Meze 99 Classics Walnut Gold Headphones (Gold & Black)

Product Information

Most of this review was performed on a Questyle CMA800 and via my Astell & Kern AK70 and Shanling M6 Pro , but they feel like they will work fine with any high-resolution audio player. At no point did I feel like I was left wanting, and I couldn't have asked for more in terms of performance for the price. Conclusion

About me i can say i am a music lover,not an audiophile-if audiophile means to use music to listen to your equipment,that's not me -trying to find best ways to enjoy my music,because in the end that s all that matters -and started to be interested in headphones 5 years ago.Started like many others with Ath M50;AKG K550; after that i made the transition to open headphones:Sennheiser HD650,HD600(i loved these cans for their naturalness and neutrality);AKG K500 and K501(one of the best from AKG better in my opinion than AKG 7XX series,amazing for classical).After that i stepped into the high-end area with Beyerdynamic T1,followed by Hifiman HE500(which i curently own and will remain with me) and recently bought HD800S(i like them but to soon to have a clear opinion).

Design & Comfort

The 99 Classics do not have any folding features to make them more compact for travel and transport, but they do come with a hard side, clamshell carry case with zipper closure. Inside the case is a smaller zip closure pouch to store cables and adapters; both 3.5mm to 1/4" and dual 3.5mm airplane adapters are included. Like the headphone, the travel case is a very handsome and useful item.

Designed and engineered to the highest standards, the 99 Neo headphones deliver class-leading sound quality. Featuring ribbed drivers, the 99 Neo gives a precise, low distortion sound that lets you hear every detail. With generous 40mm drivers, the sound drops right down to 15Hz – giving these headphones deep, powerful bass. Immersive. When first listening to the Mezes in the store I was absorbed by the particular nature of their sound, unlike my experience with other headphones in the store. This quality held up while trialling them more thoroughly. The 99Cs make you want to listen; I found hours went by immersed in the music. So yeah i for one am hooked on this headphone, i can spend hours and hours listening to music with these to no end. They then charged people an arm and a leg for one of the worst-sounding earphones I had heard at any price.stars: The product is good/very good, but not outstanding/special enough to get any of my two awards. ["Thumbs Up"]

The next two comparisons are basically copied+pasted from my 99 Neo review ( here) because the Neo and 99 Classics are so very alike in terms of sound quality.

The problem with strong design is that it's also divisive. I love the look of the HD 800, but many think it's too weird in an alien way. I don't particularly like the look of V-MODA headphones, but I do see how beautifully well designed they are and how well form is integrated with function. Just not my taste. The 99 Classic also has strongly characteristic design, tasting of luxury and jewels. This is also not to my taste, but the 99 Classics is obviously tasteful. This is a sweet looking headphone.

Meze Audio's 99 Classics, which are in the middle of the company's headphone line, arrived in a zippered hard-shell case that also contained two lightweight, detachable, Kevlar-sheathed cables: one 4' long with a one-button remote control for portable use, and a 9' cable for home use. At the headphone ends of these cables are dual 3.5mm gold-plated TS plugs—these, rather than the earcups themselves, are marked L and R—with a single 3.5mm TRRS plug at the amplifier ends. Also included are 3.5mm-to-¼" and dual 3.5mm airplane adapters. All plugs and cables can be kept in a small, resealable, faux-velvet pouch (provided).

Treble

Many companies do this; they buy cheap headphones from a mass manufacturer and rebrand them. Some are quite open about it and have gained respect throughout the headphone world. It’s pretty hard for me to objectively rate the Meze 99 Classics. While the overall sound quality isn’t on the same level as for example Hifiman Sundara, it is a very enjoyable pair of headphones and you just simply want to listen to them. I believe that’s the definition of a great product. At the end of the day, some customers are looking for the best quality in a specific price range, and others just want to have a fun experience with a very pleasingly tuned pair of headphones. If you lean more towards the latter, I’d highly recommend the Meze 99 Classics, as it’s just an emotional sounding headphone, but keep in mind that in terms of pure SQ the Sundara is an overally better product, and by some margin. Hans Theesink-Six Strings(Life Line)-amazing blues artist with very high grade recordings;this song sound beautiful on the Meze with hes amazing voice,the guitars a real pleasure with that nice choir of women,good separation,width and depth. Warm fundamental range transition into the upper fundamentals; therefore warm, lush lower mids without becoming overly muddy or muffled sounding. Mids: The main reason why I bought these and I was right. A very natural reproduction of piano and guitar sound. Vocals are a bit forward, "in front of the orchestra", you can hear every whisper, every drop of saliva in the mouth of the vocalist. That is truly something. 5 stars.