Meze 99 Classics Walnut Gold | Wired Over-Ear Headphones with Mic and Self Adjustable Headband | Classic Wooden Closed-Back Headset for Audiophiles

I just recently got into hifi, so I dont have that much to compare them to, but on their own I love wearing them, the sound is amazing, they look gorgeous and you barely feel them on you. The carry case and all the extras included are a good bonus and shows the attention to detail from Meze. Ill definitely be getting more Meze headphones in future.

These Meze 99 Classics Headphones work best with 5 Instruments in songs. The Meze 99 Classics Headphones allow Guitar, Piano and Bass to be fully represented. I hope to be able to afford Planar Headphones in the future but I will always hold onto these Meze 99 Classics Headphones.

These headphones are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn. They are very durable and portable. The sound quality is one of the greatest things that I have ever heard. Everyone I show loves them. They only have passive noise canceling so if you are looking for total silence this is not your set but the Walnut does a good job filtering out most of the sound!

I could listen for hours. Use them with an A&K Kann. They are gorgeous and sound better than they look. Highly recommend.

These things are incredible. Build quality is the best Ive ever seen, sound is amazing (they can handle my Fiio M15 at full tilt all day while still sounding perfect), and I literally forget Im wearing them theyre so comfortable. They also play Scarlet Fire very well. DankPods/10. Highly recommend.

I had only read/watched 2 reviews for the Meze and once I got past the audiophile descriptions of the sound which all sounded very acceptable, I was attracted to the simplicity and construction of these headphones. No Glue. Very little plastics. Every piece is replaceable and every part can be disassembled by hand. In my opinion, when looking at the details and holding it in your hands it feels great and looks stunning. How the headband easily slides to accommodate an easy and firm hold of your head. Its also large enough to provide room for large ears without looking cumbersome or awkward. The cable that comes with the headphones are great and it comes with two versions. One that is purely for headphone amps and one with an in-line microphone that could be used with a mobile device. I have been listening to these headphones on either at Schiit Stack (Schiit Modi 3 + Schiit Magni 3) or a Chord Mojo and theres enough detail in these headphones that I can clearly tell the difference between the DAC and Headphone amp. These headphones are competitive in sound quality with headphones that are 1.5-2x the price. As far as I am concerned if you are spending less than $500, these are a must-buy.

