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

The headphones were provided in a high quality carry case and the build quality of the headphones is also of high quality. The headphones had garnered a number of great reviews from various review sources and I can see why. I cant compare them to more expensive headphones, but for the price point, they sound good and I am happy with the purchase.

I was really excited to receive these cans and give them a listen. They were to be used as my daily at work. I began listening to them and realized that while listening to certain songs, on certain notes, it began making a strange sound. Equivalent to when youve blown a speaker and makes that fuzzy noise. It is slowly driving me insane.... The way it looks, comfort, everything else about these cans are amazing. I am so disappointed with the noise it consistently makes. Id like to see if maybe I received a defective pair.

I dont normally write reviews. Not an audiophile, just a person who got few decades of experience with audio equipment and knows what he likes. When it came to headphones lately I use wireless, for convenience. Bose for the buds, Sony for over ear. I dont like active noise canceling because it distorts music to my ears, and only needed on a noisy plane ride or if you live in squalor. My solution to plane ride is a pair of silicone plugs and over ear headphones with a good seal, obviously closed back, and if you cant hear your stuff too well - crank up the volume. This isnt a review, this is a set up to give an idea why I bought Meze 99 Classic model. I was really looking into a good quality set for... GAMING. Yes. Something easily driven if wired without an amp, or a wireless set, because my Sonys omnidirectional mic picked up my desk fan, AC, and everything in between, and you dont want to be THAT GUY on Discord who gets ignored when you talk in a voice channel, because everyone lowered your volume. I watched countless reviews on a few sets and realized I might have to settle for a wired set, due to a list of specific qualities I was looking for. I tried multiple sets and was not satisfied for various reasons, latest one from Logitech, which came simply physically broken, with cracked plastic out of a brand new sealed box. I was tired, gaming was pure frustration, wife was nagging me to buy something because she wanted to give me money for it, since she was out of ideas for my birthday gift. I decided to get a separate USB table mic (I did and I might just write a review on it), and a pair of good quality headphones. I went to couple of stores in Manhattan, including B&H and Audio46, to listen to some AGAIN. After hours of listening of various models and watching countless YouTube videos I suddenly was suggested Meze. I listened to Meze Neo but something was off. Maybe the plastic cups sounded too harsh or fake, maybe its just me. Also I wanted that longer wire that came with 99 Classics and the look. More mature, more refined. I thought the gold accents were gaudy, but when in Rome... or Romania. You know. I ordered a pair. Sure, the company is not widely known. Sure, gold and walnut has that 1970s vibe. But, they hit some of my many bullet points: easily replaceable and repairable parts, none of that glue/hot glue mess, replaceable ear pads, light construction and comfy feel, super smooth wooden ear cups, removable non-kinky cable of right thickness and length. When I listened to music on my phone I discovered the Meze had excellent mic for calls, built into the wire. All this came in an attractive box with accessories and a very nice storage case with a Meze badge. Finally, the sound. They obviously have a slight U signature on the EQ, warm, not overly bassy, nor trebly. You dont look at 500$ + expensive sets if you just want some gaming/music/Tv apparatus. Most of them have studio like tuning which is FLAT, because theyre made for critical listening and not I just want to melt into my chair after work situations. Most have higher impedance requiring DACs and external amps and equalizers, making you tethered to one spot and feeling like another chore. Not these Meze 99 Classics. I normally listen to soundtracks, movie or games, dont matter, classical music, electronic, classic rock and metal to the extreme. Remember, the better and more expensive your headset is - the better quality files or original source of recording you would require, because they will uncover every hiss and dip, every rough moment will be heard. On most of my old timey punk, thrash and death metal records the level of original recording is crap, so the better your headphones are - the better youll identify the problems and whole experience will become less joyful. But I digress. Meze has a warm, U shaped signature, as I mentioned, decent seal on the cups and it hides the ugly moments in my crappy old mp3 vinyl and CD rips quality, allowing me to sink into the rhythm and nevermind the bullocks. Meze emailed me soon after I received these asking for a review, but I considered 300$+ set a sizable investment, so Ive waited about 2 months before writing this. I use these phones every day for gaming, TV and music consumption. I wipe the cups and headband every night with a damp paper towel to get rid of my skin oils. I love the looks, feel and touch, I love the sound and looks of jealousy in my wifes eyes every time Im handling them, because I LOVE THEM. Could I afford something more expensive? Yes. Did I find something that better suited my needs and discriminating taste? No, and wouldnt waste any more of my time looking. Theyre here and hope they last... MY PRECIOUS-S-S!!!!!!

The balanced tonal quality of these headphones is the first thing that stands out. Add clarity, definition, range, great imaging, and terrific dynamics. These cans are efficient too! I pulled them out of the box - seriously, these are the best sounding out of the box headphones I’ve ever listened to - with my portable Oppo ha2 amp ready to go - - didn’t need it. My A&K 70 sounded just fine without the amp meaning: the 99s are super efficient. If I have to choose a word to paint a picture: Spectacular! And I own 15 pairs of headphones including all the past and present Sennheiser line, LCD-X and Focal Clear. I’m telling you, these cans are bad to the bone (props to George T for the line). Need more proof? My wife grabbed these, wouldn’t put them down and I just ordered a second pair. Best 309 I ever spent.

