How to Choose the Right Meze Upgrade Cable for Your Setup

By Meze Audio - Sound. Comfort. Design. True High-End. | Published: 2026-10-14

Category: Buying Guides

A practical buying guide to Meze upgrade cables: match the dual mono 3.5mm connector, pick OFC, Copper PCUHD, or Silver-Plated PCUHD, and decide if a cable upgrade is worth it.

Quick answer

Start with the connector, not the conductor. All four Meze cables here use dual mono 3.5mm headphone terminations, so they fit the same headphone families — the real differences are the source plug and the conductor. If you listen from a balanced output, choose the OFC balanced cable. If you want the biggest material upgrade for a single-ended setup, choose Copper PCUHD or Silver-Plated PCUHD.

Fit comes first: which headphones these cables actually serve

Every cable in this guide is a dual mono 3.5mm design, meaning two separate 3.5mm TS plugs — one per earcup. That shared connector is why these cables can serve several Meze models at once rather than being tied to a single headphone.

The OFC balanced cable lists compatibility with 99 NEO, 99 CLASSICS, 99 CLASSICS 2ND GEN, 105 AER, 105 SILVA, 109 PRO, STRADA, LIRIC and POET. The two PCUHD premium cables and the standard Liric cable list a narrower set: 99 CLASSICS 2ND GEN, 105 AER, 105 SILVA, 109 PRO, STRADA, LIRIC and POET.

That difference matters if you own a 99 NEO or first-generation 99 CLASSICS. For those two, the OFC balanced cable is the one explicitly listed. For everything else on the lists, all four cables are candidates and the decision moves to sound character and your source.

Match the plug to your source before anything else

The OFC balanced cable ends in a 2.5mm TRRS or 4.4mm TRRRS balanced connection. That is a deliberate choice: it only works with devices that have a balanced output. Meze states plainly that this cable is not compatible with 3.5mm devices such as smartphones, laptops or PCs — to use it there, you need a 2.5mm or 4.4mm to 3.5mm TRS adapter.

The Copper PCUHD, Silver-Plated PCUHD and standard Liric cables are not described with a balanced source plug in the supplied specifications, so treat them as the safer pick when your only output is a standard 3.5mm jack. If you are unsure which output your player, dongle or desktop amp offers, check that first — it eliminates half the options immediately.

What each conductor material is actually for

The OFC balanced cable uses silver-plated oxygen-free copper with a soft transparent TPU coating. It is the lightest and most flexible-feeling route into balanced listening, and at 1.5 m (4.9 ft) it suits desk and armchair setups rather than pocket use.

The Copper PCUHD premium cable is hand-braided from scratch by the Meze team in Romania and is positioned to emphasize sonic performance — Meze describes tighter bass, improved imaging and separation, and vocals that stand out. If your priority is a fuller, more musical presentation, this is the middle step.

The Silver-Plated PCUHD premium cable combines silver's conductive properties with copper's durability, using Furukawa Copper wire coated with pure silver. It is the top of this particular ladder, and Meze frames it as an easy upgrade to your listening. Neither PCUHD cable's source plug is specified in the supplied catalog facts, so confirm the termination with the store before ordering if your setup is unusual.

The budget option people overlook

The standard Liric cable is easy to dismiss because it is not marketed as an upgrade. But it is made of highly flexible TPE, terminates in mono 3.5mm headphone plugs and a 3.5mm gold-plated jack with a copper aluminum casing, and it covers the same 99 CLASSICS 2ND GEN, 105 AER, 105 SILVA, 109 PRO, STRADA, LIRIC and POET list as the premium cables.

If your current cable is damaged, too stiff, or simply the wrong length, replacing it with the standard cable solves the practical problem at the lowest cost. Buying an upgrade cable is a separate decision from fixing a broken one, and it is worth keeping those two goals apart.

