Meze Audio 99 Classic Walnut SilverThe Meze 99 Classic is by far our best value closed back headphone. From the minute I heard these headphones they instantly outperformed similar headphones from the likes of Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic. The incredible sound isn’t bass heavy like its similar priced competitors which is such a revelation. This means that details are a lot more vivid and can be heard with ease. At this price it is an amazing headphone with incredible comfort to match. The ability for it to be driven from a standard smartphone means that it really fits every remit in our book for best value closed back.

The slightly cheaper NEO offering from Meze changes the real wood capsules for a plastic capsule and although it reduces the price, it also in my opinion unfortunately reduces the performance. The real wood veneers make this headphone what it is and I strongly recommend opting for this version.