Meze 99 Classic, a surprise to say the least!!!
Jan 31, 2017 22:02:36 GMT -5
jackpine and qdtjni like this
Post by sidvicious on Jan 31, 2017 22:02:36 GMT -5
GUESS WHO"S BACK WITH ANOTHER REVIEW:
Well, I haven’t posted in a while, due to circumstances beyond my control, but it’s good to be back. Up for testing today are the Meze 99 Classics headphones. Taking in consideration that I have currently the Audioquest Nighthawks, Grado 325, Audio Technica At-50, Hifiman HE-400i, Beyer Dynamic 880 Pros, Sennheiser HD-558, HD-170 wireless and the Pioneer SEA-1000’s, one could say, I have no more need for a set of headphones.
I went to my local shop today and went to buy something else, an Audioquest Carbon USB cable with a serious discount. I listened to the new Audio Quest Night Hawk Night Owls-closed back headphones and the Audio Quest Night Hawk Carbons and the regular Nighthawks through the Moon 230HD Headphone amp, which I personally own and the Questyle CM-600i Headphone amp. (This Headphone Amp the Questyle is a beast with it’s two balanced/unbalanced inputs, it’s crazy good for $1299.00. I will probably cover this in another review, when I take it home for the weekend.)
I listened to some music through their Sonus System and spent at least 45 minutes listening to each of the three Nighthawks headphones and telling the Dealer what I thought. For those who have the original Audioquest Nighthawks, the Nighthawk Carbons, are slightly better tonally from highs to mids with slightly better bass.
The Nighthawk Night Owls closed backs, raise the bar with better highs to mids to bass than both of the previous two Night Hawks. The Night Owls are just a better headphone overall. The difference between the old set of original Night Hawks and new Nighthawks happens to be a better cable-thicker with a volume control and the redesign of earcups and slight design differences on the drivers. The dealer asked me what I thought and when I told him, he said, yes, you nailed it, but keep in mind the new Nighthawks still have to get some hours on them. I was talking to two other Audiophiles in the store and one, a beginning Audiophile told me that he listened to rock and roll and needed something with more bass, so he upgraded his main system with a Rel Subwoofer and he needed a set of closed back headphones, so that he could listen at work, but he wanted something with more bass and less expensive than any of the Nighthawks and he asked my opinion based on what the store had. I also switched the cable from the new nighthawks to the old, with not any difference. The cable and the ear cups are upgradable, but the dealer has no listing for them yet.
The audiophile that I was talking to about headphones had just picked up his Audio Quest Red portable usb headphoneamp/Dac, which I also own. I walked over to the Headphone rack and told him about my experience with a set of Meze 99 Classics that I had heard in the store 4-5 months ago. I told him from my listening through the Questyle CM-600i, it had the bass he was looking for without losing the mids or highs. I was getting ready to leave the store and told him to listen to them and the Night Hawk Owls, but his budget would be the Meze’s. Before leaving the store, I remembered my wonderful experience with the Meze 99 and asked if I could take a pair home to test.
The Dealer said that the other gentlemen that I had just been talking to had returned a pair of Meze 99 Classic for a pair of Nighthawk Night Owls. He offered me the Meze 99's for much less than they could be purchased for online because they had been used and I said yes and he went upstairs to grab them. The gentleman that I had been talking about headphones with told me while the dealer was getting me the headphones upstairs that he wouldn't mine purchasing the Meze 99 Classics for the price that I would be getting them for if I didn't purchase them. I told him that even though I was going to be auditioning them, the likely hood of me bringing them back at the price I was quoted, would be slim and probably none. I tried the display model of the Meze 99 Classics in the Moon 230HD, which they had on display, just before leaving and I was pleasantly surprised that they sounded as I remembered. I was stoked to say the least!!!
