Impressions from a new Meze 99 Classics customer:
I bought the Meze 99 Classics last week for a comp to the Sennheiser HD569. Yeah, I know at $309 (USD), it's twice the price of the HD569 ($149). But Good Lord, it has 20 times better sound.
The Meze 99 Classics aren't perfect. No one will mistake them for flat, clean, clinical cans. But holy hell, they're fun.
Bass is warm and rich, not bloated. Prominent, but doesn't crush the mids. The mids are luscious. Just lovely in tone. The treble is decent. Can form a small thicket of highs in busy, involved songs, but it rolls off just the right amount at the right time to avoid shrillness or listener fatigue.
One reviewer described the sound as "chocolatey." I like that. Solid metaphor.
This is a headphone that feels like the sum of very well designed and tuned parts. Nothing is extraordinary, but the balance of the sonic landscape is just sublime. These cans were designed for songs, not notes, tone ranges or adherence to some idolized frequency response curve.
Plus, the craftsmanship. I don't think there's a centimeter of plastic anywhere. The polished wood ear cups are exquisite. I got the silver instead of gold accents on the headband frame and cup supports, and it looks great. Reminds me of a polished fender on a 1957 Chevy.
The 99 Classics can be driven from a phone, no problem. They're 32 ohm impedance and a sensitivity in the low-to-mid 100s. I get more volume with these wired cans through the Apple DAC Dongle (what a piece of kit for $9) into my iPhone 12 than I do from my Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless ANC headphones. And way more volume than the Sennheiser PXC550-II wireless ANC travel cans.
One concern are the ear cups. They're snug for my medium-to-slightly large ears. My right ear also has cartilage that sticks out more than its compatriot in my left ear, and I'm getting a bit of discomfort there after about an hour. Hopefully break-in will help. If not, I'll pursue aftermarket pads. All suggestions welcome and appreciated!
The Meze Classics are the fun house of entry/mid-level audiophile closed-back cans. A real gem that I'm glad to have heard.
These cans had me jamming air guitar around my kitchen the day I received them. Not a pretty sight at age 55, but no effs given. I was livin', baby. Felt great, thanks to those Meze 99 Classics.