Meze 99 Classics Super Review - Just LOOK at 'Em 

How long you had 'em?

Little over a year now. I have alot of headphones and use these most the paar year. Like you said in the video, it's a matter of taste AND the kind of music you listen too.

@@Dutchy- Do you have the wood gold/silver/black or plastic ones? How much would you recommend spending on these and do you use them with your phone, tnx?

@@dbuzuloiu I have the silver/wood. I paid €300. Yes I listen on my phone and they sound awesome! If you like warm / abit more bass then HD600, HD660's.

Thanks for taking the time to comment ✌️

How many times have you taken it apart?

IMO build, looks, handling are underrated aspects of audio equipment.

Hi you two, I'm a bit of an audio noob and I would like to ask if you could take a look at the BLON BossHIFI B8, they're wooden chamber headphones and various discussions on its DROP site (drop.com/buy/blon-b8-wooden-headphones/talk/2332152) and headfi org have taken a look at them. They have beryllium drivers and they've been praised to have great soundstage for closed-back headphones, some even say it would be comparable to open-backs with a change of earpads. I'm wondering if these would beat the Takstar Pro 82 as well as perhaps the SHP9500. Any thoughts you have on this will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Please review more headphone like hd58x ....h6xx.....hd660....hd600....he4xx

Zpolt is up in herrrrrrre!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm 🤔

@@SuperReview they also have impressive features, 10hours and 70 with the case, ipx7 rating as well as aptx and AAC support and great build quality.

After this review, I experimented with pad swapping. If you wanna take a gamble, I think these get significantly better with Brainwavz oval microsuede pads.

@@SuperReview have a set on the way. I had ordered last night during my 10 hour listening binge.

Very interested to hear what you think ✌️

@@SuperReview Just put on the new pads. First off amazing comfort. The bass is lessened a bit, the mids and highs are certainly brighter. Certainly a real clear sound. Have to see with more listening as I do like solid bass.

@@SuperReview I want to add just listened to Hiroshima San Say which sounds really good with these pads also.

What are you coming from?

@@SuperReview Mostly ~100€ intra-auricular, so big changes for me ! (1More triple driver, Yamaha eph-100) As a quick review, I must say that I am really enjoying the sound quality of this Meze headphone. However, my ears are a bit prominent, which causes pain after 1-2h listening. I might invest in new deeper earpads :)

@@TheStaark I've bought them too for the same reason, I've been listening to music with IEMs for years (FiiO EX1, F9 and now the FH3, I'll give the F9 to my sister) since my M40X are definitely worn-out.

The AKGs have a more neutral midrange and treble tuning. The Mezes are more fun tuned. Another difference is in soundstage and imaging, which I think the Mezes do really surprisingly well, while the AKGs are pretty typical for a closed-back. Personally, I enjoy the Mezes (with the micro suede pads) more than the AKGs.

What did you end up getting? I have the same dilemma: k371 or 99neos?

Mine did come with both -- I forgot about it when I recorded the voice part and edited in a correction afterward.

Brainwavz oval microsuedes are my favorite on the 99C. I've tried a bunch. Next would be the Meze smalls, and then maybe Shure 1540 pads, though I found them too bassy.

Brainwavz oval pads, in microsuede 👍

I think IEMs are the better choice vs. closed-backs, I'm afraid.

@@SuperReview IEM's don't stay in my ears... 😕 (I'm full of manufacturing defects) 😅

My favorite sub-$200 closed-back is probably a Beyer DT770 with AKG K240 foam discs ($5) added to the pads.

Denon D5200 pretty good.

Thanks! Are they bright or warm? 😊 I like clarity but with a little omph.

From memory, mild vee tuning -- bright up top but hefty low end.

It's very bass heavy.

Your grandma has exquisite taste.

They come with silver accents as well.

Workin' on it.

I keep meaning to do a video about this, but... these get way better with Brainwavz micro suede pads 👀

@@SuperReview I'm not decided yet if I want to swap pads, kind of like that sound signature :) got other headphones to be more precise those are just fun and good lookin

I generally prefer X2s to the Mezes, though I'll say I swapped pads on the Mezes and I kinda love them now.

