99 Classics Walnut Gold

[This absolute class act.](https://mezeaudio.com/products/meze-99-classics-walnut-gold-wood-headphones)

Very different back insulation. Does affect sound. 

I have the 99 Classics Gen 1 and oh my god. I absolutely love them. I can't imagine how the Elite ones sound; I'll buy them someday.

I don't have enough experience with headphones to say if one is better than the other. In fact, my only headphones for serious audio are the Meze 99 Classics. And I know they're hated by a lot of people, but bro... that aesthetic they have and the way they sound, even knowing there are many better ones, they're headphones that genuinely make me appreciate music more.

A few years ago, the Modhouse Argon mk III were popular for bassheads. Nowadays those aren't sold prebuilt from Modhouse anymore though. Currently I might lean towards Dan Clark Audio closed backs for bass, though they're not really tuned that direction specifically. The Meze 99 classics are kinda bassy. Beyerdynamic has the 177x or other 700-series headphones, but beyer also can have highs that some people don't like.

I don't know about the blackshark but I can tell you my experience switching from cloud alpha to 560s. At first the 560s seem to have a lot less bass because of the neutral tuning and open instead of closed back build. The bass punchiness is missing. The sound profile is bright, similar to cloud alpha so I enjoyed the sound from the beginning. It was just perfect, no eq needed  The detail retrieval of the 560s, imaging and soundstage were much better. After using them for about 2 weeks they seem to have more bass. The brain tunes in to the new sound. But I still loved the alphas so after a year of 560s I bought a new pair of alphas (I gave the old one away). But... they did not sound as I remembered :)) Bass was muddy, details were missing, treble was further away. You don't notice so much the upgrade as you notice the downgrade after using the 560s for a while. The 560s are excellent headphones. They have superior soundstage, great detail, great imaging, you hear everything from footsteps to whispers. They are audiophile headphones. People refer to them as mid range probably because they have mid range build quality. But for sound I think they can be considered high end. They can trade blows with the hd600 which are high end. 560s has a wider soundstage and an extended bass response.  Music sounds very good. Voices like Enya, or ballades from Roxette sound divine. I really tried to find a difference between 560s and 600 but apart from soundstage they sounded identically. Same voice, same tonality, same dynamics etc. The velour earpads and open back don't cause much heating. The earpads are bigger than usual, they are lighter than most headphones and are really comfortable. They run just fine on a good motherboard audio or a good usb dongle. No separate dac/amp needed. Beside them getting louder you won't notice a quality or sound difference. I also tested hd599, hd600, meze 99, meze 105aer, beyerdynamics dt770, ananda nano and some I can't remember. In the end the 560s for me is the best pair. With a little bit of desire to also get the 105aer. The reason I gave up my alphas was that the earpad's fake leather broke down and I could not find original replacements. Any other earpad alters the sound dramatically because of different sizes. But the 560s share the same earpad with many other sennheiser models so replacements should be easier to find. Also velour should be more durable than pleather. So yes, at 120 eur they are a best buy. I don't think you could get anything better. 

I used them for an hour maybe. But I used the 99 more and they were very comfortable. Both have similar construction. Maybe look at some reviews or if you can order and return if not pleased

Grado SR80e's or the AKG K240s. I have a pair of Meze Classics but they mostly live in the case.

My desert island headphone is the Meze Classic 99. Hard case, every cable I need, high end construction, I can use literally any standard or fancy cable I like. Sounds more than good enough (more fun than precise). They also cancel a lot of noise passively. They run out of anything. My absolute favorite are the Grado SR series. I have the 80s. More than comfortable enough for me, super light, my favorite sound signature, they're open backs which I prefer. I modded mine so I can use any dual 3.5mm I like. I actually use my Meze cables quite frequently. These also run out of anything. I use the grados way more than any of my other pairs.

You gonna hate this, but get a wired closed back, something like a fiio ft1, or a meze 99classic. And than buy a bleutooth codec. Each, and I do mean EACH tws headphones i have bought, has broken, JBL tour one M2, Sennheiser momentum 4 (twice) and a bose qc 4. But my retro nano bt codec has been standing tall and lasted longer ( a year or so)

I have the v1 not the v2. I only use them inside but they are pretty isolating already. Not sure if the v2 improves on them from that perspective but I’ve heard it mentioned specifically a couple times. I used mine over the weekend to listen to the latest Geese album and I thought they were a really good fit for that. Also very comfortable. My only complaint is I don’t like the “clank” sound the headband makes when you hit it with your hand. Doesn’t happen often. Usually just when I am putting them on. Doesn’t impact the listening experience. Maybe just more of a pet peeve.