely loud, being really good headphones for metal music or loud listeners.

The transient response is affected quite a bit by the source, but it is not affected by the volume at which music is played. This means that a higher volume will not result in worse transients and 99C will keep its qualities across a wide range of volumes.

Listened directly from Xiaomi mi max (smartphone), the sound is pretty fluid and the transient response is nowhere near as good as from the custom ESS solution or FiiO X5-2. With X5-3, the transient reponse gets even better and the textures of each instrument are even better, making X5-3 one of the best DAP s you can pair 99C with. Xiaomi mi max is seriously rolled off in comparison and while X5-3 is a very smooth DAP, there is no trace of roll-off and the music is sweet and euphoric.

I cannot forget the first time I noticed the crisp textures of 99C as I was using them together with the tour unit of FiiO X5-3. I was listening to a song from The Offspring – vultures. This song has quite an interesting texture to all the instruments, especially to the guitars. A lot of this texture is only heard on ie800 and very expensive headphones / IEMs, so I had a shock when I noticed the fine details while I was walking outside with the headphones on my head. It was just a matter of seconds before I synced my steps to the beat of the music and there was no way for me to pause the song until the last second of it.

FiiO X5ii is no slouch either, but its bigger brother offers a much better texture and transient response in comparison. I didn’t have enough time to test 99C with other sources like ifi iDSD or Chord products or Sony 1Z, but as soon as I get a bit of free time, I promise to test and continue this description page.



Comparisons

Ie800 – This is a hard comparison. When it comes to price, ie800 costs about 2 times as much or more new. In their default shape, 99C has a texture that is comparable to ie800, but ie800 has an upper hand when it comes to the crispness of textures. This upper hand is given especially by the different bass to treble ration which causes the bass to have another decay for ie800. After applying the EQ which intended to simulate an ie800 inside 99C, they are about on par, with 99C having the upper hand in instrument textures, but ie800 having a slight upper hand in transient response. All in all, 99C performs way above its price point and can be compared to TOTL headphones after applying the EQ. If you want to walk the extra mile and EQ 99C, you can have an ie800 in headphone form (I was searching for this for a good year before first hearing 99C!!!!!!!). This being said, my FiiO X5ii and X5-3 are not able to apply the said EQ as good as my computer is. This is partially because X5-3 is very smooth and X5ii only has a play range of 12dB and the EQ presented above requires a larger dB sway to work as it is intended and achieve the phase shift.

Dj One Pro – In stock form for both, DJ1P has a considerably less forward bass range and midrange, sounding distant at times. Dj1P has a very good soundstage for a closed back headphone, and 99C has more or less the same width, height but better depth. 99C has a smoother top end. Dj1P has a very recessed snare hit that makes most percussion instruments sound weak. After applying EQ on both, 99C has a better overall soundstage, a considerably better drum impact and general sound and a considerably better texture and instrument separation. The amount of EQ that Dj1P can take is less than what 99C can take, resulting in a signature that isn’t even half through close to the ideal point. Dj1P will distort after too much EQ, while 99c stays crisp and clean. 99C wins in almost all aspects when compared with DJ1P and this stays true when it is compared to most other ~300$ - 500$ headphones.

LCD2 / LCD4 / HD650 – 99c has a similar sound to all of those, but 99C presents a considerably more forward bass and mids. Compared to HD6XX, 99C has a larger soundstage in both width and depth, and comparable textures and instrument separation. HD6XX is an open back headphone so there are sound characteristics that are inherent to the open back design that 99c does not poses. Comfort wise, 99C is actually quite comfortable, and it is comparable with HD6XX even though 99C has a smaller cup size and a different mechanism of adjustment on the head. When compared to LCD series, 99C boasts a similar signature, but LCD series are quite heavy and I couldn’t wear them for more than 20-30 minutes in a row, where 99C is quite light and can safely be worn for hours in a row with no back neck. I do recommend that they are taken at 20-30 minute intervals to let the ears breathe and it is always recommended to take a pause from computer work at 30 minute intervals for best health.



