[koover]

Yes it is. Available in pure copper or silver plated.

You most definitely need to give us your feedback on how it sounds. I haven't read that anyone went balanced yet and it would be interesting. I love these cans so much and think they are the best value for the money anywhere out there......(walking away from PC with Mic drop..........) wait....that was my HP. $h!+.....

 

[Richsvt]

I will definitely post some impressions. This is really my first attempt into balanced. I think the sources I have will work out ok. I love these phones, tremendous value and deliver way above their price point. Hopefully the balanced cable will unlock a little more detail and depth.

 

[vincanity84]

You're welcome vin!!

Yeah, the 99 Cs look nicer too IMO. Make sure to see my review on the 99 Cs for some great info and tips on custom EQ'ing for best sound. It helps to have Poweramp (music app) as well as my EQs are pulled from Poweramp.

Ahh nice! I JUST got my dad the OnePlus 5 last week, and he LOVES it! It's a really great phone. I can't say if the OnePlus 5 is great for audio, as I think only the LG V20 or V30, and my HTC 10 fit as being "great" for headphone audio (b/c they were given ABOVE AVERAGE DACs and amps). So yes, you definitely want to get the 99 Cs and for best results, a great amp/DAC device. Ok since you seem interested in getting the best sound, then I recommend you look at the very highly-rated AudioQuest DragonFly Red, which sells for about $198 in the U.S. It is super portable, easy to use, and sounds great too. If that's too much, then look at the cheaper ($98) but still highly-rated Black. I've tried the Black and it sounds great too, though the Red is rated a notch higher. Well since you're getting the OnePlus, which uses the newer MicroUSB-C port, you will need an adapter to connect the Red or Black to the phone, like this one.

Sounds like you've tried a lot of headphones, which is good. That will help you figure out what you like and don't like (it's not always what you expect). But from all those headphones, I would say the 99 Cs are still the best choice, definitely for UNDER $500 anyway. They are wired, but wired is still better for sound than wireless is, though it's getting closer and closer from what I can see.

With a setup like the one I described, the 99 Cs will sound INCREDIBLE.

Again thank you for your time and help. I am so glad that your dad likes Oneplus 5. It is amazing phone.
I made a decision, but need to see which color should I choose. To go with 99'c gold or silver
One more thing, can anyone tell me what is the difference in sound quality with or without amp?
For example if B&W p7 wireless gets for wireless 80 rating and wired 83 (I assume that is the difference in quality), how much Meze gets with(dragonfly red/ black) or without amp? How big the defference is in comparison with/without amp. I guess I will consider also buying one, but I hate traveling with lots of stuff. For home its OK, but when you travel from time to time...to much stuff to look for... but you'v probably get astonishing sound. I'll think about it. But for now, I am on the waiting list for 99'c. Thank you guys

 

[Bansaku]

Going to play the logical Devil's advocate here and may irk some of you, so here it goes. There is absolutely zero reason that a balanced cable (the 4 pin/pole variety) would improve the quality of sound if under 15'. The whole reason for a balanced cable is to prevent feedback and interference, hence why this type of connection is used in the professional world. Essentially a cable with any current passing through is an antenna, and the greater the length the greater the chance of the signal being distorted by outside sources. Having a balanced cable under 15' will yield zero benefits in a standard application. Any changes you hear are in fact a placebo effect. Sure, there are circumstances that a balanced cable will improve the sound, but ONLY if the environment and/or hardware is abnormal i.e. you live in an old house with crappy 70 year old wiring with the main power line extending off the pole and straight into the breaker (vs being buried underground), or live near a radio tower.

