Meze 109 Pro Headphone Review - All Aboard the Hype Train?

[@nonchalantd]

The cable port discussion was a good addition to the review.

[@richsavage4052]

EXCELLENT review! Nice to know that the 109 Pro is not overpriced. Thanks

[@soulfulfool]

it is overpriced xD

[@Michael_mki233]

Now that's an "honest, thorough" review! Probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I wouldn't mind if more of your reviews started pushing the hour mark.

[@wavetheorysound]

Lol. I don't think my voice is sexy enough for that 😆

[@planewreck4214]

Plz don’t spend half hour taking about cables

[@ZiggieZoo]

My Meze 109 Pro headphones are sublime balanced from my Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, using LQI Cables copper cables.

[@terencem881]

I own the 109 pro's and would agree with every word of Wave theory's review. I would add that I have adjusted EQ and am now using a balanced Hart cable plus on occasion another custom cable and any brightness issues are now 'sorted.' The 109's scale very well and my synergy tip is to partner with the Ifi Gryphon. Great sound......😊Excellent, on point review by Wave Theory.

[@David-fo6oy]

I know you have been reviewing for a few years now, but I have to say, with this video, I am really starting to notice that you are really owning your own judgment and voice as an astute, experienced, and knowledgable judge of audio. Well done. Give this guy 50,000 subscribers!

[@franzurdaddy]

Great review wave! Yours are by far the most practical and understandable descriptions of sound I have ever heard anyone use in the Audio reviewer Sphere.

[@lb3537]

You’re reviews are spot on man! Honestly one of the best reviewers out there and I watch them all. I own the he1000 stealth, Arya stealth, ananda stealth He6se v2, 109 pro, focal radiance, and focal clear … I couldn’t agree more… my main draw to the 109 pro is that it sounds good with little or no amplification compared to all the others so I can walk around my house with a dongle dac and it’s sound s great!…. 1000% agree with your ranking of those headphones…. However, the Arya stealth craps over all of them for 999 as far as bang for the buck! That is an amazing deal and the 109pro cannot hold a candle to it. Everyone should run and buy an Arya stealth… while they still can…I actually prefer the He6se v2 second of my headphones and then the he 1000 stealth…. For some reason though I just always find myself reaching for the Arya which presently is my #1! I think it’s just so well rounded and everything sounds great on it!

[@FitLabb]

I think this is a case where personal preference comes into play quite a bit, as I just recently bought a pair of these headphones as well as a set of Focal Radiance, and I found the Meze 109 Pro to sound superior to the Focals, not to mention the open back Meze 109 Pro has noticeably better bass than the Radiance do, which really surprised me. Not sure if this has to do with other outside factors, but this was with using all stock factory cables and the same DAC/Amp. Either way, it was interesting to hear your take, and a very thorough and honest review. 👍

[@wavetheorysound]

Personal preference is the ever present factor to be aware of on all subjective audio reviews (among other things). It is also often gets used in a hand-wavy manner to gloss over real problems. Enjoying the bright presentation of the 109 Pro is a matter of personal preference. The harshness, sibilance, and lack of separation caused by the stock cable is an actual problem. I tried cables that retain the brightness, but do it in a much smoother, cleaner way that is rather enjoyable. The stock cable is an actual problem here. The Radiance is actually another example of how a stock cable can really harm the experience of a headphone. The stock cable on that one injects a peak in the upper mids that gives the headphone a lot of shout and honk that it doesn't have on some other cables, and also brings in a lot of sharp sibilance as well. Unfortunately the bad stock cables issue is not rare. I have a couple of Radiance videos out where I discuss this issue in more detail. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers.

[@FitLabb]

@@wavetheorysoundAfter reading your reply, I think I need to give both headphones a try with a different better quality set of cables to hear the difference it can make for myself to understand and appreciate what a difference it can actually make. I know some also doubt the effect the “burn in time” can have on headphones, but I’m also curious to hear for myself if there is a tangible difference once you log a good amount of hours on any given headphones, as I haven’t used either set for very long yet. What is a good quality brand to consider buying cables from that’s reasonably priced with good performance, and won’t break the bank? I know you shared a few brand names somewhere in the video, but I forgot what they were. EDIT: Nevermind, I just found the links you left to the different cables you talked about as options to consider. Thank you!

