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The English language seems to hold an unfair prejudice against the middle state. Many of the numerous English words and phrases that denote being in-between—mediocre, middle-of-the-road, middle of nowhere, midlife, and middle child, for example—carry negative connotations. In my view, the middle state is not necessarily a bad thing. It can sometimes be quite favorable. Case in point: the latest open-back headphones from Meze Audio, the 105 Silvas.
The Meze Audio 105 Silva headphones (US$499, CA$699, £469, €499) were introduced at the High End 2025 show in Munich this past May. The 105 Silvas fall squarely between two of Meze’s other open-back headphones: the 105 AERs (US$399; reviewed by Geoffrey Morrison in 2024) and the 109 Pros (US$799; reviewed by Brent Butterworth in 2022). Like any thoughtful, well-engineered mid-range product ought to be, the 105 Silvas are closer in appearance and features to the higher-end ’phones but closer to the entry-level ones in price. The middle is already starting to feel like a nice place to be.
Fit and Finish
According to Meze, the styling of the 105 Silvas was inspired by mid-century modern design. I’m not sure exactly what the designers of the 1950s and ’60s would think of these Romanian ’phones, but it’s hard to imagine designer-architects like Finn Juhl or Charles Eames being disappointed by the 105 Silvas’ blend of natural and synthetic materials and smooth lines.
The 105 Silvas, like the 109 Pro headphones, have sculpted black-walnut earcups. Their radial grilles are made of molded plastic, like those of the 105 AERs. Gunmetal zinc-alloy hardware links the earcups to the black spring steel frame, and a synthetic leather headband, impressed with the model name, stretches across with an elastic band at each end that readily adapts to the user’s head. The 105 Silvas’ earcups are fitted with soft, velour-wrapped earpads, and each has a 3.5mm mono jack on its bottom edge to accept a Y‑split headphone cable. The substantial walnut earcups sharply contrast with the slender black steel band, giving the 105 Silvas a distinctive appearance.
A dynamic-driver design, the 105 Silvas use 50mm W-shaped membranes, each mounted to its earcup with a copper-zinc-alloy stabilizer. A bio-cellulose dome reinforced with carbon fibers forms the center, while the torus (essentially, the driver surround/suspension) is made from a lightweight but stiff material called polyether ether ketone, or PEEK. Angled grooves in the PEEK torus enhance stiffness and control of resonance.
The torus structure of the 105 Silvas is also found in the drivers of the 105 AERs and 109 Pros. Where the three differ is in the coating of the torus: the 105 AERs’ tori are uncoated, whereas those of the 105 Silva and 109 Pro headphones are coated—a titanium coating in the former, beryllium in the latter. These coatings affect the mass and damping characteristics of the drivers and therefore the sound signature of each set of headphones. With a specified impedance of 42 ohms and a sensitivity of 112dB/mW at 1kHz, the 105 Silvas will challenge none but the wimpiest of amplifiers.
The 105 Silva headphones come with a 1.8m (5.9′) twisted-pair OFC cable that is terminated with a 3.5mm TS plug for each earcup and a 3.5mm stereo connector in a Kevlar jacket on the other end. Meze obliged my request for a balanced cable and included with my sample unit one of its premium PCUHD cables, a 1.3m (4.3′) version with a 4.4mm Pentaconn plug ($249; sold separately). This cable is made with an ultrapure twisted copper braid. It performed flawlessly, but it seemed like overkill for these headphones. Included with the 105 Silvas are a gold-plated 3.5mm-to-¼″ adapter, a USB Type-C DAC/amp dongle, a cloth cable pouch, and a hard EVA clamshell case.
Setup
Using my OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone as a source, I tested the DAC/amp dongle and found it to be perfectly adequate. For my critical listening, however, I opted for other amplification options that provided a more lifelike and involving presentation. In other respects, the sound of the 105 Silvas remained largely unchanged when I replaced the dongle with those other amplifiers. My comments on sound in this review still hold, therefore, when it is the supplied dongle that provides amplification.
