Nothing complicated...the mechanism consist of 2 plastic ends and between them a piece of elastic, remove 2 screws from one side of the metal piece that fix the headband, slide out the elastic part with their plastic parts out of headband, unravel the sewing of the elastic short it and sew again...you could let the excess elastic there ...I chose to cut it ...if you let it there the headband will slide harder over it. When putting the elastic inside headband be careful to insert it on his channel not under the padding sponge...you could use a piece of hard wire to catch the elastic and pull thru his headband channel.
) headphone, especially compared to my old OG Focal Clear Pro:
That comment about the 109 making the Clears sound very warm and a bit dark... I just don't know. To buy and try or notSo, I weakened and caved into purchasing the 109 Pros.
Bought them 11 days ago actually and have burned them in heavily for more than 240 hours so...here is my updated impressions/mini review...
I won't go into build/comfort as I'm sure most of you are well aware of how godamn beautiful and comfortable this thing is so I'll get right into the juicy part...the sound.
Burning in the Meze's for over 240 hours has been an interesting experience. It sounded really good straight out of the box on day 1. Yes...at first the treble was slightly glarey and the bass quantity/quality certainly wasn't the last word in "Hi-Fi". I did listen periodically throughout the burn-in process to make a note of any changes. As expected....around the 100 hr mark...the treble tamed itself....the midrange gained more clarity and finesse...the bass subjectively appeared to dig deeper and became more articulate with more quantity as a bonus. Last but not least...the imaging.....dammit...the imaging really took on a new deep and detailed life form of it's own. This was especially suprising as when I first demoed these cans a month ago...it was nothing to write home about....was good/solid but nothing special, although my source chain/gear could have influenced things further.
Speaking of gear...I use a Windows 10 gaming PC into a Gustard stack - X18 DAC + U18 DDC + H16 Amp.
It would be completely easy for me to tell you straight off the bat that my Gustard stack + 109 Pros sound great and that they have great synergy together etc blah blah blah. While I do believe that my Mezes do sound great with my current gear...I do think it's easy for basically anyone to buy whatever gear they choose and to immediately declare it as an "amazing, wonderful combo", especially when one purchases their new gear and they may possibly feel the need to justify their new toy by telling the whole world about it on the internet...kinda like what I'm doing now maybe lol?!!(Dammit!)...I do feel that we should edge on the side of caution. Why you ask? Well...not everyone is fortunate enough to afford or listen to lots of high end gear so easily...that includes me. Following on from my previous first impressions of the 109 Pro I demoed at my local dealer...most of the same great qualities applies with it on my own gear, now that I have a pair at home but my point is (sorry for this rambling lol)...as great as this Meze sounds...I've not heard an Abyss 1266TC, Susvara, Elite, Verite, Focal Utopia, HD800S etc in a properly controlled environment with awesome matching gear so it's kinda naive for me to proclaim that my 109 Pro is "end game" lol...no matter how friggin good it sounds on my set-up
Despite this...I do wanna share more observations on this Meze-merising (sorry
The lower bass on the 109 Pro has this slightly unusual quality of hitting REAL HARD but only on certain songs when it's called for. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the overall bass quantity is quite "lean" but let me tell...this bass packs a serious punch when it needs to and it's sometimes on the same level as my OG Clear...if not more sometimes. The Clear has a lot of mid and lower bass...a hell of a lot actually but I think this was a deliberate design decision to mask it's lack of true sub-bass. It's understandable as it's open back....the 109 Pro shares similar traits however, it has MUCH less bass bloat which I think totally works in it's favour. Also regarding the bass...it is sometimes quite tactile. It's very tight and I'm not sure if it's faster or slower than my clear. The bass and sub-bass notes definitely sustains longer than the Clear...yet it feels at least every bit as fast as the Clear. The Focal has this really unusual trait where the mid bass/lower bass is fast as hell...but the sub-bass is actually a little slow. The only person I know who has noticed this trait on the Clear is online reviewer Koji from 'Convince Me Audio'. Sub-bass overall on the 109 Pro is solid. It's won't break any records for quantity but the quality is really beautiful....especially now that I've put more than 240 hrs burn-in time on it. Oh btw, I use Equalizer APO and add in a 5 db sub-bass shelf around 40hz and that's all!