[@gregorydavid5894]

I own the Meze 109 Pro. Your detailed review is much appreciated as there have been a lot of contradictory reviews. I bought it because: 1) It's easy to drive and the headphone amp in my wonderful Wattson Madison streaming DAC only puts out 2 x 100mW at 32 ohms. 2) Many reviews were positive, apart from the treble and often comments were that break-in helps. 3) Due to a diving accident and my age, my hearing starts to roll off at 7.5k and is gone by 11.5k, so I did not think the treble would be much of an issue and this is probably end game for me because of my hearing. No way am I spending 4 grand on headphones! 4) I bought an open box for $645. Surprisingly my treble rolloff really does not effect my enjoyment of music or my critical skills, albeit for my hearing :) Anything mixed well without hard treble and without sibilance sounds terrific. However sibilance is something almost everyone can hear, peakiness too and it's rather noticeable. My feeling is that the recordings/mix is more to blame than the headphones but I have been thinking about buying a different pair that is a little more laid back in the treble for the music I love which is in the rather bright category. Now that you point out that the cables supplied with the 109's are garbage I have ordered a cable from Hart Audio before I make that decision. Thanks again!

[@spamcan9208]

I also got my as an open box. Have you received your new cable yet? I'm althinking of buying a hart cable too.

[@gregorydavid5894]

As a matter of fact I got the Hart Audio cable (Standard) today.... I cant listen on my main system because I had the carpets cleaned this am and I had to disassemble the rig to clear the room, but I plugged them into my ifi GoBar (1/4" adapted to 3.5mm with a good adapter), fed by MacBook Pro though Audirvana and listened to two tracks that were bright and edgy with conspicuous sibilance in the vocals using the Meze stock cable. Ava Vegas - Desert Songs # Falling, & Prince - The Vault/Old Friends 4 Sale #When the Lights Go Down. From the first bar the difference was immediately noticeable and the change remarkable! Edginess was replaced with clarity and resolution, there was a richness of tone and definition and weight in the bass, I have not heard from the 109's and the sibilance reduced to pretty much nothing! I listened to tracks I had been enjoying next and found the transformation in those too. The shouty-ness is gone, clarity is there in spades, upper register piano particularly is transformed and the richness in tone is most welcome. Best $90 I ever spent on hifi! The Meze stock cables, as Wave Theory says, are destroying the great sound of the 109 Pro headphones, absolute junk!

[@spamcan9208]

@@gregorydavid5894 Thanks for taking the time to respond to me. I also appreciate the two songs for examples. It sounds like this cable might work for me too.

[@marksalamon619]

I tend to stumble into the rabbit hole of "analysis paralysis" when making decisions about buying A/V components (and this often results in purchasing nothing at all). This has been especially true concerning headphones, so I definitely appreciate your detailed and comprehensive review that helps me take the Meze 109 Pro off my list of models to consider. While these headphones have many fine qualities, your critique allows me to understand that they're not quite what I want. I look forward to seeing your reviews of the 2023 planar models recently introduced by HiFiMan.

[@thomosburn8740]

Have you considered older HifiMan? I took my HE400S to a headphone show and to my ears they sounded better than anything in the room. A $3k metal and wood headphone is better built of course but they did not sound any better than my $250 HE400S! And I was seriously looking for a better sounding headphone that day, if it even existed.

[@marksalamon619]

@@thomosburn8740 Thanks for your insight! I have been considering several different older and newer HiFiMan models. Researching them has shown that they seem to vary widely in build, fit, and performance quality (some models are nearly distortion-free while others behave less well in this regard). Unfortunately, the HE400S appears to be discontinued (and the current HE400SE has a non-suspension headband that isn't a good fit on my small, narrow, & angular head). The Edition XS has gotten great reviews but has the same non-suspension headband. So, my search continues. I'm giving the less pricey Audeze models a serious look. I appreciate your thoughtful help!

[@PartyMusic775]

@@thomosburn8740 Those are good headphones but to be fair, it's easy for "brain burn-in" to set your daily headphone as its "reference", then anything sounding different will sound "off" for a while until you re-equilibrate. I had this problem when I replaced my bargain-amp with a high-end amplifier. I actually thought "oh no, I bought a piece of trash, it's not even as good as my $200 amp!" Well, two days later I realized the new amp was annihilating it in every category and sending it to ER to be put on life support. But it took two days. Just sayin'...

[@endody9519]

I have not regretted dropping 800 on these cans; quite the opposite. They are just so damn enjoyable. And comfortable. And beautiful. Thank you for the great review 🏆

[@jacksonville4932]

How does it do with bass on rap or trap? If you listen to that. Thanks a bunch

[@MultipleInterface]

Overall, great review. I agreed with about 95% of it. The only thing I’d say personally is the sound is right in the 800 dollar range but the build punches above its weight class and competes with that of much higher priced cans. Also, the sound comparisons were fair, but maybe another brand other than Focal and Hifiman would have been nice, maybe a comparison to an Audeze? But, like I said, great review! You’re quickly becoming my favorite headphone reviewer

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

i added too many zeros

[@MrPassiontea]

Can you please measure the frequency response between cables since you notice such a difference?

