Meze Audio 105 SILVA

Comfort Balances Beauty and the Sound of Nature

Meze are definitely on a roll with their recent Headphones (and IEMs), and one thing that always intrigues me where I see a new Meze headphone is the name. The name “Silva” means “forest” in Romanian, and I do love to find the reasons for these naming but with the Silva has to be related to the gorgeous walnut wood finish that physically embodies this forest-inspired character, with grain patterns that echo the organic beauty of woodland textures.

But does this forest metaphor extend to the tuning as well? Is the 105 SILVA’s sound signature more like wandering through a dark, mysterious forest with deep, rich tones, or stepping into a bright, open clearing with sparkling detail and clarity? Let’s find out in this review.

The 105 SILVA is Meze’s newest entry in their 100-series, positioned between the more affordable 105 AER and the beloved 109 PRO. In your hand and on your head, it might be the most stunning of this trio of headphones, marrying walnut wood with Meze’s flowing lines in a way that feels timeless.

Having first experienced the Silva at Munich High End and then subsequently at the Canjam in London, I was impressed immediately by its elegance and clarity. But it can be hard in a noisy environment to truly judge an open back headphone, so I have been listening to it for more than a month now and really getting to know and appreciate its sound profile. The good news is the 105 SILVA targets a livelier, more incisive presentation than the 105 AER, edging closer to the 109 PRO’s technical bite while keeping things fun.

The question is whether its tuning and performance match its exceptional look and feel. Let’s find out, but first let’s get into the unboxing and build quality.

Unboxing and Build Quality

The Presentation is premium with consistent typography and a tasteful, modern palette:

The back of the box:

That wording on the back is the explanation for the name Silva:

Opening the box reveals the case and some documentation

The hardcase is excellent and will protect the headphone should you bring it with you on holidays:

Opening the case reveals the headphones and little bag containing the accessories:

Included accessories in the bag:

The cable is excellent quality, and I love that Meze are now including a usb-c dongle in the box:

Overall you get:

• 1.8 m dual-twisted Kevlar-wrapped OFC cable (dual 3.5 mm cup connectors to 3.5 mm)

• 3.5 mm to USB-C adapter with integrated DAC/AMP

• 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm adapter

• Cable bag

• EVA hard case

• Documentation/leaflets

• The cable is reason good length:

And has nice branding on the splitter and overall the quality of the connectors is excellent:

And of course, the headphone itself is stunning gorgeous with that essence of a forest:

Note: One thing to note is the size of the cable connector, and one reason I am very happy that the stock cable is excellent quality but not all third party dual 3.5mm cable will work as not all of them will fit, for example this cable was slighty, too wide for the recessed connection:

Fit and Comfort

The comfort is remarkable with the same amazing industrial design from both the 109 Pro and the 105 AER:

I love how the 105 SILVA automatically adjust its headband for the optimal fit:

Meze’s self-adjusting headband continues to be a highlight, just putting them on you immediately get a sense of the awesome design as they set themselves perfectly on your head. Clamp is secure without hotspots, and the suede/velour pads are soft and breathable.

My only slight complaint is the internal volume of the earcups and the flatter driver compared to the 109 Pro means those with larger ears might touch the flat driver. Here is the 105 Silva compared to the 109 Pro, basically the back of each earcup has more space/volume to accommodate the larger ears:

105 Silva	109 Pro

Isolation is obviously limited as it is an open-back, yet leakage is less than expected thanks to rear mesh damping:

Features and Performance

• 50 mm dynamic driver with bio‑cellulose composite dome and titanium‑coated torus
• Copper‑zinc stabilizer ring around the membrane

I also love how Meze headphones are designed to be easily repaired with fully replacable parts:

Sound Impressions

I mainly listened to the 105 Silva with my very transparent FiiO K17, but given how easy it is to drive, I did test it with a number of mobile dongles, including the Apple usb-c dongle. But I did like how it sounded on some of my higher end headphone amplifiers, including the Burson Playmate 3 and the Aune N7:

Bass

The 105 SILVA delivers quick, punchy bass with subtly present sub‑lows. It stays controlled at higher volumes and doesn’t smear into the mids. With desktop amplification, cellos and double bass gain welcome resonance and texture, and bass guitars remain articulate on fast passages. EDM, house, and R&B benefit from the responsive, rhythmic low end.

Track notes:

• Massive Attack – Angel: firm sub extension, clean slam, no mid‑bass bloat.
• Daft Punk – Giorgio by Moroder: complex bass lines stay separated as the mix builds.

Midrange

Lower mids sit a touch back compared to bass/treble, especially around ~600–800 Hz on modest sources. Vocals remain clear due to an energy lift around ~6 kHz that outlines transients without boxiness. Pairing with warmer, mid‑rich sources (e.g., Shanling M8T) fills body and overtones, pushing the mids toward neutral‑natural. With stronger amplification, vocal density and presence improve.

