By aspect — in detail
The defining disagreement. Everyone agrees the low end is elevated and warm — a big, weighty mid-bass with real reach. One camp hears the 99 Classics' fun, engaging signature draw: full and impactful but, they argue, controlled rather than boomy. The other (anchored by the measurements) hears too much — an exaggerated mid-bass that bloats and bleeds into the mids, and that's short on true slam/speed for its size. It also isn't fixed: owners report the bass level shifted across production runs (thicker pads, an internal 'bass-port' change).
Measured
DIY-Audio-Heaven measures elevated bass below 200 Hz over a warm downward slope to 4 kHz, with low bass distortion (~0.5%); Stereophile's impedance trace shows a midbass bump centred on 60 Hz. Owners document a 'silent revision': a later thicker earpad and an internal pivot-joint change that acts as a bass port shifted how much low end different units put out — covering the grooves in a teardown 'lowered the bass quite a bit.'
⚠ vs. listeners — The lift is real and on the graph. Whether it lands as fun weight or as bloat that muddies the mids tracks the listener's taste, the pads and the production run — several owners say the bass 'bleeds' into the lower mids on busy tracks.
Where it splits
A fun, weighty highlight — big and engaging, but full rather than boomy.45%
“It is encapsulated in grandeur but doesn’t boom.”
AudiophileOn
Too much — an exaggerated low end that bloats and bleeds into the midrange.55%
“I do think that, like the NightHawks, these headphones have a somewhat exaggerated low-frequency balance.”
Stereophile (John Atkinson)
The 99 Classics' most divisive band, and it tracks a real physical tension. Warm, forward lower-mids give voices body and presence; the measured upper-mids (a 1–3 kHz under-emphasis and a dip near 4 kHz) pull clarity back. So some hear vocals as the lush 'star of the show,' while others hear a recessed, thick, slightly hollow midrange whose detail the bass warmth softens.
Measured
DIY-Audio-Heaven measures a warm downward slope from 200 Hz to 4 kHz and ties reduced clarity to a dip around 4 kHz; SoundGuys flags an under-emphasis between 1–3 kHz that resists EQ correction.
⚠ vs. listeners — The graph shows upper-mid recession, yet vocal-focused listeners still call the mids the highlight — the warm, forward lower-mids flatter voices even as the pulled-back presence region reads as hollow to others (and on the measurement).
Where it splits
Lush and forward — the vocals are the star of the show.45%
“The midrange is highly impressive and certainly the star of the show.”
AudiophileOn
Recessed and thick — clarity and presence suffer.55%
“The mids also have a ‘thick’ signature, as in lacking clarity/presence, and is way too ‘laid back’ for me.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven
Broad agreement: smooth, relaxed and non-fatiguing, a little subdued and rolled-off rather than airy or sparkly. Most find it easy and inoffensive; the trade-off is limited air and 'bite,' and measured resonances (around 8 and 16 kHz) that cap the last word in treble nuance. A minority hear it get slightly hot in the 6–8 kHz region on some material.
“There is no ‘sharpness’ to the sound which many people may find pleasing.”
DIY-Audio-Heaven
“even at loud volumes the 99s kept their cool, never sounding shouty, edgy, boxy, or otherwise criminal in the treble.”
Stereophile (Ken Micallef)
Measured
SoundGuys measures a lift between 4–9 kHz over an otherwise subdued top end; DIY-Audio-Heaven notes 8 kHz and 16 kHz resonance peaks and warns 'Don’t expect the finest nuances to come through'; Stereophile hears a slight mid-treble emphasis and 'discontinuities in the mid-treble' that 'imply the presence of some resonances.'
A warm, dark, bass-lifted, V-leaning voicing that no source calls neutral — coloured by design. Most find it pleasant, musical and non-fatiguing ('fun'), forgiving of poor recordings; neutral-seekers and critical listeners find it too coloured, and everyone agrees it's not a reference tuning. Because both bass and treble are lifted, it also EQs down easily.
“They aren't neutral and they aren't suppose to be.”
r/headphones (ThatRedDot)
“I would consider the 99 Classics as having a pretty dark timbre”
Audio46
Measured
DIY-Audio-Heaven: 'The measurements of the Meze 99 classics indicate it is anything but a ‘reference’ sound quality headphone' — elevated lows over warm, sloped mids. Stereophile's John Atkinson judged it (like the AudioQuest NightHawks) less neutral than the Sennheiser HD 650.
Soundstage
Moderate · 6 srcFor a closed-back, widely praised — spacious, well-separated and nearly out-of-head, repeatedly called among the best staging in its price class. The dissent is a critical minority who hear it as congested or 'cramped,' usually pinning that on the bass bloat rather than the width itself.
“The 99 Classics have some of the best soundstage and imaging qualities you’ll find on closed-back headphones in this price range.”
Audio46
“they sounded congested and muddled, everything was just smashed together.”
r/headphones (squidparcelmegalith)
Placement and separation rate well for the class — instruments land in clear, easy-to-place positions with good width and depth for a closed-back. It isn't open-back-precise, and the same critics who hear congestion feel separation collapses on dense material.
“The imaging is excellent.”
