Having enjoyed Alex Rosson’s headphone creations during his time with Audeze, much like Casey, I eyed his latest endeavor, the RAD-0, for quite a while before prying open the purse strings to pick up a pair. We’d both taken breaks from headphones until pandemic protocols restored our interest in them, and stepping back into the head-fi space coincidentally led us both to the RAD-0—and ultimately me to him.

“Like a lot of people, I started getting very heavily into headphones again during the pandemic while working from home. I had read a lot about the RAD-0 and how great it sounds but also how uncomfortable it is. I finally decided that I had to try it for myself, thinking that maybe I could do something to make it more comfortable if it really was as uncomfortable as I had read,” Casey shares.

Here’s where our experiences differ. “Once I got the RAD-0, I found that it wasn’t as bad as some people were saying—but it also wasn’t something I could wear for more than an hour or two without getting a hot spot,” Casey says. For me, the hot spot was literally intolerable within 30 minutes—a damn shame given the fact that the RAD-0 is a truly beautiful sounding and looking headphone. Under the weight of the planar magnetic transducers and housings, the modest, easily compressed pad centered on the RAD-0’s headband creates a terrible pressure point for me. I have a smallish head, and while I can’t speak to the size of Casey’s or that of the other RAD-0 users who’ve suffered under its weight, I suspect it doesn’t really matter what size your head is … the RAD-0 is bound to create at least some discomfort at some point.

In response, my mind immediately thought to deploy the cheap tweak used to modify my Audeze LCD-X and HIFIMAN HE-6 and HE-500, which consisted of using a Sennheiser HD600/HD650 headband pad held in place with either a wool wrap or some double-sided tape. But the RAD-0’s bulbous pad prevents this approach from being as seamless or streamlined as it was with those other models.

Casey’s mind went somewhere else: “From previous headphones that I had, I knew that adding a suspension strap would likely solve the hot spot problem,” he says. “But the other headphones that I had added straps to had usable screws to mount the straps with—the RAD-0 doesn’t.”

As any good engineer would do, Casey began experimenting. He tells me that he started out with a strap that was just tied to the RAD-0’s sliders. While he says that fixed his hot spot, it was “ugly and annoying to use because it would flop around.” This led Casey to work on a design that would make the strap both more stable and OEM-like in appearance, while also eliminating the need for any permanent modifications to a $2,600-plus headphone.

One genuine leather strap, two T-brackets, two screws, and one Allen wrench later, Casey has created a suspension strap that takes the RAD-0’s headband out of play. It’s simple. It’s reversible. It’s affordable. It’s a smart solution to a heavy problem.

Casey ended up with a design that uses the slot in the RAD-0’s sliders to pass his T-brackets through that secure the suspension strap in place. These brackets are made from Delrin, a type of plastic often used to replace metals because of its low friction, resistance to wear, and machinability. “Delrin has good properties for these kinds of parts and machines nicely using a CNC mill,” he explains. The leather straps are also cut from a pattern that Casey made, which allows him to keep them more uniform and repeatable despite being cut by hand. In the end, his suspension strap looks strikingly OEM-like and should hold up well under typical use.


Admittedly, when I stumbled across some forum posts mentioning Casey’s strap, I was a bit skeptical of the quality and end result. In reaching out to Casey, my skepticism was unwarranted. Our conversations have been pleasant, and my experience with purchasing and using his original creation has been nothing but positive. The few minutes of trial and error to get the strap positioned on my RAD-0’s sliders where it fits comfortably were long forgotten by the time my first pain-free listening session ended. In fact, my prior 30-minute tolerance for the RAD-0 has stretched to more than three hours during some recent listening sessions. The simple beauty of the leather suspension strap is that it conforms to your head, creating a wide and long contact patch that distributes the RAD-0’s weight and thoroughly eliminates hot spots.

While I’m somewhat surprised and disappointed that Alex Rosson didn’t incorporate into his RAD-0 some of the headband refinements implemented in the LCD line during his time with Audeze, I’m grateful that crafty head-fi enthusiasts like Casey exist to right the wrongs audio engineers sometimes gloss over. The RAD-0 is a lovely looking and seductive sounding headphone. It’s a headphone that deserves to be heard, not felt.

If you’re like me and can’t enjoy the RAD-0 in stock form for as long as you’d like because of hot spots, or even if you experience just the slightest amount of headband discomfort from it, Casey’s suspension strap could be the difference between seeking a new headphone or settling in to experience #AudioNirvana with your one-of-a-kind RAD-0.

Casey is currently making his RAD-0 suspension strap in small batches. If you’d like to give one a try, you can message him through The Headphone Community where he goes by “rustyrat” or through the Head-Fi forum where he’s known as “puck.” His suspension strap costs $50 shipped in the in the US, and international shipping is available for an additional charge.