Value

99C will not leave you poor and given their rather sane price point of 300$, I would call 99C one of the best value headphones on the market at this moment. There are very few other headphones that boast a similarly good value. The stock performance of 99C is good, but the potential found in them makes the value be rather crazy good when everything is taken into account.



Conclusion

A cheap headphone? A comfortable headphone? A Romanian headphone? An incredible headphone?

Yes.




You might think that I had a bias towards liking them as Meze is a Romanian company, but after hearing every single headphone that I could hear to date, I am quite hard to impress. To be honest I was rather curious what a Romanian headphone producer could make. I did not expect this. I don’t even know what I was expecting to be honest and it doesn’t matter.

99C is one of the best headphones you can get your hands on provided you either like the default tuning or provided you’re ready to play a bit with them and EQ them. Always remember that there is no single headphone that has a perfect tuning and that every single headphone needs some EQ to achieve the best sound for you. Everyone hears differently so there are chances that you will want a different signature from me from the start, but this is even more the reason to play and experiment. 99C is one of the headphones with the highest tolerances to EQ I had ever played with and besides headphones that are really hard to drive and which inherently allow for a large EQ headroom, 99C is the most EQ’able headphone I had. Ie800 cannot accept 4dB of treble to be added as it causes sibilance, and DJ1P will cause distortions after 14dB of treble being added, while 99C safely holds its ground regardless of the EQ added.

You can enjoy 99c even with a smartphone or a laptop, but they will tell you when you feed them from a good source. A FiiO X5-3, FiiO X5-2, FiiO X7, or similar device is able to drive 99C very well and I probably wouldn’t ask for a different DAP than a FiiO one since they also offer the best Price/Performance ratio of the moment.

I hadn’t had the chance of testing the Balanced mode of 99C, but I’ll make sure to let you know if I manage to test it.

In this point in time, I fully recommend 99C as the sweetest deal you can get at this price, and I personally recommend them for a broad range of preferences as you can EQ them to sound as you like, but keeping the advantage of crisp and clear sound, well defined textures and good details. And good soundstage.

The goal I set out with—the idea that drove me—was to find a set of portable cans which performed well enough to not make me crawl, desperate and hungry, back to my Top Of The Line IEMs. As much as I like the sound of my Sennheiser Momentums, they are simply not in the same league as the 64Audio ADEL U12 or Rhapsodio Solar CIEM. With options such as these, I rarely ever pull out the Momentum 2.0. I have to really, REALLY crave the over-ear experience to scorn my insanely expensive IEMs. That’s not a feeling I like. I want the option to go IEM or Circumaural, and experience equally good audio no matter which way I turn.

You may be thinking, “$300 Senns vs $1,500 U12s? Of course they aren’t in the same league, you fat, balding jerk!”

First off: Ouch! What’s with the hostility? Words can hurt, you know. Second: It takes a lot less to get a big-@ss dynamic driver to reach a certain level of performance than it does a small, itty bitty driver. That’s why so many of the top of the line in-ear monitors pack 9, 10, 12, 14 Balanced Armatures into those little shells. They’re trying to do what full-size headphones manage so easily. Physics be a cruel mistress. And it costs, jamming all those BAs in each ear.

In the end, it pays off. As I said, I have two IEMs that put the Momentum to shame. Yet there are other headphones in the $300-$400 range that do indeed outperform my IEMs. The Sennheiser HD600 and 650, to name a couple. The thing to remember about large, high impedance cans is they are not designed with the same philosophy of use. My HD6XX is really meant for a powerful desktop amp, like the Audio-GD NFB-28 I own. My primary headphone, the Audeze LCD-2.2 Fazor, takes things even further, and utterly humiliates in-ear monitors. You do not plug those beasts into a mobile device and expect them to sound right.

