Meze 99 Classic closed back Headphones Review

 

Buy Meze 99 classic On Amazon

Pros&Cons

Pros 

  • Fantastic looks Good sound
  • Very comfortable Included hard case

Cons 

  • Above average microphonics

Meze 99 Classic Specs

  • Impedance: 32Ω
  • Driver size:40mm
  • Frequency response: 15Hz~25 kHz
  • Sensitivity: 103 dB (1mW @ 1kHz)
  • Cable length: 120cm & 300cm
  • Maximum input power: 50mW
  • Weight (incl. cable): 260g

Packaging 

MEZE has done a pretty good job with the packaging. They haven’t done anything overly fancy (other than the front cover which flips up kind of like a book), but nothing about it seems in any way cheap either. On the right hand side we are given information about the various design features, and on the left we are given a couple of specification, a list of included accessories, as well as a frequency response graph.

What’s in the box?

  • Meze 99 Classic headphones
  • Hard case
  • 1.2m cable with remote controls
  • 3m cable
  • Cable
  • pouch
  • 1/4” adapter
  • Aircraft adapter

Read: Master and Dynamic MH40 Headphones Review

Accessories 

Starting off with the hard case, MEZE was kind enough to provide you with some very decent protection for your new beauties. The case feels really solid, and features MEZE’s emblem on the top. The case is just big enough to fit the 99 Classics and the cable pouch. The cable pouch fits both cables and both adapters quite snugly, but doesn’t require a great deal of force or clever thinking to fit everything in. The 2 cables are pretty darn nice, featuring braided sleeves and gold-plating, nothing about them feels cheap. The 1.2m cable has inline controls for use with a smartphone or iOS and Android-powered player, whilst the 3m cable has no controls. The inclusion of a 1/4” adapter is becoming more and more common, however, the aircraft adapter is a much appreciated addition. As air travel is becoming more accessible and affordable to everyone, an aircraft adapter should be included with more headphones and earphones.

Design:

The real star of the show here are the absolutely stunning design elements of the Meze 99 Classics. They aren’t simply good looking, they make a complete fashion statement. Whilst the overall design itself isn’t particularly interesting, it’s the combination of colours and materials, the attention to detail, and the craftsmanship which will almost summon a tear. There’s just something about wood that we all love, and the dark walnut earcups are truly well-made. The colour of the wood combined with the black leather and gold accents makes for a really eye catching design. The machining of the cable jacks and how the perfectly line up with and are attached to the wood earcups also brings a sense of awe.

Meze 99 Classics are ridiculously comfortable too. The headband adjusts automatically, and at no point do you feel weighed down, or any excessive clamping force either.

There, unfortunately, a gigantic elephant in the room. Call it a design flaw, or perhaps it’s inevitable, but the microphonics you get from the metal frame is quite intense. Granted, it’s not very likely that you will end up rubbing this part frequently, but when you do, oh boy is it loud. You almost feel that, if a fly were to land on it and start doing its “evil-villain-leg-rub”, you’d hear and feel every bit of it.

  

Sound

Meze 99 Classics feature a fairly neutral sound signature, but it does err more towards the consumer end of the spectrum. The sound is quite smooth, yet still offers a decent amount of detail and stage width. Isolation is very good, and does add a bit of punch to the bass region. Due to the smooth nature of the sound, you won’t be greeted with sparkly highs, however, this also means that sibilance is rather well controlled too. The only area that should perhaps be revised is the mid- to upper-bass region. This part of the frequency response can sometimes feel a bit too prominent, and can make the bass notes feel just a little bit bloated and unnatural.

Instrument separation is better than expected for such a luscious sound, whilst stage width could be a bit wider, but nothing to rally over. What the 99 Classics offer then, is a smooth, intimate sound; perfect for genres like smooth-rock, jazz, and folk/country.

Read:HIFIMAN HE-400S Planar Magnetic Headphones Review

Value 

So whilst the Meze 99 Classics don’t offer the best of sound in terms of sheer fidelity and detail, they are quite good nonetheless. It’s a rock-solid step up from your usual “extreme v-shaped” signature that you get with the vast majority of consumer grade headphones (even ones that cost a fair bit more than these). But for this price you’d be hard-pressed to find a more genuinely well-crafted, great looking, and comfortable pair.

 

Rating

The NO BULL rating system is designed to take as many aspects of the device into account as possible. As such, we have a basic rating, as well as a final rating. The basic rating rates the product purely as a high quality portable audio device, and is generally a good indicator of how it stacks up to its rivals in terms of standard features and specs. The final rating, however, grants bonus points for any extra features and specs that aren’t quite as common, and is a great way to judge the product as a complete package.

Packaging 

Look and feel: 8 / 10

Included Accessories 

Protective case: YES

Build 

Quality control: 10 / 10 Seems durable: YES Microphonics: 4 / 10 Comfort: 10 / 10

Sound 

Relatively balanced signature: – Soundstage: 7 / 10
Detail retrieval: 7 / 10 Sibilance: 8 / 10

Instrument separation: 6 / 10 Isolation: 9 / 10
Hiss: 6 / 10

Portability 

Small size: 6 / 10
Relatively low power required: 8 / 10 Weight: 8 / 10

Value 

Competitive price-point: YES Relative value: 7 / 10

Basic Rating: 7.4 

Bonus points 

Removable cables: YES
Number of cables included: 2
Premium cables: YES
How premium the case looks and feels: 9 / 10 Battery life above 8 hours: –
Bluetooth: –
Apt-X: –
Volume/remote controls: YES
Metal body: YES
Premium look and feel: YES
Use of exotic materials: YES
Bluetooth connection quality: –
1/4” adapter included: YES
Cable management: –
Aircraft adapter: YES

Final Rating: 8.8 

 

 

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