AudiophileOn
“easy-to-identify positions separated elegantly throughout the stereo field.”
Audio46
Genuinely split. Editorial reviewers call the detail clear and 'plenty for the price'; the measurement and critical camp — pointing at the rolled treble, resonances and bass warmth — say it's not a resolving or reference-grade headphone and that cheaper rivals out-resolve it. The warmth smoothing over micro-detail is the through-line for the skeptics.
Measured
DIY-Audio-Heaven's graphs read it as 'anything but a ‘reference’' headphone and warn the 8/16 kHz resonances mean the finest nuances don't come through; a decade of owners echo it — one A/B'd it 'in a distant, distant third' behind the E-MU Teak and Thinksound OV21, 'less refined, less energetic, less engaging, less interesting.'
Where it splits
Clear and detailed enough for the price.48%
“There’s a good amount of clarity and detail in the treble frequencies, but the response never calls too much attention to themselves.”
Audio46
Not a resolving/reference can — soft on detail, beaten by cheaper headphones.52%
“Detalisation is lacking even comparing to much cheaper headphones”
r/headphones (PavelPivovarov)
Engaging and fun to listen to, but not the fastest or slammiest. Several reviewers note the big warm bass has weight without commensurate punch/attack, and it's the one place bass-first listeners (and EDM fans chasing a planar's speed) feel shortchanged.
“if you’re looking for more drive and slam, the 99 Classics might disappoint you.”
Audio46
“these headphones can certainly slap.”
r/headphones (ThatRedDot)
Excellent for most: very light (~260 g), a self-adjusting spring-steel headband that spreads the load, and large earcups win near-universal praise for long-session wear. The real caveats are a minority report — the shallow stock pads let some ears touch the inner grille and start to hurt, and the cups run warm over time — so it's somewhat fit- and pad-dependent (many swap to velour).
“Most comfortable headset I own, nothing even comes near it in comfort.”
r/headphones (ThatRedDot)
“Due to shallow ear-pads my ears touched inner grills and started to hurt in 15 minutes”
r/headphones (PavelPivovarov)
Measured
~260 g on a self-adjusting spring-steel headband with replaceable pleather pads (SoundGuys scores comfort 8.4/10, 'the self-adjusting suspension headband does all the work'). The recurring fit issues are shallow-pad ear contact and heat build-up; several owners report the pads soften the sound and prefer aftermarket velour.
Build
Strong consensus · 8 srcA near-universal high point: genuine walnut cups, a manganese spring-steel self-adjusting headband, and a screwed-together design in which the pads, cables, headband and even the driver are user-replaceable — widely called one of the best-built, best-looking headphones at the price, backed by Meze's 'endless' spares support. The one agreed mechanical flaw: the metal headband and cable are microphonic, and the headband 'rings' audibly when tapped or brushed.
“Exquisite.”
TheMasterSwitch
“the headband produced a metallic ringing sound when I moved my head quickly or the cable rubbed against my clothes.”
Stereophile (John Atkinson)
Measured
Walnut, manganese spring steel and vegan leather; every component replaceable (fasteners, not glue). Independently flagged flaw: microphonics — DIY-Audio-Heaven ('Also the cable is quite microphonic'), Stereophile and owners all hear the headband ring; r/headphones' dr_wtf sent a pair back because it was 'prone to ringing out loudly like a bell.'
Isolation
Moderate · 4 srcOnly middling for a closed-back. It kills high-frequency noise reasonably but does little below ~300 Hz, so commute rumble bleeds through — a repeated surprise given the sealed wooden cups. Fine for a desk or quiet room; not a plane-and-subway isolator.
“Isolation is not great.”
AudiophileOn
“these won’t isolate much below 300Hz, and you will probably hear engine rumbles and vehicle noise along with your music.”
SoundGuys
Measured
SoundGuys measures 'decent' passive attenuation up high but little below ~300 Hz; DIY-Audio-Heaven rates isolation 'good' for on-the-go use — the minority view. A quiet-room-friendly, not a noisy-commute, headphone.
Split at $309. One camp calls it a giant-killer — the build, looks, comfort and warm-fun sound together punch well above the price. The other calls it overrated/overpriced: the sound-per-dollar is matched or beaten by cheaper rivals (HD 58X, DT 770, DT 990, Philips X1/X2HR), and you're largely paying for the walnut and the hype.
Measured
$309, long-standing. Much of the value is the walnut-and-metal build and repairability; sound-per-dollar dissenters name the HD 58X, DT 770/DT 990 and Philips X1 as matching or beating it for less — r/headphones' KingBasten called them 'the most overpriced headphones I have tried,' DIY-Audio-Heaven notes 'cheaper alternatives that sound equally well or even better' (minus the build), while SoundGuys lists price as its chief con (6.8/10).
Where it splits
A giant-killer — the whole package punches above its price.44%
“They offer great value and punch well above their weight.”
AudiophileOn
Overrated/overpriced — you're paying for the wood, and cheaper cans match or beat the sound.56%
“It’s very attractive and very expensive, so you really need to be sure you’re willing to spend the money on a set of wired headphones before you take the plunge.”
SoundGuys
