The headband mechanism is unorthodox but finds great usability in simplicity while the super plush earpads and low COG enable both long-term comfort and stability when out and about. Of course, bass isn’t perfect and due to the boosted tuning, the 99 Neo’s do miss out on a bit of texture and definition when compared to more linear sets like the PM3 and MM-400.

Despite the odd break for hot ears, I found no fatigue from clamping pressure or the self-adjusting headband's compression. I mention in the classic review that this is one of the best headphone designs of the past few years. Oriveti's new flagship hybrid offers a unique sound with Harman inspiration augmented by a big sub-bass focus. As Meze arent foldable, they take lot of space in your bag with there protecteive case that you sure want to use to portect there precious look, so its the type of headphone you care about while the PRO82 in other hand are more a all terrain and careless (to some extend) type of headphone and do not really need protective case as they are quite hard to scratch or break. In fact, the 99 Neo is almost a combination between an at-home and portable headphone, working well for both due to their great long term comfort and isolation/tuning.

Since there is a good amount of mid bass the vocals sounds warm enough and gives the girth and body to the music which is a welcome package. Yes, the 99 Classics can scale in terms of both detail and musicality as aligned to the Cayin N6II, a Best of the Year 2020 product for AudioKey Reviews. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report.

So overall, the 99 Neo’s are a warm headphone, though their large soundstage prevents congestion and separation remain quite commendable even when compared directly to some of the best headphones within this class. There is still a solid amount of detail to be retrieved, but they seem to be tuned with a less aggressive end tack.They were also more sensitive than the planar magnetic Oppo PM3’s which I found to be one of the pickiest headphones among those I had on hand.

The launch of the 99 Classics mark a breakthrough for Meze Audio, a decade-old Romanian headphones brand created by a guitar-loving founder with a desire to make a pair of headphones he could feel as passionately about as his Fender Stratocaster. Since this is only rated as 26ohms and having higher sensitivity it is very easy to drive via the smart phone. Spaciousness, openness, positioning, transparency, refinement, delicacy, and an engrossing musicality of tone/timbre and texture are what lift the Meze Empyrean above its over-achieving and quite talented sibling. The accessories are simple enough; there is, after all, not much you can do with a set of headphones. The cable is dual entry, unlike most other portable headphones that use a single side cable though it is removable, connecting via two regular 2.At first, for the purist or critical listener, depending of music style, it can be a hit or miss, but if you pair the Neo with right clear source like the Xduoo X20 or any clean DAP , Dac or (in lesser extend) phone, it will shine and make you think you have very big open back headphones over your ears or even a pair of well placed hifi speakers from each side of it. At the initial part of the track the guitar sounds sweet and the background instruments are separated out clearly. Given Meze’s other quite stellar packaging designs, the 99 Classics’ package is a great deal more modest, quasi-mainstream, everyday. The 99 Classics were simply too well-reviewed, I was suspicious and my expectations were too high, making them seem inadequate upon real-life testing. Inside the case, as mentioned, you get the 99 Neo and then a small pouch full of the accessories, which you attach to the inside of the case with a velcro pad.

I prefer a more neutral midrange within a relatively tight tolerance, but I`m probably more forgiving of brightness over darkness. However, it is always fun due to its powerful punch and it can also present finer passages without too much exuberance.

As such, the 99 Neo’s can be described as having a darker tonal tilt with bass possessing the most emphasis. The overall weight is nice and good but the texture is what lacks and that extra refinement in the bass could have made this headphone a notch better.