[@markentwistle9970]

Great review. Nice to have a reviewer that doesn't hype everything they hear. I own these. I agree they're of their price point compared to others. My hearing drops off just before the treble peak so they actually sound quite warm to me. I think they're ideal for people in their mid 40's and upwards.

[@dangerzone007]

Headphone cables shouldn't change frequency response. If they do you've got something wrong.

[@ramonmateos275]

FANTASTIC review. Plenty of useful info and meaningful comparisons. A reference. Thank you!

[@CoffeeGameMovie]

Bro u just sold me with that hype train/punching up section, really really good talk. Peaple cant think about shades, so if there is something they like, it should be perfect and better than anything. Other than that, i think the visual stimulus happens with them too, so if the headphone is nice and good looking they tend to rate it higher. No doubt the meze heaphones are beautiful, so i think the users inherit this to the sound too. Comfort the same boat, if the heaphone very comfortable they tend to rate it higher as it will be a cozy experience. Rare that a very uncomfortable headphone have a very good sound u know. :) At least a rarely find this phrases in the same context.

[@spamcan9208]

I feel better knowing I got mine for a few hundred less and they still were basically brand new. Even still had that "new smell." The treble is definitely on the harsh side and if a hart cable can smooth it out and take the edge off, I don't mind spending a little extra money.

[@squirts1]

Na don't listen to this guy... if you think the treble is peaky, just put a little piece of foam in front of the driver. or.... EQ it down. free.

[@SeanLiu4]

I remember the first headphone I auditioned for when I walked into Audio46 store in New York in January this year. It was this one - the Meze 109 Pro. As Wavetheory says, there was a LOT of hype around this headphone, claiming it was really good and amazing for its price. Hence why it was my first headphone that I auditioned. I listened to it for 2 minutes. That's all it took for me to realize that I didn't like it. It sounded bright, shimmery, the bass was a bit too strong for my liking and the timbre was off. I ended up auditioning the Audeze LCD-2C and X, along with the Hifiman Ananda. I gotta say, I LOVED all three of those I just mentioned. I ultimately went with the LCD-2C

[@B2Rockin]

@SeanLiu4 I auditioned the Ananda, LCD2C and LCDX also, my question is - how on earth did you end up with the LCD2C over the LCDX? The LCDX was far superior in my opinion, across pretty much every genre.

[@SeanLiu4]

@@B2Rockin I thought so too. I suppose my brother influenced my decision to an extent at the time. Plus, I wasn't sure if the X was $300 usd extra for the increase in performance... 😅 Although the 2C is still a good headphone, not buying the X remains one of my biggest regrets / buyers temorse

[@B2Rockin]

@@SeanLiu4 Aw I’m sorry man, not trying to rub it in. You still ended up with a great headline. The law of diminishing returns is real for sure, if you caught a deal on the LCD2C it could be almost half the price for the X, so totally understand that. I honestly ended letting them all go because they were too much money for me at the time lol. It is one of my regrets also, but one day, could always get it! 🤙🏻

[@SeanLiu4]

@@B2Rockin it took me 4 years before I bought another headphone after my HD 660s. I *never* let hype, reviewers or influencers dictate how many headphones I buy or the rate at which I buy. Still, wish you luck in your future purchases! 👍

[@DrDoinks]

The bass is a bit too strong? The bass is virtually nonexistent. I know everyone’s taste is different, but that just sounds crazy to me

[@hest]

Thank you for yet another great video. As the Hifiman Arya Stealth edition price dropped yet again here in EU to the basically the same price as the Meze 109 Pro's, I am bit torn as to which one I want to buy. I just recently got into this hobby and bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 660S2 a long with a stack of Ifi Zen Signature stack dac and amp and I really enjoy the sound, especially for rock type music. I do however also listen to a lot of pop and electronic music and sometimes I feel the 660S2's to be too laid back in their sound signature for lively, energetic genres/songs of music. That's why I am looking for a complementary second pair and also a step up from the S2's. I am a bit worried about the QC issues and the potentially less durable Hifiman products but the sound quality seems like a step up from even the 109 Pro's. I am a bit of a sucker for the buyer/owner experience though so the 109 Pro's premium package is almost irresistible to me. I think the Zen Dac One Signature and Zen Can Signature should drive both well enough too. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[@darylkos3985]

Very good and complete review thank you

[@gavin8489]

Nice review, Big Guy! What about the long awaited video proving that expensive cables sound different/better?

