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 very comfortable, with a sound signature that emphasizes bass presence. Check out my opinion on whether it’s really worth buying.

Build quality, comfort, and design of the Meze 99 Classics

The Meze 99 Classics features a build and design that impressed me. Its headband is made of metal, while the ear cups are crafted from real wood. In addition, there is a gold-colored piece on the sides with the company’s logo, which adds an appealing touch to the product.

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

I believe the comfort of the 99 Classics is due to the adjustment system made by the vegan leather suspension strap, which distributes the headphone’s weight evenly across the head, as you can see in the video I made of the headphone below.

Another point I find 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 because it would form a mass of wires. Even when properly coiled, the cable tended to return to its original position, ending up messy on the desk.

The biggest issue I noticed with this headphone was 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 put the headphones on. This became evident when I pressed the ear cups against my face and noticed a considerable increase in bass reproduction.

If you’re not aware, the reproduction of the lowest frequencies in headphones depends heavily on achieving a proper seal—that is, a complete seal around the ear in the case of an over-ear headphone like the 99 Classics. When there is any sound “leakage,” bass “impact” is lost, leaving the sound without “body,” “texture,” and “extension.”

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

Still regarding the ear pads, I want to draw attention to the use of vegan leather, which caused my ears to get very warm after some time of use. If they were perforated like those on other models, this issue could be reduced.

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 some sounds, such as the air conditioner in my office. I believe the ability to attenuate ambient noise could be improved by using ear pads that provide a better seal when wearing the headphones.

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 body. Personally, I think this takes away from the naturalness of the mids and highs, leaving the sound somewhat “muted.”

The mid-bass is pronounced on the 99 Classics, and it is responsible for the sense of body and volume in music that has significant activity in the low frequencies.

On certain albums, this presentation—focused on filling the entire soundstage with bass—can be appealing by providing a sense of immersion, but there are times when this characteristic becomes fatiguing. This often led me to lower the volume so I could listen for longer periods.

The situation with bass reproduction worsened even further when I tried pressing the ear cups against my head, as I felt the ambient noise isolation wasn’t adequate. When doing so, I noticed a considerable gain in texture and body, bringing more definition to the sound.

When analyzing the mids of the 99 Classics, I felt they fit well within the overall presentation, offering a smooth transition to both the highs and the lows. However, I think 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 doesn’t present what I consider a “healthy” level of sparkle. The high-frequency region usually contributes to a sense of detail and spatiality, and unfortunately, this area was not particularly well executed.

I observed that the soundstage is average, with acceptable instrument separation. I admit that this characteristic did not stand out much to me after spending a considerable amount of time listening to the headphones.

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 accurate bass reproduction. This resulted in a significant loss of volume, extension, and texture in the low-frequency region.

Considering listening across a variety of musical genres, I don’t think the 99 Classics will please someone who intends to rely on it as their only headphone for music listening. Due to the strong emphasis on mid-bass, listening fatigue can set in rather quickly.