Meze 99 Classics 2nd Gen Review – More Than A Retread

Sound –

Tonality –

The portable closed-back headphone market has likely been the most stagnant sector in audio. There have not been substantial changes in the 10 years since the original 99 Classics was released. Despite being what I would consider quite coloured by modern standards, this has enabled the original model to remain a popular and frequent recommendation to consumers. If I had a main caveat, it would be that the original model was too thick and warm-sounding, even if that was something acceptable, even desirable, in years prior. This is something that Meze has explicitly addressed here. The V2’s tonality is substantially more balanced and tonally neutral. This makes for a versatile and enjoyable listen, and accordingly, the V2 model is a far better all-rounder rather than just scratching the itch for richness and fun.

It retains the Meze house sound via a small upper-bass hump and 4-kHz trough but is otherwise respectably linear. This imbues a slightly warmer, smoother voicing with a U-shape overall. The midrange is dense and laid-back, not for those wanting the most vocal presence and clarity, but it will appeal to those sensitive to intensity and shout. The top-end has been enhanced both in terms of quantity and extension. It isn’t overly emphasised to my ears, and I never felt that the foam filters were necessary. However, this will depend on your point of reference, as many portable headphones have a notable bass bias; those wanting such will enjoy the more low-end prominent sound delivered with the filters installed. While it won’t win awards on sheer resolving power, the V2 is well-detailed, crisp and offers a nice sense of nuance and headroom lacking on most portable headphones.

Bass –

The low end is very familiar Meze in its warm, smooth yet nicely textured character. It has apparent depth and slam but is characterised more by its mid-bass punch and fullness with a slight woolliness introduced by a small upper-bass hump. However, contrary to the original model, the extent of this character is quite tame, showcasing a notably more balanced and versatile character than before and no longer defines the whole bottom half of the frequency range. Nevertheless, few would consider the V2 to be bass-deficient even if it is no longer obviously bass-forward. You get a pleasant quantity modestly north of neutral with a lightly warm and full tonality. Bass avoids bloat and tubbiness with no overt rounding of notes. Separation remains admirable despite this, due to the well-considered level of emphasis.

While dynamics can’t match higher-end models, I was impressed by the articulate and responsive nature of the low-end on the V2. It isn’t the most physical, visceral and hard-hitting low end, but textured and agile with a very forgiving, versatile tuning that complements a wide range of tracks. With that said, its smoother character felt most befitting of older rock, jazz and instrument-based songs, delivering a natural timbre and very solid definition through the mid-bass especially. The low-end decays fairly quickly too. Where the original model was thick and powerful, the V2 retains its natural warmth but introduces substantially improved technicals, separation and note definition. The end result is perhaps not as fun on first impression, but manages to be considerably more engaging over extended listening.

Mids –

I have always been a fan of the way Meze tunes the midrange on their headphones, especially since I am personally sensitive to intensity in the upper midrange. The 99 Classics V2 follows suit, being broadly well metered but with a notable 4kHz trough that introduces a more laid-back, denser character. In conjunction with the upper-bass enhancement, the midrange is moderately warm and full-bodied, sitting just behind the bass and treble. Vocal clarity and presence are ample, but the voicing is very natural owing to a considerably more linear centre-midrange rise. Accordingly, these qualities never feel lacking, even if the midrange never steals the spotlight. It is evident, however, that 99 Classics V2 appeals to those wanting a more easygoing and relaxed listen over clarity and separation. Compared to its predecessor, the chief difference is the more balanced bass presence in addition to a jump in resolving power. The V2 is still coloured in a similar fashion, but, like the bass, in a notably more restrained manner. In turn, transparency is hugely improved over its predecessor.