​@@SuperReview Big fan of your channel! Hope you've been safe and well during COVID-19. I have the Meze 99 Noirs (Massdrop reskin with 2 sets of pads, same tuning) and they might just be my end game headphones. Absolutely love them. I dabbled a lot with IEMs before the Mezes and want to pick up a companion IEMs that sound similar to the Mezes. Can you recommend any IEMs that have a similar sound signature ~$100? I would take more imaging/soundstage in place of bass as I'd like to use them for gaming (no mic/online competitive stuff - mostly for single-player titles with good soundtracks on my Switch and PS4).

I have not heard the Neo, but I understand it has the same sound as these in a slightly different build.

@@SuperReview it’s plastic instead of wood. Silvery accents instead of golden. The rest is the same aspect wise. The sound is described by other reviewers as even more bassy than the 99 classics. I think I’ll pass even at that great price.

@@SuperReview what easy to drive (A55 walkman) closed backs sub $200 with a hd600 like sound would you recommend? Thank you

Closed backs that sound like HD 600? None.

Workin' on it 👍

Super* Review Great! Can’t wait to have an audiophile opinion on sound quality about this product.

🤙

Fidelio X2

It's pretty, yeah?

I believe he picked the Beats specifically for their Bluetooth range, not because they sound the best. And FWIW, after this video I caught on to the fact that Meze changed the earpad design to make the pads fit better on larger ears, but it had an effect on the sound. I've done some pad swapping and found I really like a Brainwavz microsuede pad on these.

Not planning to review the Sennheisers, no, but I'd give 'em 5/5, really no complaints except that the stock cable is too long, and it really is best out of a powerful source.

@@SuperReview Ok. Yep,with good amp (tube is an option) it is the most expressive and euphonique midrange i know,delightfull.

Hard to guess which headphone you heard, sounds like you'll be chasing that a while :P Do you remember which song you listened to? By warm vs. analytical -- warm generally refers to a full bass + lower midrange which can give the audio a "full" or "thick" sound; analytical typically refers to treble detail and a general emphasis on details over bass & weight. The Sennheiser HD600 is my favorite headphone that I own. It's pretty neutral, though, so for people looking for big bass or sparkling highs, it could be a bit dull -- the quality of the sound is really impacted by the quality of the music, where some more "fun"-tuned headphones can make even mediocre recordings sound pretty good.

P.S. I'm considering making an updated video about these Mezes -- someone recommended I change out the ear pads, so I did -- and they are soooo much better. Really fantastic. If you're looking for a fun headphone with plenty of soundstage, these Mezes + Brainwavz Hybrid Oval pads is a dope combo.

@@SuperReview wow thanks for such a great answer to my hard-to-answer question lol. so, by "warm" it is associated with bass and full/thick sound. i can't remember the track, but it's most likely a female pop song with electrical/instrumental background *and not bassy.* i'll keep the meze 99 classics with the earpad change in mind. thnx :) looking forward to your update video on it. but is a "warm" sound able to make it echo and envelope around my head? or was it what you called "sparkling highs"? *do you think i am looking for a pair with sparkling highs? what do you call those types of headphones?* PS: could the echo-like effect actually be the "boxy" sound of a closed design headphone lol? it sounded amazing though. PSS: would you consider the kph30i that you reviewed as your 2nd favorite pair of headphones a while ago (with a portable amp/dac, since they scale) also neutral/flat/dull? some say the kph30i sounds cloudy (perhaps due to thick foam?), but could it be that they used it without amp/dac?

Warm can be enveloping, in my experience, soundstage characteristics are not very tied to tonality. I wouldn't connect "boxy" sound with soundstage, lots of boxy sounding headphones with no stage IMO. KPH30i is not a flat or neutral sound, though -- it's fairly warm itself. If you want a Koss with more sparkling highs, I recommend the KSC75 -- it's my favorite Koss.

