Well-built open-back headphones with a winning comfort formula

If you know Meze Audio well, you'll recognize the look of the 105 AER open-back headphones. Their design and geometry are based on the winning ergonomics of the Romanian company's 109 Pro and original closed-back 99 Classics — named Crutchfield's "most comfortable" after extensive in-house testing. And the moment I placed these headphones on my head, they popped into place with that familiar relaxed, yet secure fit. After spending a few weeks with them, I can report that they bring their own strengths and attributes to the table.

Like most Meze headphones, these are old-school wired headphones made for focused listening or kicking back with a favorite album or playlist. So, you won't be wearing these to the gym. And their open-back design does allow sound in and out. But I used them in the office at comfortable listening levels and didn't seem to bother my work neighbors — and as always, I got better sonic performance with a separate headphone amp than connecting directly to my phone.

Meze's spring-suspension system helps "pop" the 105 AER headphones into place.

105 AER vs. the 109 Pro

The large earcups and thick velour ear pads look almost identical to the open-back 109 Pro, one of my favorite higher-end Meze headphones. But the 105 AER headphones are lighter, with Meze using thick ABS plastic and composite earcups in place of premium metal and wood. These headphones still have the same outward facing grille, designed to control airflow in and out.

Within that open-air chamber, Meze uses 50mm dynamic drivers that are almost the same as the ones in the 109 Pro. The diaphragms are made from the same rigid, lightweight materials — carbon fiber and cellulose — but there's no high-grade Beryllium film. Meze has tuned them accordingly, and the result is a textured sound with a more emphatic bass punch. The treble also presents smoother than the more articulate highs of the 109 Pro, in a way that some listeners may prefer.

Comfortable, no-fuss fit

How did Meze become so synonymous with comfort? By focusing on fit and stability from the start. When founder and lead designer Antonio Meze recalled the company's origin story to me, he detailed a near obsessiveness with how well the headband distributes the weight of the earcups. “It's like sitting on a bicycle,” he said. “Lean too far forward, your arms get tired. But sit too far back, your lower back will hurt after a long ride.”

These headphones use the same suspension system as the 109 Pro and the 99 Classics. A padded vegan leather headband, attached by an elastic band, stretches over the head to ensure the pressure remains even, regardless of head size. It snugly hugs the crown of the head while the oversized soft velour earpads gently hold the headphones in place.