[nmatheis]

The difference between the 11 Neo and 12 Classics is not just the body material. The 12 Classics uses a copper clad aluminium voice coil that makes it faster to response. It is a matter of taste, after all. While at CanJam we met people who liked the 12 Classics more but the 11 Neo had its fair share of fans! 

I got 11 Neo and 12 Classics in for review a couple days ago, and totally agree with the quoted statement above. After listening to both, I PM'ed MezeTeam and commented that while the overall tuning is similar (and reminiscent of 99 Classics) the 11 Neo have a bit fuller bass and lower mids and feel more laid back whereas 12 Classics have tighter bass and definitely sound quicker. Which people prefer will depend on personal preference. Personally, I'm preferring 12 Classics so far. Nice job Meze!

 

[rebbi]

Just received my review pair yesterday. Very preliminary impressions are excellent. Gorgeous build quality on the phones themselves (especially at the price), supple, high quality cable and maybe the nicest dedicated case I've seen for a pair of IEM's. Looking forward to burning them in and serious listening. 
 
Speaking of which, @MezeTeam, how much burn-in time do you recommend for that little DD?
 
Back in touch soon!

 

[MezeTeam]

  Just received my review pair yesterday. Very preliminary impressions are excellent. Gorgeous build quality on the phones themselves (especially at the price), supple, high quality cable and maybe the nicest dedicated case I've seen for a pair of IEM's. Looking forward to burning them in and serious listening. 
 
Speaking of which, @MezeTeam, how much burn-in time do you recommend for that little DD?
 
Back in touch soon!

 
Glad to hear that, @rebbi ! We recommend 24 to 48 hours of burn in time on pink noise or standard use for the same period of time. Quite similar to the 99 Classics, actually.

 

[rebbi]

Glad to hear that, @rebbi
 ! We recommend 24 to 48 hours of burn in time on pink noise or standard use for the same period of time. Quite similar to the 99 Classics, actually.

Perfect, thank you. Very impressed, so far, by the way. Looking forward to getting them fully burned in and putting them through their paces.

 

[LaCuffia]

I am a big fan of the Meze 99 as you can tell from my Avatar. Does the Meze 12 offer a different flavor to the point that it is worth owning both? I've never really bothered with higher quality IEM and have been only interested in over ear but the Meze sound is addicting and it's nice to have more portability. The 99 is so nice I don't even take them out of house. I guess I just convinced myself to buy the 12 Classics as I wrote the post....lol

 

[nmatheis]

I am a big fan of the Meze 99 as you can tell from my Avatar. Does the Meze 12 offer a different flavor to the point that it is worth owning both? I've never really bothered with higher quality IEM and have been only interested in over ear but the Meze sound is addicting and it's nice to have more portability. The 99 is so nice I don't even take them out of house. I guess I just convinced myself to buy the 12 Classics as I wrote the post....lol

I'm listening to Rush's Moving Pictures 2015 high dynamic range remaster with the Meze Trifecta (11 Neo, 12 Classics, and 99 Classics) out of Shanling M5 tonight. Volume required out of M5 for comparable listening volume is quite similar across all three - 55 for 11 Neo, 60 for 12 Classics, and 50 for 99 Classics. As far second signature goes, I'm hearing 99 Classics tonal balance in between the two IEM, with 11 Neo being a bit bassier and more laid back and 12 Classics being a bit leaner / tighter and more energetic. Neither IEM strays too far from 99 Classics sound signature but do deviate enough IMHO from their big brother (and from other) to make them worth considering. Now it's up to you to consider which you'd rather go for, the more laid back 11 Neo or the more energetic 12 Classics - or both

 

[musicday]

Have both the 12 Classics and 11 Neo now.Many thanks to the Meze Team for a speedy delivery from Romania to UK.
While both are fantastic value for money the 12 Classics sound is more detailed with a better instrument separation to me.Right from the box the sound is open punchy with great clear bass.I cannot say too much now as i want to give a proper listening before jumping to the conclusion but the sound signature is typical Meze which i really like.
Sometimes next week planning to compare the two and write reviews.
But for now I can say that if your budget is limited purchase the 12 Classics in a heartbeat and you will not regret it.

 

[nmatheis]

Have both the 12 Classics and 11 Neo now.Many thanks to the Meze Team for a speedy delivery from Romania to UK.
While both are fantastic value for money the 12 Classics sound is more detailed with a better instrument separation to me.Right from the box the sound is open punchy with great clear bass.I cannot say too much now as i want to give a proper listening before jumping to the conclusion but the sound signature is typical Meze which i really like.
Sometimes next week planning to compare the two and write reviews.
But for now I can say that if your budget is limited purchase the 12 Classics in a heartbeat and you will not regret it.

