I think Meze is the way I’m leaning, from what I’ve seen there is three different version? what are the main differences and why the classics
oh wow that is a great deal… hmmmmmmmmmmmm
Yes, it is. But beware that if your goal is lots of bass you’ll need a way to EQ up Elegia’s low end. That’s why I jumped in when it looked possible you’ll get a Zen CAN. Another option is the $99 Schiit Loki.
that sounds like a really nice option… so many headphones and so little time lol
Regarding the Meze they are pretty much the same the classics are made of wood so they automaticlly more expensive, also they were the first version. Iv’e got the Neo and im with the Brainwaves Hybird ovals and im a very happy camper - better bass more clarity and way better comfort
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J54NLOI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
As for the Elegia, i cant say for sure because i havent tried the Loki myself.
But I think that with the IFI X bass you should golden, to me really hits the spot when it comes to a bass.
Both the Elegia and the Meze are easy to drive so you can easly run them off the IFI zen Dac
P.S One note about the Meze, make sure you take good care of the of the stock cable, while it might say its dual 3.5mm, its a very deep so most cables wount fit all the way and getting a replacement is expensive
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Throw us a budget!!! I’m going to recommend Audeze LCD2CB as the can rattle your head with or without EQ.
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The 99 Neo is essentially the same can as the 99 Classics, but it uses plastic cups instead of wood. Not sure how that affects the sound signature, as I only owned the Classics.
The Noir is Drop’s version of the 99 Classics. Black hardware instead of gold or silver, and dark brown wooden cups instead of lighter brown. They’re out of stock at Drop, though.
Also beware that the Elegia are unforgiving as hell to shitty recordings due to their mids focus and strong detail retrieval.
My opinion as a former Elegia owner: Something is funky with the tuning when using them with rock, classic rock, alt-rock, alt-country. Just didn’t work for me.
But the Elegia are terrific with strings, classical, acoustic, vocals. Oddly, also very good with EDM due to the punch and slam of the bass when called upon.
Still, as others have said, the bass is not always present with the Elegia. They punch and slam only when the music calls for it. So, you either need to EQ these or look to another model if you want steady doses of bass.
I really appreciate all the feed back! My budget is around $500 or less. I think I’m going to pick up a pair of the Meze 99 Neo and the Focal Elegia lol I’ll try them both out and let you guys know what I think.
what pads do you recommend for the 99?
Pretty sure I used the Brainwavz Hybrid Oval Velour.
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Ya i tried multiple brainwave pads and hybrid PU/Valor is what i found to give the best result in terms of sound, Sheepskin give a lot more bass but its muddy, Valor only sounded too “light”.
Just make sure you get the angled ones
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if you don’t like the neo i’d suggest trying the Sivga SV021 aka Robin cheaper better build, comfort and I preferred the sound to the 99 classics
Thanks for plugging in our Zen CAN.
Our stuff works really well in general with the Focal house sound.
added the brainwavz hybrid angled velor to my meze 99 order!
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What about the Drop Aeon X closed? They are $399 right now.
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They Drop Aeon X are not bass cannons. Warm throughout the sound spectrum, with rolled-off bass and treble. A VERY well-tuned headphone.
Bass and sub-bass are present with these cans. But they won’t have the big bass of the 99 Classics or the on-off punch and slam of a Focal Elegia. They also won’t have the bass bleed into the mids of the 99 Classics, so pick your poison.
IMPORTANT: You MUST have an amp to drive the Drop Aeon X. Dan Clark’s planars are very power-hungry.
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That’s kind of my /definition/ of good bass - there’s plenty of power when called upon, heck, they can rattle your teeth if the music says so, but when the recording doesn’t call for extra bass, it does its job and supports the bottom end, without jumping forward to grab all the attention.
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Bingo. That’s the Elegia bass. Shame the tuning was so weird with rock. I would have kept and savored them otherwise.
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Its just another flavor man 
I own both the Meze and the Elegia alongside a few others and i love them both for different reasons and they both get quite a bit of playtime.
While i dont 100% agree with you on the rock thing i think i get what you mean.
Also another thing i really want is to try out the Elegia with the Dekoni’s Stellia-style pads, they are suppose to make them really steller, but i have a hard time paying 100$+ shipping so im waiting for a sale/B stock to show up
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