New Meze Audio 05 Silva headphones were previewed at Munich High End 2025 exhibition and attracted a lot of attention among visitors. While availability and pricing information is still not available, the slick new 'phones certainly deserve a closer look even before the official production date is announced.
What does the 105 Silva name mean?
There is another 105 model in the Meze Audio line (105 AER or 'air'), and as far as we can understand, it is an indicator of a driver used, in this case a 50mm dynamic driver designed by Meze. Silva is actually a referral to the walnut wood of the earcups, as in Latin, as well in Romanian, 'silva' means 'forrest' or 'woodland'.
Design and Construction
Very distinctive Art Deco design of the 105 Silva should make the company's industrial designers feel proud. It is indeed original, visually fresh and sticks to 'form follows function' criteria. Retro-schick wooden trim on earcups, silvery metal accents on fixing hardware, and high-tech polymer and steel self-adjusting open headband look well-thought-out and organic to the concept.
The 50mm dynamic driver builds upon Meze's work with bio-cellulose membrane of the 105 AER model. Very light and stiff diaphragm is bonded with a polymer surround, vapour coated with titanium particles (this is also a major difference from the 105 AER which uses uncoated thermoplastic PEEK surround). Potentially when diaphragm and suspension are made two-piece, as opposed to formed from a single sheet, the engineers can achieve lower bass and add power handling (by increasing linear excursion). To stop the oscillating waves from bouncing back to the suspension/diaphragm assembly, an edge ring made of non-magnetic copper-zinc alloy terminates the surround.
The back of earcups has a plastic insert with radial slits, allowing sound passage for the driver rear radiation (open acoustic load). Metal mesh between the slits acts as a guard against damage and debris. Comfortable cushions sit over-the-ear, and each part of the 'phones can be easily replaced if wear or break occur. Removable cable goes to both left and right driver housing, thoughtful of channel matching.
Price expectations
It is too early to say, but most experts agree that the new 105 Silva will be positioned somewhere in the middle between the most affordable open-back 105 AER and more expensive 109 Pro.
And, as we usually note, watch this space for further info. We will share as soon as it becomes available.