As mentioned...the midrange is sweet. Instruments sound realistic. Timbre sounds realistic though maybe a little thin on vocals sometimes.
Treble is the star of the show lol. Yes...because it's a neutral bright headphone, it won't do any favours for not so well recorded material but when you have good recordings...this headphone becomes something really special. I wouldn't pair these cans with colder, analytical amps/DACs. THX amps might amplify the treble too much with the risk of the 109 Pros sounding harsh/shrill. My Gustard H16 is mostly neutral though it has a hint of warmth....which is fine for my treble sensitive ears
Soundstage is interesting. The 109 Pros stage width is actually roughly the same as the Clear...which...sounds a little disappointing right? Most people that know Focal are aware that they don't exactly have the widest head stages. What the Meze has though is a bloody deep stage. My goodness...that and the imaging can provide you with otherworldly results sometimes....it's really stunning. I must give the disclaimer again that my X18 DAC and U18 DDC may contribute a lot to the imaging/soundstage.
I listen to MANY types of music but these are the genres that I felt really shined on the Meze: Classic rock, 80's trash, grunge, rock, pop, metal, r&b, reggaeton, hip hop, drum & bass, alternative rock, synthwave, indie, new wave etc. I mean...this headphone plays almost everything damn good lol
I'm just gonna say it...I think these 109 Pros overall are better than my OG Focal Clear. The Meze is probably not as good as the Clear technically, but for me...overall it's just...better. Much better tonality...at least as energetic as the Clears....better balanced and much more physically comfortable.
Because of the more extended treble on the 109 Pros...on certain songs, it sometimes gives the impression that it is actually more dynamic than the Clears. Whether it actually is or not, technically....I don't know.....but what I do know is that the Meze gives me the same chills as my Clears, if not more on particular tracks.
I've also gotta say...when I was A/Bing my 109 Pro vs Clear recently, as volume matched as possible....the Clears actually sounded slightly veiled. Especially with percussive instruments and it's lower treble. Was quite eye opening for me. The 109 Pro made the Clear sound very warm and a bit dark sounding.
This "review" ended up being not so "mini"....dammit (sorry).
To conclude...the Meze 109 Pro isn't a terrible headphone.
It totally looks like you are having fun with this.So, I weakened and caved into purchasing the 109 Pros.
Bought them 11 days ago actually and have burned them in heavily for more than 240 hours so...here is my updated impressions/mini review...
I won't go into build/comfort as I'm sure most of you are well aware of how godamn beautiful and comfortable this thing is so I'll get right into the juicy part...the sound.
Burning in the Meze's for over 240 hours has been an interesting experience. It sounded really good straight out of the box on day 1. Yes...at first the treble was slightly glarey and the bass quantity/quality certainly wasn't the last word in "Hi-Fi". I did listen periodically throughout the burn-in process to make a note of any changes. As expected....around the 100 hr mark...the treble tamed itself....the midrange gained more clarity and finesse...the bass subjectively appeared to dig deeper and became more articulate with more quantity as a bonus. Last but not least...the imaging.....dammit...the imaging really took on a new deep and detailed life form of it's own. This was especially suprising as when I first demoed these cans a month ago...it was nothing to write home about....was good/solid but nothing special, although my source chain/gear could have influenced things further.
Speaking of gear...I use a Windows 10 gaming PC into a Gustard stack - X18 DAC + U18 DDC + H16 Amp.
