With simple availability of high-resolution audio in India by way of Apple Music, many customers at the moment are selecting to return to wired headphones or earphones, and a few are even investing in high-end choices. It’s potential to place collectively a decent audiophile kit on a budget, however the extra you spend, the higher the general expertise. Of course, the center of any audiophile setup is a pair of headphones, and the Meze 99 Classics that I’m reviewing right here is extremely regarded in its value phase.
Priced at Rs. 24,999, the Meze 99 Classics is a pair of wired over-ear headphones centered on design and sound high quality. Everything within the package deal is undeniably premium, from the wooden casings and gold accents to the plush padding and high-quality wiring. Does the Meze 99 Classics reside as much as expectations in terms of sound? Find out on this assessment.
Meze Audio is a headphone producer based mostly in Romania, and was based in 2011
The Meze 99 Classics is strikingly engaging
Well identified amongst individuals who comply with the high-end audio area keenly, Meze Audio was based in Romania in 2011, and has rapidly grown to turn out to be probably the most revered names within the phase. The Meze 99 Classics was the corporate’s first mainstream product, and continues to be amongst its top-selling headsets. Plenty of that has to do with its design and specs.
The over-ear Meze 99 Classics is spectacular to have a look at. It feels stable and well-built, and is not too heavy even with picket driver casings. The body is metallic with gold accents on some elements, whereas the scarf is lined with synthetic leather-based and is versatile sufficient to regulate to the pinnacle of the wearer. There is thick padding across the ears, and all of this makes this pair of headphones each look and really feel nice.
Interestingly, the 2 sides of this pair of headphones aren’t related to one another in any method, and function independently with their very own 2.5mm enter sockets. Indeed, it does not even matter the way you put on these headphones; both aspect can function because the left or proper channel with out affecting match or consolation.
The gross sales package deal features a arduous carry case, a 1.2m cable with an in-line microphone, a 3m cable and not using a microphone, a 6.3mm adapter, an airline adapter, and a small pouch for the additional cables that matches inside the carry case. Aftermarket cables are additionally accessible, such because the 2.5mm balanced upgrade cable that I used for a lot of my assessment.
The Meze 99 Classics headphones match equally effectively no matter which method you set them on
The Meze 99 Classics has 40mm dynamic drivers, and a frequency response vary of 15-25,000Hz. The impedance is 32 Ohms, and so it could possibly be pushed simply sufficient by even a smartphone or laptop computer with out the necessity for an amplifier. As talked about, you need to use the Meze 99 Classics for voice calls if you happen to use the 1.2m cable that comes with it, however that is primarily an audiophile-grade headset that’s meant for music, above all else.
Straightforward strategy to sound on the Meze 99 Classics
With the mainstream phase for audio having nearly completely moved to Bluetooth connectivity, merchandise such because the Meze 99 Classics are quite a bit much less widespread than they had been only a few years in the past. However, you will discover that wired headphones ship a much better sonic expertise than wi-fi ones, and the Meze 99 Classics is a kind of that prioritises sound high quality over all else.
I used the Meze 99 Classics with my MacBook Air and a Shanling UA2 digital-analogue converter to bridge the connection. For music, I relied completely on my Apple Music playlist, listening to numerous tracks in resolutions starting from 16-bit/ 44.1kHz to 24-bit/ 96kHz. Across genres and resolutions, the Meze headphones delivered a constantly clear and detailed listening expertise each time.
Starting with Subways by The Avalanches, I needed to flip the amount down a good bit on my setup due to how loud the headphones can get. Even at across the 40 % quantity mark, I discovered the listening expertise to be participating and cohesive. The sonic signature was pure, but removed from the flat sound that many audiophiles search in headphones; as an alternative, the Meze 99 Classics made for a enjoyable sound that appeared to intuitively adapt to the observe and style.
The wood-grain end on the Meze 99 Classics appears to be like lovely, and the sound high quality is fairly good too
There was a delicate thump to this sample-based observe, and the headphones additionally drew out a variety of element and rapidly adjusted to its quickly altering nature. Although detailed, the Meze 99 Classics weren’t as revealing as I’d have preferred; the separation and circulate gave the impression to be lacking a little bit of oomph. Some of this gave the impression to be misplaced within the heat of the sonic signature, so these headphones undoubtedly appear to be sacrificing some nuance in favour of a extra pleasing and pleasurable sonic signature.
With Kamasi Washington’s Truth, a 13-minute jazz ‘saga’ of kinds, the Meze 99 Classics had been rather more of their aspect, serving up element and cohesiveness in good measure when not held again by the tempo of the observe. The mild, soothing nature of the observe gelled effectively with the 99 Classics, giving me loads of alternative to hearken to the finer features within the devices and vocals.
This means that the Meze 99 Classics’ greatest weak point is tempo, and it tends to surrender element in favour of sustaining the texture and heat that kind the core of its expertise, when confronted with fast-paced tracks. However, that really feel and heat all the time retained a delicate and composed character; the Meze 99 Classics by no means felt too aggressive or exuberant, as an alternative conserving the tone of the sound calm and coherent.
While I did check out the microphone cable for a number of calls utilizing my laptop computer and WhatsApp, and the expertise wasn’t horrible, I’d suggest avoiding this. The Meze 99 Classics is a music-focused headset that performs effectively when it comes to its core listening expertise, and I typically most well-liked utilizing a wi-fi headset when taking telephone calls.
Verdict
Although the premium wired headphones phase sees far fewer launches on this new age of widespread wi-fi connectivity, choices such because the Meze 99 Classics maintain its spirit alive and effectively. This is a completely lovely and well-made pair of headphones, and it sounds fairly good too, even when it does not fairly match the audiophile invoice. The sound is enjoyable, detailed, and fairly energetic, working effectively with high-resolution audio and a very good private audio setup.
With all the things that you must get began within the field itself, the Meze 99 Classics is an easy-going, enjoyable pair of premium headphones with a heat and pleasurable sound. Although choosy listeners may discover the tempo a bit too laid-back, and its lack of ability to seize the finer parts in tracks is a bit disappointing, that is nonetheless among the many most entertaining headphones I’ve used of late. It’s luxurious in each method, and I like it.
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