Meze Audio - 109 Pro

Yeah, I had the same thoughts. They are comfortable, well built, and sound like shit unless you’re looking for this very specific signature. If you want neutral/analytical, you’re better off with some BD’s and an EQ.

The Meze 109 is a bright headphone with a strong bass presence and is not what I would consider a "natural sounding" headphone. For me it would be much closer to the HD660s2 than the 600 or 650. It is much better made than the Sennheiser headphones which are solid made but pretty much plastic all around. The wood earcups are a nice touch and the frame is manganese and not plastic. So clearly a premier looking open headphone. If you are interested in a closed headphone that is a bit more punchy than the HD600/650 the DCA Noire which comes with different pads to change tuning is one of my favorite headphones and the best closed headphone for me at that price. And really hard to compare to the 109 as the DCA is closed so starts a bit different. But of my closed headphones it isn't that far from the Meze 109 with a very solid bass and subtle V shaped sound presentation. To be clear, if you like the Meze 109 Pro (great headphone) with an AMP you are looking at \~$1000.

I got and returned the 109 Pro after few weeks. They are super comfortable, nice sounding and that is it. They are nice they didn't do much for me no complaints it just OK. I found my self going back more and more to my older Arya Stealth and 6xx. Obviously everyone is different but I think under $1000 there is much better at least objectively better headphones and you can listen to them first. Focal Clear, Arya Stealth, LCD-2C (used) I would even throw in 660S2. All these to me sounded better than 109 Pro.

ZMF Atrium for sure not even close. Own/Owned -> IE600, HD600, 6XX, Arya Stealth, Abyss Joal, LCD-2 Classic, Meze 109 Pro

Got it. The best way to test that would be to see if there's a Hi-Fi or electronics shop near you that has any headphones you're interested in to demo. Actually, with a budget that high, plus the fact that you already own a Meze Boom mic, you could check out the 105 Silva or the 109 Pro. Those are also great headphones and would allow you to not buy a new mic.

Meze 109 Pro are the perfect balance of technical skill and musicality. Plus they are super comfortable and look like a piece of art.

Do yourself a favor and pair them with a tube amp. The 109s are great using a solid-state amp, but they truly shine with a high-current tube amp. I bought mine back in April and was using them with my K11 R2R and Hiby R6 III. I recently got a Fosi GR70 tube amp unit for a review and found they open up and are more dynamic compared to running them from a solid-state amp. I have a Hifiman Edition XS and they are the least comfortable headphones I own. They are more detail-oriented but the lack of comfort keeps them off my head.

I use both open and closed back headphones for meetings. I never have any conversation bleed from open backs. I most use my Koss porta pros for meetings. They are not great for all day use though. My ears get sore after an hour of use. For longer meetings I'll use my Sennheiser HD 6XX, FIIO FT1, or Meze 109 Pro depending on my mood.

Meze 109 Pros They are the headphones I didn't think I would ever own. I was able to get them at an expo for a discount making the cost digestible. I have survived my wife's ire. They are the one pair of my vast collection that I use consistently for music.

