Meze 105 Silva Review: The Most Beautiful Headphone Under $500?

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.

Verdict: Highly Recommended - 8.7/10. Price: $499.

What's good

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

Worth knowing

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

Read the full Meze 105 Silva review on The Audio Stuff