Review - Meze Audio 99 Classics
Website
- Meze Audio
Specifications
- Transducer size: 40mm, Dynamic
- Frequency response: 15Hz~25KHz
- Sensitivity: 103dB @ 1KHz, 1mW
- Impedance: 32 Ohm
- Rated input power: 30mW
- Maximum input power: 50mW
- Detachable Kevlar OFC cable
- Plug: 3.5mm gold plated
- Weight: 260 g. (9.2 ounces), without cables
- Ear-cups: Walnut wood
Price: U$309
Official 99 Classics info
The 99 Classics headphones arrive
inside a hard EVA case with no cables attached. In the middle of the case,
there is a small round pouch holding the two cables and a pair of adapters
(6.3mm and airplane).
Build Quality & Design
The Meze 99 Classics are closed-back
headphones with a very unique design and excellent build quality. There is a
mix of high quality materials that consists of metal (zinc and steel), wood and
pu synthetic leather with no signs of cheap plastic components or glue used to
attach any of the parts. The walnut wooden cups are made by CNC machine and well
polished for completely smooth finish, and as any wood product they are not
100% identical to each other adding a classier look to them.
The upper headband is made of spring
steel, very solid and looks durable enough, holding the whole headphones'
structure in a fixed shape. The lower headband is the part that actually sits over
the head, made of an elastic material completely covered by a wide synthetic
leather piece with the 99 Classics at the upper side. The design is quite
interesting, as the headband naturally adjust to the user's head size.
The walnut wooded cups are also very
light. They are well attached to the metal band and feature a simple yet
effective swing mechanism that allows them to adjust to the best angle for
easier fit. The pads here are the new ones that were introduced on the 99 Neo
version, made of soft and elastic pu leather and very soft memory foam inside.
In terms of fit and comfort, with the
combination of the self adjust headband and swing feature on the cups, the 99
Classics headphones are very easy to use with no need of readjusting them from
time to time. Moreover, despite the 260g weight, in practice they sit very
comfortable and less noticed than even a bit lighter headsets. However, the
cushions size won't fit everyone the same way; for me they are like over-ear full
size headphones, covering entirely the whole ears, but for others they could
fit as a large on-ear set. There is also practically no clamping force (again,
thanks to over-ear like fit), tough the pads aren't too deep. The seal
is good but not always best, probably due the too soft memory foam material, which
seems to have some effect on the sound (usually on the treble area). The level
of isolation good for a closed headphone design and there is no sound leakage.
The headphones feature a detachable
dual cable design. The package includes 2 cable options, one of standard 1.2m
length with in-line remote single button (play, pause, call answer), and a much
longer 3m cable with single 3.5mm plug. There are no right and left sides on
the headphones part just the on the cables. The lower cable part is thick and
well covered by Kevlar sleeve. The y-split has a mix of rubber coating and
small metal part with Meze logo on it; there is no cable slider, tough. The
upper cable right and left sides are covered by a rubbery coating and a bit
stiffer than the cloth part on the lower half, but the whole cable doesn't
carry any noise when moving around.
Sound Quality
The 99 Classics headphones rate
normal impedance and enough sensitivity for a portable closed set and in
practice are very efficient with any portable source. They can get loud enough
at moderate volume levels without asking for high gain or extra amplification.
Even out of ultra portable DAPs like the Shanling M0 and Lotoo Pico, or even
the pocket friendly Fiio M3K, the 99 Classics sounded good enough. However,
most of the listening was trough the iBasso DX120 as a main source for best
results, Aune M1s as a second option, as Dragonfly Red as DAC. Pairing the
headphones with either a warmer or more neutral source was more a matter of
taste, but they definitely benefit from a good sounding player with good
overall control.
The Meze 99 Classics signature is
mostly balanced from lows, mids to highs, but not in a neutral, reference type
of tuning. Considering the wood material one would expect a colored, warm and
very rich presentation, however, with the 99 Classics there is very little
coloration to the sound that avoids being too thick or overly warm. Instead, it
brings a more musical and engaging presentation that occasionally may sound
even bit of lively v-shaped depending on the paired source, but mostly full on
the bass region, slightly forward on the midrange with well weighted notes.
The bass is enhanced and full with
more than enough power. Not a heavy bass type, but definitely more than just
north of neutral. The emphasis is mainly presented on the thicker mid-bass
region and drops a bit when going higher to the upper bass, leaving a cleaner
lower midrange. It does bring a very enjoyable sense of warmth that plays well
with many music genres, rich in texture and with good level of dynamics. The
layering is good and so is the speed, though overall bass is a bit loose on
more complex or faster tracks. Sub-bass is softer in impact, extended with
enough rumble just less body than the mid-bass part.
The midrange is probably the most
favorable characteristic on the 99 Classics, rich and a bit forward with some coloration
thanks the warmer bass response. The separation is quite good and there is some
extra touch of sweetness for vocals. Timbre, while not best, is very natural;
not tuned for critical reference listening, rather for a more enjoyable,
relaxed presentation. There is a touch of sibilance that can be heard on the
upper midrange, though may be because the lack of seal with the stock pads; not
very annoying, but can be noticed with more neutral sounding DAPs. Overall, the
mids are clear, dynamic and very musical.
Highs have some accentuation but wouldn't classify as bright sounding. It's more about giving a better balance through the whole frequency. There is a small dip on the lower treble resulting in a less aggressive or 'hot' sound. A good thing for the 99 Classics as the sound results less tiring, smoother and still very detailed. It avoids the usual treble peaks and there is still more than enough energy and sparkle, though will missing the extra bite and crunchy texture for string or upper brass instruments at this region.
For a closed design headphone the
soundstage is surprisingly good, with a wider effect and fair height and depth.
The slight midrange forwardness limits the dimensions, but it sounds coherent
and very airy.