Decision rules: pick your cable in four checks

Rule 1 — Does your source have a balanced output?: If yes, the dual mono 3.5mm OFC balanced cable is the direct match, since it is built around a 2.5mm TRRS or 4.4mm TRRRS connection. If your only output is a 3.5mm jack, rule it out unless you are willing to add a 2.5mm/4.4mm to 3.5mm TRS adapter. Balanced output: OFC balanced cable. Single-ended only: move to rule 2.
Rule 2 — Which headphone do you actually own?: The 99 NEO and first-generation 99 CLASSICS appear only on the OFC balanced cable's compatibility list. The 99 CLASSICS 2ND GEN, 105 AER, 105 SILVA, 109 PRO, STRADA, LIRIC and POET appear on both the OFC cable and the premium cables. Check your exact model name before comparing conductors.
Rule 3 — Are you upgrading for sound or for repair?: For a worn or stiff cable, the standard Liric cable's flexible TPE build and 3.5mm gold-plated jack solve the problem cheaply. For a deliberate sonic change, the Copper PCUHD targets tighter bass and better imaging, while the Silver-Plated PCUHD adds a pure silver coating over Furukawa Copper. Repair: standard cable. Sound upgrade: PCUHD tier.
Rule 4 — How much do you want to spend on the last few percent?: The three tiers step up in material and construction, not in compatibility. Nothing in the supplied specifications says a premium cable fits a headphone the standard cable does not, so pay the premium for the conductor and build, not for access. If the premium tier is a stretch, the OFC balanced cable is the value pick.

The cables in this guide

DUAL MONO 3.5 MM OFC BALANCED UPGRADE CABLE: Dual mono 3.5mm OFC balanced upgrade cable with silver-plated OFC conductors, soft transparent TPU coating, 1.5 m (4.9 ft) length, and 2.5mm TRRS / 4.4mm TRRRS balanced termination. It is the only cable here that explicitly covers the 99 NEO and first-generation 99 CLASSICS, and the only one with a stated balanced source plug — so it is the pick for balanced-output listeners with those models.
DUAL MONO 3.5 MM COPPER PCUHD PREMIUM CABLE: Dual mono 3.5mm Copper PCUHD premium cable, hand-braided from scratch by the Meze team in Romania, designed to emphasize sonic performance with tighter bass and improved imaging, separation and vocals. A sensible step up for single-ended listeners on 99 CLASSICS 2ND GEN, 105 AER, 105 SILVA, 109 PRO, STRADA, LIRIC or POET who want a fuller, more musical character rather than a connector change.
DUAL MONO 3.5 MM SILVER-PLATED PCUHD PREMIUM CABLE: Dual mono 3.5mm Silver-Plated PCUHD premium cable made with Furukawa Copper wire coated with pure silver, combining silver's conductive properties with copper's durability. The top material tier in this lineup, and the logical choice if you have already decided to upgrade and want the silver-plated construction rather than the copper-only version.
DUAL MONO 3.5 MM LIRIC STANDARD CABLE: Dual mono 3.5mm Liric standard cable made of highly flexible TPE, with mono 3.5mm headphone termination and a 3.5mm gold-plated jack in a copper aluminum casing. The practical replacement option for the same headphone list as the premium cables when flexibility and a standard 3.5mm plug matter more than conductor material.

Who each cable is for

Best for

Listeners with a balanced 2.5mm or 4.4mm output who want a lightweight, flexible dual mono 3.5mm cable — the OFC balanced upgrade cable
Owners of the 99 NEO or first-generation 99 CLASSICS, since the OFC balanced cable is the only one here that lists those models
Single-ended listeners on 99 CLASSICS 2ND GEN, 105 AER, 105 SILVA, 109 PRO, STRADA, LIRIC or POET who want a warmer, fuller presentation — the Copper PCUHD premium cable
Listeners who have already decided to upgrade and want the silver-plated Furukawa Copper construction — the Silver-Plated PCUHD premium cable
Anyone replacing a damaged or stiff cable on a tight budget — the standard Liric cable

Not for

Smartphone, laptop or PC listeners who will not use a 2.5mm/4.4mm to 3.5mm TRS adapter — the OFC balanced cable will not work directly
99 NEO or first-generation 99 CLASSICS owners shopping the PCUHD premium cables, which do not list those two models
Buyers expecting a cable to change which headphones it fits — all four share the same dual mono 3.5mm headphone termination
Listeners who have not confirmed their source output; guessing here is the most common reason a cable gets returned