Massdrop x. Meze 99 Noir
[ MSRP $199 , purchased on sale (which they regularly are on) for $179. These are identical to the Meze 99 Classics , which retail for $309.] [ Tl;dr: These headphones are really solid for their price range, though they are a little sensitive to DAC/amp fit. I think most audiophiles would rather spend a little more to get headphones that play more nicely with higher-end output devices, but they’re a really good upgrade option for consumer-grade headphones. I’ll definitely keep using them, and I’m curious to explore after-market cable options to see if they address the few shortcomings.] Scores: Cost-agnostic: 7 out of 10 Denalis Cost-sensitive: 8 out of 10 Denalis Intro. I bought these initially as a gift, only to find out that they were too large (something that has never been a problem for me!). I decided to hold on to them instead of returning them as I’d been eyeing this particular pair of headphones for a couple of years based off of reviews and how much I liked the way...