Meze 109 Pro Impressions - NOT just an open 99 Classic! 

not as detailed as Ananda according to Andrew

@@levansaginashviliskidney8726 Nothing is as detailed as hifimans because all of them have to much treble and not enough energy around 1.5khz. It only creates an illusion of more detail and people would say its not just the tuning because if you EQ it out it still sounds detailed however thats not the case because you cant EQ away the narrow band peaks that hifimans have completely.

@@Jordonater true, they sound THIN comparing to anything more normal like Sennheiser 600/650

@@zamedoeswtever5267 Yeah. To be honest i did actually quite like the edition XS but it was lacking punch for me and still has some of the treble peak. These Meze are very interesting to me because they still have the hifiman dip but with more punch and warmth hump whilst seemingly also having no treble peaks apart from above 10khz but that isn't what i hear as sibilant or annoying treble. For me its in the 4-8khz range because i have hyper sensitive hearing. For example the Senny HD598 ages ago was my favourite headphone because it was at borderline too much in this whole range but just below where it was not nice to listen too.

How is it redundant? One cable is really long, one is much shorter? Very few ppl care about high end audio, and even fewer of those people are using XLR cables. Its a waste of resources to make them by default when most are using standard connectors, which is why Focal stopped including XLR too

So you don't want or need them cool 😎

what do you mean by shaky start and history ?

@@HiPnautique Apparently Meze started out by selling generic and fairly bad-sounding headphones that they didn’t design themselves… they just slapped their logo on them, upped the price and called it a day, which resulted in some very bad sound for a rather high price. Naturally they received criticism for this (and rightly so), but starting with their 99 Classics headphones they began to turn their bad reputation around by making all their parts in-house, and now they are a highly regarded audio company. Quite a comeback!

@@JohnathanElySmithnever even heard of Meze before the 99s TBH, but it makes sense that a audiophile company in Romania of all places would have a shaky start, really glad they have persevered though - their headphones are amazing

The graph may seem similar at first glance but Arya has peaks in sibilance range and one at around 4.5khz that sucks out the response and makes it way too splashy sounding on all but the best recorded music. Its bass is also not as humped. The meze bass is closer to a Focal clear than anything.

strong competition at that price point, I would never give up my Clear's for that

What were the empyreans like? Worth 2k?

I don't think so. Have you heard the 99 with the small/original pads? I bought 3 pairs when it first came out. Though they're not really that technical, they sound balanced, really fun, and organic, and in some areas can even beat the most expensive headphones on the market. Does the Senn HD800 sound a lot more detailed and spacious and all that? Yes, on paper it's a far superior headphone, but a big part of listening to music is enjoyment, to my ears it doesn't sound natural at all and fatiquing and the bass is almost non existent. Unfortunately Meze changed the pads on the 99 some years back, and the current version is nowhere as good sounding, however they're still pretty popular, that's definitely saying something. I'd bet this 109 Pro will quickly become a lot of people's favourite, becoming their daily drivers, REGARDLESS OF PRICE. It's very likely that it'll be my favourite all round headphone, too. (just ordered one)

You mean until the pads on the Aeon 2 become misshapen 2 weeks later and have to be replaced.

You know i really wanted to be a full on objectivist but when i tried the aeon noire it really did have the issue that some people mention and that was it lacked dynamics and sounded "lifeless". I believe this is not due to the tuning or drivers used like others say but rather to do with the way it seals. For me it WASNT a comfortable headphone because the pads where to small along with its shape and i could never get them to fit right no matter where i adjusted them. This also affected the bass and some of the upper mids and as a result the headphone didn't sound like it measures to me however if your lucky enough to get a good seal and have small ears then it is a unbeatable headphone.

I bought them yesterday for similar reason. I have listened to them in the hifi shop (Berlin) and I compared them to Focal Hadenys, Audeze LCD2, Focal Clear MG s even Arya Organic and Ananda. Damn, none of these headphones sounds as good as Meze for me( I was listening mainly iron maiden, manowar and some Scorpions songs) . The build quality is great, design beautiful, and sound extremely good and fun! Compare to others. Only Arya Organic have made a similar impression for me better in some aspects like details, soundstage or instrument separation, but cost 500e more than meze. Meze are more punchy, bit warmer and just fun to listen. Highly impressive for the price. I had to buy them!

Also probably more serviceable than Focal

Also the Focal Clears get very dirty and oily over time (I owned them), both in earpad and headband. Also Im not really a fan of complaining about cables, every headphone reviewer just calls the original bad and buys another one that is often just a side-grade, but in the OG Focal Clear case it really is as bad as they say. The long cable is way too long and it holds shape way too much, and the shorter cable is much better but just is like 1 ft too short to be comfortable unless your amp is a few inches a way from you on a desk. Good luck on your search!

