We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired, closed-back headphone that feels like a hand-finished object and leans warm and musical, choose MEZE 99; if you need a rugged studio workhorse with swappable cables, a wider frequency range and pro-grade build, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M50x.
• MEZE 99's biggest strength: Walnut wood ear cups, cast zinc-alloy hardware and a self-adjusting vegan-leather headband — a headphone designed to look and feel like an heirloom, not a tool.
• MEZE 99's biggest trade-off: Wired only, a single 3.5 mm jack and passive sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation — it's a listening-first design, not a commuting gadget.
• ATH-M50x's biggest strength: 45 mm large-aperture drivers with a 15–28,000 Hz range, a collapsible frame and three interchangeable cables (coiled, 9.8 ft straight, 3.9 ft straight) plus a pouch and 6.3 mm adapter.
• ATH-M50x's biggest trade-off: Aluminum and pro-grade plastics instead of wood, an "on ear / around-the-ear" fit that seals tight for isolation, and no wireless — function over furniture.
• Who each pick is for: MEZE 99 for the listener who wants one beautiful, comfortable pair for long sessions at a desk; ATH-M50x for the producer, editor or performer who needs cables, portability and durability.
The MEZE 99 is built around materials first. The ear cups are CNC-carved walnut, then hand-finished, stained and polished, and because wood grain varies, no two pairs look identical. The frame uses cast zinc-alloy hardware with an electroplated finish, and the headband is a vertically self-adjusting vegan-leather band paired with a spring-steel strip that gives it a large active area. In plain terms: it spreads weight instead of clamping it, which matters if you wear headphones for hours. The ear pads are medium-density foam wrapped in soft vegan leather, and they're designed to be replaceable, so the parts most likely to wear out are the parts you can swap.
Who should buy it: someone who listens at a desk, wants one pair that looks like furniture and feels personal, values comfort over portability, and doesn't need to swap cables or fold anything up. The 3.5 mm wired connection and remote control method keep it simple — plug in, done.
Who should skip it: anyone who needs a coiled cable for a studio desk, anyone who wants to collapse their headphones into a bag, and anyone who expects active noise cancellation on a flight. If you treat headphones as disposable gear, the whole point of the 99 is lost on you.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: Who It's For
The ATH-M50x is the opposite philosophy: a professional monitor. The 45 mm large-aperture dynamic drivers cover 15–28,000 Hz, with 38 ohm impedance and 99 dB sensitivity. That's a slightly higher impedance and slightly lower sensitivity than the Meze, which mostly means it benefits a little more from a decent source — but it's still an easy load for a laptop or interface. The wider upper reach of the frequency range is a spec you'd expect from a monitoring tool, and the closed-back design is explicitly there for passive noise isolation with minimal bleed, which is exactly what you want when you're tracking a vocal or editing dialogue next to a noisy room.
The frame is aluminum and pro-grade material, and it's collapsible — a space-saving detail that matters if you move between a studio, a gig and a home desk. In the box you get three interchangeable cables: a 3.9–9.8 ft coiled, a 9.8 ft straight and a 3.9 ft straight, plus a protective carrying pouch, a 6.3 mm screw-on adapter and a one-year limited warranty. That cable trio is the real selling point. Coiled for a desk, long straight for a couch or a booth, short straight for a phone or a portable player. You don't buy extra cables; you just pick the one that fits the job. The 6.3 mm adapter means it plugs straight into pro gear.
Who should buy it: producers, engineers, podcasters, video editors, gigging musicians and anyone who wants one headphone that survives being thrown in a bag and can adapt to whatever jack is in front of it. The tight-sealing ear cups also make it a reasonable choice for open-plan offices and shared rooms.
Who should skip it: someone who wants a wood-and-metal showpiece, someone who never wants to deal with a cable, and someone who prioritizes a relaxed, warm presentation over a flat, monitor-style signature. It's also a bulkier item at 2.4 pounds as shipped with the stand — not something you forget you're carrying.
• Best for build character → MEZE 99. Walnut cups, zinc-alloy hardware, hand-finished and visually unique per pair.
• Best for studio and pro use → ATH-M50x. 45 mm drivers, 15–28,000 Hz, 6.3 mm adapter and a coiled cable for desk work.
• Best for cable flexibility → ATH-M50x. Three interchangeable cables plus a pouch, versus one fixed 3.5 mm connection on the MEZE.
• Best for long-session comfort → MEZE 99. Self-adjusting vegan-leather headband over a spring-steel band with a large active area, plus replaceable ear pads.
• Best for portability → ATH-M50x. It collapses; the MEZE doesn't.
• Best for easy driving from a phone or laptop → MEZE 99. 32 ohm and 103 dB SPL/mW is the more forgiving load.
• Best for isolation in a noisy room → ATH-M50x. The closed-back, tight-sealing design is specifically aimed at blocking external sound with minimal bleed.
• Best for a single do-everything desk headphone → MEZE 99. Plug it into a 3.5 mm jack and forget about accessories.
If I were buying for myself and my listening happened at a desk — music, long evenings, no cables to swap — I'd take the MEZE 99. The 32 ohm / 103 dB spec means it runs off almost anything, the self-adjusting headband and replaceable pads are built for hours, and the walnut-and-alloy construction is the kind of thing you keep rather than replace. In my opinion, the ATH-M50x wins outright for anyone doing actual audio work or needing to move gear around: three cables, a collapsible frame, a 6.3 mm adapter and a 15–28,000 Hz monitor tuning are simply more useful tools. Pick the MEZE for the object and the comfort; pick the M50x for the job.
The ATH-M50x, in my opinion. Its 45 mm drivers, 15–28,000 Hz range, closed-back isolation with minimal bleed, coiled cable and 6.3 mm adapter are all aimed at professional monitoring. The MEZE 99 is tuned and built for relaxed listening rather than critical work.
No. The MEZE 99 uses passive sound isolation from its closed walnut ear cups — it reduces outside noise but doesn't actively cancel it. The ATH-M50x is also passive, using tight-sealing ear cups for isolation.
The MEZE 99, on paper. It's rated 32 ohm with 103 dB SPL/mW sensitivity, while the ATH-M50x is 38 ohm at 99 dB. Both work fine from a laptop or phone, but the MEZE needs less help.
Yes — that's a core feature. It ships with three interchangeable cables (coiled 3.9–9.8 ft, straight 9.8 ft, straight 3.9 ft). The MEZE 99 is wired via a 3.5 mm jack and doesn't list interchangeable cables. If cable swapping matters to you, check the current price on Amazon for both and weigh it against the MEZE's wood build and comfort.
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