So too is its timbre more lifelike, and the overall voicing is more natural and genre flexible, lacking that pervasive thickness that afflicted the early model 99 Classics. The jump in resolution is noticeable but won’t cannibalise Meze’s higher-end models either. This is a respectable presentation featuring a nice sense of layering and good note definition, but lacks the fine detail retrieval and separation of their high-end models and open-backs. I did find the upper-midrange a little closed in for my liking, albeit the overall voicing isn’t markedly off. It does mean fine details tend to be presented in quite a subtle manner that can take some time to appreciate. Thanks to a small lift in the lower-treble, the V2 is pleasantly articulate, which prevents the upper-midrange dip from defining its sound and introducing notable veil. Once again, I found the 99 Classics V2 is far more mature than its predecessor and a commendable performer in its price class.

Highs –

The top end is defined by a small 6-8kHz boost responsible for the V-shaped character the headphone exhibits in conjunction with the bass emphasis. It is subtle, sitting just in front of the bass, but can be tamed using the included filters should the user desire a warmer, smoother sound. I find it gives the headphones a pleasant sense of engagement and never wore on my ears over time. Despite the measurements, I found focus was generally more on the crisp lower-treble rather than presenting any overbearing brightness or brittleness in the mid-treble. In this vein, the note presentation is well defined and etched, but still carries ample body. I would attribute this to the modest and broad nature of the emphasis, lacking any form of peakiness, which enhances texture and fine detail retrieval. By injecting a bit more energy here, Meze aids engagement overall, helping to balance out the otherwise smoother and more laid-back character of the headphone.

Technicals perform at a good level that is easily above average in class. Extension is substantially improved from the prior model, which rewards with improved headroom, background detail retrieval and general openness. This alone permits the V2 to produce a more complex presentation than most portable closed-back headphones. That said, don’t expect huge sparkle and micro detail at the very top, nor the most incisive delivery of foreground details. The 99 Classics V2 is still a midrange product if a very well accomplished one, and so long as expectations are in order, listeners won’t be disappointed.

Soundstage –

While a definite improvement on your typical closed-back headphone, the 99 Classics V2 doesn’t have any special sauce like its pricier compatriots from Meze itself, nor your standard open-back design. Of course, this should not be expected. It still delivers a nice lateral spread just beyond the head with convincing foreground and background layering, generating an involving image. Layers aren’t hyper-separated and delineated but split between a focused, centred foreground and wider background. Imaging is broadly quite accurate if lacking that pinpoint sense of distance projection. Separation, I find quite good overall, owing to respectable note definition throughout. As the headphone is on the smooth over warm side, it avoids congestion and an overly full note presentation that might cause fine details to become obscured.

Drivability –

One of the goals of Meze’s approach to headphone design is ease of driving. Even their high-end models can be driven well by portable sources, even if qualities such as resolving power obviously scale with better sources. The 99 Classics V2 is no different, with a very reasonable 103dB sensitivity and lower 16 Ohm impedance.

Output Impedance Sensitivity

Being a single dynamic driver design, the 99 Classics V2 is easy to drive and pair with most solid-state amplifiers. Comparing the output of my THX789 to the same with a 20 ohm in-line adapter revealed no change in sound signature, as expected. Of course, tube amplifiers may provide a different effect due to the nature of how they deliver power.

Driving Power

In line with my experience with many of Meze’s headphones, the 99 Classics V2 is source forgiving and even sings happily from the included Type-C dongle. Contrary to some other over-ear designs, there isn’t a huge drop in dynamics or change in tonality. Of course, a good amplifier will help to get the most out of these headphones. I noticed that my desktop stack provided better layering and space, in particular, in addition to a slightly more defined, controlled bass. Still, the 99 Classics V2 is easy to drive and thus, simple to find suitable source pairings.

Suggested Pair Ups

Given the warmer and smoother inclinations of the tuning, I found the 99 Classics V2 to pair best with more neutral and well-defined sources such as THX-based amplifiers. Of course, some may prefer to enhance the analogue qualities of the sound here, and in this instance, the best course of action is to pair with a warmer source, especially now that the bass has taken a step back into greater balance. Besides tonality, the V2 showcases commendable stability as source output impedance rises, and they are also easy to drive, so a high-end amplifier isn’t necessary.

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