Meze 99 Classics review: The complete package

The audiophile headphone space is certainly broad, but recent years have really shown how effective they can be as multifunctional devices - serving their initial purpose with music but also proving excellent for gaming.

While the traditional headset is still the dominant choice for many players - and we have even seen traditional audiophile companies like beyerdynamic and Audeze break directly into the headset space - there's been a much greater appetite for the enhanced sound of dedicated audiophile-grade headphones.

Meze's 99 Classics tick all of the above and prove to be one of the most enjoyable headphones that I've ever used. If you're looking for something that does it all at a more than reasonable price point, it's hard to recommend anything else.

Immense detail

It's hard to overstate the level of detail that you get from the 99 Classics across both music and gaming, and it became immediately clear how impressive the headphones are to listen to.

Every aspect across bass, midrange, and treble is incredibly well-defined, and while the midrange is slightly recessed compared to some other comparable headphones, it certainly didn't detract from the overall experience.

Immersive is perhaps the best descriptive of my experience with the 99 Classics, as it's so easy to lose yourself in whatever you're listening to, as the sheer detail allows the sound to envelop your senses. This is especially prevalent when playing expansive single-player titles or diving into a film, as you can really make yourself a part of the world that you're exploring.

Benchmarks with flying colours

Testing them across a wide range of music genres made it clear to me as well how impressively the 99 Classics represent the best parts of whatever you're listening to, and really bring life out of the music.

One of my go-to benchmarks is Radiohead's '15 Step', as the harsh drum can often sound muddy and crushed with less-impressive cans, but the 99s handled it perfectly. The same is true for Björk's 'Hunter', which has an array of microbeats that suffered no loss in detail.

This clarity - especially in the bass end - came in handy during competitive gaming sessions too, as my two favourite multiplayer titles - Counter-Strike 2 and Escape from Tarkov - both heavily rely on the precise positioning of footstep audio.

Of course, you won't get the soundscape wideness of an open-back headphone, but the clear detailing and sound separation more than made up for narrower imaging and helped me gain that edge.

On the other end of the scale, you'll get lush treble that never strays into the hard or sibilant tones either. It's certainly not a balanced or neutral profile - nor is it as harsh to V-style tuning of something like the Philips X2HRs - but it doesn't necessarily need to be. It's a sound profile that's incredibly enjoyable to listen to, and one that often gets the best, and the most, out of whatever you're listening to.

Unbeatable comfort

When it comes to comfort and build quality it almost seems that the two are at odds with each other, but in the end, it definitely works out.

It became immediately clear to me that the 99 Classics are some of - if not the - most comfortable headphones that I've ever worn. My everyday headphone when working and gaming is Audeze's Maxwell, and while that is fantastic in its own right, it can get incredibly fatiguing to wear over time.

The 99s, on the other hand, are almost weightless, and it's easy to forget that you're actually wearing anything over long periods of time. I'd have absolutely no trouble wearing them for hours, if not an entire day, and that's definitely something I appreciate when it comes to crafting an immersive experience overall.

What creates this experience in tandem with the lightweight design is the incredibly supportive headband, which stretches wide across the top of your head. Not only does this give you plenty of support and spread the already low weight across a wider surface, but it also avoids any tension building up in centralised areas.

One area that I could perhaps see causing some people issues though is the stock earpads. They're not the deepest, and that can result in a lower overall foam level and could also perhaps cause some discomfort if your ears end up touching the drivers. As someone who admittedly has big ears this wasn't an issue for me at all, and there's always the option to switch out the pads for ones that suit you better.

What comes as a 'cost' for this comfort, however, is the build quality - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. To get a product as light as this you'll find that the components can initially feel quite 'cheap', especially the rather thin dual supports that connect the two earcups.

It's easy to associate build quality with weight, and the lack of heft here does make you feel that the headphones aren't the most structurally sound. That's definitely not the case overall though, and while it won't be as bulletproof as something that's made with aluminium construction, you'd have to do a lot to make a dent in the 99s. 

It's definitely something I consider worth sacrificing when it comes to comfort too, even though it ends up not feeling like a compromise at all.

Premium aesthetics

While it's the last thing I'll cover, the first thing you'll notice with the 99 Classics is without a doubt its stunning visual design. Its walnut earcups and gold hardware are instantly recognisable and scream 'premium', and Meze's own indication that this is an 'heirloom rather than just a pair of headphones' definitely rings true.

Despite the lightweight construction, I was delighted to find that the earcups are actually walnut wood, as opposed to a cheaper material treated to look as if it were. This only enhances the premium feeling and feels like true attention to detail in the grand scheme of things.

You're even treated to a wonderfully robust carrying case if you want to take these on the go, giving the flexibility and reliability to just chuck these in your bag and never compromise on audio quality. What also helps in that case is the low impedance of just 32 Ω, which allows you to drive these on just about anything.

Of course, you'll definitely still benefit from pairing these up with an amp - and they worked beautifully with my Fiio K5 - but if you don't have one or simply want the convenience of plugging them straight into any device then you don't have to worry.

The Verdict

The 99 Classics really are the complete package, combining outstanding sound quality, exceptional comfort, and stunning aesthetics to create a package that's truly hard to ignore.

It's really the sign of a great headphone when I've wanted to relisten to all of my favourite albums, or dive into my favourite games, simply to experience them with the sound quality on offer. 

They are simply a delight to use from both sound and comfort avenues, and the incredibly lightweight design means that I'm never forced to take them off earlier than I'd want.

5/5

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