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

When considering these I heard some divided opinions. Several folks said they are too bright sounding and a bit lacking on low-end bass. Others praised its open sound stage and praised/criticized them for being very transparent. Ive had them for a few days now and have listened to a fairly wide array of music. At the moment, Im loving how they sound with Monks Brilliant Corners (streaming via Tidal). I can hear Monks percussive attack on the keys and the lovely tone of softer sustains as he plays. I know that the concept of wanting to just hear the music, the pure intent of the artist is a bit of a fools errand. However, I have made an effort to use monitors and create a bit of a reference set up (Fluance Rt185 and Klisph RM600s). These headphones fit right in. After about the first 20 minutes I stopped wondering if they are coloring or warming or cooling the music. I love the clarity that comes w/ the brightness and I hear wonderful base. Earlier today I was listening to Thundercats recent It Is What It Is and it was luscious sounding! I dont know what happens if I turn the volume up to 11 as I want to hear the music not be blown away. So these are wonderful. Perfect? No... my ears seem to feel a bit warmer than w/ the Fostex these are replacing. Also, while Ive never thought of myself as having a small head lol.. it has taken me a little while to get used to the lightness and not quite a snug fit. I also will say I dont think I would use these out and about walking. In some ways they would be great... certainly are the best looking cans Ive seen in a long time. However, while moving around with them on, the wood cups and metal suspension telegraphs the sound of the cord moving or if something bumps the metal frame, it is pretty distracting. On the other hand, if you mostly sit and listen, working at a keyboard, reading, etc... they are perfect.

If you look at reviews, people rarely have much bad to say about the Meze 99s. After having them for a few days, I can see why the comments are typically good. Heres my quick take. First, these are really nice looking phones. Fashion cans, as some call them. They seem of excellent build quality and finishing. I havent noticed any flaws out of the box. Uniform wood grain, generally well sorted. Im a sucker for natural wood, so that gets them off on a good foot. These arent very weighty or massive, in terms of full sized headphones. They feel sturdy, though, with everything depending from a spring steel headband. The auto-fit feature works well, making them a breeze to put on. Comfort is good, but not perfect. I find that my ears *just* touch the internal cavity wall of the phones sometimes, and this can build into slight discomfort. But very minor. The ear pads themselves are cushy, and theres a reasonably light clamping force. These wont be good for jogging around or doing parkour. The sound has a strong bass foundation, and goes deep enough to catch the pedal tones of a pipe organ with authority. Nuance is good, but not hyper-critical, as some headphones get. Overall, its a good mix of detail and forgiveness/fun. The 99s are not trying to be perfectly flat in response, but to instead give you a visceral and exciting presentation. Mission accomplished. Nothing is bloated, distorted, or exaggerated. No lack of mids or highs, but not fatiguing levels of either. These are VERY EFFICIENT. Powering them with a portable player or your phone wont be tough. On my Dragonfly Black amp, I am at loud on volume 3/100. Yeah. Concert volume at 5 or 7. Quiet at 1/100. So there you go. Sound isolation is pretty good. Youll notice nearby trench warfare, but the whir of a fan or the clothes dryer will largely fall away. Thus far, worth the money I paid, no question.

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.

Some of the most comfortable headphones Ive ever owned. Excellent sound quality with low impedance, so no DAC necessary to drive them. Great looking too with the walnut cups and the gold accents. Easily recommendable.

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.

Absolutely wonderful headphones. Paired it with my FIIO Amp and it gives me a full bodied sound. The balance between the bass, the mids, and the higher end is amazing for this price point. Love the amount of accessories it came with including different cables and an airplane adapter. The last headphones that I got with an airplane adapter were Bose Quietcomforts. These are miles above those with regards to sound quality. I found my new set of headphones for listening. These ones!

These are my first audiophile headphones. The sound compared to cheap headhones and earbuds is amazing. I have a large head and wear glasses, the headphones are very comfortable which was very important to me. The headphones are a little bass heavy but it is not over powering. I am driving them with Schiit Magni and Modi paired optically to my windows computer.

These headphones are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. They are very durable and portable. The sound quality is one of the greatest things that I have ever heard. Everyone I show loves them. They only have passive noise canceling so if you are looking for total silence this is not your set but the Walnut does a good job filtering out most of the sound!

These are one of the best headphones I own. Very comfy. Beatufyul design. Excellent sound. And for the price for mid price range headphones REALLY REALLY worthy!!

Incredible headphones. A lot has been made of their current pad iterations, and it is mostly overblown. They are likely warmer than the older ones, but they are not like listening through a wall as I saw one user review claim. They are certainly warm and have ample bass, but the detail is stellar and nuanced, and Id say just about perfectly balanced. I will agree that the bass may be a touch overly resonant for some of my music, but an email exchange with Meze reveals that they are planning on making various pad options available so that you can play with different sound signatures, so I will be looking out for that.