Meze 105 AER Review – More for Less

Sound –

Tonality –

Meze touts that the 105 AER was tuned to deliver a rich and versatile sound, something I’d say they’ve achieved. Indeed, the entry-level open-back delivers an appealing, broadly well-balanced and likeable tonality with no glaring faults and strong listenability over extended listening periods. Though comparison to popular reference curves may suggest the 105 is bass light, as someone who primarily listens to IEMs, I found it to deliver a balanced, even slightly forward low end. That said, I do personally find most headphones overly energetic in the bass so this will depend on your point of reference.

The 105, to me, delivers a slightly enhanced mid-bass punch and sound extension and pressure at the very bottom when considering the open back form factor. Mids are even-handed and well-tuned to deliver a natural voicing and excellent balance. Up top, the 105 AER is smoothly articulated and inoffensive. It has an uptick of clarity around the mid-treble for air and openness, but the highs never overstep or overwhelm. The 105 AER delivers a gently L-shaped sound with technical ability that never jumps out as outstanding but also never mires, making it a successful all-rounder that is easy to like.

Bass – 

In true Meze fashion, the lows are lightly warm, rich and natural. They don’t have the most affirmative sub-bass kick and emphasis, but they offer a clear and audibly defined rumble. Dynamics are just ample in turn, and those craving guttural power will likely want to consider Meze’s closed-back or higher-end open-back models. The 105 AER instead focuses on the mid-bass, where the headphone offers a satisfying punch and a tasteful fullness. Notes are natural and well-structured without being overly rounded, tubby or bloated at all. Bass overall has just light emphasis and, as such, represents impressive balance with the surrounding frequencies.

There is enough quantity to satisfy the majority of listeners without upsetting genre versatility. The quality of the bass is impressive for the price point, too and is aided by the natural tuning. Separation is a good performer. Due to the fuller nature of each note, there isn’t huge transparency and space between notes, but they never become blurred together either, with each remaining well-defined and textured even on complex tracks. Of course, fine nuances and textures aren’t illuminated as on a high-end planar model, but for an entry-level DD headphone, it generates quite an inspiring listen. There’s enough slam to enjoy electronic genres but also a natural tuning and texture to flatter traditional instruments.

Mids –

The subtle bass colouration has a flow on effect to the midrange, which itself benefits from an impressively linear tuning. There’s a clean transition from bass to mids before a progressive climb to a 3kHz hump. Above, the only notable colouration comes in the form of a smoother articulation instigated by a similarly smooth lower treble tuning. As such, the overall voicing is balanced, natural and just slightly on the forgiving side. Meze are renowned for their more relaxed midrange tuning, but I’d say the 105 AER represents one of their most tasteful executions yet as it has impressively low tonal colouration. Though smooth, it is never lacking separation or definition due to the presence of ample pinna gain and lack of excessive warmth and bloom.

The midrange voicing is highly natural, and this is surely a quality of this headphone that stands out on first listen. In addition, layering and fine detail retrieval are quite impressive too. The background and foreground are defined and delineated. Vocal harmonizations are flattered, and fine details aren’t isolated but are still easy to perceive. There isn’t an abundance of layers nor pinpoint precise multi-dimensional imaging, but a pleasing left to right stage with an excellent, appealing voicing throughout. Despite its smoother nature, I never found the midrange lacking clarity or openness; the tuning and technical performance leave little to be desired.

Highs –

I do laud Meze for trying something a bit different with the high-end, and it’s a tuning that works well in the context of the overall tonality. Chiefly, the lower treble is quite smooth with a hint of bite around 5kHz but a recessed 6kHz region that tones down sharpness and note attack. In turn, on some tracks, the 105 AER can sound a little sparse and lacking in forwardness to its percussion. Specifically, the leading edge of notes is more relaxed, and some fine details are smoothed over. At the same time, treble lacks sharpness, glare and intensity in its entirety whilst still offering a good level of clarity and presence.

The combination of 5kHz sustain and a mild mid-treble emphasis serves to uphold solid headroom, air and openness. As such, treble notes tend to be expressed quite clearly if lacking aggression and intimate presence. Notes are slightly thinner but have ample texture and decay. Background details are expressed clearly, and overall detail retrieval in the treble is slightly better than you would expect at the price point. Above, extension leaves to be desired, but such is the case with its competitors. Don’t expect huge soundstage expansion and micro details but a clear yet easygoing treble that offers good clarity without any sharpness.

Soundstage –

The 105 AER offers sound expansion just beyond the head. However, in tandem with solid imaging, it offers a good sense of space and dimension that contribute to good immersion that is notably better than the class average. In particular, the stage is quite well rounded and directional cues are sharp and well defined. The stronger layering performance aids this, though distance projection leaves to be desired. Overall separation is quite good too, not standout but always sufficient to combat congestion and maximize the detail retrieval on display.

Drivability –

The 105AER has a 42 ohm impedance and a higher 112 dB sensitivity. Overall, they are easy to drive and efficient, which lowers the cost of entry as a high-end source isn’t required to enjoy these headphones.

Output Impedance Sensitivity

With a single dynamic driver setup, the 105 AER offers a flat impedance curve and, in turn, a stable sound from sources with higher output impedances. Up to 20 ohms, there was no perceptible difference in frequency response. Particularly high impedance sources such as tube amps may introduce greater colouration; I did not experience a huge change in this regard either, however.

Driving Power

Comparing my desktop stack with THX 789 amp to a standard dongle-style adaptor revealed that the 105 AER is efficient and not overly demanding of amplification. There was plenty of volume to spare even on the dongle, and the low end had a similar impact and dynamics from both sources. The desktop stack offered a bit more control, definition and soundstage but overall, the differences were minute, making the 105 AER a great choice for those wanting a headphone that is easy to drive.

Suggested Pair Ups

The 105 AER is efficient and sports a flat impedance curve. It is, therefore, very easy to drive and forgiving of a wide range of source pairings. In terms of tonality, the same rings true due to its natural and easygoing tuning. I would suggest that they pair best with brighter sources that bring out a bit more detail up top, however, some may also prefer more dynamics and bass weight, in which case bassy sources pair well too. Subjectively, I didn’t feel the headphones needed more warmth, so I preferred neutral to bright source pairings.

Next Page: Comparisons & Verdict