[@18andcloudy]

It's so true what you said, about the myth of the 'giant killer'. I don't know of a single headphone that wasn't priced at, near or above it's performance - never below, it's so unlikely I've stopped waiting for it. The last was probably the moondrop blessing 2, but they aren't especially endgame, just high resolving, neutral hybrids - and frankly i doubt they or any other brand will make that mistake again. I thought the Verum 1's were close, but it's been a while since I owned them, and I could not speak to quality assurance at all.

[@PartyMusic775]

He mentioned a few. Also the HE-6SEv2 and HE-560v4 are in the elite group of rare exceptions, who punch above their weight. Add to that the used Arya Stealth v3 going for $750 now, absolute giant killer cleaning that's cleaning the floor in used market value.

[@PartyMusic775]

He mentioned a few. Also the HE-6SEv2 is in the rare exceptions who punch above their weight. Notice he said the 109 Pro is priced right at $800, but the HE-6SEv2 for $450 smokes it. If you were more thoughtful you'd realize that means the HE-6SEv2 is indeed a giant killer. The HE-560v4 at $230 is its junior brother and takes no prisoners on any headphone up to $500 (with the exception of its big brother.) And to round this list off, the Arya Stealth v3 going for $750 used right now, cleans the floor and leaves no survivors in the $1100 and under used market.

[@shawnrobinson5242]

Arya Stealth were good to me, but the HE6SEV2 did indeed wipe the floor with them and many others. One headphone that is new-ish that is definitely a giant killer is the JM Audio XTC. You choose the tuning, you choose your pads, you choose the look of the headphones, not to mention John's sound guarantee. For the life of the cans, he will retune them for the cost of shipping. Even without all of those amazing options, the sound really does leave you wanting for nothing, unless you need an HD800S sized soundstage. They are simply value godzillas!

[@jaegervand2112]

This, along with my Sony MDR-Z1R, is the headphone my non audiophile friends like the most.

[@dennisvdmeer6780]

Thank you for the excellent and clear review once again. I find the Meze 109 Pro to be a fantastic headphone for its price. However, today I received the HE 1000 V2 Stealth, and what an amazing headphone this is! I bought it at a great price after watching your reviews of the HE 1000 V2 Stealth and HE1000 SE. I enjoy watching your channel, and you're doing a great job. Best regards, Dennis.

[@lukasjanecka9996]

Thank you for a proper headphone review. Not enough of those out there...

[@mimimmo]

Thanks for the review and comparison, where did you get the pad for the hifiMan he6se V2?

[@stevendavis1135]

I won't even consider buying audio gear until wave reviews it. I love you man.

[@therationalpiper7428]

Was thinking these would be the best portable cans for use with some of the better dongles (got the RU7), but realistically I'd rather carry IEMs around. I only use full size headphones at home/office. I think the Ananda Nanos and a desktop amp are a better bet.

[@brothatwasepic]

As someone who just took a 40-minute video (for myself) of just unboxing my Focal Utopia 2022's I LOVE your long technical awesome reviews! ❤

[@moonabhinav]

Thanks for honest review

[@jamestorres5582]

I enjoy all your reviews and though our tastes are subjective I appreciate your thorough and honest reviews . Sooo it's a no buy for me 😹😹😹 Thank you Sir

[@pappsa8]

Well done review!!

[@iusiel]

From a cable compatibility standpoint, the Periapt splYt - Combo (Types 2, 4, 6 or 8) 6-foot fit this headphone.

[@kitdenerley]

I bought them on eBay but even at a discount I don’t think they’re worth the wonga. The aggressive treble and scooped out mids make music sound unrealistic and fatiguing. Maybe they’re tuned for audiophile reviewers who listen to gear rather than music? Mine are going back on eBay

[@KAL-589]

Nice long review. Did my entire cooking for dinner the same time. Cheers!

[@qboogie]

The easy driveability of these cans, in addition to their handsomeness and technicalities (imaging is pretty good!) Is what makes them attractive. Getting decent, portable, comfortable open-back performance with a dongle DAC while in my backyard is something my other cans can't do

[@bonanzabrandon6877]

By far the most fascinating thing about this youtube channel is his sheer disdain for so many headphones that are loved by the rest of the world.

[@chesterp.1434]

For the price I'll stick with my Ananda.

[@kajetan9550]

Since you have a collection of popular upper end cables, will you make a video comparison with them? I’ve always hesitated on lavri grand silver. Eventually got Invictus palladium/silver line

[@thomosburn8740]

That the cable choice makes such a big sonic difference is no doubt related to the high sensitivity of these drivers. IE: A low sensitivity driver would offset any "benefit" of a cable swap.

[@wavetheorysound]

For the attenuation due to the DC resistance of the cable this is true. For the phase shifts due to different AC frequencies traveling through/along/around (however you want to describe it) conductors at different speeds the driver impedance becomes less of a factor.