Low impedance, high efficiency circumaurals, like the Momentum, are designed for mobile use. They should sound “right”, driven from a smartphone. But to accomplish this, sacrifices are made. Metaphorical kittens are severed to the Gods. The Sennheiser Momentum is not as impressive in its audio fidelity as the Sennheiser HD600, even though they both cost around $300. Hence I do not put mobile full-size cans in the same category as desktop full-size cans. They are designed for different things. It’s not a fair fight.

My experience, limited as it is, says TOTL, wildly expensive in-ear monitors can compete with mid-tier headphones, even desktop cans. Yet they fall behind, the closer you get to the likes of the LCD-2.

So the question I posed to myself is, “Can I find a portable, mobile-driven full-size headphone for a reasonable price that matches the performance of my $1K+ IEMs?”

I had my doubts.

There are three categories of transducer I want stocked and on-hand at all times.
Category I: Full-size, high impedance headphone meant for a desktop amp. (These sound the best. LCD-2 is my primary, used only for music. HD6XX is secondary, used for everything else.)
Category II: Full-size, low impedance headphone meant for work/mobile use. (These will never sound quite as good. Being sourced by mobile gear doesn’t help matters. Momentum 2.0 belongs here, making this the weakest of the three classes.)
Category III: In-Ear Monitors meant for work/mobile use. (These sound nearly as good from a quality DAP as they do from a desktop system. They are VERY efficient. U12 and Solar sit at the head of this table.)

For a long time the Oppo PM-3 looked like my next upgrade, meant to bolster the ranks of my Category II gear. I wasn’t thrilled about the price. The sound signature, as described in reviews, gave me pause: Not enough bass, terms like “boring” were dropped. Not to mention, they benefit too much from stacking an Amp to your DAP. I know myself well. This would only lead to feelings of inadequacy for NOT doing so. However, all the reviews agreed, they delivered incredible audio quality.

I held off. As inevitable as buying the Oppo seemed to be, I just wasn’t eager to take that plunge.

Then, a few months ago, I started seeing a lot of talk on Head-Fi about this thing called the Meze 99 Classics. Seemed like a pretentious name for a new product, so I ignored it. The Oppo was going to be my next headphone. All my other bases were covered. I just needed that upgrade to my portable system. Then, a little later, I read the Meze was a portable headphone, easily driven by any mobile device. Then I learned about the Walnut wood cups, metal frame, a design philosophy that precludes cheap materials and glue. When at last intrigue drove me to search for reviews, I beheld the great flood. Meze had taken Head-Fi by storm. There’s an embarrassment of reviews out there, and a very great many of them are overwhelming in positivity.

Pinky’s shield of indifference cracked, and the Meze 99 Classics jumped to the top of my list as a replacement for Sennheiser.

It would still be a few months before I bought a pair. There were other monstrosities devouring my gold. All things in their own time. But as I waited for that perfect moment, lust grew in me.

Finally I could wait no longer and dove into the Head-Fi Classifieds in pursuit of a used pair. There is not an abundance of 99Cs on the second-hand market. Folk are pretty d@mn happy with theirs and aren’t pawning them en masse. When one does show up, it sells fast. To get one at all I had to settle on a color scheme that was not my first-choice. On top of that, the unit I bought was modified with various dampeners and filters. All of which could be reversed. Still, it was a compromise. Beggars can’t be choosers, you know; I bought it for $240, shipped.



Allow me this opportunity to say, Pinky is terribly pleased by the aesthetics. I probably lucked out not getting the black and gold version. This thing is dead gorgeous, with subtler elegance.

After only a few minutes of listening, I brought the screwdriver out and opened her up. If I am going to review this product, I need to know how the REAL 99C sounds. So I removed all the modifications: a bunch of foam sticky’ed along the inside of the cups, and a few layers of dampeners in the pads, in front of the driver.

