Meze 99 Classics Walnut Gold Headphones (Gold & Black)

Product Information

Music files streamed from Tidal and Qobuz through AudioQuest's DragonFly Red DAC included: "I'm Not Doing This for You," from the self-titled album by electronic beatmeisters Awefekt (24-bit/44.1kHz, 37d03d); trip-hop from Dido in "Hurricanes," from Still On My Mind (16/44.1, BMG); Deep South beats in the hip-hop subgenre trap in "Red Room," from Offset's Father of 4 (24/96, Motown); Frank Zappa's The Yellow Shark, performed by Ensemble Modern (16/44.1, Zappa Records); and dance/R&B from Solange in "Things I Imagined," from her When I Get Home (24/44.1, Columbia). Vinyl included two very dissimilar albums: the popping jazz of Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, and Shelly Manne's Poll Winners Three! (Contemporary S7576), and the urban dread of Fink's Resurgam (R'Coup'd RCPD015). The case that comes with the headphones is very nice and sturdy however, the headphones do not fit unless you unplug the connectors. They do include a separate case just for the cables but this is very inconvenient on the go and I would like to see a case where you do not need to unplug the connectors. – same as the neo

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.In my mind, this was the first sign that things might have changed at Meze. Digging a little deeper before saying yes, I found the second leaving myself even more intrigued. Here's why. Lows - Certainly where the separation from their predecessors is the low end. The 99 Neo has a fuller bass response thanks partly to an enhanced sub-bass emphasis. I won't say they are bass canons because they are not, but they provide the sufficient quantity to match almost any music genre. Speed in the low end is good for such a big driver, and distortion is almost negligible in this frequency; it remains composed even on challenging and complicated compositions. Conclusion & Summary

Right now I’m just using a gaming headset, Cooler Master MH 630, which I would still switch onto for something like a discord call with friends. I’ve used Razer Krakens and Corsair HS60 in the past as well. In terms of other audio devices I’ve used Jabra Elite 75t and Samsung Buds+, but I don’t plan to be using a wired headset on my phone at all. In 2015 Meze Audio released a headphone called the 99 Classics which led to what they call their "breakthrough year". It was their first headphone created entirely in house whereas before they were buying components externally. The Classics took the audio enthusiast community by storm and suddenly we were seeing it everywhere and just about everyone seemed to own one. Two cables are included – a short one with microphone/remote unit, and a longer one. Both have got a 3.5 mm plug. Last but not least, a 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm adapter, airplane adapter and zipped bag (for the spare cable) are included as well.

Build

Bottom line: This is a very fine offering from Meze. Build quality is stellar; the look is fabulous; accessorization is exemplary; and while comfort isn't quite up to the level of it's other characteristics, I'd say it's better than average in this category—many circumaural, sealed, mobile friendly headphones do have earcups that are far too small. Brainwavz and Status Audio are two I can think of off the top of my head, and they still provide great value to the consumer without trying to sell under a pretense. I believe that the simplest way to describe the sound of 99 Classics is – bassy, fun and energetic. It’s nowhere close being neutral or analytical, focusing more on a huge dose of fun and being just easy to listen to. 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.

For many users appearance is an important factor when purchasing headphones. If you're one of those people then this could be the one for you. Enter the Meze 99 Classics with their simplistic yet sophisticated and elegant looks that are so easily distinguishable from all the rest. Beautiful wood. Unfortunately highly microphonic headband arch (rings when touched). The headband really likes to pull hair out. Small ear pads.After a few hours things improved noticeably in the areas mentioned and I could clearly hear the potential of these cans.

the headphones have a modular system designed in such a way that practically every part is replaceableThere is, however, slight evidence of the wood lacquer being worn on the bottom edge of the ear cups by the end of our time testing them – something you should perhaps expect to happen over time if they’re constantly placed on a desk.