What we liked
- The smooth, warm sound reproduction
- The rich vocals
- The USB-C adapter
We would have liked
- An even wider soundstage
- Even deeper bass
Our expert’s opinion
With the 105 Silva, Meze Audio has once again succeeded in combining design, comfort and musicality in hi-fi headphones that are both accessible and perfectly accomplished. Their open design, new dynamic transducers and rich midrange deliver a warm, richly nuanced reproduction, where vocals, acoustic instruments and micro-details find their natural place. They have inherited the qualities of their predecessors, with the precision of the 109 Pro and the smoothness of the 105 AER, while asserting their own warmer, more organic personality. Add to this irreproachable comfort and a USB-C adapter enabling them to be used without additional accessories with the latest generation of smartphones and computers, and you've got an excellent pair of hi-fi headphones at under €500 for all audio sources.
With the new 105 Silva headphones, Meze Audio continues to expand its range with an open-back model combining traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. The worldwide success of the Meze 99 Classics, hailed by the specialist press and audiophiles alike for its warm musicality and luxurious solid wood finish, marked a turning point in the headphone sector. Building on this heritage, Meze Audio continues its ascent with a new model strategically placed between the 105 AER and 109 Pro headphones. It promises an ideal balance between musicality, precision and comfort. We had the chance to preview this model, and here are our impressions.
Packaging & accessories
When you open the box, you’ll find that Meze Audio remains true to its usual high standards of presentation. The 105 Silva comes in an elegant hard carrying case, covered in a textured anthracite fabric reminiscent of the 109 Pro. Compact, sturdy and elegant, it provides effective protection for the headphones on the move. Inside the zipped pocket is a 1.8m Kevlar-reinforced OFC copper braided cable, with two 3.5mm mini-jack mono connectors on the headphones side and a 3.5mm stereo connector for the source. Meze also includes a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter with an integrated DAC and headphone amplifier. This small accessory allows you to use the 105 Silva headphones with modern smartphones, tablets or computers without having to add any other devices.
Presentation
Design
Since its inception, Meze Audio has cultivated a singular approach to hi-fi headphones: high-end materials, appealing designs that are instantly recognizable and assembled by hand. The new Meze 105 Silva headphones are no exception to this philosophy, with sumptuous solid walnut ear cups, a true signature of the brand. The ear cups feature a radial grille made of PC-ABS technical polymer. This extremely robust material maximizes the headphones’ mechanical strength and eliminates unwanted vibrations. Thanks to this open structure, these 2025 Meze headphones promise a wider soundstage and more accurately positioned sound planes.
The Meze 105 Silva adopts the Romanian manufacturer’s iconic floating headband system, combining a manganese steel alloy structure with a suspended leatherette headband. This design allows the headphones’ 354g to be evenly distributed over the top of the head, without excess pressure. When placing the headphones on your head they settle naturally, without any need for manual adjustment. Contact is even, soft and pleasant, offering excellent comfort that lasts even after several hours.
The ultra-soft velvet ear pads also contribute to this feeling of comfort. Their soft texture gently follows the contours of the ear, without creating excessive pressure, even when wearing glasses. Unlike leather or imitation-leather pads, they don’t feel cold on contact with the skin and limit perspiration. Their airy design, combined with the headphones’ open-back architecture, ensures excellent ventilation, preventing your ears from getting warm, even during long listening sessions.
These headphones are assembled with the utmost rigor, using screws and components that can be easily taken apart. Each part can be easily replaced, guaranteeing long-term repairability. A sustainable, economical and environmentally-friendly approach, in keeping with Meze Audio’s craftsmanship philosophy.
A unique acoustic recipe
Beneath its familiar looks, the Meze Audio 105 Silva hides a new generation of 50mm dynamic transducers. These large drivers feature a bio-cellulose membrane, reinforced by a titanium-plated semi-crystalline polymer torus. This architecture is reminiscent of that of the Meze 109 Pro, but is more accessible, designed to maximize performance while keeping manufacturing costs under control.
The choice of bio-cellulose, a naturally rigid and lightweight material, ensures excellent responsiveness, while the addition of titanium gives the torus increased rigidity, limiting unwanted deformation. With optimal mechanical stability, it effectively dampens parasitic vibrations and reduces mechanical interference likely to introduce distortion. This combination of materials delivers an extended frequency response from 5Hz to 30kHz, with remarkable transient stability. Impacts are precise and silent passages are clearly audible. Furthermore, the reproduction gains in clarity and liveliness.
Finally, the open architecture of the headphones encourages natural air circulation around the transducers, allowing the diaphragms to breathe. The result is a wider soundstage, more realistic frequency range layering and better aeration of the entire spectrum.
Mini-jack cable and USB DAC
Thanks to their 42-ohm impedance and 112 dB SPL/mW sensitivity, the Meze 105 Silva headphones can be used with either a high-end headphone amplifier, a smartphone or a moderately powerful portable USB DAC. To this end, the headphones come with a 1.8m Kevlar-reinforced OFC copper braided cable, terminated by a 3.5mm stereo connector on the source side. On the headphone side, its two 3.5mm jack connectors allow it to be replaced by one of the many Meze cables, including a balanced model for compatible sources.
