The Meze 99 Classics are an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise. If the hulking mass of their headband is not for you, consider the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 ($295.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , the Sony MDR-1A ($299.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , or the Master & Dynamic MH40 ($199.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) instead—all are excellent, thoughtfully designed options in this price range. If you like the idea of a powerful, balanced headphone pair, but want to spend less money, we are big fans of the far less expensive Marshall Major II ($199.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) .

The overall sound quality of the 99 Classics is superb, with an engaging and exciting low-end.

Honestly, I can’t stress how much I thought I would never review another Meze product. I didn't have that desire to jump back in, but I am extremely pleased to give them another chance. The Meze 99 Classics, for the price and beyond, are simply wonderful headphones that really do perform up to there with much more expensive headphones.

The Meze 99 Classics are the pinnacle of form meets function, pairing a lush, warm, vibrant sound with possibly the most beautiful design of any headphones we’ve come across.

For a sub-£300 pair of headphones to evoke such an emotional response is impressive. And that’s my point: the Meze ‘phones are for those who demand an emotional experience when listening to music. The 99 Classics might not be the most accurate headphones out there but for the right listener, they deliver proper engagement whether driven by smartphone or full head-fi system. Colour me smitten – because a neutral sound doesn’t suit every listener.

I'm a big fan of the look - clean, elegant, and classy, the 99's really live up to their name. It's a perfect pairing of a touch of vintage with the modern aesthetic, and it just works. The 99 Classics provide a good amount of warmth and depth to your music while maintaining a pristine amount of detail and clarity too. It's surprising really how much I found myself liking these headphones. Also, the price point is just right to make these a daily driver or pair of travel cans that will provide much more fidelity than your Apple AirPods or beats. Like I said before, Meze Audio makes premium products, and they do a great job bringing that premium quality and sound to ALL price points.

It is however very well finished, durable, and highly serviceable. The new silver edition looks a lot more in tune with my more subdued taste in color combinations, though gold is a top Asian choice from what I am told. I hate getting carried away with hype but I will admit I do enjoy the 99 Classics more than my conservative values should really allow me. There I said it now excuse me while I sit in a dark cupboard for a while.

Matching the physical lightness of their hardware, the 99 Classics danced nimbly and purposefully. They largely got out of the way and the let the music through, free of gross editorializing in the shape of peaked or tweaked treble, or too-rich bass fundamentals. While the 99 Classics didn't quite match the honeyed sound and voluminous soundstaging of AudioQuest's Nighthawks, they sounded more neutral overall. Sometimes, the two pairs of headphones sounded oddly similar; other times, they took different routes to sonic fulfillment. Depending on your playback equipment, the 99 Classics should provide hours of sonic sustenance with zero listening fatigue and maximum enjoyment.

The dwindling number of wired over-ears compared to a decade ago means there aren't many models around today that we’d recommend at this price point. But the 99 Classics are one of them.

You get what you pay for, and the Meze 99 Classics is a gorgeous pair of headphones with good sound to match. The price hasn't changed since its debut and listeners who want more feature may turn to cheaper Bluetooth headphones. Still, for the audio enthusiast who puts sound and build quality first, the 99 Classics is a classic.