Summary – Meze 99 Classics Review
The Meze 99s are hands down some of the best headphones we have tested, delivering very well-balanced and natural sound with deep bass. These headphones are crafted from real walnut wood which gives the sound signature a warmer and bassier low-end, adding extra punch to bass-heavy music genres such as EDM, rock and hip-hop. These headphones have a wide frequency range from 15 Hz to 25 kHz and an impedance of 32 ohms with a sensitivity of 103 dB at 1 kHz/1mW – they work well with smartphones without the need for any amplification.
The sound quality from the Meze 99s is crystal clear and consistently good across the frequency spectrum, with crisp highs, detailed midranges and deep bass response. Furthermore, the headphones also come with a self-adjusting PU headband that spreads the weight out on your head for a comfortable listening experience. The entire headphone weighs 9.2 ounces with soft PU leather ear-padding with medium density memory foam for effective noise isolation and a comfortable fit.
These headphones come with a heard EVA carrying pouch, detachable 1.2m thread Kevlar OFC cable, 3m thread Kelvar OFC cable and 6.3mm gold-plated jack, adapter and couple pouch. If you are looking for one of the best bass headphones that has a combination of sound performance, clarity, soundstage and deep bass response, the Meze 99s are a great choice.
Sound Performance
If we could describe the sound signature on the Meze 99s, it would be high-fidelity natural sound with good bass response. You get the benefit of crystal clear highs and midranges, with very deep and powerful bass that’s enhanced by the walnut wood enclosure.
We thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Meze 99s headphones – these headphones are engineered to provide natural sound with the walnut wood providing a slightly warmer sound signature. Despite the wooden frame, these headphones shine in terms of treble clarity with crisp highs that sound really vibrant and enjoyable. We did not hear any harshness on these headphones even at maximum volume levels.
The sound from the Meze 99s is pleasant, coherent and consistently good with great detail. The bass response on the Meze 99s sounds deep, tight and impactful without muddying into the midrange frequencies – it stays exactly where it should be as bass. The treble and midranges frequencies blend in perfectly without losing any detail; you get really natural sound signatures from the Meze 99 headphones.
The level of separation that you get with the Meze 99 headphones is impressive – you can practically pick out where each instrument is coming from. You also get pretty good soundstage with these headphones; vocal performances are precisely articulated and you get a feel of where the vocalist is standing during the performance.
We particularly liked the fact that these headphones sound very good event without a dedicated amplifier, and you can get a solid listening experience straight from your iPhone or android smartphone.
If you are looking for headphones with more bass, be sure to check out our article here.
Design
The acoustic drivers on the Meze 99 headphones produce an incredible amount of detail and are highly sensitive to the music source – which is great if you intend to use FLAC format or other high quality music files. These headphones handle almost any variety of music genre with ease – the sound is consistently clear, refined and smooth. The ear cups on the Meze 99s are made with a satin finished wood grain.
The rich colors of the walnut wood are aesthetically pleasing and actually enhance the overall quality of the sound and the lower-end bass frequency range. The headphones also come with cast zinc alloy hardware with electroplated coating, stamped manganese spring steel headbands, memory foam and soft PU leather which makes wearing these headphones very comfortable.
Furthermore, the headphone goes over the ears and provides a firm seal over the ears without too much clamping force – they feel extremely comfortable and you can practically wear these for hours on end without feeling any listening fatigue.
The Verdict?
We highly recommend the Meze 99 Classics headphones as they simply outperform the rest in terms of sound performance and design. The sound quality from the Meze 99s is audiophile quality, with crisp highs, smooth and detailed midranges and deep bass response that feels tight and impactful.
You can literally feel the bass while playing bass-heavy music through these headphones, with the advantage that you can hear the other details in the music clearly. The highs and midranges are crisp and very clear, and the level of sensitivity that these headphones provide to each audio recording is excellent. You can practically pick out details in the music that you might not have heard before.
The sound quality is crystal clear and vibrant, and you can even pick up details on the left or right headphone channel that you might not have noticed before. The spatial imaging that you get with these cans is in a class of its own.
We really liked that the Meze 99 classics have relatively low impedance and can be powered straight from your iPhone or laptop headphone output without the need for a portable headphone amplifier. Furthermore, these headphones are made from real walnut wood that is precision carved on a CNC machine and hand finished and polished. We also liked the soft PU leather earpads and memory foam which made wearing these headphones very comfortable. It also comes with a wide variety of accessories to choose from and a sturdy hard casing for portability.
Overall, the Meze 99s are some of the very best bass headphones that deliver deep bass and crystal clear clarity, and we highly recommend them for bass heads and audiophiles who want to invest in a great pair of headphones.