I went home and tried them with other DSD 64 music that I had stored on my hard drive. The following music was actual CDs: Larry Carlton -Renegade Gentleman and D’Angelo - the Vanguard Black Messiah, Bryan Ferry-Avonmore, Radio Head-A Moon Shaped Pool. All I can say is wow, these headphones are exactly as the reviews list them. A well balanced sound from top to bottom with slightly boosted bass, which isn’t annoying in any way and these allow you to listen to any type of music. My other headphones sound great, but only with the intended music for which I bought them for. The Meze 99's sounded good and strike a balance with type of music. The better your source the better these puppies sound. They rival the Audio Technica Ath-50’s in loudness, but the sound is richer and warmer. They rival the Nighthawks in the mids and highs, but beat both the original Nighthawks and the Nighthawk Carbons. They beat the Hifiman HE-400i and Grado 325 in bass response and they are much better than the Pioneer SEA-1000 overall.
The Hifiman HE-400i's produce cymbols and horns extremely, well, but that's what planar's do and the Meze's don't beat them in this area, but bass response goes to the Meze 99. They are better than the Sennheiser HD-558 and HD-170’s. The HD-558 is a good starting point for a headphone with decent bass, mids and treble, but not in the Meze's class. The HD-170 is a good Wireless Headphone that tries to strike a nice balance, but the bass response isn't as good as the Meze, but for a wireless headphone these aren't bad and the range they cover around the house is pretty good, but when they lose signal there is no warning, they just cut out. They have better treble and mids the the Beyer Dyanmic 880 pros. The Grado 325 are great for jazz and classical, but suck for anything else, because of the bass response and the foam presses against your ear and can cause fatigue and sweat, especially in the summer time. The Beyer Dynamics DT-880 are a neutral headphone, which isn't bad at all, but the Meze brings every thing out, bass, mids and treble.
I even listened through a cellphone. These are very easy to drive, with a great spl level. I have to say at this point these are probably the best over all headphones that I have with excellent build quality, no plastic hear folks, wood , metal and aluminum construction with detachable cables, Kevlar strand. To compare them to the Nighthawk Night Owls, I would give the nod to the Night Owls, but the Meze’s are close, but then again the Nighthawk Night Owls, didn’t have a lot of hours on them and the Meze 99 had two weeks on them. The new Nighthawk Night Owls, just did every thing, just a little better with even tighter bass response and the treble and mids and even mid bass was almost perfect, if there even is such a thing. The Meze 99's are better than the original Night Hawks and the new Nighthawk Carbons, even though I didn’t want to admit it. I literally enjoy almost every thing that comes out of them. The one negative thing that I found out about them is that the cords that they come with are slightly Microphonic when rubbed across a hard surface like a coat or shirt, but I just move the cord to one side and when music the music starts you don't hear this. I will be burning the drivers in further by running them for at least 3 hours a day and 8 hours on the weekends.
I’m not taking them back because they are just that good and they solve another problem that my wife complained about, which is sound leakage. Even when loud, they leak less than the Audio Technica ATH-50s, which are closed back headphones and she can’t hear them. I believe they are 32 ohms and are 101 spl, which means I can keep my headphone amp volume level way down. The Audio Technicas can get louder. I believe the drivers are larger and they are for rock, rap, r&b and heavy metal music in my opinion. They are not as balanced in the mids or highs as the Meze 99, but they are not horrible either. With the Audio Technicas, they are either too loud or just right for what you are listening to. They are great for less than ideal YouTube listening. The headphone amp and headphones are in our bedroom just a few feet from the bed. I had no intention of buying the Meze 99's.
Honestly having audition them, I could see getting rid of the rest of my headphones except the Nighthawks and the Audio Technica, they do practically everything that the rest of the headphones do in one unit, yes the Grado 325 mids and treble might be a little better, but the Grado can tear your ear off with the wrong music. The Meze 99's are normally between $300 to $309, which isn't bad for what you get and the pouch that they come with comfortably carries the headphones and both cords, (the cords, airline and 1/4 jack are in their own small pouch that sits between the headphones) the second cord has the volume control and the first cord, which I listened to is maybe 10 feet long and no the headphones don't collapse. The outer box is the wrap around type with magnets that close the box. The headphones don't do any one thing right, they strike a good balance with it all. If you have not heard the Meze 99 Classic, do yourself a favor and listen to them.