Meze has a solid performer in the Classic 99’s. I’ve worn them for hours and they are comfortable even on my 8 1/4 hat size cranium. Headphone sound reproduction analysis is a subjective topic. For me, the Meze phones are warm with good bass, distinct tonal separation and a comfortable high end that lacks shrillness. The Meze 99’s are physically “noise cancelling” because they are sealed over the ear models, not open headphones like many of the Grado Headphones. They do NOT have specific noise canceling technology but they are far quieter than any noise canceling headphones I currently own including Bluetooth noise canceling earbuds. The Meze 99 phones come with a two cords. A shorter cord for phone and general audio use and a longer cord that lacks the integrated phone functionality. The build quality and overall appearance are superb. The walnut exterior is as warm as the tonal qualities. I use a circa 2006 McIntosh MVP-861 CD player with an IFi Zen Air Can MZ-99 headphone amp that is purpose built for these Meze 99 phones and adds to the balance and warmth of the Meze 99’s. I bought the Meze 99’s refurbed and they were a great value and looked brand new on arrival. That reduced the list price by more than 1/3 making the Meze 99’s as good a value as they are a headphone. The Meze 99’s are ideal for a weekend or rainy day listening session. I’ve grown to like them very quickly and see no “cons”, especially when purchased refurbished. Hope that helps! PS - I had an issue with one of the short headphone cords, it was cutting in and out. I contacted the seller, Audio Exchange, and they quickly sent me a new cable. Outstanding service!

So after listening to these for a few months, I can say they are as great as they say. I’m using mainly with Tidal and my iFI hip-dac. I’ve used them directly into my iphone(12) and computer(MacBook Pro) with great results. I will say this is the most “high-end” headphone I’ve ever heard or owned. I’m coming from using basic AKG’s and ear buds. These were a quantum leap in audio quality for me. I did some quality tests with different formats: FLAC, MQA, DSD, and Spotify with and without a DAC. The level of detail with DSD files was amazing. These headphones don’t need the help of a DAC but sure shine when you do. Watched a DVD on my computer with them, and it took me a minute to get adjusted to all of the background detail. I can’t compare these to anything comparable or higher end, but if you want to step up from ear buds and basic headphones, just go for it. If you use headphones a few times a week, these are worth the hype and the money. The fit and finish is top notch. No plastic was a big selling point for me. The ability to replace parts means you can have these headphones for as long as you want. They look super cool too!

These are my first pair from Meze and I absolutely love these headphones. I got them primarily for travel, as I was very excited about these having good sound regardless of how much (or little) audio set-up you have. Its awesome to be able to plug these into any device and see them produce with the included plug adapters (including one for airplanes) being a nice touch. What I wasnt expecting was how much I enjoy using them around the house and in both sound and aesthetics they happily stack up with headphones that are double or triple (or more) of the cost. The build quality is great, they sound amazing, they look even better, and these Classics are seriously making me consider trying the Empyreans. Very pleased with Meze!

Ive had these headphones for about a month, and have really enjoyed using them. They sound very clear, and its incredibly easy to separate different instruments and notes. Lower noises sound punchy (again sounding distinct and not muddled together), and higher notes dont sound too sharp. Listening to music on these headphones sounds very full and rich. These headphones replicate sound very well. In my opinion, listening to instruments sounds like they were being played right in your head (obviously this also depends on the quality of the recording). The wood on the pair I received was a lighter color than in the pictures. Not nearly as light as the maple, but more of a tan color. The grain circles around where the band attaches (not sure if that really every differs). The ability to plug in different lengths of cable is pretty handy. Though I wish it was possible to put the headphones in the case without having to take them out (they stick out the bottom a bit too much). The biggest complaint I have about these headphones (which I dont think is a deal breaker keeping in mind the other positives), is that the automatic sizing of the band feels like it squeezes or pulls up just a bit too much. So wearing them for a few hours then taking them off feels like like taking your shoes off wearing them all day, in that you could probably wear them longer, but its nice to take them off. I would definitely recommend these to anyone looking for a pair of good headphones. I would say if these are in your budget, theyre well worth the cost.

I bought these and the AKG 712 Pros and the Beyerdynamic DT880s headphones. The AKG 712s won the contest. The Beyerdynamic DT 880 came in second. These MEZE headphones are beautiful and come with 2 sets of cords and have the cords divide into the right and left inputs on the ear pieces. To be clear - these are quality headphones. However, I could not pull myself away from the spaciousness and reality of the AKGs. Also, to be clear, I am 65 years old and my hearing is a bit compromised. But, I had my wife ( who hears everything ) take a listen and she agreed. I listened to Billie Eilish, electronic EDM A sides and stuff like JP Saxe and Julia Pruitt. All of these are modern, high quality audio pieces. I listen through my iMac which feeds into the a Musicstream DAC and then into the Schiit Audio Magni amp. This also feeds my JBL Pro 5 powered speakers and a Jamo 8 sub. The sound I get with this without headphones is amazing. It is important to me that the headphones equal or surpass this. Sadly, the Meze dont quite reach this.

I have heard instruments and background that I have not heard before using these headphones. These headphones are so enjoyable and surprising because it makes listening to my LPs a new experience. I am a hearing aid user. I had to use semi-closed domes to keep feedback down. But this is a minor issue. The reason for the four star review is that the cord is not coiled. I have stepped on it several times and yanked it out of the jacks on the headphones and audio receiver. Thankfully the cord did not break.