Headphones · Side-by-side
Meze 105 Silva vs OLLO Audio X1
The OLLO Audio X1 scores 0.2 higher and costs $50 more - the Meze 105 Silva is the budget pick, the OLLO Audio X1 the step up.
See which one to buy
Meze
105 Silva
A $499 open-back dynamic with hand-polished walnut cups, a custom 50mm carbon-fiber driver, and a warm, fun, easy-to-drive tuning that punches well above its price.
Higher score
OLLO Audio
X1
An open-back studio reference headphone with AI-assisted per-unit calibration (±1dB), modular design, real wood cups, and a flat tuning that works for both mixing and music.
Sound signature, overlaid
Each axis is positioned from the review body itself. The same word-frequency model anchors every review on the catalogue.
| Axis | Meze 105 Silva | OLLO Audio X1 |
|---|---|---|
| Warm to Bright | sits near neutral | leans bright |
| Relaxed to Analytical | sits near neutral | sits near neutral |
| Polite to Aggressive | leans aggressive | leans aggressive |
| Lean to Bass-heavy | leans bass-heavy | leans lean |
| Intimate to Wide stage | leans wide stage | leans wide stage |
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer figures unless a measured value is noted; an em-dash means we haven't recorded that spec yet.
| Spec | Meze 105 Silva | OLLO Audio X1 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 50 mm carbon-fiber dynamic | Dynamic |
| Impedance | 42 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Weight | 350 g | N/A |
| Sensitivity | 112 dB | 101 dB |
| Connector | N/A | Dual 2.5 mm (locking) |
Pros & cons, side by side
105 Silva
Pros
- Hand-polished walnut earcups with intricate radial grille
- Custom 50mm driver with carbon-fiber W-dome and titanium torus
- Self-adjusting elastic suspension headband - zero hotspots
- Light 350g weight for a full-size wooden headphone
- Plush, breathable velour earpads - glasses-friendly
- Modular, fully serviceable - assembled with screws, not glue
- Easy to drive (42Ω, 112dB) - USB-C DAC dongle included
- Waterproof hard case + braided stock cable - no upgrades needed
Cons
- Musical, warm tuning - not a flaw-revealing reference
- Mid-bass is slightly forward - flat-tuning purists won't love it
- Lower mids step back behind a small upper-mid lift
- Treble has noticeable extra sparkle - bright-sensitive ears beware
- Meze's optional $250 upgrade cable is hard to justify over the stock
- Open-back design leaks sound - not for shared spaces
X1
Pros
- USC II per-unit calibration to ±1dB tolerance
- Real wood machined earcups, no veneer
- Modular, repairable, service-friendly design
- Hybrid velour + perforated leather pads, user-replaceable
- Locking dual 2.5mm cable with forward-angled entry
- Sturdy hard carrying case included
- 32Ω / 101dB - works from any laptop or interface
- Realphones-compatible mix translation profiles
Cons
- Tight clamp force - takes adjustment if you're used to looser cans
- Soundstage is realistic, not impressively wide
- Tuning is intentionally flat - some will call it boring
- Packaging is minimal - not premium-feeling
- Pads are functional, not luxurious
- Not the cheapest at this price point
Which one to buy
Short version: the rubric leans OLLO Audio X1 - but what's upstream, what you listen for, and what your budget allows can each flip it. Here's the case for each.
The case for the 105 Silva
Meze 105 Silva
- Hand-polished walnut earcups with intricate radial grille
- Custom 50mm driver with carbon-fiber W-dome and titanium torus
- Cheaper by $50, and 0.2 behind on the rubric
The case for the X1
OLLO Audio X1
- USC II per-unit calibration to ±1dB tolerance
- Real wood machined earcups, no veneer
- Spending $50 more buys a 0.2-point step up on the same chain
- Higher score, plainly - Highly Recommended, 8.9/10, 0.2 clear of the Meze 105 Silva
How they were tested head-to-head
The Meze 105 Silva and the OLLO Audio X1 were auditioned back to back on one chain, driven from the same HIFIMAN Serenade amp/DAC (Himalaya Pro R2R), fed bit-perfect from the Hermes 12th digital transport over USB. The two were volume-matched at the output and swapped across the same set of reference recordings - acoustic, vocal-led, dense modern, and large-scale orchestral - so every session compared like for like. No demo-room verdicts, no half-remembered impressions from an earlier listen: this is a direct head-to-head, scored against the published headphones reference list at the matching price tier.
What the 0.2-point score gap actually means
A 0.2-point gap is the smallest difference that stays audibly consistent in A/B - present in some material, gone in others, but always the same direction. The OLLO Audio X1 pulls ahead on average without running away with it, which means the lower-scored piece can still be the right call if its character suits your system or taste.
What would flip the verdict
The OLLO Audio X1 wins on the rubric, but the Meze 105 Silva becomes the right pick under three conditions. First, when system fit favours it - your amplifier, room, or source has a character that pairs better with this piece than with the higher scorer. Second, when one of the cons listed against the OLLO Audio X1 is a hard disqualifier in your context: drive requirements, ergonomics, connectivity, or footprint. Third, when budget is genuinely binding - the Meze 105 Silva is the cheaper of the pair, and that saving can fund the next upgrade upstream. Outside those three, the higher score is the safer bet.
Common questions about this comparison
What's the real-world difference between the Meze 105 Silva and the OLLO Audio X1?
Scores first: the OLLO Audio X1 takes it 8.9 to 8.7, a 0.2 gap. Where they really split is voicing: the 105 Silva runs clearly more bass-forward, the X1 leaner. Each review flags something different - the 105 Silva's "Easy to drive (42Ω, 112dB) - USB-C DAC dongle included" against the X1's "32Ω / 101dB - works from any laptop or interface". Those, not the decimal, are the real decision.
Which should you buy, the Meze 105 Silva or the OLLO Audio X1?
Default to the OLLO Audio X1 - it's 0.2 ahead, about the narrowest gap that still shows up in a level-matched A/B - but on a sympathetic system the Meze 105 Silva, $50 cheaper, closes most of it. Take the Meze 105 Silva if its character or your chain leans that way; otherwise the OLLO Audio X1.
Is the X1's $50 premium worth it?
Yes, on the numbers - the OLLO Audio X1 costs $50 more and scores 0.2 higher, so you're buying a measurable step up, not a different flavour. Whether 0.2 points is worth $50 comes down to how central this piece is to your chain and how long it stays in it.
Where they rank
This page is the head-to-head - the buying guides put both of these up against the whole field.