We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-06 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wireless, noise-cancelling over-ear you can ride with all week on a single charge, choose Anker Soundcore; if you need a wired, serviceable, wood-cupped headphone built for long critical listening at a desk, choose MEZE AUDIO. I'll say it up front: for cycling, the Soundcore Space Q45 is the pick that actually makes sense, because it's wireless, it clamps on, and its battery doesn't care about your route length. The MEZE 99 Classics Second Gen is a beautiful object, but it's a wired home headphone, not a bike companion.
• Anker Soundcore (Space Q45) biggest strength: adaptive active noise cancellation that reduces noise by up to 98%, with 50 hours of playtime in ANC mode and up to 65 hours in standard mode.
• Anker Soundcore biggest trade-off: it's a Bluetooth headphone, so you're relying on wireless codecs and a battery rather than a pure analog signal path.
• MEZE AUDIO (99 Classics Second Gen) biggest strength: a fully serviceable, screw-together design with hand-finished solid walnut earcups, a self-adjusting headband, and two tunings via acoustic absorbers.
• MEZE AUDIO biggest trade-off: it's wired only, has no noise cancelling, and it's a sit-down headphone — no ANC, no app, no multipoint wireless convenience.
• Who each is for: Soundcore for commuters, travelers, and anyone who wants a do-everything wireless headphone; MEZE for audiophiles, gamers, and podcast listeners who want a repairable wired headphone for long sessions at home.
The Space Q45 is a wireless over-ear headphone built around convenience and noise control. Its adaptive ANC system automatically picks a cancellation level based on your surroundings, and you can override that through the app with one of five noise cancelling levels. That's genuinely useful if your day moves between a noisy street, a train, and a quiet room. The 3-stage noise cancelling system is described as ultra-wide, targeting everything from engine drone to background chatter, and Soundcore rates it at up to 98% noise reduction.
Buy it if you want one wireless headphone that handles commuting, flights, and long battery life without babysitting a charge. Skip it if you want a purely analog, wired signal path, or if you're chasing the aesthetic and repairability of a wooden audiophile headphone. For sports earbuds for cycling specifically, this is the closer fit of the two, though I'd note that a full over-ear is a different experience from an in-ear on a bike.
MEZE AUDIO: Who It's For
The 99 Classics Second Gen is a wired, closed-back wooden headphone, and it's designed to be kept for years. The earcups are CNC-machined solid walnut, then hand-finished, stained, and polished, so grain and color vary from pair to pair. That's not a gimmick — wood is a material choice that shapes the character of a closed-back design, and it's the reason this headphone looks and feels like furniture rather than plastic.
The 2nd Gen moves the tuning toward a more balanced, neutral target. Bass is tighter and more controlled, letting midrange and treble detail come through. Meze also includes acoustic absorbers so you can shift the voicing back toward the warmer, original presentation — two tonalities in one headphone. Internally, cup volume has been increased, which pushes cavity resonances down and improves low-frequency control, and the baffle was re-engineered to reduce diffraction in front of the driver. Meze also matches drivers to reduce variance in the mids and highs, which should mean a more stable stereo image.
Comfort and longevity are the other half of the story. The self-adjusting headband uses a manganese spring steel frame to spread pressure evenly, and the redesigned earpads swap out in seconds thanks to a snap-fit system. Every component — cups, pads, cable, headband — is screwed rather than glued, so it can be replaced. The stock cable is a dual-twisted, Kevlar-sheathed OFC design, the input socket is enlarged to 7mm to accept more 3.5mm plugs, and a compact USB-C DAC/amp is included for phones without a headphone jack. Impedance is 32 ohm, frequency range is 15 Hz to 25 kHz, and it weighs 9.2 ounces. It ships with a carry case and both 1.2m and 3m cables, backed by a 1-year warranty.
Buy it if you listen at a desk, care about repairability, and want a wired headphone that will still be serviceable in five years. Skip it if you need wireless freedom, noise cancelling, or anything you'd wear on a bike.
• Best for cycling → Anker Soundcore. Wireless Bluetooth 5.3, no cable to snag, and battery life measured in days rather than hours.
• Best for long-haul travel → Anker Soundcore. Adaptive ANC plus up to 50 hours in noise cancelling mode is built for flights.
• Best for noise cancelling → Anker Soundcore. MEZE has no noise control at all; the Space Q45 rates up to 98% noise reduction.
• Best for sound quality and tuning flexibility → MEZE AUDIO. Two voicings via acoustic absorbers, a reworked baffle, and matched drivers.
• Best for repairability and longevity → MEZE AUDIO. Screws instead of glue, snap-fit earpads, and every part replaceable.
• Best for desk and studio listening → MEZE AUDIO. Wired, 32 ohm, closed-back, self-adjusting headband for marathon sessions.
• Best for app control and customization → Anker Soundcore. Five noise cancelling levels and full app control.
• Best for materials and craftsmanship → MEZE AUDIO. Hand-finished solid walnut earcups that are unique per pair.
For cycling, I'd buy the Anker Soundcore Space Q45. It's wireless, it cancels noise, and 50 hours of ANC playback means charging is a weekly chore at most — that's the practical answer for anyone searching for a best multipoint wireless headset for cycling or sports earbuds for cycling. I'd choose the MEZE AUDIO 99 Classics Second Gen instead if my listening happens at a desk, if I want a wired headphone I can repair for years, and if wood-and-metal craft matters more to me than battery life. Different jobs, different tools. If price is the deciding factor for you, check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
Yes, in my opinion. The Space Q45 is fully wireless with adaptive ANC and up to 50 hours of ANC playback, so there's no cable to manage and no daily charging. The MEZE 99 Classics Second Gen is wired only and has no noise cancelling, which makes it a poor fit for riding.
No. Its spec sheet lists noise control as "None." It's a passive closed-back design, so it blocks some sound through the earcups and pad seal, but there's no active cancellation and no app to adjust it.
The Anker Soundcore Space Q45, by a wide margin, because it's the only one of the two with a battery. It offers up to 50 hours with ANC on and up to 65 hours in standard mode, plus a 5-minute charge for about 4 hours of playback. The MEZE is wired and draws no battery at all.
Yes. Meze includes a compact USB-C DAC/amp for devices without a headphone jack, along with a 3.5mm connection, a 1.2m cable, and a 3m cable. The enlarged 7mm input socket is also designed to accept a wider range of 3.5mm plugs.
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