[@therationalpiper7428]

I'd really like to hear a comparison between 109pro and Focal Radiance for portable use with a good dongle.

[@MaybeMizuki]

About that whole segment on wires, a random internet stranger's 2 cents: (I know it will not sway someone one way or another who already has their opinion set in stone, I do recognise we are on the internet here after all) The material a wire is made of has different electrical characteristics, yes, but at the lengths and frequencies we deal with in analog audio signals for headphones, that is entirely insignificant. Unless one cable has massive impurities in the copper, bad a connection at the terminals (so what I'd call manufacturing defects, essentially) or basically filtering components in them, to purposefully tint the sound on way or another, it doesn't make a difference. When it starts making differences is what I had to deal with in my previous job. At the 10s to 100s of meters in length and in the many MHz frequency range. So that stock cable to me sounds it had a manufacturing defect, or the supplier they used is seriously bad at their job.

[@wavetheorysound]

I appreciate the 0.02 but I have to push back on the claim that different effects are only significant at MHz or higher and on extremely long cable lengths. Published peer-reviewed literature on the subject is scant, but a 2021 publication "An electrical study of single-ended analog interconnect cables" by Milind N. Kunchur (just copy/paste that into scholar[dot]google[dot]com to get a free pdf) there is systematic and measured evidence of varying time-domain conductive behaviors of different cables through the audio band. On its own this work doesn't establish audibility, but it does provide measurements showing different and frequency-dependent electrical behavior through the audible spectrum.

[@BillGrady]

I didn't like the treble on Meze 109 Pro at all when I auditioned it earlier this year. The Sennheiser HD 660S2 was a much better choice for me, and I'm still loving it. Another top shelf review!

[@Charles-kq3ce]

Was considering the 109 but i will now look at other options. I feel if the realism of the strings are lacking and thin then I would rather go for something that is more geared towards good separation for piano and Orchestra. If there is something particular worth checking out in the 800 to 1400 price point please let me know what you would consider and if balanced cabling is also better.

[@NeilBlanchard]

It certainly *seems* like the stock cables have some (significant?) capacitance? I.E. that is a highpass filter, or worse?

[@ourada46]

Thanks for the review. It's a shame you don't have access to more gears.

[@drezzy5]

Having just upgraded the 109 pro cable to a audiophile ninja cable, I feel like I can notice a difference for the better between the new and the stock cable.

[@squirts1]

🤣

[@אלןלוי-כ3ה]

Have you tried to sell a cable or review it or review the headphones?

[@TimMihalko]

This is so common among reviewers. Pick out the nice little things about a product for 80% of the review, and then dump all over said product for the last 20%. You obviously are a fanboy of Hifiman. A lot of people love the 109 Pro for various reasons and hype it for those said reasons. I get it you are a experienced reviewer, but what makes your opinion better than the rest?

[@ChrisStoneinator]

No, I've heard the 109 pros, and they sound like shit. If anything he was kind to them. They're an unmitigated mess and literally nothing sounds natural.

[@MGMD52]

Someone pointed me to your review and said he bought a 90 dollar cable as a replacement for the standard cable. He said it is a cable you mentioned in your review. I probably missed it, English is not my mother language, but which cable could be meant?

[@wavetheorysound]

Hart Audio Cables

[@WhollySchiit]

Would you buy this when you own HEKv2?

[@TimpTim]

THE best, most thorough review of the 109 (and I've seen them all, lol.) A lot to consider now. Thank you.

[@richsavage4052]

You said "you get what you pay for" in the review. To me that means it is not overpriced.

[@kentnilsson3802]

