Meze 99 Classics Walnut Gold | Wired Over-Ear Headphones with Mic and Self Adjustable Headband | Classic Wooden Closed-Back Headset for Audiophiles
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j black
> 24 hourTHE 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)
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Alan D. Morgan
> 24 hourVery musical headphones. Bass is there for weight but not overly done. Top end is smooth with satisfying detail. Very comfortable to wear in a home environment. Not sure I would take them out in a mobile fashion. For me these headphones strike a perfect balance and bring about blissful listening. Listened with a Teac ha501 headphone amp and most of my previous listening was with v moda 80 and v moda 100 headphones as well as various Panasonic headphones.
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Linksys120n
> 24 hourThese aint cheep, rather most would call these priced in enthusiast mid range area, but Ill be honest when I say, these sound like 1,000 dollar cans. Durable too! I drag these everywhere! they look so good Im gonna wear them at the park when the plague feels like its let up. (soon!) But if your reading this, on the fence, get them. These are amazing. If you have the extra, drop it on the silver cable and the recommended dac+amp to power it. (the silver cable has a smaller plug for more direct sound, as I understand it the left and right channels are their own thing with a good dac and have next to zero cross talk. in laymans terms your right ear hears things you left ear wont PLUS the cable is stronger and more snag resistant)
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P. Kim
> 24 hourMeze 99 Classics, a bit bright and forward vocals, efficient and good bass extension, similar to my reference Klipsch Forte II sound signature. M1060C has collapsed imaging and not as resolving, PX7 not able to play loud enough in both BT and wired mode but better imaging. Qudelix-5K LDAC used for BT sound comparison on Meze and Monoprice. Didnt test ANC.
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MK77
> 24 hourI was skeptical of these headphones. Who is Meze? Theyre not one of the established audio brands. They simply cant be good. However, after reading so many positive reviews, I felt like I needed to give them a try. Im so glad that I did. These headphones are something special. The feel, look, and most importantly sound special. I wont describe the fit, finish, and comfort, as thats been done in great detail in other reviews. For me it was the sound that made these so incredible. I have no idea what dark voodoo Meze is working with their drivers, but it is amazing. Do they sound better than Focal Utopias, or Audeze LCD 4s? No, but they sound better then anything in their price range, and many that are above it. More amazing is the fact that the sound excellent without a dedicated amp, and you can get a solid HIFI experience from your iPhone. Which is fantastic! Hook them up do a decent DAC, and youre in for a real treat. The only negative Ive seen is that theyre so sensitive, that its easy to send them too much power. So be cautious. Other than that, theyre a great pairing with any music Ive tried. Buy them, and youll be very happy.
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Rees
> 24 hourAs you can tell from my 5 stars, I love, LOVE these headphones. Where do I start? Look, if you are like me and looking to buy headphones in this price range, Im assuming youve been doing research and probably lots of it. If not just google reviews of these headphones. People more qualified than I can break down these headphones better than I can. What I can say is these headphones just sound right. I was looking to upgrade from my Sennheiser Momentum 2s. Another pair of headphones I really like. However it was lacking in some areas. While the bass with those are quite impressive, it did have a tendency to bleed into or overpower other aspects of the music. Also, the mids where a little bit more recessed. I wanted something that was a bit more balanced but not neutral. I would not consider myself a basshead, but I still like the bass to have some punch and impact to it. So after looking at and trying a bunch of headphones in this price range, I stumbled upon these beauties. Not just the looks, that are absolutely gorgeous. It certainly has a sound to match. These checked pretty much all the boxes i was looking for in a headphone. The bass is there, nice and powerful when called upon. It is controlled very well and knows its place. the mids a bit more forward than the sennheiser, but i would say this is still kind of a V shaped sound signature. with just enough emphasis on the low and hi end to make it fun. Treble might roll off a bit near the top end, but it didnt take anything away from the sound, just made it so its not so fatiguing for long listen sessions. Like I said, they just sound right and natural. I listen to just about every style of music. Everything I threw at these, these headphones could handle. I certainly would recommend these headphones for anybody. They just add so much to whatever you may be listening to. I listen to a lot of extreme metal. So if you are like me and like music like that I highly recommend these. I have not found a better pair of headphones that can handle that type of music without getting muddy. For example, I listened to Wormeds new album with these. I was hearing an amout of detail I hadnt heard before. Normally the drums tend to over power everything and little subtle details get lost in the mix. Not with the 99s. Everything had its place and I was even able to pick up the samples and little keyboards parts that I had no idea was there. I also wanted to mention the comfort with these. I listen to music pretty much all day at work. I had no issues with these on. I wear glasses and normally after a little while the pads start pushing the arms into my head and it can be a little uncomfortable. Not with these. I can barely tell I have these on. I was actually worried that they would be too loose, but they arent. They have just the right amount of clamping force to stay in place and seal properly, without making your head feel like they are in a vice. I was told that these headphones produced a lot of microphonics as well. I didnt really notice that. I mean, yeah, if Im listening to something that is quite or I have something paused, you can hear the cord rubbing. At normal listening volumes, it wasnt a problem however. Already wrote a longer review than I intended too. What can I say though, I do absolutely love these headphones and would recommend them. Cant really explain why I think these are so good, youve just got to hear them.
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LoSo
> 24 hourThese beauties are not only for your eyes to gaze upon, but also delivers incredible sound, a neutral sound signature with a hint of warmness. Great separation, clarity, and sound stage. These do have quite the punch and sub. The warmness is just delicate enough to not make the bass muddy, but enough to make you shiver to a good EDM beat. Im currently running these on an ATOM AMP & ATOM DAC and wow it brings out the clarity of the music. I have had these for about a week and have used them for all different kind of genres with no problem whatsoever. Comfort is top-notch. Low pressure, lots of space for your ears, a headband that makes the headphone fit you perfectly, and PU leather that you cant get enough of. One thing to note however is that they are quite big, but that is absolutely not a problem for me. I might be biased because these are my first pair of high-end headphones, but they are incredible and worth every penny.
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D. Wayne
> 24 hourThese sound as good as they look. They are also the most comfortable headphones Ive ever owned. They have bass that you can feel without taking away from the treble. If you like rock or other bass heavy music, get a pair of these. You can thank me later. They are so efficient that you can get great sound from them by just plugging them into your phone. They give me the wow factor that I was looking for. I returned a pair of the Hifiman Sundara because they didnt have any bass and required way too much power to drive.
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Philip Anuchin
> 24 hourGood Bad Amazing looks Ears get hot from time to time Very comfortable Cable with microphone doesnt Rugged build quality work with adapter. (You can Incredible sound still use the longer cable Good hard case through a adapter) Variety of accessories
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stephen
> 24 hourSomeone told me to test headphone by queueing up a video of a thunderstorm and let me tell you I was glad i did. These headphones sound like Im outside. My $200 gaming set are boss for games but these bad boys are amazing for music. Crystal clear on everything I listen too. The bass is meh but overall quality is amazing.