I dont normally write reviews. Not an audiophile, just a person who got few decades of experience with audio equipment and knows what he likes. When it came to headphones lately I use wireless, for convenience. Bose for the buds, Sony for over ear. I dont like active noise canceling because it distorts music to my ears, and only needed on a noisy plane ride or if you live in squalor. My solution to plane ride is a pair of silicone plugs and over ear headphones with a good seal, obviously closed back, and if you cant hear your stuff too well - crank up the volume. This isnt a review, this is a set up to give an idea why I bought Meze 99 Classic model. I was really looking into a good quality set for... GAMING. Yes. Something easily driven if wired without an amp, or a wireless set, because my Sonys omnidirectional mic picked up my desk fan, AC, and everything in between, and you dont want to be THAT GUY on Discord who gets ignored when you talk in a voice channel, because everyone lowered your volume. I watched countless reviews on a few sets and realized I might have to settle for a wired set, due to a list of specific qualities I was looking for. I tried multiple sets and was not satisfied for various reasons, latest one from Logitech, which came simply physically broken, with cracked plastic out of a brand new sealed box. I was tired, gaming was pure frustration, wife was nagging me to buy something because she wanted to give me money for it, since she was out of ideas for my birthday gift. I decided to get a separate USB table mic (I did and I might just write a review on it), and a pair of good quality headphones. I went to couple of stores in Manhattan, including B&H and Audio46, to listen to some AGAIN. After hours of listening of various models and watching countless YouTube videos I suddenly was suggested Meze. I listened to Meze Neo but something was off. Maybe the plastic cups sounded too harsh or fake, maybe its just me. Also I wanted that longer wire that came with 99 Classics and the look. More mature, more refined. I thought the gold accents were gaudy, but when in Rome... or Romania. You know. I ordered a pair. Sure, the company is not widely known. Sure, gold and walnut has that 1970s vibe. But, they hit some of my many bullet points: easily replaceable and repairable parts, none of that glue/hot glue mess, replaceable ear pads, light construction and comfy feel, super smooth wooden ear cups, removable non-kinky cable of right thickness and length. When I listened to music on my phone I discovered the Meze had excellent mic for calls, built into the wire. All this came in an attractive box with accessories and a very nice storage case with a Meze badge. Finally, the sound. They obviously have a slight U signature on the EQ, warm, not overly bassy, nor trebly. You dont look at 500$ + expensive sets if you just want some gaming/music/Tv apparatus. Most of them have studio like tuning which is FLAT, because theyre made for critical listening and not I just want to melt into my chair after work situations. Most have higher impedance requiring DACs and external amps and equalizers, making you tethered to one spot and feeling like another chore. Not these Meze 99 Classics. I normally listen to soundtracks, movie or games, dont matter, classical music, electronic, classic rock and metal to the extreme. Remember, the better and more expensive your headset is - the better quality files or original source of recording you would require, because they will uncover every hiss and dip, every rough moment will be heard. On most of my old timey punk, thrash and death metal records the level of original recording is crap, so the better your headphones are - the better youll identify the problems and whole experience will become less joyful. But I digress. Meze has a warm, U shaped signature, as I mentioned, decent seal on the cups and it hides the ugly moments in my crappy old mp3 vinyl and CD rips quality, allowing me to sink into the rhythm and nevermind the bullocks. Meze emailed me soon after I received these asking for a review, but I considered 300$+ set a sizable investment, so Ive waited about 2 months before writing this. I use these phones every day for gaming, TV and music consumption. I wipe the cups and headband every night with a damp paper towel to get rid of my skin oils. I love the looks, feel and touch, I love the sound and looks of jealousy in my wifes eyes every time Im handling them, because I LOVE THEM. Could I afford something more expensive? Yes. Did I find something that better suited my needs and discriminating taste? No, and wouldnt waste any more of my time looking. Theyre here and hope they last... MY PRECIOUS-S-S!!!!!!

