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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Bose QuietComfort 45 — biggest strength: Active Noise Cancellation with Quiet and Aware modes, plus Bluetooth 5.1 wireless freedom and up to 22 hours of battery life.
• Bose QuietComfort 45 — biggest trade-off: It's a closed-back Bluetooth headphone, so it can't match the open, spacious presentation or the serviceable build of a dedicated wired audiophile design.
• MEZE AUDIO 105 — biggest strength: A 50 mm dynamic driver in an open-back, 42-ohm design with a warm, full-bodied tuning and a replaceable-everything build philosophy.
• MEZE AUDIO 105 — biggest trade-off: It's wired only, with no noise cancelling and no battery — so it's a desk-and-home headphone, not a commute companion.
• Who the Bose is for: travellers, commuters, office workers and anyone who wants one headphone for calls, movies, music and noise.
• Who the Meze is for: listeners who sit down with an amp or a good source and care about soundstage, tone and long-term ownership.
The QuietComfort 45 is built around one idea: make the outside world quieter and the music easier to hear. Bose uses tiny microphones to measure outside noise and cancel it with opposite signals, and you can flip between Quiet Mode for full cancellation and Aware Mode when you want the environment back in without pulling the headphones off. That single switch is the reason this headphone works so well on a plane, a train or an open-plan office.
Sound is handled by a TriPort acoustic architecture and volume-optimized Active EQ, which keeps the bass consistent when you turn things down and keeps the music clear when you turn things up. You also get an adjustable EQ in the app, so you can shape bass, mid-range and treble yourself or pick a preset. Bluetooth 5.1 gives you a stable connection within roughly 30 feet, and the battery runs up to 22 hours, with a 15-minute quick charge adding about 3 hours when you're in a hurry. There's also a 3.5 mm jack for wired listening, and Bose SimpleSync lets you pair the headphones with select Bose smart soundbars for personal TV listening with independent volume control.
Buy it if you want one pair of over-ear headphones for travel, calls, movies and everyday music, and you value noise cancelling and wireless convenience above everything else. Skip it if you mainly listen at a desk to critical, open-sounding music and you'd rather have a wired, repairable headphone — the closed-back, Bluetooth-first design simply isn't aimed at that job.
The MEZE AUDIO 105 AER is a different animal entirely. It's a wired, open-back, over-ear headphone with a 50 mm dynamic driver, a low 42-ohm impedance and a sensitivity of 112 dB. Meze tunes it for what they describe as a lush, warm and full-bodied presentation, with a slight lift in the bass and sub-bass for a deeper foundation. The frequency range is quoted from 20 Hz to 30,000 Hz, and the open-back design is what gives it that sense of space and separation between instruments.
Comfort and longevity are the other half of the story. The ear pads are velour, which is softer and more breathable than leather, so long sessions don't turn into a sweat problem, and the self-adjusting headband spreads the weight evenly across different head shapes. The build uses cast zinc alloy hardware with a PVD coating, a stamped manganese spring-steel headband, PC-ABS ear cups and a PU leather headband, and Meze says the headphones are assembled with fasteners rather than glue — so the ear cups, headband, cable and drivers are all replaceable. In the box you get a hard carrying pouch, a detachable 1.8 m Kevlar-sheathed OFC cable, a 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm gold-plated adapter and a cable pouch.
Buy it if you listen at home or at a desk, you're happy to plug into a phone, dongle or amp, and you want a headphone that leans warm and immersive and can be kept alive with replacement parts. Skip it if you need noise cancelling, wireless range or a battery — the 105 AER has none of those, and the open-back design leaks sound both ways.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise cancelling → Bose QuietComfort 45. Active Noise Cancellation with a Quiet/Aware switch is the headline feature the Meze simply doesn't have.
• Best for wireless freedom → Bose QuietComfort 45. Bluetooth 5.1 with roughly 30 feet of range and up to 22 hours per charge.
• Best for calls and TV → Bose QuietComfort 45. The microphone array focuses on your voice, and SimpleSync pairs with select Bose soundbars for personal TV audio.
• Best for pure soundstage and tone → MEZE AUDIO 105. Open-back cups and a 50 mm driver deliver a wider, airier, warmer presentation.
• Best for long listening sessions → MEZE AUDIO 105. Breathable velour pads and a self-adjusting headband built for marathon sessions.
• Best for repairability and long-term ownership → MEZE AUDIO 105. Fastener-based construction means ear cups, headband, cable and drivers can each be replaced.
• Best for a simple wired setup → MEZE AUDIO 105. A 42-ohm load and 112 dB sensitivity mean it's easy to drive from a phone or a modest dongle.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Bose QuietComfort 45. It does more jobs at once — noise cancelling, wireless listening, calls, TV audio and a 22-hour battery — and it's the one you'll actually grab on the way out the door. If your listening happens in a quiet room and you care about tone, space and a headphone you can keep running with replacement parts, I'd pick the MEZE AUDIO 105 instead. Two genuinely different tools; pick the one that matches where you listen. Before deciding, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page.
Not universally — they solve different problems. The Bose wins on noise cancelling, wireless convenience and battery life. The Meze wins on open-back soundstage, warm tuning and a repairable build. Pick based on whether you listen on the move or at a desk.
Does the MEZE AUDIO 105 have noise cancelling or Bluetooth?
Both are designed for long wear, but differently. The Meze uses breathable velour pads and a self-adjusting headband that spreads weight evenly. The Bose uses lightweight materials and over-ear cups tuned for comfort during travel. If you tend to get hot ears, velour has the edge.
Yes — at 42 ohms and 112 dB sensitivity it's relatively easy to drive, so a phone or a small dongle DAC can run it. Just remember it's open-back, so it leaks sound and lets ambient noise in.
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