Meze, though a relatively young company, is well known in the audiophile world. With a solid IEM range and the famous 99 Classics under its belt, to audiophiles, Meze is a household name. After a brief break in releases, they are back to impress us again with the new 99 Neo, a more wallet-friendly version of the 99 Classics. Did they pull off threading the needle between cost cutting and maintaining performance?

You can find the 99 Neo on pre-order here, on Meze’s official website, for $250.

Disclaimer: This unit was provided to Resonance Reviews free of charge for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Meze beyond this review. These words reflect my true, unaltered, opinion about the product.

Apology: I would like to issue Meze a public and formal apology for my lateness on publishing this review. It’s unprofessional, and is a mark on my reputation.

Preference and Bias: Before reading a review, it is worth mentioning that there is no way for a reviewer to objectively pass judgment on the enjoy-ability of a product: such a thing is inherently subjective. Therefore, I find it necessary for you to read and understand what I take a natural liking to and how that might affect my rating of a product.

My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, mid-bass. The mids should be slightly less pronounced than the treble, but still ahead of the bass. I prefer a more bright upper range.

Source: The 99 Neo was powered like so:

Nexus 6P -> earphones

or

Hidizs AP100 3.5mm out -> FiiO A5 3.5mm out -> earphones

or

HiFiMAN SuperMini -> earphones

or

PC optical out -> HiFiMe SPDIF 9018 Sabre DAC 3.5mm out -> earphones

All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC.

Sound Signature

Initial Impressions:

After being spoiled by the 99 Classics for so long, the 99 Neo was welcomed by my ears. Meze tried quite hard to imbue that magical tonality that the Classics into the 99 Neo, and to a large degree succeeded. The treble is crisp and forward, but not brash and harsh. The mids are clean and sit right behind the treble. The bass is slightly less emphasized than the mids are, making it the more balanced of the two 99-series headphones.

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy

Treble is sweet and forward. In both Satisfy and Midnight City, the treble was able to push through the din without being sibilant or sharp. Extension is great, as is the placement of treble-bound instruments.

The treble is very detailed and able to convey minute differences in the tonality of the violins of Outlands well. The litany of treble-bound background elements also come through the song well enabling a decently symphonic experience.

High-hats and cymbals sound great and are easy to pick up in the mix. I never once felt as if they were distorted or overblown. Treble attack and decay speeds are good.

Mids: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams

The attack and decay of the 99 Neo is great. Guitars have a wonderful timbre to them. Electric crunch and growl is on point, a favorite feature of mine from the 99 Classics that I’m glad carried over.

Pianos sound full-bodied and dynamic. The 99 Neo’s mids are clean and clear without being boring, a testament to the skilled individuals who tuned it. The lower mids are present and well-toned without being overbearing and thick.

Vocals are above-average in terms of intelligibility and have a fantastic weighting to them, male and female vocals alike. This is really the cherry on top, making the 99 Neo a quite compelling headphone. It’s great mixture of detail retrieval and balanced sound is a big plus for me.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), Leave Me

Bass guitars are clear and dynamic within the mix. While shaping and emphasis were more to my personal tastes with the 99 Classic, the 99 Neo’s more light-handed approach may appeal to those who seek something different.

Bass wetness is more on the dry side, indicating a linear amount of mid and sub-bass. While drops are still satisfying and certifiably “filthy” in electronic music such as Gold Dust, the bass-head in me wants more. Again, that judgement falls under the personal taste category.

In For The Kill really highlights the 99 Neo’s bass extension. I get a pretty good “sub woofer-esque” feeling from the overall bass signature. While sub-bass rumble isn’t quite where I’d like it to be (nor where it was with the 99 Classics), the Neo’s performance is still quite good, and should appeal to those looking for a balanced and natural sound.

Packaging / Unboxing