It would be completely easy for me to tell you straight off the bat that my Gustard stack + 109 Pros sound great and that they have great synergy together etc blah blah blah. While I do believe that my Mezes do sound great with my current gear...I do think it's easy for basically anyone to buy whatever gear they choose and to immediately declare it as an "amazing, wonderful combo", especially when one purchases their new gear and they may possibly feel the need to justify their new toy by telling the whole world about it on the internet...kinda like what I'm doing now maybe lol?!!(Dammit!)...I do feel that we should edge on the side of caution. Why you ask? Well...not everyone is fortunate enough to afford or listen to lots of high end gear so easily...that includes me. Following on from my previous first impressions of the 109 Pro I demoed at my local dealer...most of the same great qualities applies with it on my own gear, now that I have a pair at home but my point is (sorry for this rambling lol)...as great as this Meze sounds...I've not heard an Abyss 1266TC, Susvara, Elite, Verite, Focal Utopia, HD800S etc in a properly controlled environment with awesome matching gear so it's kinda naive for me to proclaim that my 109 Pro is "end game" lol...no matter how friggin good it sounds on my set-up
Despite this...I do wanna share more observations on this Meze-merising (sorry
The lower bass on the 109 Pro has this slightly unusual quality of hitting REAL HARD but only on certain songs when it's called for. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the overall bass quantity is quite "lean" but let me tell...this bass packs a serious punch when it needs to and it's sometimes on the same level as my OG Clear...if not more sometimes. The Clear has a lot of mid and lower bass...a hell of a lot actually but I think this was a deliberate design decision to mask it's lack of true sub-bass. It's understandable as it's open back....the 109 Pro shares similar traits however, it has MUCH less bass bloat which I think totally works in it's favour. Also regarding the bass...it is sometimes quite tactile. It's very tight and I'm not sure if it's faster or slower than my clear. The bass and sub-bass notes definitely sustains longer than the Clear...yet it feels at least every bit as fast as the Clear. The Focal has this really unusual trait where the mid bass/lower bass is fast as hell...but the sub-bass is actually a little slow. The only person I know who has noticed this trait on the Clear is online reviewer Koji from 'Convince Me Audio'. Sub-bass overall on the 109 Pro is solid. It's won't break any records for quantity but the quality is really beautiful....especially now that I've put more than 240 hrs burn-in time on it. Oh btw, I use Equalizer APO and add in a 5 db sub-bass shelf around 40hz and that's all!
As mentioned...the midrange is sweet. Instruments sound realistic. Timbre sounds realistic though maybe a little thin on vocals sometimes.
Treble is the star of the show lol. Yes...because it's a neutral bright headphone, it won't do any favours for not so well recorded material but when you have good recordings...this headphone becomes something really special. I wouldn't pair these cans with colder, analytical amps/DACs. THX amps might amplify the treble too much with the risk of the 109 Pros sounding harsh/shrill. My Gustard H16 is mostly neutral though it has a hint of warmth....which is fine for my treble sensitive ears
Soundstage is interesting. The 109 Pros stage width is actually roughly the same as the Clear...which...sounds a little disappointing right? Most people that know Focal are aware that they don't exactly have the widest head stages. What the Meze has though is a bloody deep stage. My goodness...that and the imaging can provide you with otherworldly results sometimes....it's really stunning. I must give the disclaimer again that my X18 DAC and U18 DDC may contribute a lot to the imaging/soundstage.
I listen to MANY types of music but these are the genres that I felt really shined on the Meze: Classic rock, 80's trash, grunge, rock, pop, metal, r&b, reggaeton, hip hop, drum & bass, alternative rock, synthwave, indie, new wave etc. I mean...this headphone plays almost everything damn good lol
I'm just gonna say it...I think these 109 Pros overall are better than my OG Focal Clear. The Meze is probably not as good as the Clear technically, but for me...overall it's just...better. Much better tonality...at least as energetic as the Clears....better balanced and much more physically comfortable.
Because of the more extended treble on the 109 Pros...on certain songs, it sometimes gives the impression that it is actually more dynamic than the Clears. Whether it actually is or not, technically....I don't know.....but what I do know is that the Meze gives me the same chills as my Clears, if not more on particular tracks.