I’m at a point in my life where I was looking to splurge on a new pair of heaphones for desktop use. Up to that point, I never really owned headphone which cost more than ~$100USD so I thought it was time I treated myself. Where I live, there isn’t any store (to my knowledge) where I could listen to a wide variety of headphones and choose what I like based on that, which meant that I would have to purchase a pair based on reviews alone. Naturally, I scoured the web for what could be my perfect pair. I eventually landed on the Meze 109 Pros, after seeing they are a very highly praised set of cans with a treble-oriented tuning (which I like) that are also “tuned for fun” rather than critical listening whilst also being quite neutral. Also, just how gorgeous are they right? Honestly I was sold on their looks more than I’m comfortable to admit. I got them about six months ago. So the first few days of using them were… weird for me. I guess all the reviews have led me to believe I’m going to experience something mind blowing? But I was never blown away by them. I had a few days where I thought they sounded amazing, and some other days where they sounded unipressive. **The Good** -I think I finally understand what they mean when they say “fun tuning”? The lower end is punchy and rumbly in all the right places (and never boomy). The treble is nice and heightened, without being sibilant most of the time, making them pretty bright, which I like. -They are so deliciously dynamic, where soft and loud sounds are played next to each other, both being well defined (is this what they mean by a headphone being “fast”? Because that’s what I would describe them as). You can also hear this dynamic when playing in low volumes. -Their build is seriously outstanding. The velour pads are the softest and plushiest I’ve ever felt. They are so comfortable and I think that’s such an important feature to have on headphones that are potentially worn for hours every day. There is no discomfort whatsoever for me (as someone who also wears glasses) even after hours of continuous use. Although, the self-adjusting mechanism is a hit or miss. Most of the time it works well, every some time the cups might slide down a bit. Clamp force was a bit strong for me at first, now it’s less so. **The Bad** -Something I personally never saw mentioned about them is they are somewhat warm sounding. I unfortunately don’t like warm sounding headphones and that’s one of the things I started noticing about them when listening to them for a bit. They overall do feel clear and resolving, but to me, their clarity and resolution are somewhat impaired by this warmth. I would describe it like there’s a little bit of haze in what could otherwise be clear sky. It’s not muddy by any means, but it’s a step in that direction. I just wish they were clearer. Others might like this in terms of the effect it has on their overall timbre but for me it’s probably the biggest gripe I have with them. -Possibly relating to the above point, their upper mids are possibly not as pronounced as I would’ve liked. -While their imaging sounds great, soundstage is honestly not very big to my ears. They have this weird thing where a lot of sound leaks out from them (as to be expected with open backs) but not a lot of sound leaks in from the environment, meaning that they don’t feel as open and transparent as other pairs of headphones I tried. They don’t feel like closed backs, but you do feel more isolated wearing these than with other open backs. -While their build is otherwise incredible, when I move my head around (even slightly) while having them on, there are these unpleasant creaking sounds that reaonate and echo through them and into my ears - due to the headband sliding up and down its shaft to adjust itself. This is another thing I never saw mentioned about them. It might be due to unit variation. In any case, it’s mostly heard when nothing is being played and while it was annoying at first, I think I did get used to it. **Compared to other headphones I tried** I got these headphones after daily driving a pair of PC37X for the longest time. In comparison, the Meze are a lot more full, especially in the lower region, much more dynamic and overall sound a lot more rich in comparison. No question about them being a huge upgrade as my desktop headphones compared to the 37Xs. That being said, I recently became interested in IEMs as well, due to the desire of having a portable pair of headphones for work and commute. After some research I landed on the Truthear Hexa, which are $80 MSRP (but they were even on sale for around 60 when I bought them). These things seriously blew my mind with how good they sound. I never realized such good sound can be had for so little and their tuning is almost perfect for my ears. In fact, I think I like their tuning even more than the Mezes’. Now I don’t mean to try and directly compare an IEM to an over-ear headphone (and I think the Meze are still more technically capable), and of course, over-ears are natually more expensive across the board. But my experience with the Hexas did put things into perspective for me, and made me realize that the 109 Pros are perhaps too expensive for what they offer. In fact, the Hexas made me reconsider so much of what I thought I knew about the headphone market. Mind you, I haven’t tried that many headphones and the 109s are definitely the most expensive pair I tried, but I did expect more out of this price bracket, especially when they were touted as the best “value” headphones below $1000 by many accounts. I also had the chance to use the less expensive DT 1990 pro and to my surprise, they ard more clear and resolving (albeit more fatiguing) to my ears. Overall, the 1990 pro is probably the more technical pair. This is just to hone in on the point that the Mezes truly aren’t the most technical for their price. **Conclusion** Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me to try and prevent me from getting into buyers remorse, in spite of the negatives raised. But, I am glad to have the 109 pros. They sound great whilst having exceptional build quality and comfort. To me they have the issue of being warm sounding, which I do wish I knew about beforehand. If you buy them, expect to get a very premium and well-built pair of headphones which have a pleasing sound, but are not the most technical for their price by any means. I would personally not categorize them as the “value” headphones that I was led to believe they were. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Definitely. I was also aware of the Hifiman Arya Stealth being available at roughly the same price at the time (they are heavily discounted now from their original price), they seemed very highly regarded and are supposed to be a lot more capable than the Meze 109 pros. They honestly seemed like the better value. But, I have never tried a planar headphone before so I thought it would be too risky, and I’ve seen mixed opinions about their comfort so I ultimately went with the Mezes. That being said, I did expect more from the Mezes, soundwise.

I absolutely love my MEZE 109 Pro. I can literally wear them for hours they are that comfortable and the sound is amazing. I’ve found several on Marketplace for around $500-$575. Here’s an active listing https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/783370794059795/?

I don't have many pairs, but I would definitely keep Meze 109 pro

i have used mine for 3 years, and i think those deserve more Attention, i wanted to go for hifiman but their QC was just a huge turn off for me, i wanted something that will last longer than me (hopefully) and i trust meze with that. and i don't wanna analyse music, i want to listen to music, and the 109 does this just right for me