Over the last year or so there has been a trend in the audio world that has seen audiophile headphone makers attempt to branch out into the realm of gaming headsets. Leveraging their years of industry experience in developing and manufacturing audiophile quality drivers, these companies aim to provide a superior audio experience for gamers.
Meze Audio is one such manufacturer and has recently introduced their beautiful 99 Classic headset paired with an impressive in-house designed and manufactured boom mic. These corded, walnut and silver-plated headphones aim to offer a crisp, clean audio experience for gamers and audio enthusiasts alike. With impressive hardware, unique design and comfortable fit, the 99 Classics offer a unique look and sound. However, in today’s AI audio-filtered climate, can the 99 Classics purest approach compete? Grab that coffee and let's find out in our review of the Meze 99 Classics and Meze Boom Mic Headset.
Specifications
- Current Price: $349.99 (Meze Audio)
HEADPHONES
- Transducer size: 40 mm
- Frequency response: 15 Hz - 25 kHz
- Sensitivity: 103 dB at 1 KHz, 1 mW
- Impedance: 32 Ω
- Rated input power: 30 mW
- Maximum input power: 50 mW
- Connector: 3.5 mm gold plated
- Weight: 260g
- Ear cup: Walnut wood
MICROPHONE
- Microphone Type: Condenser
- Microphone Sensitivity: -44 ±3 dB
- Frequency Response: 100 Hz ~ 10 kHz
- Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
- Connector Standard: 3.5 mm (1/8”) jack, CTIA (CTIA / OMTP)
- Cable Length: 2.5 m / 8.2 ft
Beautiful, Sustainable Design
Designed and crafted to be fully serviceable, the 99 Classics are built from the ground up to allow for full serving and repair. CNC carved from walnut wood and finished by hand, each pair of the Classics has a unique grain and pattern. All external metal components are comprised of cast zinc and finished with electroplated coating, making them both durable and beautifully finished.
A self-adjusting headband offers an extra layer of comfort for the listener. As for the replaceable ear cups, they are constructed from medium-dense foam and wrapped in vegan leather. The most unique feature of the design though has to be the fact that the 99 Classics can be completely disassembled and all parts replaced, making the ideal for people looking for a long-term solution to their audio needs.
The 99 Classics are connected to devices via an included 3.5mm gold-plated headphone jack. This cable can, of course, be swapped out for the boom mic cable which connects the same way and offers full CTIA support for splitting audio and mic pickup. If needed a y splitter is also included to allow for complete adaptability no matter the 3.5mm connection.
As for the microphone, Meze includes an impressive condenser microphone. Featuring an omnidirectional Polar pattern, the boom mic is attached to a second 3.5mm cable and attaches to the left ear cup when used. It is fairly well positioned when attached and has no issues with pickup. The only critique of the design is that when plugged into the headset, while the mic will stay in place, sudden movement will see the mic swivel around moving closer or further from its set position. This can lead to unlevel audio capture and be a bit frustrating when engaged in some intense gaming. Changing the connection point from a rounded connector casing to a square connector casing would resolve this issue.
The overall design manages to find a beautiful balance between vintage and modern while offering all of the comforts and functionality of the latter. The Walnut finish is a nice touch and offers a natural look to the headset possibly foreshadowing the audio experience that listeners will experience. As for comfort, I am happy to report that the 99 Classics are incredibly comfortable to wear weighing a mere 260g. The self-adjusting headband works quite well and easily adapts to various head shapes and sizes. As for the earcups, I found them to be comfortable even when wearing glasses and while they are a closed-back design still managed to be quite breathable, even after a few hours of gaming. Overall the design and build are both unique and premium.
Simple Functionality
The 99 Classics feature 40mm drivers with a wider frequency response than is typically seen in gaming headsets. This can be attributed to Meze’s background in audiophile design and it plays to their advantage in the case of this headset. This range is typically reserved for higher-end headphones which generally come with a higher impedance requirement to match. What makes the 99 Classics so functional is that they can achieve the same output but at a much lower impedance, removing the need for a DAC to power them. This in turn allows for easy connection support for any gaming PC or console with a 3.5mm jack.