I also tested streaming from my phone using an iFi Audio GO Link Max DAC dongle (US$79), and I tried my Oppo BDP‑105 (US$1199; no longer available) as a source through a Ferrum ERCO Gen 2 DAC–headphone amplifier (US$2050; review forthcoming). But I did most of my listening with my portable iFi Hip‑Dac 3 DAC–headphone amplifier (US$199) at my desk at work using a Dell desktop computer to stream Spotify.
Each of these DAC-amps offers a balanced output, which I used in this audition with the PCUHD Premium cable. I tried the included single-ended cable but found no obvious difference in sound between the two. I stuck with the balanced cable, partly for the 6dB gain it affords, but mostly because I just dug its look.
Sound
The 105 Silvas have exceptional build quality and are one of the handsomest sets of headphones I’ve seen at any price. They must also be one of the most comfortable sets I’ve encountered. These headphones weigh 354g, but they feel lighter once you slip them on, perfectly suspended. They aren’t meant for headbangers, mind you, nor for those always on the move, as the clamping pressure and headband grip are pretty light. They are really meant for home, school, or office use.
Comfortable wear and good looks are important qualities in a set of headphones. Sound is at least as important. On my first few listening sessions, I thought the 105 Silva headphones were neutral throughout the audioband, imparting no obvious coloration. Listening more closely on subsequent sessions, however, I detected a hint of increased presence in the upper mids and lower treble. The bass sounded flat and tight, and although the subbass was rolled off, as one would expect from open-back headphones, I noticed a subtle, not-unpleasant bloom in the upper bass that firmed things up. The midrange had a strong presence but was neutral and sounded natural, allowing horns, guitars, and vocals to exhibit great expressiveness and musicality.
I plugged into my iFi GO Link Max and cued up “Postman” by the American Analog Set, from their 2001 release Know by Heart (256kbps AAC, Tiger Style / Spotify). This track features a tightly recorded duet in a fairly simple mix with bandleader Andrew Kenny and guest vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. These two singers have remarkably similar vocal timbres, and teasing them apart can be difficult for all but the best headphones. It was not difficult for the 105 Silvas. They rendered the two vocals with superb separation and clarity. Other sonic elements, such as the guitar lines and kick-snare drumbeats, also kept to their distinct lanes. I was especially impressed by the sound of the cymbals. It was the sound of a hefty bronze plate being struck by solid wood, not a generic metallic splash.
Next, I plugged the 105 Silvas into my iFi Hip‑Dac 3 and shifted gears to something much heavier: “Urantia” from the 2020 album Ohms by the Deftones (256kbps AAC, Reprise Records / Spotify). The chugging guitar in the song’s intro had the gut-shaking power of a cranked Marshall stack—probably not far off from how the song was recorded. The drums slammed hard, but the open-back Silvas gave a strong sense of the space about them, as well as of the scale of the overall acoustic space in the recording studio. These headphones delivered the mix with great clarity, which is not always the case with rock and metal recordings.
I then played Minus the Bear’s 2012 album Infinity Overhead (256kbps AAC, Suicide Squeeze / Spotify). On “Lies and Eyes,” the slightly elevated midrange of the 105 Silvas brought the synths forward, highlighting the filter sweeps. The enhanced presence of this otherwise background element made this fun dance-rock track even more enjoyable to me. Lead singer Jake Snider sounded clear and vibrant and was never overshadowed by the synths or drums. The guitars and bass sounded precisely where and how they should have. I couldn’t help but bob along with the music.
Initially, the 105 Silvas’ soundstage and imaging seemed unremarkable to me. As is typical of open-back headphones, the soundstage was open and airy, and sonic images were depicted reasonably—neither over my shoulders nor directly in front of my face. But I did notice an interesting quality in the Silvas’ imaging.
Using the balanced output of the Ferrum ERCO Gen 2, with the Oppo spinning Norah Jones’s SACD Come Away with Me (Blue Note Records UCGQ-9029), I played “Lonestar.” Jones’s voice, the acoustic guitars, and the upright bass were all depicted in the round with realistic size and shape, albeit entirely within my head. Everything seemed fleshed out fully in solid form, precisely outlined on the soundstage. To be clear, these were more than simple cues of directionality and scale; the 105 Silva headphones seemed to communicate every last bit of spatial information in the recording. It was a subtle effect, but a joy to experience.