Well, I haven’t posted in a while, due to circumstances beyond my control, but it’s good to be back. Up for testing today are the Meze 99 Classics headphones. Taking in consideration that I have currently the Audioquest Nighthawks, Grado 325, Audio Technica At-50, Hifiman HE-400i, Beyer Dynamic 880 Pros, Sennheiser HD-558, HD-170 wireless and the Pioneer SEA-1000’s, one could say, I have no more need for a set of headphones.
I went to my local shop today and went to buy something else, an Audioquest Carbon USB cable with a serious discount. I listened to the new Audio Quest Night Hawk Night Owls-closed back headphones and the Audio Quest Night Hawk Carbons and the regular Nighthawks through the Moon 230HD Headphone amp, which I personally own and the Questyle CM-600i Headphone amp. (This Headphone Amp the Questyle is a beast with it’s two balanced/unbalanced inputs, it’s crazy good for $1299.00. I will probably cover this in another review, when I take it home for the weekend.)
I listened to some music through their Sonus System and spent at least 45 minutes listening to each of the three Nighthawks headphones and telling the Dealer what I thought. For those who have the original Audioquest Nighthawks, the Nighthawk Carbons, are slightly better tonally from highs to mids with slightly better bass.
The Nighthawk Night Owls closed backs, raise the bar with better highs to mids to bass than both of the previous two Night Hawks. The Night Owls are just a better headphone overall. The difference between the old set of original Night Hawks and new Nighthawks happens to be a better cable-thicker with a volume control and the redesign of earcups and slight design differences on the drivers. The dealer asked me what I thought and when I told him, he said, yes, you nailed it, but keep in mind the new Nighthawks still have to get some hours on them. I was talking to two other Audiophiles in the store and one, a beginning Audiophile told me that he listened to rock and roll and needed something with more bass, so he upgraded his main system with a Rel Subwoofer and he needed a set of closed back headphones, so that he could listen at work, but he wanted something with more bass and less expensive than any of the Nighthawks and he asked my opinion based on what the store had. I also switched the cable from the new nighthawks to the old, with not any difference. The cable and the ear cups are upgradable, but the dealer has no listing for them yet.
The audiophile that I was talking to about headphones had just picked up his Audio Quest Red portable usb headphoneamp/Dac, which I also own. I walked over to the Headphone rack and told him about my experience with a set of Meze 99 Classics that I had heard in the store 4-5 months ago. I told him from my listening through the Questyle CM-600i, it had the bass he was looking for without losing the mids or highs. I was getting ready to leave the store and told him to listen to them and the Night Hawk Owls, but his budget would be the Meze’s. Before leaving the store, I remembered my wonderful experience with the Meze 99 and asked if I could take a pair home to test.
The Dealer said that the other gentlemen that I had just been talking to had returned a pair of Meze 99 Classic for a pair of Nighthawk Night Owls. He offered me the Meze 99's for much less than they could be purchased for online because they had been used and I said yes and he went upstairs to grab them. The gentleman that I had been talking about headphones with told me while the dealer was getting me the headphones upstairs that he wouldn't mine purchasing the Meze 99 Classics for the price that I would be getting them for if I didn't purchase them. I told him that even though I was going to be auditioning them, the likely hood of me bringing them back at the price I was quoted, would be slim and probably none. I tried the display model of the Meze 99 Classics in the Moon 230HD, which they had on display, just before leaving and I was pleasantly surprised that they sounded as I remembered. I was stoked to say the least!!!