About three years ago I had the opportunity to photograph and review the original maple Meze Audio 99 Classics headphone. At the time, it was a unique headphone—both in looks and sound. The maiden release by Romania’s Meze Audio was a hit among listeners, which ultimately led to a collaboration with Massdrop (now Drop) to create the Massdrop x Meze 99 Noir, the addition of a new, lightweight model in the 99 Neo, and some subtle upgrade accessories. Some of those upgrade accessories are what I am talking about today.

All in the Ear

Over the years, the 99 Classics has been a headphone I ultimately relegated to desk duty. I’ve used it at the office, where the closed maple backs offer nice isolation and the warm, dynamic sound signature keeps me engaged throughout the day. At home, it often served a similar purpose, but as wear time extends, I prefer the comfort of other headphones in my collection. For me, overall comfort and cable management have been the sole sore points in using the 99 Classics.

I originally wrote:

If I could change one thing about the 99, it would be the ear pads—they’re simply too damn shallow. Give my ears some room to breathe, Meze! Seriously though, I have an issue with ear pads that touch the lobe and helix of my ears—especially during long listening sessions. I appreciate the sleek styling of the headphone itself, but the slim medium-density foam ear pads compress to the point that my ears press against the liners covering the driver housings. Their circumference also feels a bit cramped, as if they were stuck somewhere between being a large on-ear and narrow around-the-ear design

I was hardly the only user or reviewer to complain of discomfort from the original ear pads. Wisely, Meze Audio responded to user feedback and released a revised ear pad, which now comes standard on new models and can be purchased as replacement/upgrade ear pads for any model in the 99 series. A “small” version, similar to the original pad, is also available.

The updated ear pad design changes a few things. First, it is a slightly deeper ear pad with a slightly larger ear opening. Second, the driver screen is of different material. Third, it only comes in black.

When it comes to headphone comfort, millimeters make a difference. I find the updated ear pad, which is literally only millimeters larger, offers just enough room to make a difference for me. On initial use, the space for my ears feels noticeably roomier and airier, and the pain points experience before are far less noticeable or gone altogether. As the pad breaks in and the foam compresses over time, I suspect some ear-to-driver/ear-to-pad contact will reemerge, but this is common wear and tear with any headphone. So, for now, this is a welcomed improvement.

What is somewhat less welcomed is the change in the listening experience. The original ear pad has a color-matched liner/driver screen that has a thin foam backing. This adds cushion between your ear and the driver assembly and inevitably affects the sound signature of the headphone. The updated ear pad removes the foam backing, leaving only the screen material. To my ears, I hear more treble and bass emphasis. The difference is not subtle. I have mixed feelings here.


If you found the original 99 Classics to be a bit too warm or dark sounding, the updated ear pad certainly adds a little shimmer to the top end. I don’t mind this too much. However, it seems to me that the bass booms more and bleeds into the mids. The warm, deep thump of the original 99 Classics feels slightly looser and more resonant than before. Albeit still enjoyable, the sound is different and livelier. This is something users considering an ear pad swap should consider. That said, changing out the original pads for any ear pad, whether it is a Meze update or a third-party ear pad, will always impact sound. It’s up to you to find the one that brings you bliss.

Last, and this is a personal nitpick, Meze’s ear pads now only come in black. If you have the original maple/light model, the two-tone look may not be to taste. I would prefer a color match, but I respect Meze Audio’s business decision since all their models now use black ear pads. You can see how it looks in the photos; what do you think?

Capable Cables

I briefly mentioned cable management as another pain point with the original 99 Classics. My original model came with only a 3 m long cable with a color-matched woven jacket. This length is certainly fine for home use, but commuting with it is less than ideal, and even office use can lead to tangles. To say I’ve rolled over the cable a few times would, unfortunately, be an understatement. Today, Meze includes 1.2 m (with mic and remote) and 3 m cables with their 99 Classics, but that doesn’t mean audiophiles wouldn’t be interested in alternate options.

Enter the 99 Series Silver-Plated Upgrade Cable. This is a 1.2 m cable comprised of eight braided silver coated copper wires. The cable terminates in one of three options: balanced 2.5 mm rhodium plug, standard 3.5 mm rhodium plug, and balanced 4.4 mm gold plug. The plugs at the headphone end are gold plated.

The barrels at the plugs and Y-splitter are nicely machined and feature subtle logos and lettering. The color is somewhere between pink champagne and silver. It’s not quite a direct match to the steel accents on my 99 Classics, but the difference is subtle enough that most people won’t notice from any reasonable distance (nitpicking again).

Overall, the cable seems solidly made given my short term experience with it. It is not overbuilt like many aftermarket “audiophile” cables, which makes it practical and comfortable for desktop and commuter use. It is lightweight and has good flexion, coils and uncoils easily without kinks and, most importantly, transfers far less noise/microphonics than the stock cable and its woven jacket. The cable also includes a small synthetic leather storage bag and cable tie that complement the cable’s premium aesthetic.


