The Meze 105 AER is 42Ω at 112.0 dB/mW; the Meze 99 Classics (2nd Gen) is 16Ω at 103.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The 99 Classics (2nd Gen) needs 9.0 dB more than the 105 AER to reach the same loudness — 0.50 mW against 0.06 mW.
| Specification | 105 AER | 99 Classics (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 42 Ω | 16 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 112.0 dB/mW | 103.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 125.8 dB/V | 121.0 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 0.06 mW | 0.50 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 51 mV | 90 mV |
| Current for 100 dB | 1.2 mA | 5.6 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 5.25 Ω | 2.00 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 280 | 280 |
Every source in the database that drives one of them drives the other. On power, the choice between these two changes nothing about what amplifier you need.
1 source is low enough in output impedance for the 105 AER under the one-eighth rule but not for the 99 Classics (2nd Gen) (Shanling H5).
14 sources stay below the audible-hiss threshold with the 99 Classics (2nd Gen) but cross it with the 105 AER (FiiO BTR11, FiiO K11 R2R, Lake People G103-S Mk II, 11 more).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The 99 Classics (2nd Gen) is more demanding than 29% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the 105 AER than 12%.
| dB SPL | 105 AER power | 105 AER voltage | 99 Classics (2nd Gen) power | 99 Classics (2nd Gen) voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0.6 µW | 5 mV | 5.0 µW | 9 mV |
| 85 | 2.0 µW | 9 mV | 0.02 mW | 16 mV |
| 90 | 6.3 µW | 16 mV | 0.05 mW | 28 mV |
| 95 | 0.02 mW | 29 mV | 0.16 mW | 50 mV |
| 100 | 0.06 mW | 51 mV | 0.50 mW | 90 mV |
| 105 | 0.20 mW | 92 mV | 1.6 mW | 0.16 V |
| Source | Price | Headroom, 105 AER | Headroom, 99 Classics (2nd Gen) | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 25.6 dB | 14.8 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 33.8 dB | 26.9 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR13 | $59 | 30.8 dB | 23.8 dB | 0.6 Ω | 1.0 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 57 of them also publish an output impedance low enough for both under the one-eighth rule and a noise figure that stays below the audible-hiss threshold with both.
The cheapest of the 57 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 25.6 dB of headroom on the 105 AER and 14.8 dB on the 99 Classics (2nd Gen), its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 5.25 Ω and 2.00 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 10 dB and 14 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105 AER | 5 Hz - 30 kHz | not printed | not printed |
| 99 Classics (2nd Gen) | 15 Hz - 25 kHz | not printed | not printed |
Meze prints 5 Hz - 30 kHz for the 105 AER and 15 Hz - 25 kHz for the 99 Classics (2nd Gen).
Neither range has a tolerance printed beside it, so a wider range on one sheet is not deeper bass or more treble.
Not a measurement; maker by maker.
Both have a page of their own. In full: Meze 105 AER and Meze 99 Classics (2nd Gen). Every figure on this page comes from what Meze published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.