Meze 99 Classics Walnut Gold | Wired Over-Ear Headphones with Mic and Self Adjustable Headband | Classic Wooden Closed-Back Headset for Audiophiles

THE BOTTOM LINE No sooner had I unzipped its clamshell case than the room began to fill with walnut; it lingered like a cologne. It also marked the beginning of one of the most elegant presentations that I have experienced. From its vintage-industrial aesthetic to arts & crafts assembly, the 99 looked, felt and sounded like something from antiquity. Mono and stereo music sounds phenomenal and multi-channel audio (downmixed of course) is surprisingly good, making games and movies more convincing. Meze 99 Classics is the best all-around headphone at its MSRP. ADVANTAGES [+] Tube amp sound (mellow, organic and peculiar) [+] Incredible dynamics [+] A well-imaged soundstage [+] Natural signature with taut bass and midrange [+] Listenable [+] Fully (user) serviceable DRAWBACKS [-] Comfort (weightiness can affect long-term wearability) [-] Microphonic [-] Inelastic (everything is bolted onto a metal frame)

Great pair of headphones for when youre on the go. A really good amount of detail and clarity, similar to M50x. But much better bass thump. Great vocals. Like many warmer, thumpier headphones between $150-$500, these are very forgiving of whatever source/dac/amp you use, so I never feel the need to use a specialized dac/amp with these. It does improve with the H2, of course, but the difference is not as dramatic as it is for the m50x, Utopias, HD800, T1. The Meze 99 Classics are as forgiving as the tr80/250. I also think the Meze 99 Classics have struck a really fun, musical balance between the different frequency ranges. Not flat by any means, but foot tapping fun. The sound profile and forgiving nature of the sound and the lightness of the Meze 99 Classics are ideal when out and about town, but not needing noise cancellation. The original headphones I used for being out and about, but not needing noise cancellation was the tr80/250. It has a nice thumpy sound, isolates okay, gets in a good amount of detail and clarity, is very forgiving of the source, but somehow lacks the toe tapping fun of the Meze 99 Classics. The only thing I wish is that these had the fold flat capability of the m50x (the analytical headphones I reserve for audio recording). Fold flat is useful for both getting into my thin iPad bag, and also when I want the headphones around my neck and out of the way.

The sound quality is absolutely amazing. However, Ive had them for only 7 months, and theyre starting to fall apart. The fabric of the inner right ear has torn off, and the left cup is coming apart. While these see daily use, nothing more strenuous than taking them on and off has occurred. Of the many headsets Ive owned, this has lasted the shortest amount of time before noticeable wear and tear was witnessed. Also, something important to note: one must keep their head absolutely still when using them. Any slight movement, and youll hear the metal/screws creak. Even chewing will cause this creaking. Working on multiple monitors while listening to anything, youll hear this creaking frequently while simply moving your head to see the other monitor. Its quite annoying. Overall, I dont think theyre worth the money Ive spent, and I wont be buying another set again.

These are great headphones. The comfort is incredible; they are so light you can easily forget you’re wearing them. I find that I spend way less time adjusting these than other headphones I own. They also look great, and the long and short cords and case included are really nice additions. I really love the sound signature on these headphones, very fun and punchy. I’m a big punk and garage rock fan which because of poor recording or mastering can be almost unlistenable on more detailed/neutral headphones (sundara’s). Not on the Meze’s. Even the Stooges Raw Power sounds pretty good on these. Bassy hip-hop or dance music are absolutely delightful on these. Two notes of caution: 1) these are super sensitive, so if you plan to run these off a headphone amp, a low gain setting is a must. Running these from my ifi zen 2 dac, with low gain turned on, I can barely get past 9 o’clock on the volume knob. On the plus side, you’ll have no problem at all running these from a phone. 2) If you want to run these balanced, I think you’ll need to buy the cord from Meze. I have a balanced 4.4 to 3.5 cord, but the ends won’t fit through the hole in the ear cup to the actual input. Overall, these are a super fun, daily-driver headphone. I would recommend these to anyone looking to up their headphone game.

I’ve had many pairs of headphones over the years, but this pair may be pricey, but is easily the best I’ve ever had. The audio quality is beyond excellent, they’re incredibly comfortable, so much so that you almost forget you’re wearing headphones. And despite not being advertised as noise canceling, they cancel out a surprising amount of noise. (I typically have a fan going and have my PCs fans blasting and I haven’t noticed any sound from either source) so I would wholeheartedly recommend this pair of headphones.

These headphones are honestly worth every penny. The sound quality is perfect to my preferences, with the top end times a bit down so that long listening sessions don’t get annoying. The quality of build is amazing as well; you can feel where your money went when holding them. Not to mention, there’s a budget version that only makes aesthetic compromises if 300 is out of your budget. I took these traveling overseas and they were incredibly convenient with the carrying case and airplane adapter. 100% recommend these!

After ten hours of use, the padding on one side fell off. You can see the one drop of glue on the broken side connecting the foam padding they claim as noise cancella It is a plastic bond glue, Checked it.. It is not walnut wood, nor the connectors gold. I do not want my money back, I want to warn others not to get completely robbed.

The best headphones that I’ve ever owned, but the head strap took some getting used to because it became uncomfortable after long us. I have a bald head so that is probably why. Also, the overhead metal support bars makes an annoying tinging sound when hit by accident while listening to music. Sound quality is top notch no matter what music I play through them.

Good looks, great fit, great sound.

Almost too realistic in projection of sound. I swear in some music I have almost a 360 degree listening range as I hear things coming from in back of me. Scares the shit out of me as I think someones there... lol.... These are NOT noise cancelling, and the highs arent quite what Id expect, however this is the best set of muffs Ive ever had.