I went home and tried them with other DSD 64 music that I had stored on my hard drive. The following music was actual CDs: Larry Carlton -Renegade Gentleman and D’Angelo - the Vanguard Black Messiah, Bryan Ferry-Avonmore, Radio Head-A Moon Shaped Pool. All I can say is wow, these headphones are exactly as the reviews list them. A well balanced sound from top to bottom with slightly boosted bass, which isn’t annoying in any way and these allow you to listen to any type of music. My other headphones sound great, but only with the intended music for which I bought them for. The Meze 99's sounded good and strike a balance with type of music. The better your source the better these puppies sound. They rival the Audio Technica Ath-50’s in loudness, but the sound is richer and warmer. They rival the Nighthawks in the mids and highs, but beat both the original Nighthawks and the Nighthawk Carbons. They beat the Hifiman HE-400i and Grado 325 in bass response and they are much better than the Pioneer SEA-1000 overall.
The Hifiman HE-400i's produce cymbols and horns extremely, well, but that's what planar's do and the Meze's don't beat them in this area, but bass response goes to the Meze 99. They are better than the Sennheiser HD-558 and HD-170’s. The HD-558 is a good starting point for a headphone with decent bass, mids and treble, but not in the Meze's class. The HD-170 is a good Wireless Headphone that tries to strike a nice balance, but the bass response isn't as good as the Meze, but for a wireless headphone these aren't bad and the range they cover around the house is pretty good, but when they lose signal there is no warning, they just cut out. They have better treble and mids the the Beyer Dyanmic 880 pros. The Grado 325 are great for jazz and classical, but suck for anything else, because of the bass response and the foam presses against your ear and can cause fatigue and sweat, especially in the summer time. The Beyer Dynamics DT-880 are a neutral headphone, which isn't bad at all, but the Meze brings every thing out, bass, mids and treble.
I even listened through a cellphone. These are very easy to drive, with a great spl level. I have to say at this point these are probably the best over all headphones that I have with excellent build quality, no plastic hear folks, wood , metal and aluminum construction with detachable cables, Kevlar strand. To compare them to the Nighthawk Night Owls, I would give the nod to the Night Owls, but the Meze’s are close, but then again the Nighthawk Night Owls, didn’t have a lot of hours on them and the Meze 99 had two weeks on them. The new Nighthawk Night Owls, just did every thing, just a little better with even tighter bass response and the treble and mids and even mid bass was almost perfect, if there even is such a thing. The Meze 99's are better than the original Night Hawks and the new Nighthawk Carbons, even though I didn’t want to admit it. I literally enjoy almost every thing that comes out of them. The one negative thing that I found out about them is that the cords that they come with are slightly Microphonic when rubbed across a hard surface like a coat or shirt, but I just move the cord to one side and when music the music starts you don't hear this. I will be burning the drivers in further by running them for at least 3 hours a day and 8 hours on the weekends.
I’m not taking them back because they are just that good and they solve another problem that my wife complained about, which is sound leakage. Even when loud, they leak less than the Audio Technica ATH-50s, which are closed back headphones and she can’t hear them. I believe they are 32 ohms and are 101 spl, which means I can keep my headphone amp volume level way down. The Audio Technicas can get louder. I believe the drivers are larger and they are for rock, rap, r&b and heavy metal music in my opinion. They are not as balanced in the mids or highs as the Meze 99, but they are not horrible either. With the Audio Technicas, they are either too loud or just right for what you are listening to. They are great for less than ideal YouTube listening. The headphone amp and headphones are in our bedroom just a few feet from the bed. I had no intention of buying the Meze 99's.
Honestly having audition them, I could see getting rid of the rest of my headphones except the Nighthawks and the Audio Technica, they do practically everything that the rest of the headphones do in one unit, yes the Grado 325 mids and treble might be a little better, but the Grado can tear your ear off with the wrong music. The Meze 99's are normally between $300 to $309, which isn't bad for what you get and the pouch that they come with comfortably carries the headphones and both cords, (the cords, airline and 1/4 jack are in their own small pouch that sits between the headphones) the second cord has the volume control and the first cord, which I listened to is maybe 10 feet long and no the headphones don't collapse. The outer box is the wrap around type with magnets that close the box. The headphones don't do any one thing right, they strike a good balance with it all. If you have not heard the Meze 99 Classic, do yourself a favor and listen to them.