@@SuperReview tyvm!

You're so lucky, i've been searching for m560s for weeks and i couldn't find them on the internet

This is not wireless, no.

@@SuperReview Is meze like soundcore life Q35

I like Sennheiser HD600.

They sound different? The Drop description suggests they're the same.

@@SuperReview they graph pretty different. When it comes to reviews and peoples' impressions, the Noir has more emphasis on bass, as such everything else are more muddy. Some people prefer this signature, some are not really impressed.

@@humanbeing9079 if you or Super* Review would be up for sending your 99 classics to my channel, I'd love to do a comparison between the 99 noir and the 99 classics to see what exactly the audible differences are. Could be a great review or collab. I haven't seen a lot of comparisons out there. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Same dude, different channel.

...

I got the TFZ Galaxy T2s and they sound great. A lot of clarity in the highs and mids along with punchy bass. You can find them around $50-$60 👌 My friend records hard rock and metal and he uses them and loves them 🤟

@@mitchellsmith6055 how's the separation...does the bass bloat?...any sibliance?

@@mitchellsmith6055 tfz t2 Galaxy vs my love edition 2???

Just people who want more low-end, warmer sound than I do. Like I said in the review, I think they're pretty enjoyable to listen to.

If you want to try making the Mezes sound better, I actually really like them with this ear pad: smile.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Upgrade-ATH-M50x-Suitable-Headphones/dp/B07H4FF2G7/

What did you move to?

@@SuperReview Oppo PM-3. The Meze 99's were a tad more comfortable but in terms of my audio preference, the PM-3's nailed it.

I hope it doesn't come across as bad really, mostly I like these.

@Andrei C Oh I didn't consider a pad swap.

@Andrei C Follow-up: THANK YOU for the pad swap recommendation. You lead me down a rabbit hole. Pads I've now tried: Meze stock (new) pads, Meze small pads, Brainwavz hybrid, Brainwavz sheepskin, Brainwavz micro suede, Brainwavz small perforated, and Shure 1540 pads. My favorite is the Brainwavz micro suede, both for sound and I think they look the best on the headphone. BUT I cut out squares of foam from the box that the 99 Classics came in and have that laid inside the pad for a bit extra treble relaxation. Still a bit bassy for my tastes, but it's fun -- no longer cloudy bass, but nice and crispy. I think the micro suede also opens up the stage. Very similar experience with the Shure 1540 pads you suggested, though those I found even bassier and a bit less stage. The Brainwavz hybrids are interesting -- they have the biggest change on the sound, reduce loudness quite a bit, greatly reduce bass, really open up the stage. But the treble becomes a problem -- I tried a bunch of things to try and mitigate the treble peaks (micro pore tape, Aeropress coffee filters, etc.) but couldn't get it to a place I like much. The Meze small pads are a huge improvement over stock, but after dabbling with the other pads and enjoying the stage improvements, they weren't as exciting. Finally settling on the Brainwavz micro suede has got me jazzed for these headphones. Thanks again.

@@SuperReview so im considering getting the meze 99 classics, and want to know which pads to buy, and what to do with the pads. Please let me know. Thanks

@@SuperReview sorry, what about the Brainwavz Sheepskin related to other pads you tested on this headphones? I'm undecided between the micro Suede and Sheepskin 🤔

The Noire is the same tuning as the Classics, though it comes with an alternate set of small ear pads that does change (improve) the frequency response. A balanced cable will not change the sound of the headphone.

Cool response but you are wrong on both ends. They might not sound completely different, but the difference is still notable. You also have never tried the balanced cables, so I don't know where that conclusion of yours comes from... Please consider doing your research more thoroughly@@SuperReview

@@victic6679 From the Drop product page... "This sleek colorway is a great complement to the sound signature, which hasn’t changed a bit: It’s the same warm, rich, bassy, enveloping sound loved by headphone enthusiasts, speaker enthusiasts, and those looking for their first audiophile gear."