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 they looked.
Sound. Generally; really, really good. The soundstage is pleasantly but not distractingly wide, with excellent separation both between right and left but also within each channel in the mix. Sound is clear and sharp, if a little bit punchy: notes with prominent accents can feel borderline harsh at louder listening levels, particularly in the mid-bass. Dynamic range is good, and you get a clean crescendo throughout “So Incredibly Loud” by Glass Animals. The only knock on these is that they start to feel a little hollowed-out at low listening volumes, and over the course of several hours of high-level listening they can get a little fatiguing.
Also, these headphones seem to be a little sensitive to the amp you’re using to drive them and the system that’s converting digital music to analog signals (aka the DAC). Interestingly, these may be headphones that benefit from cheaper/less transparent amp/DAC combinations.
[Audio nerd interlude: the 99 Noirs are a little sharp running through a Schiit Bifrost/Asgard 2 stack, and much less punchy running from either a Fulla or a Hel 2. I think the best sound came from a Dragonfly Red USB DAC running off an iPhone 12 or 13 Pro, or maybe even running straight from the audio jack on my MacBook Pro. No, I don’t get it either.]
Treble: clear and precise, if very occasionally a little harsh on particularly accented notes. The clapping on Massive Attack’s “Paradise Circus” sound like you’re standing in the middle of the group. The opening synths on “Coffee” by Sylvan Esso jump out at you and give a real sense of motion but let Amelia Meath’s voice cut through. It’s also the first time I’ve really gotten how Peter Gabriel arranged all of the percussion on “Games without Frontiers”.
Midrange: excellent. These are really good headphones for vocals. It feels like Tracey Thorn is sitting right next to you in her collaboration with Massive Attack, “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game.”
Bass: excellent, especially at this price range. Pretty low frequencies come through cleanly and pleasantly, even on some EDM tracks like Bondax’s “You’re So” and Flume’s “Go.” I haven’t listened to very many headphones that can really reproduce Q-Tip’s bass melody from Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til it’s Gone”, but these keep up nicely and cleanly. Overall, they move cleanly through mid-bass to full bass without any problems or particularly noticeable drop-offs. Every once in a while at high volumes, a note or two would get splattered, but that’s true of most headphones I’ve used and it doesn’t detract from the overall experience.
Noise canceling. Non-existent. That said, they’re closed back and have surprisingly good isolation for a lightweight, comfortable headphone. I wore them at work a few weeks ago and didn’t realize there was a staff party thirty feet down the hall until a coworker came over to talk to me about how loud they were being.
Controls. None. (not uncommon for wired headphones)
Connectivity. 1/8” jack only, with an included ¼” adapter. The cable detaches from each ear cup, which would make it easy to upgrade the cables.
Comfort. They’re surprisingly comfortable, even after a couple of hours. They’re reasonably light, have minimal clamping force, and fit well around my ears. They don’t’ seem to be prone to getting too warm the way a lot of over-the-ears do.
Construction. They’re an interesting design, eschewing the standard extensible arm construction of most headphones in favor of an auto-adjusting strap suspended from a rigid metal frame a la some of the Sony headphones from the mid- to late-90s. They generally feel nice and solid, though anything hard that bumps the metal frame can cause a slightly annoying ring.
Appearance. I think they’re very appealing. They’re a slight departure from their more expensive fraternal twin the 99 Classic in that everything on them is muted in color. A combination of black metal and dark-stained walnut ear cups make them nicely understated, and appeal to my particular aesthetic.
Value. These are a pretty good value buy at $200, and even better at $180. Generally reviewers thing the 99 Classics are a reasonably good value buy at $310, and unless you’re really married to gold fittings and lighter-stained walnut ear cups, these are a much better option.
Comparisons. These compare favorably to headphones in this general class that I’ve listened to. They’re warmer in tone and less harsh than the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, my previous closed-back headphone pick (though they are substantially more expensive, with the DT 770 Pro dropping to around $130 recently).
The 99 Noir also come with a well-constructed and attractive molded carrying case that provides reasonable protection for carrying in a backpack or suitcase.
Overall. These are really good headphones in their class and at their price point. They seem to play well with inexpensive DACs/amps, including the outputs of laptops and the dongles produced by Apple and their licensees, which has real value.
Unfortunately, Massdrop may ultimately be a victim of their own success when it comes to value. For only about $80 more ($40 right now on sale), you can get the Massdrop x Sennheiser 6XX, my favorite overall headphone. The 99 Noir are closed-back instead of the 6XX’s open-back design, so they have a niche and I’d imagine they’ll live in my desk drawer at my office for use when the cube farm gets noisy, but I can’t think of very many scenarios where *I* will reach for these when the 6XX are available.
For most people who want some sonic isolation and quality audio playback, I’d recommend these without hesitation. I am curious to get some after-market cables for it to see if that balances out some of the punchiness.
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