Meze is an audio company based in Romania which basically came out of nowhere and has taken the headphone world by storm! AKG is a true legend in the headphone industry as well, producing some of the greatest (and still greatest) headphones ever, like the AKG K550 (which sounds like 99% the same as the K551), the K702, the K812, and its closed-back sibling, the K872. The AKG K550 was the first headphone I truly ever cared about, and it was the prime reason (aside from great interest I had in Hi-Res music) why I got so into Hi-Fi audio! Time and time again, Ive seen the K55X series wipe the floor with headphones that cost DOUBLE TO TRIPLE its cost (which these days is roughly $130-$180), even highly-rated ones such as the $399 Oppo PM-3. And were talking SEVERAL headphones up to the $400 mark. The only headphones that ever outdid it in my opinion was the 2nd Generation Bang & Olufsen (B&O Beoplay) H6s. The 2nd Gen H6 offered more detail than the K55X series (though it probably couldnt compete with the K702, and most certainly not the K812 or K872, which both cost $1000-$1500), and was more portable. The H6s shouldve lasted with me a lot longer than 2 months, but their downfall was comfort, or in their case, the lack of. The H6s featured a ribbed headband which would always poke into my skull, and although they were called over-ear headphones, to me, they hardly qualified for such a distinction. The tiny earpads BARELY fit over my ears, and so after a couple months, Id had it, and sold them off. A friend of mine who happened to buy them based on my recommendation felt the same way about his, and he did not keep his H6s either. So after trying out another pair of cans, I went back to AKG once again, but with the K551s. And that was that................until a friend of mine suggested I try out the (newer) Meze 99 Classics (Silver Walnut version). And so I did, using my trusty HTC 10 with its superior sound quality, and my ever-growing catalog of Hi-Res and CD-Quality music (mostly rock, both hard and soft) as tools for this comparison. Price: The Meze 99 Classics cost $309, and the AKG K551 runs about $160 (both per Amazon U.S.). Looks: The 99s came in and I was quite impressed by them right away. They are as striking in their looks as they are in their sound! Here Meze has created a masterpiece of sorts: a pair of headphones with style, premium design, and more! Everything about these headphones (and their accessories) is nothing short of luxurious! They come in a really nice box which opens up magnetically, and features the 99s, various OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) cables (about 4 and 10 long, with the 4 foot one including an in-line remote), a custom soft case for the cables, an airplane adapter, a 6.3mm adapter, and a SWEET hard case for the 99s itself, all for only $309! (Even the scent of the inside of the box itself smells expensive!) The 99s design features NO glue or plastic. Everything is neatly held together using screws. The ear pads are made of synthetic leather and memory foam, and the ear cups are made from stained walnut wood. Ive read that wood has better acoustic properties than plastic or metal do, so this was a plus! Id also read somewhere else that the staining process the 99s undergo takes about 18 months to complete as well! Ive been interested in headphones with wooden ear cups for some time now, but havent found any that were highly-rated. Aesthetically-speaking, it doesnt get much better than this! The 99s have won both sound AND design awards, which it most certainly deserves. The Meze logo itself closely resembles a trident, which is the same logo used by Italian-car maker Maserati, which happens to be my all-time FAVORITE car maker too! So maybe it was fate? Who knows? lol The K551s come in a very nice box as well, which kind of resembles a TV or a stage, which Ive always thought deserved high marks for its unique presentation style. It features a (fixed) 4 cable with an in-line remote, and a 6.3mm adapter. The K551s have some plastic on them, but also have a great deal of metal too. They also exude a premium look (Black/Silver model), and are quite nice to look at, though I slightly prefer the look of the K550 and K550 MK II. The ear pads are also made from synthetic leather and memory foam, and the ear cups appear to be metal and plastic. Comfort: I found BOTH headphones to be quite comfortable. They both fit on great with no noticeable clamping. The 99s win here though because of their design. While the K551s force you to adjust to its headband, the 99s come with an adjustable SMOOTH headband, which adjusts to YOUR head, making it a better fit. But it doesnt end there. While the K551s feature rounded (and large) ear pads, the 99s come with OVAL-shaped ear pads, which really make a lot more sense because human ears are not round, theyre essentially oval in shape! So not surprisingly, these fit onto my ears better too. Now this is where the H6s failed, and the 99s ALMOST suffered the same fate as well. Initially, the ear pads were on the small side, and as a result, several customers complained to Meze about this issue. So apparently several months ago, Meze made yet another very WISE decision to LISTEN to their customers and enlarge the ear pads up to about a medium or medium-to-large size. I have absolutely NO doubt that had Meze not taken this action that I wouldnt have been as happy about the 99s as I am today! The oval shape of these ear pads also have other advantages. One of which has to do with volume and potential hearing loss. Rounded ear pads let more of the sound leak out, which in turn forces the listener to raise the volume up, which can put the listener at increased risk for (unnecessary) hearing damage. But oval-shaped ear pads isolate sound better, and therefore less sound is likely to leak out, and the urge to raise the volume up higher vanishes immediately! This is a wonderful idea, and just one of many wise decisions the 99s creator, Antonio Meze (pronounced Mez-zahh), made while putting the 99s together. But why the 99s are so phenomenal only BEGINS here........................................ Bass: I came to realize how much I really loved a neutral sound signature because of AKG. Other headphones never quite sounded right to me really. Either too much of this or too little of that. The H6s even at times could sound too boomy. So I never thought Id want anything but neutral, until the 99s came along! Although not as neutral as the K551s, the 99s feature a more balanced bass sound that digs even deeper than the K551s do, and so you get a stronger and better bass sound, and NO apparent leakage into the mids and treble regions either. This is KEY, because SO many of the other headphones Ive reviewed failed when it came to this. The PM-3, the B&W P7, the Sony MDR-1A........too much bass! The Blue Lola contained bass however with industrial strength, but fell short on the treble end when it came to detail. The 99s however get bass right at every turn! The OTHER advantage to having oval-shaped ear pads makes its appearance here, where it is more appropriately placed. By offering better isolation as a result of the oval shape, I felt the bass even more closely than I did with the K551s. I really think ALL headphones should feature oval-shaped ear pads. Mids & Highs: Both headphones are great here. Its hard to say that one was better than the other. With the right EQ, you get the best sound that each can offer. Soundstage: The 99s prevail here as well, and this was NO small feat! One thing that AKG is known for being SUPERIOR at is offering a WIDE VAST soundstage with its closed-back headphones. I mean, they took that design to a whole new level, even being comparable with open-back headphones on this front! So when I was told the 99s had an even wider soundstage, I definitely felt some doubt. But that doubt disappeared within minutes of this comparison taking place! Thanks to the way the speaker drivers are angled, and some fantastic tuning as well, the 99s manage to outdo the K551s in soundstage, even with them having smaller speaker drivers than the K551s (40mm vs. 50mm) do. Truly amazing!! Clarity: The overall clarity of both of these headphones is great, but once again the 99s prove victorious here as well. The 99s were odd in not one but two different ways, but these were good oddities: 1) Despite having the same impedance rating but a LOWER sensitivity rating than the K551s, the 99s were somehow LOUDER, though they shouldnt have been! I have no explanation for this, but perhaps someone reading this does and can offer it up in this thread?! 2) I heard details on the 99s that I never heard with ANY headphone Ive ever auditioned!! In one particular case, I was playing a Hi-Res version of the Fleetwood Mac song Second Hand News (from the legendary Rumours album), and during the intro, I noticed what sounded like a background percussion echo of some sort right before the vocals kick in, which I swear Ive never heard before! I then played that same part on my K551s, and the echo sound was COMPLETELY ABSENT, even at the same and even slightly higher volume! The 99s apparently dont let ANY details get passed it! lol Misc: In addition to the sheer awesomeness of the 99s, Meze itself is a force to be reckoned with. The few times I had contacted Meze for answers to questions, they were more than willing to help out and tackle each one, and always within a day or two at most. Conclusion: The Meze 99 Classics are quite an elegant pair of headphones. With these headphones I realized that even when you think youve heard it all, its possible you havent, so dont be afraid to be open-minded when it comes to audio products! And so now I have put my AKG K551s up for sale on eBay, and have officially decided to stick with Meze! I feel strongly that if youre looking for great REFERENCE headphones for studio recording and editing, then the K55X series is your best bet (excluding the K553, which I DO NOT recommend). It offers a great NEUTRAL sound that will really help you get your ideas down w/o any coloration being added to the sound. But when it comes to listening for enjoyment, the 99s take the cake here!! They make everything I listen to sound more enjoyable and more LIVELY than ever before, so I have nothing but love for them! Yes, the 99s cost around double the K551s, but for ONCE Im getting a better headphone at practically every turn! The style, the design, the detachable cables, the bass, the soundstage, and the details of the 99s make it a MUST BUY at $309. Having a nice-looking hard (vs. soft) case included only makes the 99s a more attractive purchase for anyone looking for fantastic audio quality and a premium look & design! Romania may not be on the headphone audio map the way Germany, Austria, and Denmark are yet, but in my opinion, Meze has FOREVER changed that by creating and introducing the world to the Meze 99 Classics! The 99s are INCREDIBLE headphones, and I think the world would be a better place if more people checked them out and gave them a listen as well! Update (12/30/21): Ive removed the 2 instances above where I referred to the cables used on the 99s as balanced. They actually werent. But I have no doubt that such cables would make these sound even better!

I cant praise these headphones or the company enough. These are fully worth every penny because they are built to last, and have absolutely amazing sound quality with a perfect fit that makes them so incredibly comfortable. The only sad part that would make these headphones even better is the sound stage.. It feels lacking but personally, I have never felt it soured the experience in any way. These dont require a super fancy DAC or amp to fully enjoy them, you can even use your phone to drive these just perfectly. I would highly recommend these to anyone looking to dip their toes into Audiophile equipment.

First and foremost, these are gorgeous headphones. Meze has really gone above and beyond with premium materials and premium presentation. I was impressed from the moment I opened them. Accessories are all there and packaged in a thoughtful and beautiful manner. My only gripe is the sound - its just not for me. The sound is rich, thick, intimate but to a fault. Im used to planars which are quick but these are too slow and muddy for me to seriously consider it at this price point.