Meze 105 AER
Breathe in, sit back, enjoy the comfort and especially the sound of the AER
AER, meaning “air” in Romanian, perfectly captures the essence of the Meze 105 AER. After spending several weeks with these headphones, it’s clear how fitting the name is. While the design draws immediate parallels to the Meze 109 Pro, the 105 AER offers listeners the chance to breathe in a high-end audio experience at a remarkably pragmatic price.
Note: I would like to thank Meze Audio for providing the Meze 105 AER for the purposes of this review.
If you want to check out more details about the Meze 105 AER, here is a link to their product page. It typically retails for $399.
To produce a sub $400 headphone compromises need to be made but the “clever compromises” Meze made with the 105 AER do not leave you feeling you are missing out on a high-end experience.
Read on to let me explain what I mean in this review:
A High-end audio experience
I have been asked a few times what makes a “high-end” headphone different from a “mid fi” priced headphone and my usual answer is it depends on what you are looking for.
Rarely is it purely audio quality, usually it is subtle aspects of the material used or the build quality or some exotic aspects to the driver technology used. And while sometimes “high-end” headphones are more unfortunately due to heavily materials being used, there are high-end headphones, for example, like the HD800s where the opposite approach was made and comfort and sound quality were put ahead of “high-end” looks and expensive materials.
So, the answer is typically with the best high-end audio products I think it is basically getting a good mixture of the attributes that you appreciate that can a distinguish a high-end headphone from a more pragmatic headphone.
So, why I am mentioning this in the start of this review, mainly because the 105 AER is a little different from most “mid-fi” priced headphones and I will give lots of comparisons later in this review. I feel lots of companies start with the idea of making a headphone at a particular price point (the FiiO FT1 Pro is a great recent example) and focus on one aspect (e.g. sound quality with the FT1 Pro) while other aspects suffer like comfort or material design, and sometimes cutting corners can cause issues with long term durability.
But I would classify the 105 AER as a high-end headphone that Meze have managed to produce with some clever and very discrete compromises so that you do not feel like you have a sub $400 headphone.
As you will see even the unboxing experience has a nice premium feel:
Unboxing Experience
The Meze 105 AER arrives in a premium box with understated yet elegant packaging that reflects its high-end nature:
Opening the box you basically see the carry case:
It a pretty nice quality hard case with nice curves :
Opening the case up you immediately see how luxurious the velvet earpads are on the 105 AER:
The small cable holder internal case is a nice touch but a little quirky:
Its detachable 2M cable is excellent quality and reminded me of the Meze Boom mic which I reviewed
recently and which you will see in some photos in a bit. You also get the usual 6.35mm
adapter:
Design, Build Quality, and Comfort
Meze is known for its attention to detail and luxury with it design, and the 105 AER is no exception:
The earpads almost look like earmuffs and are as comfortable:
The recent YouTube video from the headphones.com team was subtitled “Headphones as ART” but I think they missed an opportunity to feature some quality designed headphones in that video and especially feature some Meze headphones. Meze products especially “Ooze” artist flare, here is their Boom-mic with the 105 AER which is a fantastic combination for using the 105 AER while working:
Build Quality
The Meze 105 AER features a lightweight yet durable aluminum chassis that feels robust without being cumbersome:
The open-back earcups are made from premium materials and finished with Meze’s signature minimalist design.
Note: While the earcups on 105 AER shares a similar design to the 109 Pro, the beautiful wooden finish on each earcup was one of those compromises Meze had to made, so they didn’t make the “cut”.
The headband adjustment mechanism is smooth, ensuring a perfect fit for a wide range of head sizes.
The cable connector is also excellent quality:
Removing the earpads reveals the nice driver cover:
I like that there are engravings on this part of the headphone, as you will never normally see unless you remove the earpads, a sign of the pride in their designs of even their cheaper headphones.
Note: This is another compromise Meze made, so even though the 105 AER uses the same actual driver, the 109 Pro has a “gated copper” around the driver while the 105 AER has acoustic mesh to help with its tuning.
