Meze Audio 105 Silva Review

July 23, 2025 8:00 am

If you’re searching for a headphone that fuses artisanal craftsmanship with a warm, expansive audiophile sound, the Meze 105 Silva might be your next obsession. As the latest in Meze’s lineup of open-back headphones, the 105 Silva takes visual and structural cues from the beloved 105 AER and 109 Pro while carving out its own identity through a stunning walnut wood finish and upgraded sound performance. Whether you’re stepping into high-end audio for the first time or looking for a soulful alternative to sterile studio monitors, the 105 Silva promises both style and substance.

What You Get

105 Silva headphones
Zipper hardcase
(5.9 ft) Kevlar duo OFC twisted cable 3.5mm
Quarter-inch adapter
3.5mm to USB-C adapter

Look & Feel

Meze headphones always have immaculate presentation, with a built quality that showcases the brand’s key craftsmanship. The 105 Silva has the same structure as the 105 AER and 109 Pro, but with a different earcup grille design. That’s outlined by the Silva’s walnut wood finish, which gives these headphones a real vintage aesthetic compared to the other models. The metal frame of the suspension headband is brought over from the other Meze models, which helps increase its value, but is also proven to supply you with a great fit. It’s auto-adjustable, and when combined with the Silva’s velour ear pads, the headphones will provide hours worth of comfort.

Design

The Meze 105 Silva uses a 50mm dynamic driver, made with a bio-cellulose composite dome and a titanium-coated semicrystalline polymer torus. Its diaphragm is made from carbon fiber-reinforced cellulose composite. A USB-C adapter is included with the 105 Silva, but as I’m writing this, I don’t think there is a DAC/Amp component attached to this adapter. The Silva has a 42 Ohm impedance, which doesn’t require you to have an amplifier, but I would still recommend one.

Soundstage

I’ve always appreciated the soundstage of Meze’s headphones. They’ve always provided an open headspace that allows sound elements to breathe and showcase an immersive sound environment that surrounds you. That’s exactly what the 105 Silva does, offering an open-back dimension and separation that almost sets a new standard for its price range. Most mid-range headphones, like the 105 Silva, are designed for the studio and prioritize accuracy, but the 105 Silva can be a bit looser with its spatial imaging. It has a good width, with plenty of pan movement to enjoy, but the 105 Silva is not going to be very surgical with how it unfolds that movement. Instead, instruments will have a distinct position that floats around in the open air, creating an airy, holographic sonic environment. It’s less live and in studio than it is a live and directly in front of you experience.

There’s a ton of open space here that allows the stereo field to wrap around you like a sphere. The exact position of certain sounds might not localize themselves with the most distinct imaging, but the soundstage of the 105 Silva is particularly expansive and intricately layered. With the Silva, it’s possible to truly get a sense of the space some tracks are trying to communicate, from the wide span of sweeping film scores to the most intimate, ambient piano ballads.

Low End

There’s always been a warm tonality to Meze’s headphones, but the 105 Silva takes on a heavier layer. The bass impact is more pointed here, with a stronger body and depth that expand its scale significantly. Low-end frequencies bloom outward for that warm timbre, but there’s still a sense of control to it, and it makes physical bass instruments very formidable in the mix. It crawls deep and slams harder than I’ve heard some headphones do in this price range. Everything feels alive and operates at a high resolution, keeping its punch while avoiding bloat. You can sense the sub-bass making vibrations without the sound signature being too blunt with it, bringing a subtle quality to the response as a whole.

Mids

While the midrange doesn’t possess the same drive as the bass, it has its own clarity and definition that is easy to be captivated by. Vocal performances stand out the most, responding with a silk crispness that is subtle enough to propel enunciation. It results in a transparent response that doesn’t quite have the extension, but the tonality is there. Combined with the Silva’s intimate warmth, this is a midrange that expresses tons of musicality. Nothing comes off as thinned out or recessed, just textured and lush. Some performances can come off as a little soft, especially from the edges of piano notes, but detail and artifacts can still be directed from the response.

Highs

The high frequencies reach a gentle slope between resolving clarity and smoothness. It results in a timbre that comes off as clean but with a distinct roll-off that will not brighten the sound signature in any significant way. Only in some instances, from the likes of tracks with prominent woodwind sections, do you get a tinge of brightness, but it’s very raw and direct. I don’t think the 105 Silva has much to offer in the way of shimmer or sparkle, but the clarity still works here to reproduce a complete treble section of this sound signature. It’s dynamic in that the smooth shape of it is contrasted by moments of blaring edge, but height and definition are always on display.

Summary

The Meze 105 Silva isn’t just another mid-range open-back headphone; it’s a sonic statement piece. From its luxurious walnut wood finish to its rich, spacious sound signature, the Silva feels like a modern classic made for the audiophile who values musicality over clinical precision. It offers a lush low end, detailed mids, and smooth highs with a soundstage that immerses you in a three-dimensional listening experience. While it may not provide hyper-analytical imaging, its warmth and realism make it an emotional powerhouse for genres like acoustic, ambient, film scores, and jazz. For its price, the Meze 105 Silva sets a new benchmark for open-back headphones with character and craft.