What matters most is how it sounds. Meze’s own marketing is minimalist in claiming “Meze’s premium cables will take your sound to a next level of spaciousness, detailing and transparency.” The thing is, I actually agree with this statement.

Cables are contentious in the audio world. In my experience, I’ve had some headphones respond well to cable swaps and others offer no response at all. When it comes to my 99 Classics, Meze’s upgrade cable seems to lift a veil off of the sound stage, providing better clarity and a seemingly wider and more revealing dynamic range. If you’re mostly a speaker person, I’d equate the difference to that of listening with the grilles removed. I don’t know the science behind the cable, but my assumption is that the braiding technique and silver coating combine to help resist noise and enhance signal delivery at the very least. What I do know is that I like what I’m hearing.

While Meze has succeeded at producing a premium cable that provides notable benefits over the stock offering, it comes at a premium price ($119). Given the market for the 99 series, I know many 99 owners will second guess buying this cable. The 99 Classics retails for $309, the 99 Neo retails for $199, and the Massdrop x Meze Noir retails for $160 when it’s on sale. Tack on $119 to each of those price points and your affordable hi-fi headphone becomes significantly more costly.

I can’t tell you whether you’ll have the same experience as me. I can’t tell you if the difference is worth it to your ears. What I will tell you is that if you like your 99 Classics/Neo/Noir exactly the way they are, you have a tough choice to make. But if you’ve ever thought just a touch more detail, a touch more smoothness and clarity, and a much quieter cable would make the 99 your endgame headphone, your decision is made. This cable delivers.

If you have a 2-channel speaker setup and you’ve ever Googled the best way to position your speakers, chances are that you’ve come across forums talking about the Sumiko Master Set Speaker Placement procedure. The basic concept of this approach is that it positions each speaker independently to sound best in your particular room rather than placing them based on generic manufacturer recommendations or a perfectly symmetrical configuration. This, in theory, should help those with asymmetrical and complicated listening rooms (like me) get the best performance possible.

The protocol takes patience to get it right (allow several hours if you are a perfectionist), as both speakers will require much trial and error to get positioned “perfectly” (subjectively speaking) within the room. The results, however, might lead you one more step toward Audio Nirvana.

According to Sumiko Audio, “The most important component in any audio or theater system is the proper placement and positioning of the speakers into the listening environment. Putting the speakers where they truly belong, so they don't fight each other, so they work in total unison not only with each other but also with the room, is the end all be all for proper music reproduction in the home.”

Becoming a true “master” of this process requires training or paid consultation and setup, so keep in mind that online guides are second-hand instructions, but there are several write-ups and audio forum threads that rave about the results by DIY-ers like us.

Below is the best step-by-step guide — supposedly presented by John Hunter, the owner of Sumiko Audio and REL — that I came across. I edited it for length and clarity and split some of the steps to make the process easier to follow. Another twist on this approach is this “light” methodology, which suggests toeing-in the “anchor” speaker directly toward the listening position from the start. I believe this approach could sacrifice good soundstage, so I prefer the approach below.

Sumiko Master Speaker Setup Protocol

Step 1 - remove any (easily) removable acoustic treatments from the room. Anything that is permanently fixed and all your furniture is OK to leave.

Step 2 - remove the speaker stand spikes to make sliding the stands easier, or at least level all the spikes so the speaker is completely level. If you own heavy speakers, use furniture sliders to make positioning easier. If you have hard floors, try setting the speakers on a soft towel to assist in sliding.

Step 3 - establish your listening seat. Optimally, you will set the speakers and your listening seat in the shape of a triangle. Space permitting, it is generally recommended to start with the speakers set at least 8-12 ft. apart and the listening seat 12-15 ft. back. An equilateral triangle arrangement is often advised as well. Adjust accordingly to your room constraints. When properly set, the speakers will likely be out at least 18 inches from the front boundary wall. Your listening seat likewise should be at least 24 inches from a rear boundary.

Step 4 - place both left and right speakers directly against the front boundary wall facing straight out into the room. No inward “toe-in” angle should be attempted yet. Generally, start with your speakers set 24-36 inches in from the sidewalls to limit early reflections (final positioning will change). The left speaker is going to become the “anchor” speaker for the set up.

Note: If you have an odd shaped room, starting with the speaker that has the most wall to work along or shortest distance to a rear boundary may be beneficial.

Step 5 - get grooving. Proper speaker placement requires music. Hunter recommends using a Rob Wasserman song featuring vocals by Jennifer Warnes called “Ballad of the Runaway Horse” from his Duets album. You could also try streaming it or using this YouTube recording, although the quality isn’t as good. Another disc regarded for fine-tuning speaker placement is Chesky Records Jazz Sampler & Audiophile Test Compact Disc Vol. 1.

