Being open back, one would think the Grado have bigger soundstage but that isn’t exactly the case, its just slightly wider but feel less around your head and tall because of a more fowards sound presentation. Further, there is nuance of tone/timbre, and transparency that come together to flesh out not only detail but emotion as well. BASS of HE-300 is more textured but its like if it try to compensate the lack of weight, punch and body it do not have, while the Meze even if not the tighest in attack separation have plenty of body and punch, wich give a more energic and alive sound without sounding bloated in they end. Using the same driver as the award winning 99 Classics, the Meze 99 Neo strives for precision in every component just as much as its counterpart.

For me, this is also directly reflected in the warm and rather darker sound, which is nevertheless quite musical and despite its physical character does not seem oppressive. There is no monetary incentive for a positive review and despite receiving the headphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation. The headband itself is a thick, soft and slightly padded leather strap that conforms perfectly to every head shape.MEZE always has the ambition to combine design and sound, so that their products not only functionally provide what they are made for (music playback), but also an aesthetic claim behind it. High-hats had nice sparkle without sounding overly thin while cymbals had shimmer and realistic texture. However, the fit on these headphones is not nearly so developed and a lot of these manufacturers have struggled to adopt an over-ear form factor, many coming from a rich heritage of speaker design over portable gear. This combination is itself a time machine in that it transports one to memories of turntables and tubed amps and analog tapes.

CNC carved wood ear cups, cast zinc alloy hardware with an electroplated coating, stamped manganese spring steel headband, memory foam and soft PU leather are the materials your hands and eyes will get to enjoy. All in all it is efficient, clean, though given its duality—tan gloss and black matte—it nicely skirts the predicable, the traditional. They tend to gloss over the rhythmic punch and enthusiasm of more upbeat tracks, stopping just short of a wholeheartedly good time.The Meze 99 Neo’s carry a tasteful L-shaped sound similar to that employed on earphones such as the Klipsch X10’s.