If there’s any new opinion I’ve formed about audio in the past year or two, it has to do with the number of people who rely on headphones for audio. Be they friends, family, or perfect strangers, people by the millions use headphones for music, movies, calls, gaming, and more. My opinion is that headphones and wearable audio are the future of high fidelity, and it’s one that I absolutely stand by.
This opinion is what led me to dash directly to the World of Headphones section at High End 2025 as soon as the doors opened at the MOC event center. And to good effect—there are several dozen head-fi specialists here, many with brand-new products. Here’s what I found. Be aware that prices are given in euros and US dollars, where possible.
Feliks Audio
I’ll begin with Feliks Audio, a brand from Poland that builds tube amplifiers, both for loudspeakers and headphones. I wasn’t surprised to see an array of headphone amps with tubes aglow, but what did shock me a bit was how many other manufacturers were using Feliks Audio amps with their headphones. Indeed, I found these Polish tube amps to be excellent wherever I heard them. But the most exciting and interesting Feliks Audio amp I experienced was its latest, the Bliss.
The Bliss is meant specifically, and only, for electrostatic headphones, and in fact has two outputs, labeled Normal and Pro, to ensure compatibility with as many variations of electrostatic ’phones as possible. It has a tube complement of EL34s, 300Bs, and 6E5Ps—four of each—with the big direct-heated triodes providing all the oomph. Lundahl transformers are used throughout. A Feliks Audio rep confirmed that the Bliss is capable of driving Stax headphones. He also told me that the company aims to have it available by the end of July, with a projected price in the range of €18,000 to €20,000. It’s going to be offered in the matte-finish oak you see here first, but will likely be available in other wood finishes shortly thereafter. Other details: the amp is fully tubed, with no solid-state hybridization going on, and the knob on the top front is there for bias adjustments, and is effectively set-and-forget despite its prominence.
I heard the Feliks Audio Bliss through a pair of HiFiMan’s flagship Shangri-La electrostatic headphones. From what I heard, the amp lives up to its name, projecting an amply deep and wide soundstage, with a balanced tonality and absolutely unparalleled dynamics. I played “Red Barchetta” from Rush’s Moving Pictures, and Neil Peart’s drums sounded as close as I could hope to the real thing. This is a setup that sits in the same price class as most luxury SUVs, but dammit, if you’re going to take headphones as far as they can go, for what it does, the Feliks amp seems worthy of its price.
I was clued into one more new product from Feliks Audio, though in this case it’s more of an evolution of an existing product. HiFiMan and Feliks have collaborated on the Susvara amp, so named due to its intended use with HiFiMan’s Susvara planar-magnetic headphones. Feliks Audio is planning to sell the amp and headphones as a bundle, with a tentative price of circa €16,500, though that’s not set in stone yet. The amp is effectively one of Feliks Audio’s single-ended 300B designs, the Envy, but optimized to drive the Susvara ’phones using higher gain, new amorphous-core output transformers, a souped-up power-supply, and other tweaks, but it works fine with other headphones too. Another key feature is that the amp’s wood finish will match that of the ’phones. I was told that the company would be accepting orders very soon, though when the combo will ship remains to be seen—they will be effectively built-to-order.
Meze Audio
Next on my list of product debuts from High End 2025 are the 105 Silva open-back headphones from Romania’s Meze Audio. At €499 or $499, the 105 Silvas split the difference between the 105 AER (€399/$399) and 109 Pro (€799/$799) headphones, both in price and in sound signature. The 105 AERs were introduced here at Munich a year ago, and I found them an impressive value. The 105 Silvas really ramp things up, however. Like the 105 AERs and upmarket 109 Pros, they feature a 50mm driver in each earcup, but in this case, the surround has a titanium coating, which allows the Silvas to come close to the level of detail of the 109 Pros, but at a price closer to that of the AERs. The earcups are made using walnut and high-quality molded plastic, furthering its similarities to the two other models.
I heard the 105 Silvas powered by (what else?) a Feliks Audio Envy amplifier, with a Chord Dave DAC on conversion duty. They provided a great sense of air and spaciousness around the performers, with a sound that offered an excellent compromise between the power of the 105 AERs and the detail of the 109 Pros, as promised. In fact, I think I preferred the Silvas to the other two for that reason. Also noteworthy was the level of comfort I experienced, with the Silvas seeming to slip over my ears and disappear. I was impressed with my introduction to the Meze 105 Silva headphones, and I hope I get to meet them again.
I’m getting longwinded already, and there’s still much more to cover in the World of Headphones. Stay tuned to hear about the latest head-fi gear being introduced here at High End 2025.
Matt Bonaccio
Contributor, SoundStage!