Depends a bit on your preferences and pairing, though. 12 Classics are crisper with better separation and tighter bass. With warmer sources, I'm really enjoying them and prefer them to 11 Neo. With cooler sources, 12 Classics get a bit lean for my tastes.

11 Neo responds just about opposite to 12 Classics. With a warmer source, they can start to sound a bit wooly. With a cooler source, they open up a bit but still retain their overall warm, smooth sound.

I'm liking both and while 12 Classics is undoubtedly the technically superior IEM, I find myself reaching for both. They're definitely in the same vein but are complementary rather than redundant.

 

[FUYU]

So, I just got my unit. First impressions are pretty good. They definitely sound leaner than I expected.
Tip-selection is quite important on these. Using the Trinity Kombi Tips right now and they sound fuller compared to the standard silicons.

- Great soundstage, quite open sounding
- Bass is pretty well done and perfect in quantity.
- Build quality is sublime, lightweight and comfortable.

 

[nmatheis]

So, I just got my unit. First impressions are pretty good. They definitely sound leaner than I expected.
Tip-selection is quite important on these. Using the Trinity Kombi Tips right now and they sound fuller compared to the standard silicons.

- Great soundstage, quite open sounding
- Bass is pretty well done and perfect in quantity.
- Build quality is sublime, lightweight and comfortable.

What source are you using? I was listening to some electronic music with 12 Classics out of Teriplayer G1 + Nuansa amp last night. That combination has a warm, analog-ish sound. 12 Classics responded well to the pairing and bass response was quite good - good extension and punch. It surprised me and was honestly much better than I expected given that (like you), I felt these were a bit on the lean side when I received them. I didn't feel that way last night

 

[FUYU]

What source are you using? I was listening to some electronic music with 12 Classics out of Teriplayer G1 + Nuansa amp last night. That combination has a warm, analog-ish sound. 12 Classics responded well to the pairing and bass response was quite good - good extension and punch. It surprised me and was honestly much better than I expected given that (like you), I felt these were a bit on the lean side when I received them. I didn't feel that way last night

Currently using it with the Xduoo X3 and Hifime Sabre DAC. I find them quite lean in the lower-mids. Bass is nice and one of the best aspects, IMO. Another thing which I found superb is soundstage height. I really like these with electronic music and some rock.

 

[nmatheis]

musicday, FUYU

Have you tried short, wide bore tips? I'm using those right now and like how they open up the soundstage even more but cymbals can get a bit crispier than I'm used to with these tips.

I also tried Comply TS500 tips. They increased isolation but decreased soundstage and dynamics. Leaving them off for now and going back to the wide bore tips...

 

[musicday]

musicday, FUYU

Have you tried short, wide bore tips? I'm using those right now and like how they open up the soundstage even more but cymbals can get a bit crispier than I'm used to with these tips.

I also tried Comply TS500 tips. They increased isolation but decreased soundstage and dynamics. Leaving them off for now and going back to the wide bore tips...

Hi, i am yet to try different tips on 12 Classics.At the moment i really enjoy them with the stock tips. Sound is full, with a big soundstage and mature bass.They are improving day by day

 

[FUYU]

musicday, FUYU

Have you tried short, wide bore tips? I'm using those right now and like how they open up the soundstage even more but cymbals can get a bit crispier than I'm used to with these tips.

I also tried Comply TS500 tips. They increased isolation but decreased soundstage and dynamics. Leaving them off for now and going back to the wide bore tips...

Yup, have used pretty much all of my tips in my collection. The biggest gripe I have with these are soundstage depth and that lean lower-mid range. Complys work really well with these IMO, because they lift the lower-mids somewhat. Also, I don't lose any soundstage for that matter. Trying some mandarine hybrid eartips later on.

 

[jinxy245]

Depends a bit on your preferences and pairing, though. 12 Classics are crisper with better separation and tighter bass. With warmer sources, I'm really enjoying them and prefer them to 11 Neo. With cooler sources, 12 Classics get a bit lean for my tastes.



11 Neo responds just about opposite to 12 Classics. With a warmer source, they can start to sound a bit wooly. With a cooler source, they open up a bit but still retain their overall warm, smooth sound.



I'm liking both and while 12 Classics is undoubtedly the technically superior IEM, I find myself reaching for both. They're definitely in the same vein but are complementary rather than redundant.

 


That's pretty much what I'm hearing... I find the Classics to sound great with my older recordings...70's Rock and such, while more modern (hot) recordings sound pretty awesome through the Neo.