No question about reviewers superior knowledge, I do not know a few percent of what he does. This is my subjective take. With stock cables (therefore unbalanced). To me Meze 109 compared to aune AR5000 and Sennheiser 660 S2, the Meze 109 sound different and brighter (more sound volume in high frequency vocals), especially compared to 660 S2, but the sound is not disturbing and overall about as good as of the others. It is a matter of taste. I do hear imperfections in the recordings in Meze 109s though that I could not hear in the others. Music does not sound as veiled in Meze 109 Pro, especially compared to 660 S2. On hight female vocals frequency vocals Meze 109 PRO sounds louder, but not directly disturbing, females are prominent but soft (do love them female brights above and on top of everything ❤ 🥰 💯, on Meze 109 PRO they sound 95% fun after hours and hours, but it is damn close even to my limit. Have listened for hours swapping between headphones listening to what I call "high frequency vocals/Barbie Pop" like Madonna, Brittney Spears, Bedingfield, Pretenders, Melanie C, ABBA, Samanta Fox and the likes to confim this). If u are very sensible for female vocals, maybe Meze 109 PRO are not right for you. Still, Meze 109 do soften the highs compared how prominent they are in volume. Thinking about it, largest fault of Meze 109 is they are a little to bright in female voices, like: this is not how singers sound in real life, if they stand in front of you, but it is all situational, depending on track and strangely, they are not glary and disturbing, just too high in volume. If you mix melodies that may not become a problem, because the highs are never really glary or hurting ears. I can always listen to HD660 S2 but they are not always so fun and engaging, more laid back. That does not mean that they are boring, but for some music more volume is needed to awake listener, otherwise voices may be there, but music can still be distant. Aune AR5000 is nice in all situations and gives you opportunity to screw up volume, to party and rock, without pain in your ears from female vocals (if you are sensitive to that). Listening to relaxing Chill music on Meze 109 PRO, I prefer the others, especially 660 S2. Bass on Meze 109 did not impress me compared to AR5000. Bass feel somewhat bleak. Brighteness: Meze 109 PRO= AR5000> HD 660 S2, I think you hear more and brighter sound on Meze 109, still it it is not glaring but kind of soft, just higher in volume. Edit: I would correct myself and say AR5000 is brighter sounding overall than Meze 109, but Meze 109 can be too bright in som upper frequencies, like female voices. Relaxing: HD 660 S2 > AR5000 > Meze 109 PRO. I think for more relaxing listening, soundwise Sennheiser are King of long hours and happiness IF your outer ears are comfortable: not too hot and not too clamped. Party/high volume: AR5000 > HD 660 S2 > Meze 109 PRO. You can always give more volume on AR 5000 and it will sound engaging and lively without hurting with high frequency. Comfort is important and 109 win, they are almost not noticeable, AR5000 are close. AR5000 has almost no clamping force but may hang a little on upper ears. Sennheiser HD 660 S2 has a little more clamp force and are a little hotter, but are still comfortable. Looks. all are open, so u keep em at home. They look very different but I listen more than look them... Based only on economy AR5000 wins in my view, becase they cost less. I would say the safest bet between them is also AR5000, because they do it all very well, and if you crank up the volume they will follow in style. Second is HD 660 S2, how can you beat a phone that plays everything safe? Only on price. Edit: Meze 109, soundwise are somewhere between the veiled sound of 660 S2 and the more bright, open sound of AR5000. I find me listening to them all about equally much and enjoy switching between them. I can live with only one of them, but I can not say that if I could choose only one of them I would choose Meze 109 and pay extra for them.

[@PartyMusic775]

INTERESTING FACT: The Hype Train reviewers don't even bring this headphone up anymore when talking about comparisons at this price point, when they do their new reviews. Seems they were just "selling tickets" and moved right on.

[@waynehine8141]

Nice honest review

[@gdemirjian]

I also compared my 109 with my Cleer Next. They have many similarities. I slightly prefer the Next as it sounds more natural to my ears. I got my 109 from Apos and it came with a Flow cable. The 3.5 connectors are absurdly long, much longer than the 109 holes can accommodate. I just wish someone will make some sheepskin pads for these. You nailed everything about the 109. Great review. Thanks.

[@arangD]

Bought HE1000SE a few days ago. It was definitely an upgrade, but what surprised me is that Arya stealth's current price is theft. I like your review

[@ClintAvila]

I upgraded from Arya Stealth to HEK SE. I'm still smiling ear to ear every time I listen to them! They are simply stunning and completely wiped the floor with the Arya. Some people said I would miss them in their characteristics but nope. These are the best headphones I have ever owned or heard. Now my brain keeps wondering how much better are the Susvara 😁

[@Mjay1320]

Well i like the 109 pro more then the meze empyrean 2 this hobby is absolutely subjective... the Hifiman ef499 is a good amp for the 109 pro.

[@saarxee19]

What about the Caldera?

[@mtnmankeith9069]

Thanks for the review! Looking forward to mojo 2 review hopefully.

[@andreasschwarz4908]

Not a huge fan of Meze either. Thanks for the obligatory (as in, by popular demand) review ✅ Any chance we'll get to see an Auteur Classic Review?

[@listenu]

I gotta get into the expensive cable business

[@hartyewh1]

These are lovely looking, well tuned and enjoyable, but in traditional Meze fashion comparing these to HD700, T1.2, NDH-30 and Clear for example these just sound a bit muffled, lo-fi and unimpressive in comparison on the technical side of things.

[@soulfulfool]

Clear is way better but also have some flaws, nothing is perfect thats why most of us own many pairs of headphones

[@hartyewh1]

@@soulfulfool That's why I EQ so the ultimately always a compromise tuning issues become almost irrelevant.