As for the microphone, likewise, Meze has managed to offer an impressive boom mic at this lower power requirement. It's a smart move and gives the 99 Classics a wide range of adaptability in their usage. To further accommodate this philosophy of flexibility, along with the aforementioned standard 3.5mm audio cable and 3.5mm audio with boom cable, Meze has opted to throw in an additional 8ft version of the 3.5mm cable as well as a ¼” adaptor and 1 to 2 split jack used on airplanes. All of which packs quite nicely into the included carry case.
As there are no batteries, apps or wireless components to the 99 Classics, connecting and setting up the headset is a straightforward affair. As long as the device has a 3.5mm connection, setup takes mere seconds. It's a bit of a departure from the modern gaming headset trends we’ve seen over the past couple of years with tons of AI audio-enhancing features, apps to manage profiles and custom EQ options. Instead, the 99 Classics offer a simple, natural sound with no fuss.
Quality Sound and Microphone Clarity
While that sounds great on paper, a natural, unfiltered audio experience means putting all your faith in the hardware. This of course is where Meze Audio excels and it's evident in the listening experience the 99 Classics offer. In testing the audio profile was, in fact, very natural and offered a clean, audio experience. The 99 Classics passed the frequency band tests with flying colors with no notable areas of distortion or access noise. The low-end frequencies offered solid punch without distortion and the mids and highs came through loud and clear. The overall audio mix was quite well-balanced with no frequency range overpowering the rest of the audio.
Music testing consisted of Lossless audio track listening with the 99 Classics once again crushing the tests. The mix sounded natural and balanced, never feeling too warm or bright but managing to balance that tension masterfully. As for vocal-to-instrument balance, while this is always dependent on the master mix, the 99 Classics presented each track naturally allowing the original mix to come through loud and clear. This is perhaps the most impressive element of the 99 Classics, they excel at presenting the audio as intended and with music the results were excellent.
As for game audio testing, This was an interesting affair. Once again the audio was presented exceptionally clearly and naturally. However many games struggle with their audio mix and balance and that also becomes evident when using such a clean headset. As there are no EQ, bass boosts or other audio filtering options, the audio mix cannot be adjusted. In the case of excellent game audio mixes the result is a masterful, immersive gaming experience. In cases where the audio mix isn’t quite up to that calibre, it becomes immediately evident. This isn’t a critique of the headset by any means but rather a reality gamers will face when dealing with audiophile headphones in their gaming.
Mic tests revealed an incredibly clean and clear boom mic. Meze hasn’t held back with the boom mic’s design and it shows in the audio capture. Audio pick-ups are clean and represent the source audio quite well. Except perhaps for the Audeze Maxwell’s impressive microphone, the 99 Classics offer the best headset mic I’ve tested to date. The audio is clean, clear and always nice and loud. It is worth noting that if you are coming from the world of AI-driven noise reduction or background noise cancellation, the Boom mic does pick up room noise. This should be taken into consideration when recording audio specifically. However, if you are looking for a superior headset microphone, the 99 Classics are top-tier.
Both the audio listening and capture are a delight to experience. The former offers a well-balanced, natural audio profile that excels at highlighting a great mix. The only note here is that it doesn’t cover up a bad audio mix either. As for the latter, the 99 Classics offer one of the best headphone mic experiences I’ve tested.
Final Thoughts
Almost everything about the Meze Audio 99 Classics is superb. From their clean, natural audio profile to their unique and comfortable design they are superior corded headsets. When put up against other audiophile headphones in their price range the 99 Classics are right where they should be. The challenge with these and many audiophile-turned-gaming headsets is to determine if the price justifies the gaming experience.
In the case of the 99 Classics, there is a case to be made that these are a great fit for gamers who are looking for a natural audio experience not just for gaming, but for their overall audio listening experience. If you are a gamer who also dabbles in audiophile listening experiences the 99 Classics are an excellent hybrid headset that gives you the best of both worlds. While they won’t filter a bad mix they most certainly will highlight a great mix. When coupled with the superb microphone and impressive lineup of accessories there’s a lot to like about the Meze Audio 99 Classics.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
