Meze Audio 105 AER

I recently had the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks demoing the Meze 105 Aer as part of a tour. Many thanks to Meze for providing the headphone for the tour!

Packaging is simple but effective, you get a decent zip case to store the headphones if you want to carry them in a bag or something. The cable is kinda basic, 3.5mm jacks for the headphone, and 3.5mm terminated with a 6.3mm adapter also included.



Meze's trademark build and finish is excellent with the 105 Aer, especially considering the price. These feel solid while also being lightweight, and as with other Meze headphones I've tried, the 105 Aer are very comfortable to use for extended listening sessions, you could use these all days with little to no fatigue.

Sound impressions..
At first I was a little underwhelmed with Aer 105, it's 'lite-r, bright-er' kind of tuning is quite different to what I'm used to from some of the other heavy-hitters in my collection. But after spending more time with these I was generally impressed with what they have to offer.

Bass is much more heard than felt, there is not much here to rumble your cage down low. But you do get a good amount of detail, albeit lacking in density or tactility. Midrange works pretty well, and is perhaps a bit forward relative to the bass. But it's again really well detailed and this works to draw me into the music, especially vocals. Treble is good, perhaps not great, and has a rolled-off feel to it.

Technically, this headphone does a pretty good job at presenting details, the forward midrange helps here. Stage is decent, but rather compressed, especially in depth and height.

Genre's I felt worked well with Aer were things like folk-acoustic, ambient electronic and some modern classical stuff; all the sort of things where bass generally takes a backseat. Rap, hip-hop and harder rock were all ok, but absent some of that bass punch, I felt the 105 Aer a little lacking.

All-in-all this is a pretty solid headphone, and when I remind myself it's just $399, it does feel like a fair value at that price point.

The Meze 105 AER was sent to me as part of a tour in exchange for a review. I had the opportunity to spend three weeks with the headphone in return for my honest review, which is here

The other reviews here have covered off the design etc. very well so I'm not going to wax on about that to get my word count up, I'll just leave it at a nicely packaged headphone, with a decent case. Wasn't a fan of the stock cable and switched over to my upgraded Meze cable for the duration so my impressions are based on that (which is the MONO 3.5 MM COPPER PCUHD PREMIUM CABLE 4.4mm).

I used the Luxury & Precision E7 EE for the first week and a bit, then the P6 Pro 10ae Silver for the remainder. It was easily driver from these DAPS, I also tried it out of the Sony TA-ZH1ES which sounded equally as great.

Music wise I've been on a bit of a post rock binge, so there was a lot of GY!BE, MONO etc. played out of these, but also gave it a fair go with nearly every other genre.

Sound:

Bass

The bass response of the 105 AER is both tight and articulate. It doesn't overwhelm but provides a solid foundation that complements various genres, with post rock it worked quite well, providing enough of a kick when the track calls on it. Tracks with pronounced bass lines are rendered with clarity, avoiding any muddiness. My main issue would be in the sub-bass region, however somewhat expected given the design. All up very enjoyable.

Midrange

The midrange is well done, I really enjoyed instrumental tracks, coming across lush and warm. Vocals were a mixed bag for me, whilst I enjoyed them they were a little rounded/soft on occasion, lacking a defined edge between the voice and the rest of the track. Maybe a design choice, as it does sound nice, I would just have preferred a little more separation for me.

Treble

The treble is crisp and extends well, adding a sense of airiness to the overall sound signature. It manages to deliver detail without veering into harshness. This ensures that listening fatigue is kept at bay, even during longer sessions. I had a few 3-4 hour sessions with these, and one full day when I worked from home, no issues at all.

Technical Performance:

In terms of technicalities, the 105 AER offers a commendable soundstage, especially for its price point. The open-back design contributes to a sense of space, allowing instruments to be placed accurately within the mix. While it may not reach the expansive soundstage of its big brother the 109 Pro, it still provides an immersive experience that surpasses many competitors in its class.

Source Pairing:

It worked equally well out of the E7 and P6 Pro, given it's already warm leaning the E7 was perhaps my preferred one, however the P6 Pro does add a little special sauce/soul which makes music melt in your ears. Great out of both. The TA-ZH1ES was very to the P6 Pro.

It also worked well out of my MacBook Pro when I tested from there for a bit.

Subjective:

I enjoyed this once I stopped comparing it to the 109 Pro (which I own), it falls short of its bigger brother pretty much everywhere however it's not by a lot (reaching ~95%), and if you weren't comparing you'd be more than happy. Once I put that comparison out of my head the 105 stood on its own. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and if your budget matches (and you can't go higher) this is an easy recommendation. It works well across genres, excels in some (instrument / post-rock was glorious), and could easily be a one a done for many.