@@PantsaBear I can second this. The Focal clear pads where disgusting after 1 year of use and the headband not much better. The memory foam absorbs all the sweat and oil then it gets trapped in the suede like material. In the UK you cant even buy replacement pads and they would be £220 if you could which is idiotic. Using the cable over short distances made me want to use it to strangle myself and you probably could its so stiff and feels like climbing rope. The headphone build itself was good but its hard to see why they had to charge what they did when Elex is basically the same build and materials cost. This Meze looks far better to me and uses velour which is the best pad material in my opinion a reason why Sennheiser use it and beyer use it too.

not giving them any chances to be better than Clear

Lol

My brother in Christ you may want to look into EQ

@@smo7089 My brother in sound, I already used EQ for like 3 years. Getting it to work across all of the audio of the PC, while changing multiple sample rates, between music and regular work stuff, was a hassle. Equalizer APO didn't work beyond some sample rates, crashed on some files, or didn't work in games; or worked when it felt like it, all of that to add makeup on top of acne. The alternative was getting an analog external equalizer, stuff like Schiit Loki or the RME ADI-2 DAC. After all that I came to the conclusion that all the tweaking I will do to the sound of headphones is going to be pad rolling at most. If the headphone at its base level doesn't deliver what I want, I won't bother with EQ again.

@@sand9577 fuck EQ 👍😂 I got variety of headphones and amps

I bet there will be other variations later on, especially if these will be popular.

@@rem792 I got that feeling they wont be popular at that price

@@soulfulfool Yeah, I don't think they are worth it. You pay a lot just for the design and build rather than the sound

Yep. Their competitors will get my money.

@@epicmike3915 Which ones are getting your money?

@@disco4535 Sivga/Sendy make a bunch wooden headphones. I haven't decided what yet.

@@epicmike3915 Wooden lol? So I guess there aren't any competitors with this level of sound quality, comfort and overall detail? You haven't heard these yet. What for $800 is better than these?

@@disco4535 what are you talking about? There isn't 800$ of sound level here to me. I literally just said I listened to these at Axpona in another comment. I know what they sound like. To quote No theme reviews "Better is not an objective standard. You’re asking to discuss personal preferences. If you like the sound signature, that’s perfectly fine, but it’s a bit much to say it’s the best in its price range"

just like 99 too much bass, it worked for some albums but not for serious people for kids yes

dont do silly thing and buy LCD X, after that sell sundara :) or at same price Focal Clear if you want punchier bass and overall warmer presentation with details

There's nothing in the build or design that justifies the more than tripling in price. I think they realized how much money people were willing to pay for the Empyreans and decided they could get away with a ludicrous pricetag for their next model up over the 99 too. This is a mass produced headphones that likely cost nearly the same to produce as a 99 classic. It's pure greed if you ask me.

@@rainydaygirlz well, it IS a completely new driver design, isn't it? But my point was not, whether it is WORTH the 800$ or not..allthough i argee on the greed part, but that is just the wonderful world we all created around us. I simply don't understand the connection between the 99 classic and the 109. A more then 100% price jump seems like a weird way to continue a line *shrugs*

Grado dont compare to anything its unique in sound, you can hate or love them :)

I recently purchase ananda stealth for 350$ it probably would kill 109 in any aspect for like 1/3 price, build quality yes 109 is better but I want sound at the end

Have you listen to the DCA Aeon Noire? I thought those were amazing... just not $900 amazing.

@@RayceManyon00 Just the Closed X. But that’s what I mean though. Well tuned, affordable closed-backs are limited to the K371 and NTH-100. Both of which have serious issues with comfort.

in that price I am considering LCD XC (lightly used condition ofc)

HD600 and 650 still have a more natural treble presentation overall, but the 109 pro has better bass and more air up top.

How do you think the 6XX and 600 are in comparison? My only audiophile experience is with my 6XXs and I've been considering selling them just to try some 600s.

@@BionicSammich I have both 6xx and 600 (marble). The 6xx is very warm compared to the 600. I would used the 6xx for early morning listening because of the warmth and easy listening but would always switch to the 600 later in the day for the detail and liveliness. The 600 are not bright/lively compared to AKG or Beyer. They are still mid-forward but with more clarity then the 6xx. If you can, get both.

@@BionicSammich To me the HD600 sounds more defined, with more slam (not bass quantity) and instruments in orchestras sound more lifelike. Voices are presented quite a bit clearer as well. However, the presentation is even closer to your head compared to the HD6XX. As of now, it is my go-to headphone between the two. I only use the HD6XX to not use up the pads of the HD600 too much, since they are out of stock for months now. My HD600 is from 2009.

Wait, hi! I have hd600+ DarkVoice and I still haven't found a better sounding headphone. Talking about that infamous 3 blob?? Why people repeat what they hear on youtube? No way my setup sounds like that, the space is not very wide but there is beautiful stage created by both drivers, allowing you to clearly hear all reverbs defining the recording space. Off course, just using natural,acoustic instruments and voices.I went up to LC d2 c, Aeon noir,Ananda and still prefer the musical naturalness of 600on tubes.