The earpads themselves can be easily replaced but they were not quiet as easy to get back on the headphone due to the plastic film which adds support and a better seal:
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Comfort
Comfort is where the Meze 105 AER truly excels. The plush velvet earpads feel incredibly soft against the skin and provide excellent breathability, making the headphone ideal for long listening sessions.
The clamping force is just right—not too tight, but secure enough to stay in place.
Combined with the lightweight design, and clever headband suspension mechanism the Meze 105 AER is one of the most comfortable headphones I own.
Sound Quality
Overall, The Meze 105 AER delivers a balanced and natural sound signature with just a hint of the rich mid-bass textures that Meze headphones are renowned for, there is also a subtle bit of “airy ness” in the treble which a headphone name AER would be expected to have. So, Whether you’re listening to classical, jazz, or modern pop, the AER adapts beautifully to every genre.
Bass
The bass is tight and controlled, with just enough depth to satisfy most listeners without overpowering the mix. Tracks like “Royals” by Lorde showcase the headphone’s ability to reproduce deep, impactful bass with precision. There is a slight mid-bass emphasis which gives you that classic Meze rich sound, but it still feels like a well-balanced headphone with some matching treble “airy” emphasis.
Midrange
The midrange is natural and detailed, making vocals and instruments sound lifelike. Listening to “Someone Like You” by Adele, the clarity and warmth of her voice come through effortlessly, demonstrating the AER’s midrange prowess.
Treble
The treble is somewhat airy and detailed, with just a touch of sparkle. While some might find the treble slightly elevated, it adds a sense of openness and clarity. Tracks like “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen highlight the headphone’s ability to render high-frequency details without sounding harsh. But the treble is probably the one area where the 105 AER isn’t as quiet as smooth as Meze’s more expensive open backs and as you will see later I might recommend some EQ.
Soundstage and Imaging
The open-back design and that Meze sound signature helps create an expansive soundstage that places instruments and vocals in a wide, three-dimensional space. Imaging is precise, allowing you to pinpoint the location of each element in the mix.
Specifications and Measurements
Specification | Details |
---|---|
Driver Type | 40mm Dynamic Driver |
Impedance | 30 Ω |
Frequency Range | 10Hz–40kHz |
Sensitivity | 104 dB/mW |
Weight | 290g |
Cable Details | Detachable 3.5mm OFC cable |
With an impedance of 30 Ω and a sensitivity of 104 dB/mW, the Meze 105 AER is easy to drive and pairs well with portable devices.
Measurements
Note: The following measurements were taken with my KB501X soft ear Pinna and a 711 clone coupler. They are available on my measurement database here.
Frequency Response
The 105 AER has a balanced frequency response with a slight emphasis in the upper treble for added airiness:
I think Meze have given the 105 AER a nice balance with a slightly warm mid-bass balanced with that slightly emphasis in the treble. This is what I called that Meze “sweet seductive sound” in the subjective impressions above.
Distortion
Distortion is impressively low, even at high listening volumes:
And as a percentage:
EQ Recommendation and a House sound
While I am a great fan using EQ on certain headphones, I always believe that certain sound profiles should not be altered especially for headphones that delivery a “house sound”, not necessarily because I believe they any the “best” sound (though I do have my favourites for particular genres) but I find it fantastic to be able to experience your music with subtle different sound signatures.
For example, I still love the sound signature on my Audeze MM-100 and with the 105 AER having a very
pragmatically priced way to get that Meze house sound is great, but I thought I could maybe bring it
even nearer some of the higher end Meze’s headphones with some EQ tweaking.
So, I do see in some other measurements (as well as my own) and in some subjective comments talking about
the 105 AER having slight less “technicalities” than the 109 Pro and other Meze headphones, which is pretty
understandable given that 105 AER is 1/2 the price of the 109 Pro. But this is where subtle EQ changes can
be a bit of fun, so I borrowed some measurements from this Squig to see a comparison of the Frequency Response
normalised to DF for simplicity:
So you can see the 105 AER is less upper treble than the 109 Pro or the Empyream II, but this area is really
where accurate measurements are impossible, but the general trend can be changed with a high self filter.