Overall:

A great headphone, it offers a 95% 109 Pro for significantly less outlay. I wasn't overly impressed with the stock cable, and would recommend upgrading which took this from competing at its price point, to exceeding (cable cost included). I've taken half a mark off for the vocals, I would have liked just a little more edge/definition, other than that there really isn't anything to complain about. Well done Meze!

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.





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 connector is also nice 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:

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​

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.

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:

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:

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:

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 :

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.

Intro and Disclaimer
Hello and thank you for reading another one of my impressions where I'll be sharing my experience on the Meze Audio 105 AER and also Meze’s own boom microphone. I’ve seen this headphone going around and have thought to myself damn that’s one gorgeous looking headphone so I was really excited when the opportunity came for me to be able to test this unit so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Razvan from Meze Audio for sending this unit and allowing me to test and feature this product however as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own and I’m still grateful for the opportunity so without further ado, let’s run through some specifications first

50mm Dynamic Driver | 42 Ω Impedance | 336g | 5Hz - 30kHz Frequency Range | 1124dB SPL/mW at 1kHz Sensitivity | PC-ABS Earcups | Where Can I Find This Headphone - https://mezeaudio.com/products/105-...KNcKOXfNV-JKpregN8hCxW3bymgDjsIhTr4DAotH3YyVc

Unboxing & Accessories

It's relatively simple and straight to the point where opening the box you’ll be greeted by the hard case that is contoured to suit the headphone it’s storing. It’s got a few instruction manuals along with it and inside houses the headphone itself and a small pouch containing the cables. The cable itself is braided and it also comes with a 6.35mm to 3.5mm converter and it’s a standard looking braided black cable with Meze audio branding on the splitter. Not much to ride home about, it has 3.5mm connectors, it terminates in 3.5mm, it suits the theme and it does the job but of course, there are nicer cables out there but I do like how they all tuck in neatly inside the headphone case.

Headphone Design

Taking a look at the headphone design. I mean this thing is simply gorgeous. Those that have trypophobia which is the fear of hole-like patterns may have be a bit triggering for them but it has more of a honeycomb-like pattern than holes. It uses different materials like the metal for the bands, acrylic-like plastic for the faceplate pattern, faux leather material for the head cushion, felt for the earpads and all in this black color scheme. Even the chrome pieces are in dark grey to keep in tune with the design theme.


You’ve got the 105 AER wording on the top of the headband, with the Meze audio branding. It’s all done meticulously and nothing feels overdone and everything feels like it was put there with intention. Meze has always been known to produce product that makes a statement and the 105 AER is no exception. What a gorgeous looking headphone and one that will capture people’s attention.

Fit and Comfort

The headband is retractable, the headphone frame gives it a bit of flexibility but the earcups themselves don’t swivel around that much however with the headband cushion and the really plush earcups, coupled with the headphone’s lightweight nature, it makes for a comfortable wearing experience overall.

The retractable headband adjust itself to the contours of your head and the earcups was big enough to cover around my ears and the frame itself keeps the uniformity of the headphone design in check when it’s placed on your head, not like it matters to you since you cant see it when you wear it but at least you can rest knowing you’re gonna look good wearing this. Did I already say this headphone looks gorgeous?

Boom Microphone

Before we talk about the sound of the 105 AER, I’d like to talk about the boom microphone that it comes with first so just going through the design, it’s relatively simple where you have the rubber sleeve for the wires and you have an off and on button here for the microphone and a volume slider and the microphone itself located on the left side and this can basically work with any headphone using a 3.5mm connection so you can pretty much turn your Hifiman into a headset by using this boom microphone if you wanted to which is nice.



It also terminates in 3.5mm so as long you have a 3.5mm jack you can connect this to you can use the microphone, otherwise they also provided you with the splitter where you can connect it to a dedicated audio interface. The sound of the boom microphone is relatively clear but you do get a bit of that background noise coming in so if your room is not acoustically treated you can get some of that background hiss in your recording. It’s not the end of the world and certainly not something to worry about when you’re using this for gaming but for a dedicated audio recording session I would be using a dedicated microphone setup. If you're interested in checking out the sound of the Meze Audio Boom Microphone against other microphones, check out the video below at the 4:50-5:30 time mark.