[@soulfulfool]

@@hartyewh1 well I dont EQ either I enjoy tuning of person who made them or not

[@hartyewh1]

@@soulfulfool That's the point. Essentially no headphone has the tuning they wanted, but compromises between tuning and overall material design.

[@soulfulfool]

@@hartyewh1 oh there are well tuned pieces but most likely price tag is high

[@PoGGi13]

Please review Moondrop Venus!

[@TonkyTronicus]

Got a pair secondhand for $600. I run them through a Schiit Lokius and bump up the subbass and lower mids a bit to balance out the FR and enjoy them greatly.

[@jjphoenix4055]

An 800 euros headphone doesn't deliver thin acoustics, weird unnatural timbre and all other flaws this thing has. Its been a total hype train about these cans. In my opinion, yes its a decent slash good headphone but should cost 250/350 euros tops, for 800 I want huge soundstage, the most natural timbre, high resolution, etc... and these cans doesn't do any of those.

[@JeroenNietDoen]

Long story short: for neutral measurement nurds it's not good enough. For people who're looking for a great fun music enjoyment headphones its amazing,

[@philip3123]

Still hyped, especially when you find how many KOL are exaggerating meze’s product, but so little real consumer. And how quick people are selling 109 pro since they bought it.

[@kato2395]

very sarcasm much wow

[@SKY11211213]

this is the second time I have heard about headphones sound bad due to the cables.

[@alexanderlucas2659]

I wouldn't worry about it. The only differences people hear are as a result of the placebo effect - there's a reason you can't find double blind tests in which cables are reliably distinguished.

[@epicmike3915]

As others mentioned. Whenever someone tries to prove this exits scientifically it comes off looking a like a complete joke. Just ignore these reviewers and move on.

[@yomofoindahouse]

All aboard all aboard yee-eh!

[@carminedesanto6746]

GM ☕️….I too have been waiting to see your review on this Meze headphone. 👍☕️🥓🍕🔥

[@robertobuatti7226]

I'm quite new to the audiophile world and have purchased a couple of mid-range dynamic driver open back headphones and was wondering why can't you use them outside, which is what I purchased them for for my daily exercise walks, from you saying in this video that it could pop a driver, is this with all open back's?, I've also purchased some closed back's but don't like them as much as the music sounds like in your head vs. open back's wider open sound stage, I have OCD and learning disabilities and high anxiety for all my life and buying headphones for me as been quite frustrating because I don't know what do use outside and am never happy with the sound quality.

[@wavetheorysound]

When the wind is calm using open backs outdoors is fine. I live in a windier than average area so it's something salient to me. I agree with your predicament though. Open backs are usually much better sounding. My favorite closed is the Focal Radiance, fwiw. Otherwise you might want to go down the IEM rabbit hole. Best of luck!

[@robertobuatti7226]

@@wavetheorysound Oh thank you for the reply and advice, I really do appreciate it, I'll look into IEM's as I'm not too familiar with them, I use to use wired neckband headphones for almost 20 years but recently wanted to upgrade my sound quality and have gone deep in the rabbit hole of purchasing mid-range headphones like the Focal Clear, Elegia, Celestee, Sennheiser HD 660's, HD 599 and a couple of others but am never happy as when listening to music indoors on my desktop PC which has an SB Audigy sound card which sound rich, dynamic and punchy even with cheap wired neckband headphones compared to my higher end headphones when listening portably on mid-range DAPS and an Iphone XS with some dongle Dac/amps and I don't know why and which has been quite frustrating for me as I've spent quite a bit of money and feel like I'm not getting audiophile sound quality for my music portably but it could be due to the wind or outside noises.

[@andreasschwarz4908]

@@robertobuatti7226 If you can go to a shop that sells IEMs and try out different tips, imo dongle DACs are meant to be used with IEMs, they just sound livelier than running full sized HPs where the soundstage shrinks dramatically, the dynamics are blunted, bass gets mushy etc. Senn IE series has excellent small build that should fit lots of ppl, stock tips sound a little congested and too bassy though. Better isolation with IEMs, more portability, less instances of potentially hitting something with your HPs due to not being used to the "bigger size of your head" while wearing them. Oh, and you look less like an extraterrestrial with IEMs too (e.g. when I saw WaveTheory's review of the HE1000v2)

[@yomofoindahouse]

Okay, my opinion is that they are too boosted, let's hear what the pro has to say....

[@FabioKasper]

Hype train killer (cont'd).