The improvements you folks described is from the material of the wire, not the cable being "balanced"; Technically the pack in cable IS balanced;; Equal length leads feeding both left and right channels. I have a lot of media professionals in my family with decades of experience behind them, and they literally laughed at the idea that a 3' or even 6' cable needs to be 4-pin balanced, let alone improves the sound. It won't, and doesn't. HOWEVER, OCC copper does in fact tighten up the bass, increase focus and separation, and creates an overall smoother, un-inhabited sound. I know this as fact as my ears don't lie. Every headphone in my inventory (sans the Classics) has been re-cabled with OCC copper and I can tell you that that alone improved the sound greater than me re-wiring a single entry to dual. In regards to the 99 Classics, I just got my 3.5mm leads in the mail today, and after I am done typing this post I will be heating up the soldering gun and attaching them bad-boys too an OCC cable. I will post back with my impressions probably tomorrow.

I do have to say though that the Meze balanced cable is not snake oil by any means. It's cable construction and materials are absolutely stellar! I am not discouraging you fine folks in any way from purchasing it. If you have hardware that has a balanced option, go for it! I would, regardless of the perceived benefits! I just wish Meze offered the same beautiful cable in a standard TRRS option. But please, PLEASE don't assume the improvements in sound is from the cable being fully balanced, rather know that OCC is the real magic maker.

My 2 cents.

P.S. I am on the loaner program for the Sennheiser HDV 820, and WILL be making my own balanced cable that will be interchangeable with all of my cans. My intention is to use a standard balanced OCC cable vs a fully balanced cable, both regular OFC and OCC copper; I will know first hand whether or not to take my foot out of my mouth.

 

[RockStar2005]

Again thank you for your time and help. I am so glad that your dad likes Oneplus 5. It is amazing phone.
I made a decision, but need to see which color should I choose. To go with 99'c gold or silver
One more thing, can anyone tell me what is the difference in sound quality with or without amp?
For example if B&W p7 wireless gets for wireless 82 rating and wired 87 (I assume that is the difference in quality), how much Meze gets with or without amp? How big the defference is in comparison with/without amp. I guess I will consider also buying one, but I hate traveling with lots of stuff. For home its OK, but when you travel from time to time...to much stuff to look for... but you'v probably get astonishing sound. I'll think about it. But for now, I am on the waiting list for 99'c. Thank you guys

vin,

You are very welcome!

Thanks. Yeah it really is a great phone. And the price of $479 is incredible considering it's a phablet with an 835 processor and 6 GBs of RAM, among other great features.

Well that's up to you. I went with the Silver version because I thought it was more subtle and preferred that better, though initially I was going to go with the gold. I am very happy with my choice.

Though I feel the DAC is more important, the reason why you want a good amp is, most smartphones don't have strong headphone amps, and therefore you don't get that extra "body" or richness/fullness added to the music that you should have. What's great about the Red or Black is that they're both "DAC/amp combos", so you get the best of both worlds from ONE device. Also, I am a big fan of Hi-Res and CD-Quality songs (vs. mp3s), and many of these songs (especially Hi-Res ones, which are typically superior to CD-Quality) are mastered at a lower volume on purpose, so that when you raise the volume, everything stays balanced and smooth. Some are mastered higher than other formats for the same album, but even those still sound better. They cost more to buy, but to me the extra cost is worth it. I've bought albums in Hi-Res that I got tired of YEARS ago only to find them sounding fresh and new again b/c I can hear more details now or ones I'd missed in the past. If interested in this, check out a post of mine about it here. It has more info about this, how to downsample the songs (not hard) to make them take up less space (these files, esp Hi-Res ones, are usually HUGE), and where to go to buy them. (Skip the top part. Start with "Here is another post" and read from there down. Ignore the iBasso part at the very bottom.)

The great thing again with the Red or Black vin is that they are like the size of a flash drive, and they actually feel more like the in-line remote on your cable than another device. Trust me, the Red (or Black) is the one you want. And yes, the sound IS astonishing! lol

Feel free to ask any questions, and let us know how you like the 99 Cs once you get them, and the Black/Red if you get those too.