The microphone arm itself is really flexible and despite feeling lightweight and easy to manuever around, it still has some rigidity to stay in place once you position it. The connecteros being 3.5mm also helps with the rotation of this microphone so there’s room to play in terms of movability and not just fixed to one place. Also I feel the microphone needs to be quite close to your mouth and adjusting the volume of the recording would also be dependent on the audio interface and your recording software.

Meze 105 AER - The Sound



The 105 AER focuses predominantly on the mid bass rather than the sub bass so you don’t get a lot of that deep reaching growl even though it’s there but those looking for that ground breaking rumble will be left wanting more. You still hear the grumble and rumble from tracks such as “Solar Sailer” from Daft Punk but as I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s just there but nothing that is standing out as the highlight however you do get a very rounded, snappy and rather impactful bass note. The bass notes from Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” is hitting on you fast and quick with a full bodied punch, giving you a really dynamic presentation from the low end that keeps you engaged throughout the track. The low end also lends itself to the midrange, providing some warmth to the overall presentation, giving vocal notes that fullness and richness to its sound. Vocals are also another highlight from this headphone, coming to you front and centre with the background music standing where they are in the background, never taking the spotlight away from the singer. If you like vocal focused presentation then this headphone presents that in spades. It’s like listening to the singer in a private room kinda vibe listening to the 105 AER

There’s a bit of sharpness to the trumpet notes, but it’s also a small step back from you to give it a bit of distance so it doesn’t pierce your ears since the overall presentation is closer to your ears so if they raised it, it would’ve sounding fatiguing which is good if you’re treble sensitive but I would still put a very mild caution but definitely smoother than a lot of planar treble attacks, but because of that as well, it’s also sounding a little bit on the thinner side due to that distance and I feel it’s trying to cut through all the bass that the 105 AER comes with and while it does enough I can see those looking for that treble sharpness or airines to the sound might be left wanting a bit more.



Despite being open back, it’s leading towards being intimate rather than having that open sounding nature to its presentation. It’s not the final word in detail retrevial but I don’t think that’s the intention of this headphone and it does have enough separation between the sounds and imaging capabilities where you can hear the position of sounds within the soundstage so it doesn’t sound too congested but on really busy tracks like anime tracks is where the 105 AER shows its limitations as well.

It just feels like the 105 AER is meant to give you a musical ride, not focusing too much on the technical details so if that’s what you’re looking for, listening to all the micro nuances in the track then the 105 AER might not cut it for you, I believe a lot of the planar headphones can bring out a bit more detail from your tracks but what the 105 AER offers you instead, is a pleasant listening experience, with sufficient warmth and bass performance to keep you engaged but still highlighting the vocals and giving you some details as accompaniment, all while looking like that.



Another thing to note and I’m not sure if it’s because of the source I’m connected to or limited to when I’m using the boom mic but connected it to the audio interface like the Soundblaster G8, the vocal presence isn’t as prominent, the overall sound tends to be a bit brighter and the background music comes more into focus which is great for gaming purposes but for musical enjoyment I tend to go back to the original cables and hooking it up to a dedicated audiophile source and just have a dedicated microphone but at least the option and convenience is there with the boom mic.

Comparison with Sivga P2 Pro

Unfortunately, I do not have Meze’s own 109 pro for comparison therefore the only other comparison I have in my collection would be the Sivga P2 Pro which is coming in at around $50 more than the Meze Audio 105 AER.

In terms of looks it really is a toss up between the two because they are both gorgeous looking headphones. The Sivga P2 Pro having that wood finish with the metal band, there’s a bit more weight to the overall feel of the headphone and it looks and feel just a bit more premium due to the material used but the Meze Audio 105 AER is no slouch. They are both really comfortable to wear, however in terms of adjustability especially around the earcups the Sivga got a bit more edge in that regard having more swivel room compared to the 105 AER. The stock cable that comes with the P2 Pro also looks and feel a lot more premium than the cable from the 105 AER but at the end of the day, both are beautiful looking headphones, both are very comfortable to wear, I love the headband design of the 105 AER but I gotta give the slight edge to the P2 Pro for headphone adjustability and accessories.



When it comes to the sound, the 105 AER has a much fuller sound, it has more warmth and bass quality in its presentation and it sounds a lot more intimate whereas the P2 Pro sounds a touch wider and even though they’re both relatively smooth sounding, the P2 Pro brings out a bit more details in its presentation however on the downsides for both, the P2 Pro sounds a little bit more hollow in the vocal notes whereas the 105 AER might sound a little bit too intimate for some so if you’re all about vocal presentation and like your low end then the Meze Audio 105 AER is the better pick but if you’re looking for a wider sounding presentation with a bit more details coming through then the Sivga P2 Pro edges out in that regard.