[@planewreck4214]

Not worth it. Just get the edition xs

[@JTB--]

Seems like all the Meze headphones are overhyped. Just look at the used market to see the buyers remorse with Meze HP's

[@audiobean]

Can't imagine that Meze would sell this headphone with (such) a bad cable. The fact that you are so negative about their cable could that be just based your personal preferences?

[@wavetheorysound]

Unfortunately bad stock cables aren't rare. Hifiman and Focal also harm several of their own products with bad cabling. They make it easier to plug in a wide variety of aftermarket cables, though.

[@CaptnKrksNippls]

If you are convinced about the effectiveness of cables on audio quality then why is it so difficult for the actual headphone manufacturers to get it right? Obviously wire material and length have different properties that is basic science but how does one RND a cable for better sound. The Hifiman stock cable you loath for the "5k" peak measures the same as a hart cable in my experience so why is that not represented in the graph? Every cable review I've ever come across seemingly always magically scales linearly with price and the stock is "obviously the worse". And if the argument is cost cutting on the side of the headphone manufacturers then wouldn't it be more profittable to include a sonically better cable in order to increase positive coverage leading to more sales. I know cables out there that drastically change the impedance on purpose and those have drastically measurable differences so those are not what I'm asking about.

[@wavetheorysound]

I'm working on finishing up my cable science series...hopefully that's done soon. The teaser answer for why FR graphs aren't catching cable differences is simply because they're the wrong tool for the job. It makes sense to try them given that many comments about how cables effect sound use frequency descriptors...ie. warmer, brighter, more/less sibilant, etc. Most measuring devices that create the FR plots we most commonly see present the DUT with a constant amount of electromagnetic energy and then vary the frequency from 20Hz-20KHz, but only presenting the DUT with a pure sine wave at a single frequency at any given instant in time. For headphone/IEM/speaker FR plots then, what we really get is a readout that is a "map" of how efficiently the speaker/IEM/headphone converts that given amount of electromagnetic energy into mechanical energy at each frequency. The disconnect is that any real-world sound wave or music signal is a superposition of multiple sine waves of many frequencies all traveling through space and time stacked up on each other. Different conductive materials, conductor geometries, and wire weaves all slow the propagation of those electromagnetic sine waves at rates that are different for each of those physical properties AND - and this is the part that gets overlooked too much - at rates that vary with frequency. So what happens is that different frequencies get time-shifted by different amounts, messing up their original time-alignments and putting the energies of each wave in different spots relative to each other. The FR sweep measurements you describe have no way to detect this. All they tell you is how much EM energy gets converted to mechanical energy. They cannot tell you how much EM energy was supposed to be in a given spot in the wave in the first place. I have video series explaining this more and am getting close to finishing the next parts. Stay tuned!

[@kato2395]

@@wavetheorysound that is a very interesting topic, looking forward to it as I do hear the differences between my stock ADX5000 cable and the Forza Audio Cable I ordered for it. People say the stock audio technica cable is just a very bad cable, not that the Forza is extremely good.

[@spamcan9208]

​@@wavetheorysoundfinally, an answer that makes sense and seems plausible. I'll have to watch your cable video later.

[@ErgoBoom]

Tedious

[@dasninjastix]

It's a controversial opinion apparently but I feel they really, really benefit from pad swaps. I recognize that's a bit of a pain given how thin/narrow they made the pad attachment slits but I've managed to pop on a couple of pairs of oversized ZMF pads for both comfort and some tuning adjustment. Right now mine sit with the ZMF Universe Leather pads and I find it to take some of the edge off of the treble while leaning into the bass boom a bit more. I've had success with cheaper pads as well live Brainwavz and Wicked Cushions, and I really liked some of Mod House's Xenon pads on them as well. But since I have them, my ZMF pads have just worked out the best so that's what I go with. I think it's truly a solid price to performance headphone. I just got a HEKse and the only other headphone I've bothered to reach for since then is the 109 Pro, even over the Liric and an Auteur Classic. Great design and comfort, I love the thump and the clarity in the treble and mid-range. (edit)Oh, and I also owned a Radiance and Arya Stealth. I would not claim the 109 Pro is the "better" headphone than either, but I did prefer listening to the 109 over both so sold both as a result. Stealth was too clampy and too bright. Radiance has that weird Focal soundstage and hollow, nasality to the vocals. Even with multiple pad swaps I could not get the Radiance to perform.

[@frankd.b.9233]

Now... I don't understand why you want to pay 250 to 450+ Euro for 3 plugs and some cable, you can make this yourself for A LOT less with just some soldering I think they are very nice looking headphones, just a bit expensive for what they are, especially with the cables they come with

[@genohero6139]

This headphone is for baby heads and ears my big head and ears too tight. The CLAMP FORCE is unacceptable to me

[@albeklik8055]

You whining too much buddy😢