It's a lot more balanced than elegia, so no EQ needed on this one.

@@TheHEADPHONEShow it looks like it could do with a slight sub bass shelf, a slight midbass trim, a bit of a 2K boost and possibly some air trim depending on your age.

For me, the ATH-R70X is 1 of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever had. It’s also 1 of the lightest full sized over ear headphones ever made, weighing only 210g!

i would say the shp9500 and k712 pro and hd800s are the most comfortable i have had over the years.

it's not a replacement, the 99 still exists and will still be produced. the 109 is the upgrade path.

Please let us know what you think!

@@RayceManyon00 Will do.

What dac/amp you have? The signal path is just as important and will play a MAJOR part in how they sound. At CanJam they will most likely be using high-end items so they may not sound as good for you if your equipment isn't as good. Just food for thought.

@@LakerTriangle Right now its the dacmagic 200m for all different types of media, from music to games to movies to online content.

@@LakerTriangle Just listened to them at the headphone show booth in which they so happened to bring a dacmagic 200m which completely cleared the sibilance issue. Bought two pairs from them on the spot, beautiful clean airy and detailed highs, mildly recessed mids with a nice refined bass. Also extremely impressed with the VZR Model 1's and bought them too.

Resolve here - He6se v2 has better instrument separation, but meze 109 is more spacious and more comfortable. Also he6se v2 needs an amp, while meze 109 pro doesn't.

@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks a lot Resolve. Much appreciated and very helpful. It sounds like they are on par trading blows on performance? - so, if I have the amp muscle and quality (Taurus mk2) would you still say it is a matter of preference sound wise? - and what would your preference be?…for looks and comfort there is little doubt.

I just heard them next to HD800s. It has noticeably more and higher quality bass and bit more pleasant mid range and I actually like the sparkle of 109. 800s have pretty much one of the most interesting sound stages and imaging capabilities but other than that and fairly neutral mids I actually prefer even HD660 over HD800s I think HD800s without EQ isn't that amazing headphone but yeah with enough bass HD800s would be more interesting but still don't think it can perform technically on the Meze level except with bigger sound stage...

Thank you so you think the resolution is on pair with hd800?

Yeah, Meze don't seem to care about competing in the price/performance category. I'd love to buy a domestic-made headphone with enjoyable sound and be able to go around recommending it to everyone, but Meze's price/performance (on all models) is just... nah thanks.

Haha wants to be "audio boutique" "now"? I guess the Empyrean, the Elite and Liric, all more than double the price of these, just don't exist then? You haven't even heard these yet. You have no clue if they garner that price tag or not.

@@disco4535 I know those exists, but those were always positioned as being squarely luxury products. They have cheaper headphones too, especially in regards to IEMs, but the fact that even the new entry in their "Classic" line is almost $1000 when the 99 can be had for under $200 on sale now is ridiculous. I'm saying they solely want to be a boutique brand now, not that they never have any boutique headphones before this.

to be honest these days nh30 can be bitchslap by hifimans offfers, way cheaper with better performance

so you have 1 bright and 1 very dark headphones, 99 is just wrong with their tuning its not music as intended its pile of bass mud all over the spectrum, HD800 is something entirely different from 99 and 109

no matter the colour its still tuned to satisfy basshead kids not a serious music enthusiast

40. Fairly easy to drive.

I'd rather pay more for a product that pays workers livable wages. Also the chinese products fall apart after a year or so.

@@dougquesnel5613 lol. You better not buy anything then. Almost everything is manufactured in China.

@@epicmike3915 Not everything, but I definitely make it a goal to buy as much from domestic sources as possible. Can only control so much. Headphones are a luxury, so I'm going to support companies that make high quality products. Unless you are saying because some things are hard to not buy from china, I should just give up and buy everything cheaper made from china.

@@dougquesnel5613 Headphones are a luxury? I personally don't think so. There's a reason there's so many brands and options. As far as supporting domestic. That's actually where your options are limited. Also just because something is made in China it doesn't mean is not high quality. It just depends what you're buying.

lucky you. looks like you have money to burn.

nah not rlly quz im studying but i was quite stunned by the way they looked. Like it was one of the first ones i have seen where i was really like thats beautiful. Like most headphones look nice but still very much look like a machine wich has its purpose. But to me this one really looks like a piece of art.

I'd go 109 for ergonomics alone. If you EQ, the G200 is definitely more technical, but otherwise I wouldn't consider it.

@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thank you so much for your reply. Since most of my headphones are open back except Audeze LCD-XC, Dan Clark Noire 2, and Elegia, I decided to get a closed back. Placed the order with headphones.com for Meze Liric. So excited. Thanks again.