 

[superuser1]

Going to play the logical Devil's advocate here and may irk some of you, so here it goes. There is absolutely zero reason that a balanced cable (the 4 pin/pole variety) would improve the quality of sound if under 15'. The whole reason for a balanced cable is to prevent feedback and interference, hence why this type of connection is used in the professional world. Essentially a cable with any current passing through is an antenna, and the greater the length the greater the chance of the signal being distorted by outside sources. Having a balanced cable under 15' will yield zero benefits in a standard application. Any changes you hear are in fact a placebo effect. Sure, there are circumstances that a balanced cable will improve the sound, but ONLY if the environment and/or hardware is abnormal i.e. you live in an old house with crappy 70 year old wiring with the main power line extending off the pole and straight into the breaker (vs being buried underground), or live near a radio tower.

The improvements you folks described is from the material of the wire, not the cable being "balanced"; Technically the pack in cable IS balanced;; Equal length leads feeding both left and right channels. I have a lot of media professionals in my family with decades of experience behind them, and they literally laughed at the idea that a 3' or even 6' cable needs to be 4-pin balanced, let alone improves the sound. It won't, and doesn't. HOWEVER, OCC copper does in fact tighten up the bass, increase focus and separation, and creates an overall smoother, un-inhabited sound. I know this as fact as my ears don't lie. Every headphone in my inventory (sans the Classics) has been re-cabled with OCC copper and I can tell you that that alone improved the sound greater than me re-wiring a single entry to dual. In regards to the 99 Classics, I just got my 3.5mm leads in the mail today, and after I am done typing this post I will be heating up the soldering gun and attaching them bad-boys too an OCC cable. I will post back with my impressions probably tomorrow.

I do have to say though that the Meze balanced cable is not snake oil by any means. It's cable construction and materials are absolutely stellar! I am not discouraging you fine folks in any way from purchasing it. If you have hardware that has a balanced option, go for it! I would, regardless of the perceived benefits! I just wish Meze offered the same beautiful cable in a standard TRRS option. But please, PLEASE don't assume the improvements in sound is from the cable being fully balanced, rather know that OCC is the real magic maker.

My 2 cents.

P.S. I am on the loaner program for the Sennheiser HDV 820, and WILL be making my own balanced cable that will be interchangeable with all of my cans. My intention is to use a standard balanced OCC cable vs a fully balanced cable, both regular OFC and OCC copper; I will know first hand whether or not to take my foot out of my mouth.

Snake oil vs. Snake oil. Phew thank god snake oil won!

 

[Phil Greenfly]

You most definitely need to give us your feedback on how it sounds. I haven't read that anyone went balanced yet and it would be interesting. I love these cans so much and think they are the best value for the money anywhere out there......(walking away from PC with Mic drop..........) wait....that was my HP. $h!+.....

Posted my impressions 2 pages back, take a look!

 

[erich6]

Again thank you for your time and help. I am so glad that your dad likes Oneplus 5. It is amazing phone.
I made a decision, but need to see which color should I choose. To go with 99'c gold or silver
One more thing, can anyone tell me what is the difference in sound quality with or without amp?
For example if B&W p7 wireless gets for wireless 80 rating and wired 83 (I assume that is the difference in quality), how much Meze gets with(dragonfly red/ black) or without amp? How big the defference is in comparison with/without amp. I guess I will consider also buying one, but I hate traveling with lots of stuff. For home its OK, but when you travel from time to time...to much stuff to look for... but you'v probably get astonishing sound. I'll think about it. But for now, I am on the waiting list for 99'c. Thank you guys

Amps and DAC's like the Dragonfly Red will help pretty much any good headphone and that's definitely the case for the Meze 99C and the B&W p7 wireless. Also, both of these headphones are easy to drive from a mobile phone. Since your decision is really about which headphone to get I would forget about the DAC/amp for now...and then think about that after you get your headphones.

My opinion, both headphones have very good sound quality and similar tonality. I'd say the p7 wireless has slightly better control over the bass than the Classics but I personally like the more natural sound from the Meze (must be the wood). To me, the Meze hands down has the better looks and comfort. Obviously p7 wireless offers Bluetooth connectivity which you don't get with the Meze so that's a big discriminator. Finally, the Meze's are more affordable, less complicated, easier to maintain and I expect for that reason more reliable.

