Review of the Meze 99 Classics: Is It Worth It?

The Meze 99 Classics was the first headphone developed entirely by the Romanian manufacturer. Recently, the model received its second generation, as reported by Hi-Fi Hub. As I discuss in this review, the 99 Classics is a closed-back, over-ear headphone that I found to be very comfortable, with a sound signature that emphasizes bass presence. Check out my opinion on whether it is truly worth purchasing.

Build Quality, Comfort, and Design of the Meze 99 Classics

The Meze 99 Classics features a build quality and design that left me impressed. Its headband is made of metal, while its ear cups are crafted from real wood. In addition, there is a golden piece on the sides bearing the company’s logo, which adds an interesting visual charm to the product.

The head support design won me over, as I did not feel any pressure on the top of my head, a common issue with many other headphones. Even after listening to music with the 99 Classics for two hours or more, I did not experience any discomfort coming from the headband.

I believe the comfort of the 99 Classics is largely due to its adjustment system based on a vegan leather suspension strap, which distributes the headphone’s weight evenly across the head, as you can see in the video I recorded of the headphone.

Another point that I consider important to mention is the length of the cable without a microphone, which is 3 meters long. During use, I had to untangle it several times, as it tended to form a mass of tangled wires. Even when properly coiled, the cable tended to return to its original state, becoming disorganized on the desk.

The main issue I observed with this headphone was related to the ear pads. According to Meze, the 99 Classics uses medium-density foam and soft vegan leather. However, my experience ended up being frustrating, as the pads failed to provide an adequate seal when I wore the headphone. This became evident when I pressed the ear cups against my face and noticed a considerable increase in bass reproduction.

If you are not aware, the reproduction of the lowest frequencies in headphones depends heavily on achieving a proper seal, which, in the case of over-ear headphones like the 99 Classics, means a complete acoustic seal around the ear. When there is any “leakage,” the “strength” of the bass is lost, leaving the sound lacking in “body,” “texture,” and “extension.”

In my case, I felt that the ear pad did not properly seal the area below the ear, just behind the jawline. Perhaps if the diameter of the pad were slightly smaller or slightly larger, this lack of seal would not occur. Another hypothesis I have is related to the density of the foam, which can also influence this aspect.

Still regarding the ear pads, I would like to draw attention to the use of vegan leather, which caused my ears to become very warm after some time of use. If they were perforated, as in other models, this issue could be less significant.

How Is the Sound Isolation of the Meze 99 Classics?

In my opinion, the sound isolation of the Meze 99 Classics is average. I can still hear certain sounds, such as the noise from the air conditioner in my office. I believe that the ability to attenuate ambient noise could be improved by using ear pads that provide a better seal when wearing the headphone.

The Sound of the Meze 99 Classics

The sound signature of the Meze 99 Classics is bass-oriented. The focus of this headphone is to deliver a strong sense of fullness and weight. Personally, I believe this compromises the naturalness of the midrange and treble, making the sound feel somewhat “muted.”

The mid-bass region is pronounced on the 99 Classics, and it is responsible for the sense of mass and volume in the reproduction of music that contains significant low-frequency activity.

In certain albums, this presentation focused on filling the entire soundstage with bass can be interesting, as it creates a sense of immersion. However, there are moments when this characteristic becomes tiring. This led me to lower the volume several times in order to be able to listen to music for longer periods.

The situation in bass reproduction became even more pronounced when I tried pressing the ear cups against my head, since I felt that adequate isolation from ambient noise was not being achieved. When I did this, I noticed a considerable gain in texture and mass, bringing more definition to the sound.

When analyzing the midrange of the 99 Classics, I found that it integrates well into the overall presentation, offering a good transition to both the treble and the bass. However, I believe its performance would improve if the mid-bass were more controlled and restrained.

As for the treble, the 99 Classics is not fatiguing, but it also does not present a level of brightness that I would consider “healthy.” The high-frequency region is usually responsible for conveying a sense of detail and spatiality, and unfortunately, there was not a strong performance in this area.

I observed that the soundstage is average, providing acceptable instrument separation. I must admit that this characteristic did not stand out significantly to me after spending a long time listening to the headphone.

Conclusion

The Meze 99 Classics is an extremely comfortable headphone with excellent build quality, but it falls short in achieving a proper seal, which is essential for correct bass reproduction. This resulted in a significant loss of volume, extension, and texture in the low-frequency region.

Considering the listening of a wide variety of musical genres, I do not believe that the 99 Classics will satisfy everyone who intends to use it as their only headphone. Due to the strong emphasis on the mid-bass, rapid listening fatigue may occur.