The 105 Silva’s are dynamic driver open-back headphones from the Romanian

Brand Meze Audio retailing at 499 Euros. Meze is renowned for crafting excellent

headphones ranging from accessible audiophile options to top-tier, luxury high-end

cans. I auditioned and owned several models in the past and one thing that always

stood out to me was the absolutely fantastic built quality of their products and this

is also true for the 105 Silva.

Unboxing & accessories:

The unboxing experience with the 105 Silva feels familiar if you’ve already owned Meze

headphones in the past. Inside the box, you will find a sturdy, textured hard case, a pouch for cable storage, a 3.5 mm to 6.35 mm adapter, a USB adapter DAC/AMP and the 1.5m long single ended fabric covered stock cable.

The included cable is reasonable for the price, It’s nothing spectacular but feels substantial in hand, Meze branding is present on the neck splitter which is nice, a balanced 4.4 cable or

adapter option would have been a nice inclusion.  

Design, Comfort & Build Quality:

Now to the headphones, as already outlined above Meze doesn’t usually disappoint when it comes to build quality and design, the Silva is a perfect example on how to craft a beautiful and premium looking headphone at a still affordable or lets say reasonable price. Due to the mix
of different materials the headphone looks both modern and classic at the same time.
The comfort is also very good to say the least, from the auto-adjusting headband design to
the soft & supple feeling suede earpads everything has been well thought out, there is nothing
to criticize here.

Power Requirements & Pairing:

The 105 Silva doesn’t require a lot of power to be driven, in fact with the included USB adapter
It can be driven via a regular phone without any issues, however to get better results a small
Dongle/Dac or DAP would be recommended, it will scale with better amplification. Of course
I tested it with several portable & desktop options i had on hand and a really nice companion
was the Fiio K13 R2R also in terms of price this was a real great fit.

Sound Impressions & Comparisons:

The Sound signature of the 105 Silva can be described as mostly natural and slightly warmish, the bass has good extension and is quite punchy and well controlled, the treble has good energy and great detail, the midrange delivery slightly warm, vocals and instruments have nice body and richness. The soundstage size is not very wide but still within the range for this price category, careful pairing with the right amp, like the above mentioned K13 R2R or
a tube Amp like the Feliks Echo Mk2 can help with that. The only real issues i had with the 105 was when there is a lot going on in a track at the same time, it can get a bit congested and muddy at times, also with some “bad” recordings it is less forgiving, meaning that it can get a bit sharp, harsh and even sibilant at times.

There is a lot of competition in the below 0.5k price range but i think the 105 Silva deserves it’s place, for sure a top contender when it comes to build and comfort, i can’t see any headphone out there that tops it, sound wise it’s a completely different question but generally every headphone has strong and weak points, i can see the hifiman offerings like the Ananda’s and specially the newer models being more technical and to resolve better, the Sennheiser HD660s2 and the Aune AR-5000 are also excellent choices but as complete package the Meze 105 Silva is very compelling.

Final Word:

I think Meze Audio have a winner on their hands, I can see a lot of people going for 105 Silva, it’s a great headphone at a competitive price.

Nice also for starters is the included 3.5 mm to USB-C adapter with an integrated DAC/AMP.

Specs:

Driver Type: 50 mm Dynamic
Characteristics: Carbon fiber-enforced cellulose composite membrane
Impedance: 42Ω
Efficiency: 112 dB SPL/mW @ 1KHz
Frequency Range. 5 Hz - 30 kHz
Total Harmonic Distortion <0.1% at 1 kHz
Weight: 354g
Ear Pad Material: Synthetic Suede
3.5 mm to USB-C adapter with an integrated DAC/AMP