I went with gold...it has a more "classic" look to me and it fits my antique-looking home office setup.

 

[RockStar2005]

Amps and DAC's like the Dragonfly Red will help pretty much any good headphone and that's definitely the case for the Meze 99C and the B&W p7 wireless. Also, both of these headphones are easy to drive from a mobile phone. Since your decision is really about which headphone to get I would forget about the DAC/amp for now...and then think about that after you get your headphones.

My opinion, both headphones have very good sound quality and similar tonality. I'd say the p7 wireless has slightly better control over the bass than the Classics but I personally like the more natural sound from the Meze (must be the wood). To me, the Meze hands down has the better looks and comfort. Obviously p7 wireless offers Bluetooth connectivity which you don't get with the Meze so that's a big discriminator. Finally, the Meze's are more affordable, less complicated, easier to maintain and I expect for that reason more reliable.

I went with gold...it has a more "classic" look to me and it fits my antique-looking home office setup.

I don't think vin should hold off on getting the DragonFly. Why wait? We all agree that headphones sound better with these devices, so why hold off on hearing just how incredible your headphones can sound? Vin, just pick the Red or Black, get them (and don't forget that adapter!) with your choice of 99 Classics, and let us know how it all sounds.

 

[vincanity84]

I don't think vin should hold off on getting the DragonFly. Why wait? We all agree that headphones sound better with these devices, so why hold off on hearing just how incredible your headphones can sound? Vin, just pick the Red or Black, get them (and don't forget that adapter!) with your choice of 99 Classics, and let us know how it all sounds.

I think I should go with Black Dragonfly and Meze 99 . Its a price of p7 wireless, and as I can see Black produce more Bass than Red so I should be fine Late August is the time for buying so I have a little more time left. And not to forget about connector

 

[vincanity84]

Amps and DAC's like the Dragonfly Red will help pretty much any good headphone and that's definitely the case for the Meze 99C and the B&W p7 wireless. Also, both of these headphones are easy to drive from a mobile phone. Since your decision is really about which headphone to get I would forget about the DAC/amp for now...and then think about that after you get your headphones.

My opinion, both headphones have very good sound quality and similar tonality. I'd say the p7 wireless has slightly better control over the bass than the Classics but I personally like the more natural sound from the Meze (must be the wood). To me, the Meze hands down has the better looks and comfort. Obviously p7 wireless offers Bluetooth connectivity which you don't get with the Meze so that's a big discriminator. Finally, the Meze's are more affordable, less complicated, easier to maintain and I expect for that reason more reliable.

I went with gold...it has a more "classic" look to me and it fits my antique-looking home office setup.

I dont like gold jewelry but in this case maybe I give a little egde to gold-wood variant. Thank you for your advice.

I'll think about it thill late of September, but I guess Meze+ Black Dragonfly is a best option for me.

 

[RockStar2005]

I think I should go with Black Dragonfly and Meze 99 . Its a price of p7 wireless, and as I can see Black produce more Bass than Red so I should be fine Late August is the time for buying so I have a little more time left. And not to forget about connector

Alright sounds great vin! I promise you won't regret it.

Keep us posted!

 

[vincanity84]

Alright sounds great vin! I promise you won't regret it.

Keep us posted!

I will Thank you once more

Actually I meant to say
late September My bad

 

[RockStar2005]

I will Thank you once more

Actually I meant to say
late September My bad

YW.

Ok sounds good man!

 

[erich6]

I don't think vin should hold off on getting the DragonFly. Why wait? We all agree that headphones sound better with these devices, so why hold off on hearing just how incredible your headphones can sound? Vin, just pick the Red or Black, get them (and don't forget that adapter!) with your choice of 99 Classics, and let us know how it all sounds.

I just said that because it looked like the amp/DAC factor was making his decision more complicated on the headphones.