I also felt using a 2nd filter to lower that 5K peak slightly as we are now getting more airness from the upper
treble:
Preamp: -5.0 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 5000 Hz Gain -3.0 dB Q 1.900
Filter 2: ON HSC Fc 7000 Hz Gain 5.0 dB Q 0.710
The updated comparison EQ shows the 105 AER now with a similar treble response to both its much more
expensive siblings:
Comparisons
I thought it might be nice to just include some comparisons with other similar priced competitors. So all 4 of these headphones are in the $300-$400 price range.
Firstly a comparison of the feature responses:
So, you can see the 105 AER is very competitive (even without my EQ tweak above) with more bass than the MM-100 or even the Sundara but much less mid-bass than the AR-5000. The Sundara has the better treble (without the EQ tweak above) but the 105 AER is still pretty good and as I learned with the MM-100 sound sometimes a darker treble presentation can be fantastic.
Finally, I thought it might be interesting to include some photo comparisons and some subjective comparisons so you can judge that build quality differences and some general comments on the differences between these headphones:
With the Aune AR5000
As far as a “Headphone as Art” in this price range - I think the AR5000 is nearest to the 105 AER with it gorgeous mainly metal design and the fact that it was the first headphone from Aune is even more impressive.
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The 105 AER headband suspensions and earpads give it the slight edge on comfort and while both have excellent sound profiles the AR5000 went for more classic Neutral while the 105 AER has a little bit of a that Meze house sound to enjoy.
With the Audeze MM-100
The MM-100 shares some of the same “trickle down” features from high-end models that the 105 AER such an excellent headphone but mainly with the MM-100 that is really the exceptional ear cup design with that classic and beautiful Audeze design that you might see in the LCD-Z or MM-500:
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Again, The 105 AER headband suspensions mechanism and plush earpads are in my opinion more comfortable. With sound signature the MM-100 has a fantastic dark sound signature which is very different from the AER 105 but both are worth having in your collection.
With the Sundara
The Sundara is a modern classic headphone and given the recent price cuts from Hifiman one that should
definitely be evaluated against the Meze. While I have had no problems (with any of my Hifiman
headphones), I do feel like Hifiman headphones in this price range focus more on than planar sound rather
than “higher end” aspects, so it can lack those subtle design cues that the 105 AER has inherited from its
more expensive siblings:
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The Sundara sound signature is exceptional though with a very neutral tonality, while the 105 AER still has a bit of that classic Meze warm sound signature.
Some other comparisons
Just comparing the comfort - the Sivga Luan was up until now the most comfortable headphone in this price range but while this might be very subjective I do think 105 AER has slightly more comfortable earpads:
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And finally with some 2 classic Sennheiser’s the HD600 and the HD800s - if you were to just look at the design of the headband suspension you would imagine that the 105 AER was the high-end headphone here :
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While both Sennheisers are classic headphones and both have legendary sound signatures these are headphones that focused on sound quality and not high-end looks. The 105 AER while not as accurate tonally as either does offer a balance sound signature with a subtle Meze house sound and much more high-end feel than either headphone.
Rating
I’ve given the Meze 105 AER a pragmatic 5-star rating. Its exceptional sound, premium build quality, and unparalleled comfort in this price range make it one of the best headphones recent headphones to be released. But I think the best reason to own it is to get a taste (and a large tasting at that) of what Meze have to offer from their high-end headphones.
Conclusion
The Meze 105 AER is a headphone that could not exist at its price point without borrowing many of the attributes of more expensive Meze headphones. With its airy and natural sound signature, luxurious comfort, and outstanding build quality, it stands out as a high-end headphone at a very pragmatic price. Whether you’re a seasoned audiophile or a casual listener, the Meze 105 AER delivers a listening experience that should be in your collection.