MEZE AUDIO | 99 NEO | Closed-Back Headphones for Audiophiles | Gaming | Podcasts | Home Office | Wired Over-Ear Headphones with Mic and Self Adjustable Headband

I use AT-50s when I am recording to Logic. They are pretty true...However, when I am listening to my LPs and CDs, I wanted a different experience. Besides the Audio Technicas, I have a pretty nice set of Grado open backs but, didnt get a satisfying listen like I had hoped. So...few hundred dollars worth of cans that weren't "grabbing" me. I read all of the audio rags from the hi end to the average consumer. Becoming frustrated with the idea of taking another chance on a few hundred dollar shot. I started seeing Meze 99 headphones showing up in "Best Headphones for under $500" lists and a couple reviews from some audio publications that think we can all afford $15,000 turntables so.....I kept reading. Meze is a Romanian company that, get this, only makes headphones. The 99 series is the LEAST expensive they make, they get into the thousands. Most of the big Audio rags reviewed the 99Classic version mostly, I believe, because they use beautiful Maple cups and look wayyyy more expensive that they are. Most of the good reviews talked about the strong bass that was tight and not overbearing, smooth midrange and a high end that was ....just high enough to allow the soundstage to open up to instruments that people had never heard before......(they were right). Still, are $300 bucks, I was apprehensive that I'd just end up with another pair of phones I hardly ever listen to. While looking over the Meze catalogue, I saw the 99 NEO version that were the exact same speakers just made of plastic instead of wood and brass.....for under $200. Even though I had decided to get the Classics, I figured the NEOs would tell me what I wanted to know. I have seen claims that there are "subtle" differences in the sound...close enough for me. The 99 Neos, immediately out of the box, put a smile on my face.... low end end without annoyance, strong mids that set just right and smooth, space inducing high end just right. I've listened from my Denon CD transport direct....smile....LPs through a Project pre amp into my Marantz AMP.....smile....My Macbook pro through itunes and Amazon Music .....smile. They suggest breaking these in for 40 hours and I am probably getting close after four days. I would NOT have been sorry by buying the Classics but, the NEO's are spectacular also......This is truly a "fights above it's weight" scenario....get emI'm a geezer that came up through the 70s audio quests.

These cans look, feel, and sound way better than anything I've tried before. I'm no audiophile, but I listen to music for hours a day while at work, and I appreciate good sound reproduction and a comfortable fit.Over the years I have used the ATH m40x, AKG K371, and Sennheiser 569. They all had their strengths, but also their weaknesses, whether it was sound quality, fit/comfort, durability, etc. Those all felt like decent, low- to mid-range headphones that delivered adequate value, but the 99 NEO feels like it's in a class of its own. I think it delivers way more than the modest price increase over the other ones mentioned. I have nothing but good things to say about these. The packaging is sleek and sturdy. The included carrying case is robust. The design of the headphones is elegant, with a single piece of bifurcated spring steel that goes from cup to cup, and stylish cast aluminum brackets that attach the self-adjusting headband. The headphones are super light and fit me perfectly. The tension on the headband is just right, providing a snug fit, with even pressure around the circumference of the foam surrounds, but not so tight as to cause discomfort over time. After having all my headphones eventually break on me in ways that are difficult to fix, I love the fact that these are held together with fasteners rather than adhesive and proprietary plastic snap connecters. I also like that there is a mono input on each cup, so that there's ne need for a dainty (read: damage prone) wire to be routed from one side to the other via the headband. The only possible niggle that I could have would be the heat that can build up from the pleather on the foam surrounds, but there's no way around that; I enjoy the bass response that pleather delivers as opposed to velour. In all respects - design, build quality, weight, fit, comfort, sound, and value - I would rate these as the best headphones I've ever had.