Conclusion

So to put it all to a close, what else can I say? This headphone stands out. The looks alone will be turning heads and the sound draws you in, hooks you and you’re off for a musical journey. It’s not the most detailed headphone at this price range, but as mentioned earlier, it’s not meant to be and if you’re looking for a really comfortable, gorgeous looking headphone that brings you a warm and full bodied presentation, then the Meze Audio 105 AER does the job. The boom mic is also a great entry for anyone wanting to turn their audiophile headphones into a headset, especially ones that support the 3.5mm connectors however they do have some competition in that space, namely Antlion Audio where the sound from Antlion Audio is definitely much clearer and fuller but at least there’s more options out there to choose from however this is all based on one man’s experience and I’m curious to know your thoughts, have you tried the 105AER and what are your experience like. Comment below and let me know and with that all said, thank you once again to Razvan and Meze Audio for this opportunity and to all of you for watching. Until the next written experience, take care and have a great week!

Meze 105 AER Review: Smooth, Clear, Open​

Around these parts, Meze is basically a household name. Based in Romania, they’ve been bringing audiophile grade headphones and earphones to market at competitive prices for nearly a decade. Several of their models such as the 99 Classics have proven to have real staying-power, anchoring their lineup for many years. It’s this long product life-cycle that makes their gear so interesting to me — they only supersede a headphone or earphone when they genuinely need to.

Today we’re taking a look at the Meze 105 AER: a lower-priced adaptation of the well-received Meze 109 PRO. With new materials and low-profile stealthy styling, does the 105 AER do enough to justify its existence? Lets find out!

The 105 AER can be found for $399 on Meze’s official website, here.

About My Preferences: This review is a subjective assessment and is therefore tinged by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate this as much as possible during my review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are completely erased. So for you, my readers, keep this in mind:

• My ideal sound signature would be one with competent sub-bass, a textured mid-bass, a slightly warm midrange, and an extended treble.
• I have mild treble sensitivity.

Testing equipment and standards can be found here.

Tech Specs​

• Driver: 50mm Dynamic Driver
• Impedance: 42 Ω
• Frequency Range: 5 Hz — 30 kHz
• Sensitivity: 112 dB SPL/mW at 1 kH
• Weight: 336 g (11.8 oz.)

Sound Signature​

Sonic Overview:​

Meze is a brand built on their famous house-sound, and the 105 does not deviate much from that foundation. It features a clear, open sound signature with a few drops of warmth in lower midrange, a healthy dose of mid-bass, solid sub-bass extension, and gently-emphasized treble. The 105’s sound stage is tall and somewhat wide, though not as much as one might find on reference or studio-tuned headphones.

Sonic Breakdown:​

Treble: Songs used: In One Ear, Midnight City, Outlands, Satisfy, Little One, Show Me How To Live (Live at the Quart Festival), Bittersweet Symphony

The 105’s treble is open, airy, and light. It possesses a springy, eager behavior that bestows energy onto the upper-register without being tiring or sharp. Transient elements like cymbals and high-hats are textured nicely, with an organic attack and decay. The 105 does a good job of capturing a lot of “fade” detail, organically modelling the way one might hear percussion live.

Overall treble resolution is good, with the 105 competently layering competing audio elements in the upper register with minimal congestion and blurring. Busy songs such as Bittersweet Symphony are a breeze for the 105 AER. String instrumentation, tambourines, and irons are staged independently and with depth.

Midrange: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Dreams, Too Close, Little Black Submarines, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cash Machine, Chasm

The 105’s warm and comfortable tuning provides a satisfying heft to vocals and instrumentation. The grinding of distorted electric guitars, desperate vocals, and slamming of drums interplay nicely and clearly. I’ve mentioned this in past reviews of Meze products, but the Meze “house sound” midrange pair very well with flat/dryly-mastered songs like Flagpole Sitta.

And, ultimately, its the 105’s ability to deliver warm, comforting mids while maintaining a sense of clarity and air that make it so much fun to listen to. Chasm is a song that’s easy to get lost in (no pun intended), but the 105 dances nimbly around its thick bass line and deep guitar chugs. The vocalists singing is portrayed with a believable, uncolored timbre. The thrice-layered guitars each maintain a distinct position on the sound-stage.

