Meze 99 Neo Help

[tiagopinto]

Same feeling from me and my friend. Even the 99 Neo they had (at $200!!!) sounded far better to me then A LOT of WAY more expensive stuff. Truly the 2 headphones that wow'd me. I'm not really interested in IEMs so can't comment on those from Meze.

I know this might be old news (and I’ve still to reach the end of this thread) but I need your help.
Are the 99 neo the best you can buy under 500€?
I’m a noob, with a limited budget, so please be patient.
I’m looking for a closed back and I’ll be using it with an iPhone Xs and a Dragonfly Cobalt.
Love reading all your comments on the equipment.
Thanks a lot.

 

[ika742]

I know this might be old news (and I’ve still to reach the end of this thread) but I need your help.
Are the 99 neo the best you can buy under 500€?
I’m a noob, with a limited budget, so please be patient.
I’m looking for a closed back and I’ll be using it with an iPhone Xs and a Dragonfly Cobalt.
Love reading all your comments on the equipment.
Thanks a lot.

I'm actually not that experienced so I don't feel I'm qualified to answer this

 

[tiagopinto]

I'm actually not that experienced so I don't feel I'm qualified to answer this

Thanks for your reply.
Maybe one of the gurus here may help me, although this is not quite top league.

 

[539465]

doubt it, josh valour and DMS did a best under $500
both had the sennheiser 6 series, sundara, argons and DT1990 although DMS noted it technically wasn't on his because it's often selling above $500 for the price I also like DMS's recommendation of the DT880 600ohm being best under $500 even though I own the DT990 which is the same with a different sound signature and Zeos liked the 600ohm version specifically a lot

 

[iFi audio]

Are the 99 neo the best you can buy under 500€?

Meze are great if you're into rich sound with well pronounced bass that's tuned for fun in the first place. All things considered they're also reasonably priced and made really well. But having said that, I don't think there's one specific model that can be named as the best one out there. If I were you I'd probably have a think what kind of sound profile I like. It's easier to move from there

 

[CoryGillmore]

"best" is subjective....but if you like warm impactful bass then it's hard to go wrong with the 99 at $200. Everyone seems to love them for sure.

 

[PopZeus]

The only thing I feel comfortable saying about the 99-series is that it's arguably the best low-power, full-size, closed-back headphone I'm aware of. There are other, similarly priced, mid-fi cans out there, but I feel like almost all of them require dedicated amping. And the few that don't sound pretty different from the 99s, so it's more of a subjective evaluation, as opposed to a definitive "best".

 

[iFi audio]

"best" is subjective....but if you like warm impactful bass then it's hard to go wrong with the 99 at $200. Everyone seems to love them for sure.

I agree, lots of reasons to like them. Although they don't need much to get going, they scale well with amps and that's partially the reason why they're so popular .

 

[silent-circuit]

The only thing I feel comfortable saying about the 99-series is that it's arguably the best low-power, full-size, closed-back headphone I'm aware of. There are other, similarly priced, mid-fi cans out there, but I feel like almost all of them require dedicated amping. And the few that don't sound pretty different from the 99s, so it's more of a subjective evaluation, as opposed to a definitive "best".

The Denon AH-D7200 and 9200 are far more technically capable in the same niche (low power, full size, closed back) as well as related Fostex models, but it's not really a fair comparison at 4-8x the cost. The Meze 99 is unquestionably good for what it is.

 

[PopZeus]

The Denon AH-D7200 and 9200 are far more technically capable in the same niche (low power, full size, closed back) as well as related Fostex models, but it's not really a fair comparison at 4-8x the cost. The Meze 99 is unquestionably good for what it is.

That's a good point. I haven't heard the Denons but afaik, they're based on the same bio-cellulose driver that Fostex uses. I have heard the TH-X00 and it is indeed a low power headphone. Maybe not quite as efficient as the 99s but close enough. I guess I should've specified portability in my description since the Fostex isn't really portable despite the low power requirement.

 

[iFi audio]

as related Fostex models

Fostex TH900 mkII is one of the most enjoyable such cans I've heard and still reasonble, but even aftermarket units would go way beyond the 99.