Track notes:

• Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why: breath and texture come through cleanly without glare.
• Fleetwood Mac – Dreams: guitars retain bite while vocals avoid shout.

Treble

Airy and textured with a sweetened top that reins in sibilance. Upper strings and guitar harmonics are well resolved; cymbal transients are crisp yet not razor‑edged. There’s planarlike transient snap, but the overall presentation stays dynamic‑driver natural. In noisy environments, treble presence helps preserve clarity without harshness, though extremely hot recordings may benefit from a couple dB shelf or foam inserts.

Track notes:

• Bill Evans – Waltz for Debby: ride cymbal grain and decay are easy to track.
• Radiohead – Everything In Its Right Place: upper harmonics remain clean, not glassy.

Soundstage & Imaging

Stage is moderately wide with good depth layering. A slightly relaxed mid zone pushes vocals a step back, opening room for backing instruments. Separation remains strong thanks to upper‑mid articulation. Higher‑quality decoding tightens bass imaging and enhances stage depth; underpowered chains can sound a tad “digital” in upper mids.

Comparisons

Meze Audio 105 AER

• Design: both share the same frame; SILVA’s walnut and radial grille look more upscale.
• Drive/Ease: similarly easy to drive on paper; both scale with power.
• Tuning: SILVA is crisper with more upper‑mid/treble sparkle and firmer transients; AER is smoother/mellower with closer mids and a more relaxed overall presentation.
• Takeaway: in quiet rooms the AER is inviting and natural; in noisier or on‑the‑go listening, SILVA’s contrast and clarity win.

Meze Audio 109 Pro ($799)

• Design: both feature walnut wood, but the 109 Pro has a more premium build with copper-zinc alloy details and an intricate spider-design earcup.
• Comfort: 109 Pro has angled drivers that provide slightly better ergonomics, though the SILVA’s comfort is still excellent.
• Driver Technology: 109 Pro uses a more advanced dual-composite diaphragm with Beryllium-coated polymer dome and cellulose-carbon fiber composite membrane.
• Tuning: 109 Pro has a more lively, dynamic presentation with richer midbass and more refined treble extension.
• Value: SILVA offers 80-90% of the 109 Pro’s performance at approximately 60% of the price; the 109 Pro still justifies its higher price for those seeking maximum refinement.
• Takeaway: 109 Pro remains an amazing headphone in the sub $1000 range for those who want the ultimate in build and sound, but the SILVA might be preferred for listeners who want a slightly more neutral tuning with excellent clarity.

Aune AR5000 ($499)

• Design: The AR5000 features a premium metal build with an open-back design and distinctive red mesh grilles, while the SILVA offers organic warmth with its wooden cups.
• Comfort: Both are excellent for long sessions, but the AR5000’s slightly heavier build and circular cups versus the SILVA’s oval shape creates different pressure distribution.
• Driver Technology: AR5000 uses dynamic drivers just like the SILVA, though with different tuning and technical characteristics.
• Tuning: As shown in the frequency response comparison above, the AR5000 has more linear bass extension with a brighter upper midrange, while the SILVA offers a more neutral midrange with slightly less treble energy.
• Value: Both are priced identically at $499, making this a choice of sound signature preference rather than value proposition.
• Takeaway: Choose the AR5000 if you prefer a more analytical presentation with brighter upper midrange; choose the SILVA if you value the organic sound and more natural tonal balance of its dynamic driver implementation.

Sony MDR-MV1 ($349)

• Design: The MDR-MV1 features a more utilitarian, studio-monitor aesthetic compared to the SILVA’s premium, lifestyle-oriented design.
• Comfort: The most striking difference is the earpad design – the SILVA’s oval pads (left) distribute pressure more evenly around the ear compared to the MDR-MV1’s round pads (right), which can create hotspots for some users during extended sessions.
• Pad Material: SILVA uses velour/suede pads that breathe better than the MDR-MV1’s denser foam, making the SILVA more comfortable in warmer environments.
• Inner Volume: As shown in the image, the SILVA provides more internal space for the ears due to its oval design, reducing the chance of the ear touching the driver during extended wear.
• Weight Distribution: The SILVA’s self-adjusting headband system distributes weight more evenly across the head than the MDR-MV1’s traditional headband design.
• Takeaway: For all-day comfort in professional or audiophile listening sessions, the SILVA’s ergonomics offer significant advantages over the MDR-MV1, despite the Sony’s solid performance as a studio monitor.