I've also gotta say...when I was A/Bing my 109 Pro vs Clear recently, as volume matched as possible....the Clears actually sounded slightly veiled. Especially with percussive instruments and it's lower treble. Was quite eye opening for me. The 109 Pro made the Clear sound very warm and a bit dark sounding.
This "review" ended up being not so "mini"....dammit (sorry).
To conclude...the Meze 109 Pro isn't a terrible headphone.
This is exactly how I feel. Infact I feel it's a tiny bit smaller then my Clears, but the Depth of stage is truely a unique thing to process. Unfortunately the stage has 0 verticality, very Infront or behind.
What if you stood on a crate when you listen?
I rate this review 5/7!So, I weakened and caved into purchasing the 109 Pros.
Bought them 11 days ago actually and have burned them in heavily for more than 240 hours so...here is my updated impressions/mini review...
I won't go into build/comfort as I'm sure most of you are well aware of how godamn beautiful and comfortable this thing is so I'll get right into the juicy part...the sound.
Burning in the Meze's for over 240 hours has been an interesting experience. It sounded really good straight out of the box on day 1. Yes...at first the treble was slightly glarey and the bass quantity/quality certainly wasn't the last word in "Hi-Fi". I did listen periodically throughout the burn-in process to make a note of any changes. As expected....around the 100 hr mark...the treble tamed itself....the midrange gained more clarity and finesse...the bass subjectively appeared to dig deeper and became more articulate with more quantity as a bonus. Last but not least...the imaging.....dammit...the imaging really took on a new deep and detailed life form of it's own. This was especially suprising as when I first demoed these cans a month ago...it was nothing to write home about....was good/solid but nothing special, although my source chain/gear could have influenced things further.
Speaking of gear...I use a Windows 10 gaming PC into a Gustard stack - X18 DAC + U18 DDC + H16 Amp.
It would be completely easy for me to tell you straight off the bat that my Gustard stack + 109 Pros sound great and that they have great synergy together etc blah blah blah. While I do believe that my Mezes do sound great with my current gear...I do think it's easy for basically anyone to buy whatever gear they choose and to immediately declare it as an "amazing, wonderful combo", especially when one purchases their new gear and they may possibly feel the need to justify their new toy by telling the whole world about it on the internet...kinda like what I'm doing now maybe lol?!!(Dammit!)...I do feel that we should edge on the side of caution. Why you ask? Well...not everyone is fortunate enough to afford or listen to lots of high end gear so easily...that includes me. Following on from my previous first impressions of the 109 Pro I demoed at my local dealer...most of the same great qualities applies with it on my own gear, now that I have a pair at home but my point is (sorry for this rambling lol)...as great as this Meze sounds...I've not heard an Abyss 1266TC, Susvara, Elite, Verite, Focal Utopia, HD800S etc in a properly controlled environment with awesome matching gear so it's kinda naive for me to proclaim that my 109 Pro is "end game" lol...no matter how friggin good it sounds on my set-up
Despite this...I do wanna share more observations on this Meze-merising (sorry
The lower bass on the 109 Pro has this slightly unusual quality of hitting REAL HARD but only on certain songs when it's called for. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the overall bass quantity is quite "lean" but let me tell...this bass packs a serious punch when it needs to and it's sometimes on the same level as my OG Clear...if not more sometimes. The Clear has a lot of mid and lower bass...a hell of a lot actually but I think this was a deliberate design decision to mask it's lack of true sub-bass. It's understandable as it's open back....the 109 Pro shares similar traits however, it has MUCH less bass bloat which I think totally works in it's favour. Also regarding the bass...it is sometimes quite tactile. It's very tight and I'm not sure if it's faster or slower than my clear. The bass and sub-bass notes definitely sustains longer than the Clear...yet it feels at least every bit as fast as the Clear. The Focal has this really unusual trait where the mid bass/lower bass is fast as hell...but the sub-bass is actually a little slow. The only person I know who has noticed this trait on the Clear is online reviewer Koji from 'Convince Me Audio'. Sub-bass overall on the 109 Pro is solid. It's won't break any records for quantity but the quality is really beautiful....especially now that I've put more than 240 hrs burn-in time on it. Oh btw, I use Equalizer APO and add in a 5 db sub-bass shelf around 40hz and that's all!
