Meze Audio Launches Premium AER 105 Open-Back Headphones

Romania-based Meze Audio has released its latest open-back headphones for music lovers who like to get up close and personal with their record collection. The 105 AER headphones are the Romanian artisan brand’s latest addition to its best-in-class range. With an over-the-ear design and open-backed drivers, Meze Audio has made something rather special with the 105 AER.

I’ve had a week or so to sample the 105 AER and they are one of the best pairs of open-back headphones for the money. The level of detail is stunning, but it’s the warmth and pitch-perfect soundstage that makes these mid-priced headphones stand out from the crowd.

The reason for the 105 AER’s mellow sound is down to how the open-back design lets the air in. Unlike closed-back headphones, the soundwaves produced by the 105 AER aren’t restricted to the earcups. The music can breathe and find its limits to produce a tone that’s spacious, warm and thoroughly beguiling.

The 105 AER headphones are made from premium materials like cast zinc alloy and stamped manganese spring steel. There’s a soft PU leather headband and sumptuous velour upholstery on the ear coverings. The result is a pair of headphones that feel incredibly light to wear and weigh just 336g. These headphones are the lightest open-back model that Meze Audio has ever made, making extended and uninterrupted listening sessions easy.

Paul Șteț is Meze Audio’s senior product designer and he says: “The 105 AER have a feeling of Art Deco opulence, almost like a piece of jewelry masked in a mechanical structure. Certain curves and surfaces are not obvious at first glance; there’s an ambiguity to the three-dimensional shape inviting you to discover it over time.”

Șteț is not wrong, like so many of Meze Audio’s products, the 105 AER has a definite feel of fin de siècleBucharest. But it’s not just the looks that are special, the 105 AER have been fitted with large 50mm diameter dynamic driver membranes. The wide frequency response makes these headphones at home with a wide variety of musical genres.

If you like a smidge more bass with your music, the 105 AER won’t disappoint. There’s bass and sub-bass aplenty without ever becoming boomy or out of control. The overall effect is an enhanced presentation that makes it so easy to slip into the music and enjoy a full-bodied sound that won’t tire the listener’s ears.

Part of the reason for the comfortable fit of the 105 AER is down to the clever self-adjusting headband which manages to distribute the weight of the headphones so that they feel much lighter with an even pressure across the head. The plump velour ear cushions create a passive seal although because the 105 AER are open backed, there is sound leakage from the rear of the drivers but the ear cushions help to cut some of that down so you don’t miss the nuances in the music.

To audition these headphones, I returned to one of my favorite Fado albums, Lua Adversa by Cristina Clara, a fadista with a clarion voice. The recording on this album is exemplary with the first track “Manjericos” able to open up the soundstage of the 105 AER. The vocals are forward but delicate, all the while underpinned by the Spanish and Portuguese guitars.

The atmosphere that the 105 AER headphones manage to convey with this album is nothing short of spine tingling. The second track “Flor Amorosa” gives the drivers on the headphones a workout as the bass provides the firm foundations for a soaring flute accompaniment. The delicacy of this music shows what the 105 AER are capable of with their revealing headphones and warm tone with just enough treble to create a sharply focused soundstage.

As with all Meze Audio products, these headphones have been designed for a long life and are made with a modular construction. This means the headphones can be taken apart and serviced ad infinitum. Individual parts and components can be replaced and repaired, ensuring the headphones can become an heirloom.

This latest launch from Meze Audio is exceptional for the brand that was founded in 2011 and has put Romania on the map as a center for headphone excellence. Sennheiser also has some of its headphone production in the Eastern European nation. Meze Audio’s current range also includes its evergreen 99 series headphones, 109 PRO, Liric 2nd Gen, two open-back Isodynamic Hybrid Array headphones, Empyrean II and Elite and one in-ear monitor, Alba.

Verdict: This latest pair of headphones from Romania’s Meze Audio is a triumph. The clarity and tonal balance of the 105 AER is superb. If I didn’t already have so many pairs of headphones, I would buy the 105 AER because they are an example of how good a well-designed pair of open-back headphones with dynamic drivers can sound. I’d put them on a par with the excellent Sennheiser HD660 S2 which are my favorite pair of open backs for now. The 105 AER are perfect headphones for solitary listening at home with a premium audio source. Considering the price, they are a steal. Highly Recommended.

Pricing & availability: Meze Audio’s 105 AER headphones are available now from mezeaudio.com and priced at $399 / £359 / €399.

Tech Specs:

• Transducer diameter: 50mm.
• Driver type: Dynamic.
• Frequency response: 5Hz – 30kHz.
• Impedance: 42Ω.
• Sensitivity: 112dB SPL at 1kHz, 1mW.
• Weight: 336g.
• Ear-cups: PC-ABS.
• Headband: Pleather.
• Accessories: Detachable twin-connector cable with 3.5mm termination, 6.35mm adapter, hard zippered carry case.