It’s been a while sense my last wired Headphones review. Frankly, I thought I was done with audiophile headphones. I thought after the 6xx, edition xs and the 490 pro experiments, I had found my limits, so I thought. Sure I have not tried all the brands out there for headphones. I never expected to. I always knew after my experiments with IEMs I wasn’t ready to do this all over again. I bought $2000 IEMs but never spent more then $500 on wired headphones. And my experience with Sennheiser and Hifiman, was all I wanted to deal with at that time.
Fast forward years later and the theme that kept headphones off my head was the overwhelming huge size things like the Edition XS and Sennheiser 600 series looked on my head. I wanted more manageable headphones that didn’t look too out of the way and swallow my face. And yet I wanted comfort, soundstaging, details, warmth with natural timbre, vocals, and yet Bass without noticeable rolleoffs.
What I got this Fathers day, thanks to my wife, was a brand I never had and always thought that they headphones was on the best looking quality headphones I’ve ever seen but never pulled the trigger because of the price. My wife, didn’t have that same concern, obviously:). She gifted the Meze 109 pro and it’s one of the most thoughtful gifts she given to me.
The quality, look, and feel was just outstanding stand out over headphones. The level of details placed into the making of this headphone is beyond anything over ever spent for IEM even at $2000. Headphone deliver more for your money than IEMs and that fact was never addressed in my mind like this until now. It actually upsets me thinking about the amount of money IEM’s cost and what they provide for that amount vs Headphones. I also now see that this one $800 wired headphone is better than my $1000+ IEM’s. And also better than my previous headphones like my 490’s to my surprise. I honestly didn’t buy to replaced them but compliment them on my computer gear while I continue to use the 490’s for my Music DJ area.
The level of work put into building these headphones and the attention to details is just on another path and planet. Being handmade and the materials used is just like pieces of Art molded into the surface of wood, copper, and metal. The resolution is on different level, the soundstage is true expansive examples of music. It’s just one of one from the look, sound, and build quality. This headphone is the one over all others for me. My family could have gotten another Hifiman, Sennheiser, Audeze, Focal headphone, or any other brand out there. But none of those were what I wanted. Ever since I saw this headphone years back, I knew I was going to get that one, one day. Even when they released the more affordable 105…the 109 was still the one that made me look over my shoulders at. The Meze brand just seemed to think of me with this model. And while they have other more expensive models, I just don’t like those. I’m just one of these guys that don’t want to look like a science experiment or Dr. Brown from “Back to the Future”. Meze as a company is just beautiful in their approach regardless though. I’m very glad to have the option with the brand to have a smaller thumbprint on the overall size of the headphone that I am most attached to.
Even their purpose of creating their company logo stands for something more than just another headphone. Their work into their product creates legacy with their products. These product not only are easy to take care of, but also easy to take apart if needed. They are built to last your life time and be passed on to your kids. This is what makes the money of $800 worth it for this products especially when I’ve had IEMs not on this same level that cost way more and are less reliable or not built with the same intention to last for generations. Meze products are just one of those brands who builds their products differently and for good or bad, that design is going to create a different result for different people. So I don’t think there is a one single earphone or headphone that is for every single person. I’m just glad this one is mine.
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