As mentioned...the midrange is sweet. Instruments sound realistic. Timbre sounds realistic though maybe a little thin on vocals sometimes.
Treble is the star of the show lol. Yes...because it's a neutral bright headphone, it won't do any favours for not so well recorded material but when you have good recordings...this headphone becomes something really special. I wouldn't pair these cans with colder, analytical amps/DACs. THX amps might amplify the treble too much with the risk of the 109 Pros sounding harsh/shrill. My Gustard H16 is mostly neutral though it has a hint of warmth....which is fine for my treble sensitive ears
Soundstage is interesting. The 109 Pros stage width is actually roughly the same as the Clear...which...sounds a little disappointing right? Most people that know Focal are aware that they don't exactly have the widest head stages. What the Meze has though is a bloody deep stage. My goodness...that and the imaging can provide you with otherworldly results sometimes....it's really stunning. I must give the disclaimer again that my X18 DAC and U18 DDC may contribute a lot to the imaging/soundstage.
I listen to MANY types of music but these are the genres that I felt really shined on the Meze: Classic rock, 80's trash, grunge, rock, pop, metal, r&b, reggaeton, hip hop, drum & bass, alternative rock, synthwave, indie, new wave etc. I mean...this headphone plays almost everything damn good lol
I'm just gonna say it...I think these 109 Pros overall are better than my OG Focal Clear. The Meze is probably not as good as the Clear technically, but for me...overall it's just...better. Much better tonality...at least as energetic as the Clears....better balanced and much more physically comfortable.
Because of the more extended treble on the 109 Pros...on certain songs, it sometimes gives the impression that it is actually more dynamic than the Clears. Whether it actually is or not, technically....I don't know.....but what I do know is that the Meze gives me the same chills as my Clears, if not more on particular tracks.
I've also gotta say...when I was A/Bing my 109 Pro vs Clear recently, as volume matched as possible....the Clears actually sounded slightly veiled. Especially with percussive instruments and it's lower treble. Was quite eye opening for me. The 109 Pro made the Clear sound very warm and a bit dark sounding.
This "review" ended up being not so "mini"....dammit (sorry).
To conclude...the Meze 109 Pro isn't a terrible headphone.
I would get vertigo and fall off.
I rate this review 5/7!
(If you don't know what this joke is about, it's an old meme about the movie Fight Club).
Always nice to read your write-up, the pictures in the end are the icing on the cake.
I'm actually really grateful as this makes my mind clear: I won't buy the 109 pro. My Arya SE already covers almost any of the features of this meze (probably beating it) and it looks like it's a pretty hard overlap.
I'll proceed to look for a warmer/ darker sounding hp.
Funny that you mention that regarding verticality.. In front or behind, left or right is always what kept me intrigued. I was reading through reviews when I was looking for Lake People amp and one of the reviews wrote about the soundstage that you can hear above and below. It was the Violectric V560 or 580, I can't remember because the price is/was €3699 or higher. Since then, I stopped caring about that and stick to my current dac/amp.
The Arya stealth is more or less considered universally a great value, at their asking price. At least on the technical side.
I secretly want/wanted an Arya Stealth...I just couldn't justify the price at this moment in time. I heard it briefly at Canjam London this year although it was a noisy environment. Despite the less than ideal setting...the Arya shocked me (in a good way) with it's bass presence and overall sound - paired with an EF400.
The Stealth is probably worth the asking price but I found the Meze 109 Pro to be just as good of a deal in terms of "value"...with the added bonus of it being nearly half the price lol
I'm pretty damn sure the Hifiman has better bass extension, speed and maybe texture than the 109 Pro...as well as it's world famous soundstage, heh
