[tienbasse]

i5 is much warmer than X5-iii. Like the N5, the i5 has bigger bass than X5-iii, by far.

To be fair, I found the pairing to be better with i5/N5 than the X5-iii, but I like the big bass, so it may not suit everyone's taste.

 

[PinkyPowers]

i5 is much warmer than X5-iii. Like the N5, the i5 has bigger bass than X5-iii, by far.

To be fair, I found the pairing to be better with i5/N5 than the X5-iii, but I like the big bass, so it may not suit everyone's taste.

I feel the i5 and X5iii are about the same "warmth", but I agree the i5 has quite a bit more bass slam. The X5iii achieves its warmth through rolled-off treble. At least that's how it sounds to my ears. YMMV

 

[Dobrescu George]

I feel the i5 and X5iii are about the same "warmth", but I agree the i5 has quite a bit more bass slam. The X5iii achieves its warmth through rolled-off treble. At least that's how it sounds to my ears. YMMV

This is intriguing. So i5 doesn't have that rolled-off treble?

One of the reasons I avoided anything that was named warm or such was because I am not into rolled-off treble...

 

[RockStar2005]

I have bought Meze 99c and i'very happy with them, they have good bass and i was afraid that it will not have, can not take from my ears , so sounds nice , involving, that no need for another cans. Just thinking to buy fio x7 2nd gen or opus#3 but can not find dealer in Europe. Thank you Meze for your product it made to change my minds that headphones can sound super nice, they are comfy as well. Also had AKG550, with fio e17 it was bass light and cannot compare to Meze99c in any way, normally AKG550 is crap... If somebody is thinking to buy Meze just do it, i bought them blindly even with out heard them, super happy owner! Must have product for everyone which likes music and Meze 99c definetly brings soul here!

I'm happy you like your 99 Cs Amigozszz. I think they're the best too. I had the AKG K550, and actually I think it was great too. I would say it even sounded better than some $400 headphones I've tried, but not the 99 Cs. They are truly on a higher quality level! I think though if you someone is not looking to spend over $150-$200 on headphones that the K550 is arguably the best you can buy. The Brainwavz HM5s (see below) are supposed to be as good if not better, but some may not like their bulky appearance.

Spoiler

 

[alwass89]

@MezeTeam It looks like I waited too long to pull the trigger on the balanced cables and they are sold out now. Are there going to be more in stock at some point?

 

[mbwilson111]

The Brainwavz HM5s (see below) are supposed to be as good if not better, but some may not like their bulky appearance.

Those are scary looking!

 

[RockStar2005]

Those are scary looking!

lol

 

[PinkyPowers]

My lambskin Brainwavz arrived today!

Outstanding comfort! Yes, it changes the sound. These seal much better round my ears, so the bass naturally increases. There's no distortion. It's just the normal bass, only without as much leakage.

Soundstage seems a bit narrower. I was not expecting that from angled pads.

They can be tricky to get on. But if you just use the right balance of force and finesse, it's not so bad.

 

[Dobrescu George]

My lambskin Brainwavz arrived today!

Outstanding comfort! Yes, it changes the sound. These seal much better round my ears, so the bass naturally increases. There's no distortion. It's just the normal bass, only without as much leakage.

Soundstage seems a bit narrower. I was not expecting that from angled pads.

They can be tricky to get on. But if you just use the right balance of force and finesse, it's not so bad.

Oh, cool! I wanted to get a pair of those as well, but not in the angled form, but straight. It feels as if there is less that can go wrong with straight pads

Do they slip off easily, ot once on, they stay put?

 

[PinkyPowers]

If you put them on correctly, they don't slip at all. They aren't as snug as stock pads, but no problems whatsoever.

 

[thehamubrglar]

My lambskin Brainwavz arrived today!

Outstanding comfort! Yes, it changes the sound. These seal much better round my ears, so the bass naturally increases. There's no distortion. It's just the normal bass, only without as much leakage.

Soundstage seems a bit narrower. I was not expecting that from angled pads.

They can be tricky to get on. But if you just use the right balance of force and finesse, it's not so bad.

Are you planning on keeping the sheepskin pads on? I was very close to selling my 99 Classics because the stock and "larger" Meze ear pads hurt my ears. It seemed like most people reported that third party pads mess up their sound (including these ones). How much more bass are we talking? I find the classics to have a nice, warm bass that isn't overbearing. I could tolerate a bit more but I'm not really looking for bass cannons... Thanks

 

[superuser1]

They can be tricky to get on. But if you just use the right balance of force and finesse, it's not so bad.

Couldn't agree with you more! Did the sound change to your liking?

 

[PinkyPowers]

I need more time with them to decide. Right now I'm not loving the changes, but I'm also not hating them. More time is needed.

PS. The bass still doesn't obscure the mids, so I say it's fine.

 

[mahrous]

Hello

I have the 99 Classics. I like them. A lot. They are a big step up from my MY2010 B&W P5 and they are run through Modi2/Vali2 stack.
At the moment I'm in the market for an open back set of headphones and have my eyes firmly on the Focal Elear. Anyone has comparisons between the two? Are the Elear considerably better and worth 3x the price (I'm mostly interested in owning an open back pair)

 

[superuser1]

Hello

I have the 99 Classics. I like them. A lot. They are a big step up from my MY2010 B&W P5 and they are run through Modi2/Vali2 stack.
At the moment I'm in the market for an open back set of headphones and have my eyes firmly on the Focal Elear. Anyone has comparisons between the two? Are the Elear considerably better and worth 3x the price (I'm mostly interested in owning an open back pair)

I am also on the lookout for something similar.