Bass: Songs used: Moth, Gold Dust, In For The Kill (Skream Remix), War Pigs (Celldweller Remix)

The 105 delivers a solid mid-bass with a well-extended sub-bass. It’s not the bassiest headphone in its class, but it clearly and consistently produces satisfying rumble and well-controlled punch.

The 105 experiences very little mid-bass blurring for music. Gold Dust’s wet and chaotic bass drops are deep and dynamic, with the 105 rolling and punching as needed. More technically-demanding bass elements are the 105’s true area of expertise, however. War Pigs (Celldweller Remix) mixes a wide variety of bassy instruments and sound effects, each of which have their own textures and depths. The 105 does a great job of maintaining order in the lower register, faithfully staging electronic bass effects along-side old-school bass guitar strumming with texture and organic timbre.

Packaging / Unboxing​

The 105 AER’s packaging is virtually identical in construction to that of the 109 PRO, 99 Classics, and 99 Neo. It is comprised of an outer cardboard box with internal foam padding, inside of which lies the carrying case. The headphones and accessories are in turn safely nestled within the case.

Build​

Construction Quality​

As is tradition with Meze’s products, the 105 AER is wonderfully-designed and carefully-built. Its earcups are built out of ABS plastic and are lightweight, but sturdy. Beneath the earcups’ abstract grill design lies a secondary mesh that acts a debris filter for the 50mm driver below.


The 105’s headband is the same self-tensioning design found in most other headphones used by Meze. It features a dual-suspension design with strips of spring steel acting as a conjoining frame for the entire headphone.


The headband itself is vegan leather — and good vegan leather at that. It is shiny, pliable, and most importantly, soft. Beneath the leather is a small lining of padding that helps fill-out the headband and reduce long-term discomfort.


Meze went with soft foam earpads for the 105 — which is a departure from the leather earpads I’ve become accustomed to with some of their other headphones. These earpads are pretty comfortable — they complement the 105’s open-backed design and are reasonably breathable.


Meze went with a standard 3.5mm single-pole connector for their detachable cable. The cable sockets are located at the bottom of the 105’s earcups.


The included cable is fairly standard. The bottom-half of the cable features a braided nylon sleeve, while the top is a standard black plastic. Each of the three terminations are housed in a light-weight plastic and feature rubber strain-relief stoppers. This cable is a little too short for my tastes, and I generally prefer to use longer cables from other headphones over the 105 AER’s.

Gaming​

I tested the 105 AER with first-person-shooters and racing games. The former heavily taxes the 105’s ability to manage spatial cues and maintain absolute separation, while the latter merely asks the 105 to sound fun, rich and engaging.

First-Person Shooters (Call of Duty Black Ops: 6, Apex Legends)​

The 105’s open-backed nature makes it a generally good choice for FPS games. It has better-than-average spatial reproduction and generally good layering. Footsteps in Call of Duty are clear and directionally-consistent, more so than with some of my close-backed dedicated “gaming headphones”. However, firing my own weapon, particularly when suppressed, can cause the mid-bass to mask enemy foot-steps. This effect was most noticeable when there was a lot going on — but it did cause me to drop a few gun-fights. Neutral open-backed headphones, which I find to be less enjoyable for music, generally don’t have this type of problem.

Now, if all I am doing is hopping in matchmaking for a casual game or two, or playing with friends, the 105 (and its separately-sold boom mic) are a great choice — the forgiving nature of its midrange and treble make the voices of my allies less grating and easier to tolerate for extended gaming sessions.

Racing Games (Need for Speed Heat, Need for Speed Unbound, Forza 5)​

Racing games, even in multiplayer settings, are considerably less demanding in terms of technically ability than first-person shooters are. That said, the 105 AER is actually pretty well-suited for this genre of game. Flying down the streets in my 1993 RX-7 Turbo is a grin-inspiring experience — I can hear the crackling and popping of my exhaust as I down-shift, laid above the crisp and subtle sound of my tires scrubbing for grip on the wet asphalt below. Direction sound queues during races are consistent and accurate, giving me useful information about which side my opponents will try and pass me on (if they can even get close enough). The 105 AER also does an admirable job of capturing the change in tone and texture of my tires as I corner — quickly and clearly alerting me when I am nearing the limits of my traction.

Comfort​

Disclaimer: comfort is a highly individual metric — no two people will have the same experience.

The 105 is very comfortable for me. I can wear it for hours on end without head or ear irritation. The included earpads are soft enough to not put pressure on my ears, but not so soft that they create load on the top of my head. The thickness of the earpads does, however, cause the 105 to trap some heat when I am sitting in a hot room. A 30 second break allows them to vent a little though, so it’s not too disruptive.

