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

Build quality is great. People hyped up the bass a lot and I found it disappointing. Overall the clarity/detail retrieval wasn't great either coming from the Arya stealth. I liked the 109 pro a lot more.

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.