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.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

At the front of the box Meze has placed a large picture of the 99 Classics and their logo.

Another product picture is placed on the left side just over 6 drawings showcasing the main features.

The product specifications are printed on the right side of the box.

Turning the box around we find the company logo, design origin and some awards by media.

Opening the box reveals the hard EVA carrying/storage case.

Along with the 99 Classics and the hard EVA carrying/storage case inside the box you'll also find a 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, airplane jack, two stickers with the Meze logo on them and user manual.

THE 99 CLASSICS

The 99 Classics are made by metal (chromium manganese), wood (walnut), PU leather, memory foam and fabric.

In terms of size the 99 Classics sit between medium and large.

Whereas the walnut gold version has gold parts over and on the earcups the walnut silver version has silver.

Even the left and right 3.5mm ports are painted gold.

The memory foam earpads are medium sized and are dressed in PU leather.

As mentioned earlier the headpad is also dressed in PU leather and as you can all see it has the model name on it.

Every single 3.5mm jack found in the bundle is gold plated.

Aside the stationery R9 to test the 99 Classics I also used the M15 and M11S portable music players by FiiO.

The hard EVA carrying/storage case is pretty much identical to that bundled with the 109 PRO so the entire bundle fits inside nicely.

CONCLUSION

    Meze first announced the 99 Classics back in 2015 but has since revised them at least once thus further optimizing their audio signature. I didn't get a chance to listen to the first version but the sample that arrived in the lab a couple of months back emphasizes vocals and does a very good job with instrument separation. Highs are detailed (sometimes they do stand out more than what they should), mids are crisp and accurate and as for bass levels although I did read that the original did put extra weight on this (others called it muddy so there might have been at least 2 revisions before this one) the version I got felt more "normal". That's not to say that bass levels are not sufficient, they are just not going to blow you away even if you listen to bass rich/heavy music. Since the 99 Classics don't squeeze your head/ears a lot (suspension design models tend to do that) and the earpads are not very large audio isolation although relatively good is not the best out there and well, that's fine by me since I always weigh in comfort when I test headphones and headsets.

    Right now, the 99 Classics by Meze retail for USD249.97 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 309Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de), a price tag which is very tempting, at least on the other side of the Atlantic. Overall, I really have nothing bad to say about the 99 Classics, yes they may not produce the widest soundstage out there and bass levels might feel weak at times but audio reproduction is very good across the board and since build quality and design are also strong selling points the Golden Award is in order.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Audio Performance (Detailed, Crisp & Vibrant Mids & Highs)
- Available Models (Colors , Boom Microphone)
- Comfortable
- Self Adjusting Headband
- Bundle
- Closed Back Design (For Some)

CONS

- Price (For Some)