Meze also supplies a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter with its own DAC converter and headphone amplifier. This little accessory allows the 105 Silva headphones to be used with the majority of modern smartphones, tablets or computers. A real plus, especially as the audio reproduction via this integrated DAC is very good, with a nice reserve of power and a well-constructed soundstage. Of course, you can go even further with higher-end USB DACs, but this is a very good starting point.
Key specifications
- Type: open-back
- Coupling: over-ear
- Self-adjusting headband
- 50mm dynamic transducers
- Frequency response: 5Hz to 30kHz
- Sensitivity: 112 dB at 1kHz for 1mW
- Impedance: 42 ohms
- 3.5mm mini-jack cable and USB-C adapter
- Weight: 354g
Listening conditions
We tested the Meze 105 Silva headphones with the FiiO M23 DAP, the Cayin RU9 portable tube headphone amp, as well as the FiiO R7, Cayin HA-1A MK2 and Atoll HD100 desktop headphone amps. We listened to DSD and 24-bit/192kHz files stored locally, as well as Hi-Res music streamed from Qobuz. The headphones were also used with their USB-C adapter on a MAC computer.
Listening impressions
The Meze 105 Silva headphones truly respected timbre and nuance. They have an inverted V-shaped response curve, with a slightly emphasized midrange to give vocals remarkable presence. We enjoyed the same sonic magic as the 105 AER, but with a slightly softer, more jovial tone that made us want to listen for longer. On Emma Pilgaard’s Sunshine, the singer’s voice took center stage with great delicacy. The vocal texture was rich, silky, almost tactile, and the breathing between verses was reproduced with surgical precision.
High frequencies were reproduced with finesse and accuracy. The treble was smooth and clear, without ever becoming overly bright or aggressive. The Meze 105 Silva headphones were able to reach very high notes to reproduce minute details, while retaining a silky texture. On the delicate cymbals of Miles Davis’ Blue in Green, each sweep seemed to caress our ears, combining legibility and natural radiance. The rocky texture of Coltrane’s saxophone was astonishingly realistic. The breath and vibration of the metal stood out in the ethereal ambience.
Without trying to rival the holographic breadth of a Meze Empyrean or other high-end headphone models, the Meze 105 Silva managed to create a good feeling of space to let the music breathe and express itself freely. On Archive’s Again, the stereo image opened up naturally on both sides, while maintaining an excellent anchoring in the center for the vocals. The different sound planes were laid out with remarkable clarity: atmospheric layers, percussion, electric guitars and reverberation effects each fit into their own space, without overlapping or confusion. The Meze 105 Silva offered a crystal-clear reproduction of the arrangements, highlighting the spatial richness of this dense production. As for the bass, it was firm, fast and well-sustained. Without seeking to deliver thundering infra-bass, the 105 Silva descended with sufficient depth to add weight to the percussion instruments and substance to the bass lines.
Meze 105 Silva vs Meze 105 AER
Compared with the Meze 105 AER, the 105 Silva marks a clear improvement in several respects. More refined in its reproduction, it offers a slightly wider soundstage and significantly greater tonal richness. The Silva gains in maturity, with more nuanced timbres, a more expressive midrange and increased softness in the treble. While the 105 AER remains an excellent entry ticket into the world of Meze open-back headphones, the 105 Silva stands out as a natural next step, offering a richer, softer and more textured sound.
Frequently asked questions
With their low impedance of 42 ohms and high sensitivity of 112 dB, the Meze 105 Silva headphones can be efficiently powered by most music sources, including a smartphone or computer. What’s more, Meze includes a USB-C adapter with an integrated DAC and amp, enabling immediate USB use with the latest devices. However, as they are open-back headphones, isolation is minimal, so they’re better suited to quiet listening sessions than noisy environments.
Yes, the Meze 105 Silva headphones use two 3.5mm mini-jack connectors on the headphones side, so you can connect it to any Meze-compatible or third-party cable. This means you can opt for a balanced cable if you wish to use them with a compatible headphone amp or DAC, and thus further optimize sound reproduction.
Absolutely. In fact, it’s one of their strengths. The self-adjusting floating headband distributes weight evenly, while the ultra-soft velvet ear pads ensure excellent thermal and mechanical comfort. The headphones are quickly forgotten, even during long listening sessions.
Yes, their balanced signature and open soundstage make them very versatile. They excels particularly with vocals, acoustic music, jazz and classical music, but also offer a solid reproduction of contemporary music, as long as you aren’t looking for ultra-deep bass. Lovers of smoothness, fluidity and detail will be delighted.
True to Meze Audio’s philosophy of durability, the 105 Silva are built to last. All components are screwed together (rather than glued), making it easy to replace the ear cups, headband, ear pads and even transducers if necessary. A real guarantee of longevity, and an eco-responsible choice.