I feel the key comparison is comfort, and while it is close, I think the winner is the SILVA with slightly bigger :

Specifications and Measurements

Specifications

In the Box:

• 105 SILVA headphones
• Cable
• Cable bag
• EVA case
• Adapter: 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm
• 3.5 mm to USB‑C

Measurements

These measurements were taken on my KB501X soft ear pinna and are availalbe here.

Let’s start with the Frequency Response, and it is an almost perfect match for the Harman 2018 target with a mostly linear bass but a slight sub-bass dip (1):

Elsewhere in the Frequence response, we can see that soundstage dip (2) and treble peak (3) that is very typical of many headphones that want to present a nice soundstage. Beyond that range in the treble there is a recessions (4) followed by a bit of a peak (5) that will provide some nice details.

Overall, this is an exceptional frequency response, especially for a dynamic driver.

Comparing the Frequency Response vs the 105 AER and the 109 PRO:

The Silva has slightly less subbass than the AER or the 109 Pro, but beyond the sub-bass it has a more balanced bass, between the warmer 109 Pro and the colder 105 AER. In the presence region (3) and (4), the 105 Silva chases soundstage but in a better, more tonally accurate way than the 109 Pro but all 3 Meze headphones are very similar in this region. Finally, in the treble the 109 Pro will present more details but possible at the cost of some sibilance in some recordings while the 105 Silva has a nicer middle ground between the 105 AER and the 109 PRO. But this will be very subjective.

I thought it would be interesting comparing with some headphones.

First with the Meze Empyrean II:

This, of course, is an unfair comparison with the $4000 Meze Empryrean II, but it shows some interesting differences. The 105 Silva has arguable better more linear bass response (1) and (2) where the Empyrean II goes for that warm Meze sound signature. The Empyrean II also pushes the vocals forward into the mix (3) compared to the more neutral Silva, and finally, the Empyrean II also has a more forward treble response (4) compared to the Silva.

Another interesting comparison was with the Ananda Stealth as I was also heavily listening to that headphone around the same time I was listening to the “105 Silva”:

Overall, the 105 Silva has a very similar frequency response, and considering the differences in driver technology between the dynamic driver in the 105 Silva and the planar driver in the Ananda Stealth, I thought this was interesting. But there are some subtle differences that rolloff (1) in subbass for the 105 Silva is one obvious difference (though incredibly hard to hear in actual music). They both chase that similar “soundstage” effect with (2) and (3), and finally, the 105 Silva has slightly more recessed treble than the Ananda Stealth (4).

My final comparison is with Aune AR5000:

The Aune has a much “warmer” mid-bass response (1) and some oddities in the treble (2) (3) but both headphones are mostly excellent and at their prices are excellent headphones for your collection.

Next let’s look at the Distortion.
First, at normal “loud” listening levels:

Where everything is reasonable well controlled.

But when really pushing this driver to over a 104dB, there is some distortion especially in the bass:

So if you like to listen at very loud levels (and are not deaf already) you might hear some bass distortion.

Looking at the distortion as a percentage of the original signal, the 105 Silva handles distortion reasonable well for a dynamic driver with < 5% distortion though planar’s are better at handling distortion:

EQ suggestion (starting point):

I actually don’t think the 105 Silva needs any EQ, but maybe it is worth considering the following:

• -2 to -3 dB peak filter centered around 5.5–6 kHz (Q ~1.2)
• Optional: +1.5 dB low shelf @ 90 Hz for extra sub bass

Rating Explanation

I have given the 105 SILVA a 5/5 rating, at $499, the 105 SILVA looks and feels like a headphone twice the price and delivers energetic, detailed sound with excellent comfort. Though I do feel Meze has cleverly priced the Silva between the 105 AER and the 109 PRO, as some treble EQ would be needed to bring it up to the same level as the 109 PRO for those wanting that profile.

Who is it for?

• Listeners who value comfort, design, and a lively, detailed sound
• Fans of EDM, house, instrumentals who want crisp transients without harshness
• Portable users who still want desktop scaling

Trade‑offs:

• Slight upper‑mid/treble emphasis may need mild EQ for sensitive listeners
• Earpad cup jack diameter may limit some aftermarket cable options
• Larger ears might touch the driver as its is flat compared to angled 109 Pro driver

Conclusion

I feel this year, we are getting a few headphones with high-end qualities, but at very pragmatic prices. In the past you could get a great sounding headphone at a reasonable price but the build quality or the comfort was lacking compared to more expensive headphones but not this year and the Meze 105 SILVA is a great example of that.

So, the Meze Audio 105 SILVA is a thoughtful evolution within the 100‑series: it balances sophisticated modern design with organic walnut warmth, creating a high end headphone at a very pragmatic price.

While the 109 Pro probably still justifies its higher price with its more lively tuning and slightly better comfort, the SILVA might be the preferred choice for those seeking a neutral-bright signature with excellent clarity.