Rush’s Moving Pictures (CD, Mercury Records 314 534 631-2) confirmed what I had just heard. Listening to “Limelight” was a near-transcendental experience even though my air drumming couldn’t keep up with Neil Peart’s tom‑tom rolls and cymbal hits. The 105 Silvas responded to each transient perfectly, with all the dynamic contrast of this track. Again, each sound source was placed on the soundstage distinctly and three-dimensionally. These headphones did not simply paint the song’s sonic images; they sculpted them. I had never encountered this imaging trick in any other open-back headphones.
Comparison
I compared the 105 Silvas with my Drop x Sennheiser HD 6xx headphones, which are virtually identical to the HD 650s but cost significantly less: $219 vs. $580.
The body of the HD 6xx ’phones is made of sturdy plastic and metal; that of the 105 Silvas, as mentioned, is made of walnut and steel. The HD 6xx ’phones have comfortable, soft earpads and a headband that feels a little tight for me; the 105 Silvas are the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The HD 6xx ’phones come in a cardboard box with a 6′ cable and a two-year warranty; the 105 Silvas come in an EVA case with a Kevlar braided cable and a two-year warranty in the EU, one year elsewhere. Both headphones sound good.
I spun the Rush CD again, this time using my HD 6xx ’phones with an aftermarket cable that is terminated with the same 4.4mm Pentaconn plug that terminates the Meze PCUHD cable I used with the 105 Silvas. On “Tom Sawyer,” the HD 6xx ’phones nailed the tone and timbre of Geddy Lee’s voice, the guitars, and the synthesizers. This did not surprise me. Sennheiser headphones are known for their tonal accuracy and can approach the sound of a pair of flat speakers in a room as nearly as possible with headphones. But although the tonality of the HD 6xx ’phones seemed correct, the soundstage was confined to the space between my ears, and the dynamics felt somewhat constrained. I found that the 105 Silvas, though not quite as neutral as the Senns, made listening simply more fun.
Everything opened up with the 105 Silvas. On “Tom Sawyer” Lee’s bass guitar hummed and thrummed with a bit more upper-bass energy, and leading edges seemed a bit more defined, especially in the treble range. While the Silvas sounded airy and open, the Sennheisers sounded almost like closed-back headphones by comparison.
Considering other high-quality headphones in their price class, the 105 Silvas are an incredible value. They offer superb build quality and wooden earcups to boot. I know of only one set of headphones in this price class that features wooden earcups, the $550 Grado RS2x. (The recently reviewed FiiO FT1 headphones also feature wooden earcups, but those are closed-back headphones that cost less than $200.)
Conclusion
In short, for their price, the Meze 105 Silvas deliver a great deal. Not many headphones offer the comfort, elegance, build quality, and great sound of the 105 Silvas; those that do almost universally cost more. I believe that the price point of the 105 Silvas within Meze’s own open-back lineup makes them the best buy of the bunch. This is no middling middle model by any means. I’m happy to give my recommendation for the 105 Silva headphones. Meze has earned it.
. . . Matt Bonaccio
Associated Equipment
- Phone: OnePlus 10 Pro
- DAC/amplifier: iFi Go Plus Max; iFi Hip‑Dac 3; Ferrum Erco Gen 2
- Digital source: Oppo BDP‑105; Dell OptiPlex desktop computer
- Digital link: Tributaries Delta cable (coaxial S/PDIF)
- Headphones: Drop x Sennheiser HD 6xx, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, Grado SR60e, Sony MDR‑1AM2
Meze Audio 105 Silva headphones
Price: US$499, CA$699, £469, €499
Warranty: Two years parts and labor in the EU, one year elsewhere
Meze Audio
1–3 Morii Street
430162, Baia Mare
Romania
Phone: +40 770-769-376
Website: www.mezeaudio.com