The 105’s headband is exactly as high-quality and reliable as it is in my 99 Classics and 99 Neo — that is to say, very reliable. It quickly and comfortably sizes to my head with zero fuss. My wife, who’s head is considerably smaller than mine, is also well-secured by the 105’s headband.

Accessories​

The 105 AER is one of Meze’s “low-cost” adaptations. Just like the 99 Neo and Alba before it, the 105 AER follows the Meze policy of provideing minimal accessories in exchange for a much more competitive price. Inside the box you’ll find the case, a small cable pouch, and the 3.5mm cable. On the one hand, these are indeed the only things you’ll need to immediately begin enjoying your new 105 AERs. On the other, it would be really nice to have a secondary (longer) cable or a spare pair of earpads (which can be bough separately from Meze).

Another point I noticed was that my cable pouch is awkwardly shaped — the 99 Classics pouch from 2016 is basically round, while this one is narrower, taller, and more oval-shaped. The stitching feels off-center, which causes the pouch to sit kinda funny. This doesn’t affect usability and isn’t that easy to notice, but for $400, I’d expect to have better fit-and-finish for the few things that do come in the box.

Comparisons​

1: Meze 99 Classics ($299)

Both the 99 and the 105 lean heavily on Meze’s house sound. But, they are not clones, nor are they even siblings. The 99 Classics are warmer, bassier, and have a softer mid-bass, weightier lower midrange, and less extended treble. By contrast, the 105 is a more balanced, nuanced approach to warmth. Listeners who are accustomed to the 99 Classics’ warm sonic embrace may find the 105’s midrange to be a little thin or linear. The 105’s treble is more nimble and airier, providing the 105 with a larger and more open sound stage. The $100 delta between the 99 Classics and 105 AER is fairly representative of the difference in technical ability between the two headphones. While the 99 Classics is no slouch, the 105 AER is designed to fight in a different league (and is open-backed).

2: Master & Dynamic MG20 ($449)

The MG20s are wireless, purpose-built closed-back gaming headphones while the 105s were designed for the consumption of music. Both are warm, but the MG20 is more V-shaped and dramatic. It has a narrower sound-stage, owing to its closed-back design, and worse overall detail retrieval. It has more bass and a more forward treble, but somewhat worse texturing in both cases. It does, however, pack a ton of features that, for someone interested in wireless desktop headphones, may sway you. The 105 can be used with the Meze Boom Mic, and while it works really well, you’ll need to buy that separately (making the total cost for the pair $480).

Its very hard to call a “winner” here as the MG20 and 105 AER simply do very different things. Gamers, work-from-homers, and people who are tired of wires may find the MG20’s bassier V-shaped sound to be a better fit. Audiophiles or discerning listeners who don’t mind wires or an open-backed design will probably appreciate the 105’s more refined and detail-oriented tuning.

3: Audio Technica ATH-ADX3000 ($999)

This isn’t even really a fair comparison price-wise, but it is interesting to me nonetheless. The ADX3000 is a little harder to drive than the 105, and is much more linear. Audio-Technica set out to do something vastly different than Meze with the ADX3000, and the sheer deviation in presentation between the two headphones couldn’t make that any clearer.

The ADX3000 has a flat, linear midrange with a few spikes in the upper mids to aid in vocal clarity and instrumental separation. It has a brighter treble and less emphasized bass, clearly settling into an analytical style that contrasts the comfortable nature of the 105. The 105’s drivers feel less resolving than the ADX3000, likely owing to its more pronouncing lower register. The ADX3000 also has a more sophisticated soundstage, making it a clear choice for competitive gaming over the 105 (if you can afford it).

Conclusion​

The 105 AER is a natural evolution of Meze’s long-beloved closed-back headphones. It represents a technical and sonic middle-ground between the mainstream tuning of the 99 Classics and the more modern, but sterile, 109 PRO. Solid construction, competitive pricing, high repairability, and a powerful implementation of Meze’s house sound make the 105 AER a great choice for buyers seeking a forgiving (but detailed) pair of open-backed headphones.

Who This is For​

• Listeners who want classic Meze (warm, comfortable, open) tuning on an open-backed headphone
• Casual gamers
• Buyers with a controlled environment and low background noise

Who This isn’t For​

• Discerning audiophiles seeking reference/studio tuning
• Competitive (actually competitive) FPS gamers
• Buyers who want to listen to their headphones in public, at work, or in an uncontrolled environment

As always, happy listening!