Weeks have gone by now, listening to the legitimate Meze 99 Classics. I have no desire to reinstall any of the modifications. The original owner said the mods level-out the frequencies. No thanks, mate. To my ears, the sonics are too fabulous to 7*%# with.

The comfort of the Meze is at a high grade. These have the larger pads than what shipped with the first batch. Those garnered many negative comments in reviews found throughout the Net. It is about the only bad thing folk have to say about the 1st edition. The larger pads are very nice, and the overall comfort is a step above the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0. Since I already found the M2 quite pleasant to wear, that is a remarkable achievement. The elastic headband adjusts automatically to the size of your head, making the Meze an effortless thing to put on.

I guess you could say the Meze 99 Classics is big for a portable headphone. But it comes with a nice carry case and fits easily inside my messenger bag, alongside all the villainous paraphernalia stored there. It doesn’t feel prohibitively cumbersome. No worse than the Momentum. In fact, I’d like the case to be a little larger, so I don’t need to detach the cable every time I zip her up. You’d think that might cause trouble down the road.





Wearing these headphones, they don’t feel very large at all. If you’re accustomed to cans like the HD6XX or the LCD-2, these feel low-profile and light. Maybe not as light as the mostly plastic HD6XX, but close, and smaller.

The pads, even the newer, larger pads, are not genuine leather, which dismays Pinky to some extent. They are high quality synthetic, though, and feel very soft and pliable. I even used leather conditioner on them, and they absorbed the milk nicely. So I don’t have any real complaint in that regard. I just like my materials as organic as possible when pressed against my wanton flesh.

In spite of the fact the 99C uses 3.5mm mono for its earcup connection, only Meze’s plugs will fit. Due to how deep they must go, and the angle of insertion, there are currently no 3rd party plugs that work. To satiate my obsession with building custom cables for my gear, I had to order the Double Helix Cables 3D Printed Meze Mod. This allowed me to build a cable for the Astell&Kern AK120II’s 2.5mm Balanced Output. I enjoyed the sound so greatly from the stock cable that I didn’t want to tinker too much with the signature. Instead of using SPC or pure silver, I went fairly traditional. Norne Audio’s basic OCC copper seemed like the right move. With their transparent black jacket, it gave the cable such a lovely visual and made a handsome pairing with the 99 Classics.



Clarity is the first trait which jumps at me each and every time I don the Meze 99 Classics. There is a glass-like clarity. Unlike bright headphones, however, this clearness has a liquid quality, instead of a sharp or detail-oriented one. That isn’t to say these aren’t detailed cans. They very much are. Resolution here is quite sophisticated, and the level of transparency is wonderful. Even driven from a mobile device, my music exploded to life with outstanding dynamics. Meze accomplishes all this under the auspices of smooth, silky rendering.



Soundstage and imaging are above average, and might be wider than the Momentum. I bought the M2 in large part because they had one of the widest stages in the portable closed-back arena. Meze feels wider and much deeper. Imaging and separation are excellent. These headphones make it easy to get lost in the performance when you close your eyes, layering the instruments out with visual accuracy.

There is a wealth of bass that measures north of neutral. It’s not the tightest or most controlled bass, but it sounds very lifelike. It feels good and right. The lows bloom, bleeding a little into the lower mids, but not enough to do harm. It merely gives the 99C its warm characteristic. Her sub frequencies punch with moderate authority. Rather than a high degree of texture, the Meze’s low-end carries the same liquidity found throughout the whole spectrum. They are a delight to bask in.

Her treble has nice extension and casts plenty of light over the presentation. These highs possess a purity and sweetness to them. They remind me most of JHAudio Angie’s treble: delicious honey. Yet there’s more treble than Angie gives you. Meze’s highs add so much air and brightness to the stage, without ever leaving the warm signature. Such sparkly treble is the much-needed counter balance to that serious bass. It keeps things open and airy, never straying into dark territory.



