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

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.

This is a very weird headphone, in a mostly positive way. It is warm sounding, with prominent mids and thumping bass (not boomy in any way). The treble is clear and smooth, it is just not the star of the sound signature. The star of this headphone is the overall smoothness and instrument separation. It is top notch in these areas.The weirdness of this headphone - I would compare it to an optical illusion, like a curve ball thrown by a baseball pitcher. We see its movement, but scientific experts say its an illusion. With this headphone we hear the movement and sound separation, but soundstage is merely average to slightly above average, with above average detail resolution. Yet, such a big, spacious, and meaty sound is the result. This sounds like great bands playing in a rehearsal space or small club. Intimate, and hard to contain the music. That is the feel- reverberating against the closed in walls of a small venue.A music analogy: A Hammond Organ sounds very smooth and adds sound bite and soul to any song. It is a nice instrument because it sings and is complimentary of human voices. This headphone is a Hammond Organ. Its overall sound is complimentary of human voices. It is soulful in its effect. Listening to Marvin Gaye with the 99 Neo confirmed my perspective.5 stars because of the top notch smoothness, sound separation, and soulfulness that is complimentary of human voices. Everything sings to you intimately. Build quality seems excellent. Microphonics not as bad as some claim. This is a beautiful headphone with minimalist abstract art qualities. Takes phone calls with a microphone. It is portable with decent passive noise isolation. I just can't understate how meaty and enjoyable the sounds are from this headphone. Analytical connoisseurs should look elsewhere.I use this headphone with a dac/amp to maximize its potential.

These headphones are very nice. They're what I was looking for. What makes them great for me:1) Closed-back, so I have good sound isolation. Not noise-canceling (I need to be able to hear a little bit, at least if someone is calling for me) but strong enough isolation to not be disturbed by the chaos.2) Good audio that doesn't strongly favor a specific type of playback. I use headphones for games, movies, shows, music, etc.3) Moderate price, as I can't be spending a ridiculous amount of money on headphones, even if I expect them to be durable.4) Durability, since each piece of the unit is serviceable. Replacing anything is possible should it break. (And the parts themselves look to me to be strong off the bat. I note this because I had an ATH-40 set where the hinge just died—a common point of failure, apparently.)5) Style, as they just look really nice. A lot of over-the-ear headphones look bulky and ridiculous. These are extremely elegant.6) Comfort, since they are light and fit very well during extended usage. (I will note that I have central air, so my home doesn't get hot and thus the pad material is generally not a concern for me.)I have a few notes (all related to the cable), not worth docking a star for:1) I would have liked a cord that was not plastic/rubber above the split. The bottom section of the cable is nice. The top is not as much. (I may end up replacing the cable with something else in time and I doubt I would choose to service that part with an original replacement.)2) The interface (2 very slim jacks) on the earphones is moderately annoying as it limits the replacement cable options. It looks nice but it's unfortunately not super practical.3) I can't tell if it's the mic or the connection through an adapter (phone has a usb-c port), but the recording pickup from the inline is poor for me. Not a real problem as using it with my phone is not a typical use-case.Overall I am quite pleased (and I got the set on slight sale, so even moreso) and absolutely recommend this product if your desires are sim ilar to those I outlined above.