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. There is still a solid amount of detail to be retrieved, but they seem to be tuned with a less aggressive end tack.

Its attractive packaging and as such, they are perfect for giving as a gift for birthdays and holidays. Know then, that the Meze 99 Classics will provide bass across Hip-Hop, Rap, Stravinsky, Bruckner, the 1812 Overture (with cannons), etc. We are in a warm, musical, permissive world with the Meze, everything is quite balanced with the exception of bass kick. The presentation is sure well thinked, and I think Antonio Meze is really meticulous about every esthetical aspect of Meze brand. cables carry the same design with a tapered aluminium straight jack, braided lower segment with basic rubber sheathing above the y-split.Essentially styling and build quality are excellent, and the changes can be seen in the materials for the earcups and the sound signature. Listening to the Meze 99 Classics is not a passive experience as they will engage heart and soul and feet and fingers to tap, and one’s head to bop. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie— Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Terminator, In the Shadow of the Moon, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning. One of my favorite tracks Árbakkinn from Olafur Arnalds’ Island Songs (Island Songs, Mercury (Universal France)) begins as Icelandic poet, Einar Georg Einarsson, recites one of his poems in his native language. Every aspect is incredibly well thought out and far more pragmatic than the vast majority of portable headphones that struggle with at-home usage due to over-emphasis on portability.

We highly recommend the Meze 99 Classics to music and movie lovers across our very small, wide world, who from time to time seek a comforting balm, an audacious stroll down hip-hop lane, a raucous sci-fi movie, or simply to time travel to another musical epoch or, perhaps, a specific point or memory in their lives. They lack a bit of bite and certainly some brilliance, but they still don't necessarily lack liveliness.

In sum the DX220 splendidly drove the 99 Classics to a higher performance level with a tonality safely ensconced in analog-like musicality, but closer, no doubt, to the neutral zone. The 99 NEO is not only visually very appealing, it also does not show any weaknesses in terms of workmanship. It’s also a very unique looking headphone that bucks the usual design trends that tend to homogenize “fashion” headphones into minimalist leather clad omegas, with a retro inspired design that’s an instant modern classic. I`m not particularly treble sensitive and can tolerate large amounts without fatigue, though too much ruins the enjoyment.