For me, the true star of the show is the midsection. Describing the lows and highs might seem like we’re dealing with a V-Shape signature. But the vocals are FAR too present for that to be true. They are front and center and so very intimate. Nowhere does the clarity play a bigger role than with the vocals. They are naked. So clean, clear, and transparent. Here, too, is where the resolution and detail get to shine, bringing out every nuance the recording contains. Above all this you get a heavenly timbre and the most natural tonality. It’s an enchanting experience.

What excites me to no end about the Meze 99 Classics is that they don’t need a desktop amp to sound their best. Driven from a medium-powered DAP, like my AK120II, the dynamics are some of the best I’ve heard from any of my bigger and meaner headphones. Between 75-110/150, I can get them loud enough to satisfy anyone, no matter how quiet the track. My Galaxy S6 has no trouble, either. The same is true for the Momentum 2.0. They are, after all, mobile headphones. But unlike the M2, the Meze sounds truly and honestly complete from my Astell&Kern. The Sennheiser sounds a tiny bit underpowered. When I plugged them into a more powerful device, like the FiiO X5, Cayin i5, or Opus#1, they filled out nicely. The 99C is ready to impress at the drop of a hat, on whatever device you have on hand.



Due to the brilliant balance of frequencies, there is no DAP I would caution against pairing with the Meze. My AK is on the warmer side, while the Opus#1 is an exceptional case of neutral done like a warrior-king. The 99C celebrates the virtues of both devices. I’ve also read great things about the Cayin i5>99C pairing, Cayin being warmer still than my AK. That is Meze’s mastery of tuning at work. This headphone will never sound too dark, nor too bright. It will maintain a balance and sound splendid regardless.

The 99 Classics are of a quality high enough to sit among my desktop phones. The HD6XX, being open-back, has an unfair advantage in some ways, like naturalness. Closed-backs will never sound quite like that. But the 99C matches it in resolution and tonal accuracy. I also hear more sub-bass and greater clarity. Although, the HD6XX has more texture and control over its low-end. The Meze’s treble is not as rolled-off. That lush, smooth, liquid sound is present in both.

All in all, I feel the 99C has more in common with the Audeze LCD-2. Not that it’s closer in performance, but rather closer in character. Quality goes to Audeze by a not insignificant margin. But that transparency and treble puts them closer in nature than the HD6XX, which sounds darker by far.

So what about the only comparison that really matters?

Is there a single area where the Sennheiser Momentum beats the Meze 99 Classics? Well, not really. The M2’s treble is not as sparkly or as organic. The bass is not as memorable or as fulfilling. The vocals lack the clarity and vibrancy of the 99C. Soundstage, width and depth. Imaging. Transparency. Dynamics. On some of these points, the Momentum is only a tad behind the game. On others, like the treble and vocals, Meze exists in a higher realm entirely. The 99 Classics is better in every way.



Did I mention I am a fan of the Momentum? It may sound like I have an axe to grind. I don’t. I’ve enjoyed these cans for over a year. They have a sound I find exceedingly pleasant. Many people in the Help & Introduction forum have suffered my ceaseless recommendation of the Momentum 2.0 Over-Ear.

I’ve simply found a better headphone. If you need portability, closed-back, easy to drive, and high levels of comfort, direct those creepy peepers right here. At $309 you can have a circumaural experience that matches IEMs that cost $1500 or more. When I put on these cans at work, no longer do I feel as though I’m slumming it. They hold their own in a big bad way. No matter what my ears are in the mood for, I have the equipment to immerse myself in transcendent audio.

I can’t tell you how delirious it makes me the 99C are also so easy on the eyes. I love the retro styling of the Sennheiser Momentum, and the Meze have their own throwback elegance. The modern aesthetic of Oppo failed to get my juices flowing. Meze, on the other hand, does me in all the right ways. I’m a person for wood.

-~::Pinky_Powers::~-