We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a warm, immersive, open-back listening experience you can repair for years, choose MEZE AUDIO 105; if you need a flat, isolating closed-back monitor for studio work, choose Sony MDR-M1. That's the whole decision in one line. Everything below is me unpacking why those two headphones pull in such different directions — and which one actually fits your desk.
• MEZE AUDIO 105 — biggest strength: an open-back, warm, full-bodied tuning with a slight bass and sub-bass lift, plus a genuinely serviceable build where every part is replaceable.
• MEZE AUDIO 105 — biggest trade-off: open-back means it leaks sound both ways, and there's no noise control at all, so it's a quiet-room headphone.
• Sony MDR-M1 — biggest strength: a closed acoustic structure with high sound isolation and ultra-wideband playback from 5 Hz to 80 kHz, tuned for precise monitoring.
• Sony MDR-M1 — biggest trade-off: it's built to be neutral and analytical rather than lush, so it won't flatter poorly recorded music the way the Meze will.
• Pick MEZE AUDIO 105 if you listen for pleasure at home or in a quiet office and want depth, space and a repairable long-term companion.
• Pick Sony MDR-M1 if you record, mix, edit or track in a room with other people and noise around you.
The 105 AER is an open-back audiophile headphone with a 50 mm dynamic driver running at a low 42 ohms. That low impedance matters in practice: it's the kind of headphone that behaves well on modest gear, so you don't need an exotic amplifier to get a full, rich presentation out of it. Meze describes the tuning as warm and full-bodied, with a slight emphasis on bass and sub-bass. In my reading of those specs, that's a deliberately musical voicing — the sort of sound that makes a familiar album feel deeper and more resonant rather than surgically dissected.
Comfort is clearly a design priority here. The velour ear pads are breathable, which is exactly what you want over a multi-hour evening session — velour doesn't trap heat the way leather does. The self-adjusting headband spreads weight evenly across different head shapes and sizes, and the overall aesthetic leans Art Deco with cast zinc alloy hardware, a PVD coating and a stamped manganese spring steel headband. This is a headphone that's meant to look good sitting on a stand, not just sound good.
Who should buy it: home listeners, remote workers in a quiet room, and anyone who wants one versatile open-back headphone for all genres and values being able to service it later. Who should skip it: anyone who needs isolation on a train, in a shared office or in a tracking room — the open-back design and the absence of any noise control make it the wrong tool for those jobs.
Sony MDR-M1: Who It's For
The MDR-M1 is a different animal entirely. It's a closed-back professional reference monitor, and Sony built it around high sound isolation and ultra-wideband playback. The claimed frequency reproduction runs from 5 Hz all the way to 80 kHz. Practically, that means the drivers are designed to reproduce the low end and the extreme top end without the distortion creeping in — the useful takeaway for a buyer is "accurate and uncolored," which is exactly what you want when you're making decisions about a mix rather than enjoying one.
Sony also states the tuning was developed in collaboration with industry engineers to reproduce creative intent faithfully. I read that as: this headphone is not trying to sound exciting. It's trying to sound correct. If your work involves editing dialogue, checking low-end balance or tracking vocals while a backing track plays, a closed, isolating, faithful monitor is the right instrument.
Comfort and weight are clearly part of the brief too. At roughly 216 g, it's an extremely light headphone for a closed-back monitor, and the soft, thick ear pads are designed to stay comfortable through long sessions. Maintenance is handled sensibly: you get two detachable cables of different lengths, the ear pads are easy to replace, and the cable connects via a screw system for a secure attachment. Connectivity is flexible — the screw-in plug adapter lets you go to either a 6.3 mm or a 3.5 mm stereo jack.
Who should buy it: producers, engineers, podcasters, editors, and anyone working in a room that isn't quiet. Who should skip it: listeners who want a colored, immersive, "sit back in an armchair" presentation — the MDR-M1's whole personality is neutrality and isolation, not lushness.
• Best for sound isolation → Sony MDR-M1. Closed acoustic structure with high isolation versus an open-back design with no noise control at all.
• Best for immersive, warm listening → MEZE AUDIO 105. Its slight bass and sub-bass emphasis and full-bodied tuning are aimed at enjoyment, not analysis.
• Best for mixing, tracking and editing → Sony MDR-M1. Faithful reproduction and a flat, monitor-first intent make it the working tool.
• Best for long hot sessions → MEZE AUDIO 105. Breathable velour pads resist sweat and overheating in a way that closed leather-style pads generally don't.
• Best for low-weight wear over hours → Sony MDR-M1. Roughly 216 g is exceptionally light for a closed monitor.
• Best for repairability and long-term ownership → MEZE AUDIO 105. Fastener-based construction with replaceable ear cups, headband, cables and drivers.
• Best for cable flexibility → Sony MDR-M1. Two detachable cables of different lengths plus a screw-in adapter for 6.3 mm or 3.5 mm.
• Best for quiet-room-only use → MEZE AUDIO 105. It leaks sound outward and lets room noise in, so it needs a calm environment.
In my opinion, most people shopping this comparison should buy the MEZE AUDIO 105. It's the more enjoyable headphone for everyday listening, it's comfortable for long sessions thanks to the velour pads, and its repairable, fastener-built design means it can stay with you for years instead of becoming e-waste the first time something wears out. The Sony MDR-M1 is the better choice only if you actually need isolation and neutrality for production work — and if that's your job, it's not a compromise, it's the correct tool. Buy the Meze for pleasure. Buy the Sony for work.
For casual listening, yes — in my opinion. The 105 AER is tuned warm and full-bodied with a slight bass and sub-bass lift, which suits relaxed, immersive listening. The MDR-M1 is deliberately neutral and analytical, which is a strength at a mixing desk but less flattering for pure enjoyment.
It isolates far more than the Meze. The MDR-M1 uses a closed acoustic structure with high sound isolation, while the MEZE AUDIO 105 is open-back with no noise control, so it both leaks sound out and lets ambient noise in. If you work near other people, that difference alone decides it.
Both are maintainable, but the Meze goes further. Meze states the ear cups, headband, cables and drivers are all replaceable and the build uses fasteners instead of glue. Sony supplies two detachable cables and easy-to-replace ear pads, and its cable attaches with a secure screw system. The Meze offers the deeper repairability story; the Sony offers simpler everyday part swaps.
The MEZE AUDIO 105 runs at a low 42 ohms, so it's designed to work well with ordinary sources. The MDR-M1 is positioned as a professional monitor with a 6.3 mm and 3.5 mm connection path, so it plugs into interfaces and consumer gear alike. Neither spec sheet suggests you must buy an amp to get started — though if price and current deals matter to you, check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
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