INTRODUCTION

    Two of the things I've always liked about headsets/headphones/earphones has been build quality and design and well, lately this has become more of a trend in the market (3D printing has certainly helped, especially when it comes to earphones). Of course, audio reproduction undoubtedly comes first but it's always nice to have an pair of headphones that stand out by a manufacturer that cares a lot about both materials used and level of craftmanship. Meze Audio has been one such manufacturer for well over a decade now and today with me I have one of their most popular models to date, the 99 Classics.

    Founded by industrial designer Antonio Meze in 2011, Meze Audio is a high-end audio company from Baia Mare, Romania, crafting headphones and earphones renewed for timeless design, pure comfort and engaging, vivid sound, timeless, original, purposeful. This is what best describes the Meze Audio design philosophy. We strive to create products that are beautiful, yet meticulously engineered to deliver exceptional performance. Each headphone we make evokes a sense of timelessness and longevity, reflecting our commitment to lasting value. To us headphones are a perfect blend of design, high functionality and ergonomics. We are a Romanian brand with soul and technical know-how that does it all out of pure love for sound and art.

   The closed-back 99 Classics are available in two color combinations (walnut gold and walnut silver – black version is also available in the USA but not on the official company website) and two versions (with and without a boom microphone) and are based on two 40mm dynamic neodymium mylar drivers which deliver a frequency response of 15Hz-25KHz at 103dB sensitivity and 32Ohm impedance (30mW rated, 50mW maximum input power). When it comes to materials Meze has once again used high-quality CNC carved and hand finished walnut wood for the exterior of the earcups, PU leather for the earpads and the self-adjusting headband and chromium manganese steel for the frame. Unlike many other models in the market all parts of the 99 Classics are held in place with nuts and bolts rather than glue so they are fully serviceable if something stops working. As for bundle the 99 Classics are shipped together with a hard EVA carrying/storage case, 1.2-meter long Kevlar OFC cable with in-line microphone and remote, 3-meter long Kevlar OFC cable, 6.3 mm gold-plated jack adapter and an airplane jack.