Now, begin playing the “Ballad.” What makes this song so effective for this setup protocol is that “the plucked string bass is at realistic volume at realistic timber.” So, the first goal is to get the bass properly coupled to the room and the drivers.

Play this track at volumes where you can easily detect bass quality, which is usually between 80-95 db. Hunter says sometimes you will need to crank it up a bit to fully engage the room.

Step 6 - get a helper if possible (it will make moving and listening easier). Have your helper slide your anchor speaker out into the room until the bass becomes solid and authoritative. Mark this spot with some painter’s tape.

Make sure your helper stands behind the speaker when he/she moves it and then steps away from it, because their body will affect the sound if they stand alongside the speaker.

Step 7 - slide the anchor speaker right and left (toward and away from the sidewall) to find the best bass quality. Mark this spot.

Step 8 - slide the anchor speaker further out into the room to find other points where the bass couples properly in your room. Mark these positions with your tape.

Note: There may be a dozen spots within a three-foot zone of your first spot. This is where the process can become tedious, because Hunter says as little as one-third of an inch can differentiate good bass quality from lifeless bass.

Step 9 - listen to all the good bass points until you find your favorite. Mark it.

Remember that steps 6-9 are all done with just the anchor speaker playing straight out while the other speaker is playing straight into the room from its position against the front wall.

Step 10 - establish the “toe in” angle of your anchor speaker toward your listening seat.

You want the widest possible soundstage without the sound becoming too thin. Hunter says he usually ends up seeing about two-thirds of the inside wall of the speaker cabinet when it is positioned about right.

Do not toe in or toe out excessively, which ruins the soundstage. The sound will be very natural when the angle is right — too wide or too narrow will make the sound thin or seem like it is coming from two speakers instead of the space between them.

Your anchor is now set. Mark this spot.

Step 11 - reinsert the anchor speaker’s spikes and level the speaker.

Step 12 - set the second speaker’s position. Move it slowly out into the room while listening for the soundstage to line up equally in front of you. By this, Hunter means the soundstage is flat in front of you, not tilted like one speaker sounds closer than the other.

Remember to keep this speaker oriented straight ahead.

Step 13 - move the speaker right and left until you hear the soundstage become cohesive — Warnes should sound like she is standing between your speakers.

Step 14 - toe in the speaker very slightly until you hear Warnes’ voice become a “body” centered in the soundstage. You will hear the sound “congeal nicely” when this is right. It may be necessary to make very minor angle adjustments to get her voice centered. Be patient and you will be rewarded.

If the soundstage is not linear, meaning one speaker sounds more forward than the other, then simply slide the second speaker front or back slightly until the soundstage is “level.” Moving it right or left adjusts the centering of Warnes’ voice.

You should now have accomplished sound coupling of the speakers to your room boundaries. To test if this is the case, you should be able to stand directly over either speaker and clearly hear the other speaker.

Step 15 - mark the final location of both speakers.

Step 16 - reinsert the second speaker’s spikes.

Step 17 - begin adjusting the critical rake angle of the anchor speaker.

If your speakers or speaker stands do not have adjustable spikes, you can try using door shims or wedge spacers. Adjust the spikes to get the speaker level across the front and raked back to get the beam of the tweeter firing an inch or two above your ears when seated in your listening position.

Listen to the quality of Warnes’ voice. She should appear to be ear level or slightly above ear level in the soundstage.

Remember, this is a personal choice. Many audiophiles prefer ear level because the sound is slightly fuller. A little above ear level may sound more natural or like a live musical event.

Step 18 - begin adjusting the spikes on the second speaker to match the “height” of the anchor speaker.

Step 19 - once immersed in eargasm-inducing sound, take measurements of the speaker locations from the walls. Take digital photos. Map it out. Eventually, your setup will get shifted out of place somehow. You need to have these measurements so you don’t have to repeat the setup process (except for when you get new speakers).

Step 20 - reinstall any acoustic treatments you removed (or experiment with some new ones) to see if you can improve upon the room’s sound, but don’t touch the speakers’ locations.

If your ears aren’t fatigued by this point, Hunter says he likes to follow up with some confirmation tests using the Chesky album previously mentioned. Track 10 is great for confirming left and right positioning: “On cut 10, the speaker starts out two feet from the microphone in center stage. Then he moves mid-way right, full right, and off-stage right. He then repeats this on the left. Simply slide your right speaker right or left to get the sound staging perfect.” Track 11 verifies your rake angles with “Over, Lateral, Under, and Up” tones.

While completing this process may not make you a true Sumiko Master, what you have done, hopefully, is couple your speakers to your room based upon your primary listening position.

If this seems too involved, check out these other speaker placement calculators and guides.

Let me know your results, tips, and tricks. As I setup my new listening room, I plan to try several configurations to figure out which approach is really the “master.”