We never know what to expect when testing out a new, boutique audio manufacturer's wares—but from the very first glance, the Meze 99 Classics have high-end, luxuryheadphoneswritten all over them.And at $309, they are certainly priced like a high-end pair, but do they sound like anything approaching $300 headphones? In short: yes. The 99 Classics offer excellent audio performance, with very well-defined, crisp highs and rich, powerful bass response. They also come with tons of accessories, including detachable cables, and attractive design elements like wood grain earcups. The fit, with memory foam earpads and a self-adjusting headband, is secure and exceedingly comfortable. Because of the excellent audio experience and the thoughtful design, the Meze 99 Classics earn our Editors' Choice award.
Design
The 99 Classics are quite large, even for a circumaural (over-the-ear) pair, mainly because the headband has a metallic frame that hovers above the actual band, holding everything in place. The imitation leather band looks real, and both it and the memory foam earpads are exceptionally comfortable. Sustainable wood earcups (maple, with silver accents and beige earpads; or walnut, with gold accents and black earpads) add a touch of sophistication and style to the design.
Inside each earcup, the 99 Classics use a 40mm Neodymium/Mylar transducer. Meze rates the frequency response at 15Hz-25kHz and, at least in the lowest frequencies, you truly hear the depth.
The headphones ship with two detachable audio cables—one with a single-button inline remote control and mic. The cable with the remote is shorter, at 47.3 inches, while the remote-free cable measures 118 inches. Both cables have a Kevlar covering, and individual lines leading up to the left and right ears. The remote, unfortunately, doesn't control volume levels, only playback, track navigation, and call management.
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In addition to the cables, the 99 Classics ship with a 1/4-inch headphone jack adapter, an airplane jack adapter, a zip-up pouch to hold the cables and adapters, and a large, hard shell protective case that houses both the headphones and the pouch. Meze did not skimp on accessories in the slightest.
Performance and Conclusions
On tracks with powerful sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the 99 Classics deliver a perfect balance of bass depth and high frequency definition. The lows on this track sound truly powerful—there's definitely some boosting in the bass department, but it never overwhelms the mix.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with less in the way of deep bass, also sounds fantastic. His baritone vocals get plenty of low-mid richness, but also the necessary amount of high-mid treble edge to keep things clear and well-defined. The drums, which can often sound unnaturally powerful on headphones that overly boost the bass, are powerful and full here, but without ever crossing into ridiculous-bass-boosting territory. The guitar strums are delivered with high-frequency clarity and a sense of solidity in the mids. Every instrument here seems to occupy its own, uncrowded space in the mix.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the attack of the kick drum loop gets just enough high-mid presence to retain its sharpness, allowing it to pierce through the several layers of the mix. The sustain of this loop gets plenty of low frequency thump as well, but it's the sub-bass synth hits that sound the most powerful in the mix—the drivers reproduce them with both ferocity and accuracy, so that their massive presence never threatens to overtake the mix completely. The vocals on this track hover cleanly and clearly over every other element, never sounding muddy nor overly sibilant, just crisp and clear.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams'The Gospel According to the Other Mary,are a showcase for the higher register strings, brass, and vocals, but the lower register strings get a bit of added depth. There's not so much boosting of the lows that things ever sound unnatural—in fact, the are aspects of the lows and low-mids that bring out the reflections in the room, and the 99 Classics highlight them well. This is a well-balanced sound, with the crispness of the highs complimented perfectly by fullness and richness in the lows and low-mids.
The Meze 99 Classics are an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise. If the hulking mass of their headband is not for you, consider theBowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2($295.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window),Sony MDR-1A($299.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), or theMaster & Dynamic MH40($199.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)instead—all are excellent, thoughtfully designed options in this price range. If you like the idea of a powerful, balanced headphone pair, but want to spend less money, we are big fans of the far less expensiveMarshall Major II($199.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window). For $309, however, the Meze 99 Classics are graceful, excellent-sounding headphones that are worth your consideration, earning them an Editors' Choice award.
The Meze 99 Classics are handsomely designed headphones that deliver an exciting audio experience.
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