The Fosi i5 is a full-sized, planar magnetic, open-back headphone with a large 97 mm driver. It was released in late summer 2025 and priced around 550 USD before tax.
The Meze 109 PRO is Meze’s most expensive dynamic driver model, featuring a 50 mm, 40-ohm driver. It was launched in 2023 and priced around 800 USD before tax.
FOSI AUDIO i5 SPECIFICATIONS
- Open-back circumaural wired headphones
- Driver: Planar magnetic, 97 mm
- Impedance: 28 ohm
- Sensitivity: 98dB/mW @ 1kHz
- Maximum Sound Pressure Level >120 dB
- Frequency Response: 10Hz-50kHz
- THD < 1% @ 100 dB SPL
- Recommended Power > 250mW
- Minimum Recommended Power > 100mW
- Weight: 550g
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Fosi i5
MEZE 109 PRO SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver: 50 mm Dynamic
- Impedance: 40 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 112 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz
- Total Harmonic Distortion <0.1% at 1 kHz
- Frequency Range: 5 Hz – 30 kHz
- Ear Cups: Black Walnut
- Two detachable cables: 1.8 m & 3 m
- Cable connector: dual 3.5 mm TS Jack
- Cable termination: 3.5mm
- Weight: 375 g (13 oz.)
Current price and availability:
- Amazon: Meze 109 Pro
BUILD AND COMFORT
Both are well-built, though the 109 PRO looks and feels more refined. The i5 is larger and heavier; while its weight is well distributed and the large pads help, in terms of pure comfort, the 109 PRO gets my vote.
COMPARISONS
Associated equipment:
- Amplifier: Topping A90
- DAC: RME ADI-2 DAC FS
Fuglefangeren by Maridalen
Starting with the 109 PRO, the saxophone and trumpet sound very airy, with excellent timbre, detail, and texture. The bass is nicely present.
The Fosi i5 also performs well, offering a blacker background and improved imaging. The wind instruments come across as more intense and upfront, while the bass carries even greater texture.
Stay on These Roads MTV Unplugged by a-ha
The 109 PRO is smooth and coherent, with vocals that sound very natural yet never offensive. The i5 has a more upfront delivery, offering greater articulation and dynamic contrast. Some notes come across as very intense, standing in sharp contrast to the smooth, laid-back character of the 109 PRO.
Fata Morgana by Spiritbox
They sound quite different. The tonal balance is not the same, which becomes very apparent on a noisy, wide-frequency track like this. The 109 PRO comes across as brighter and also a bit fuzzier.
Hello Dave by Michael Wollny
The i5 is snappy and dynamic, very energetic and upfront. The 109 PRO is more laid-back and generally polite, yet still very enjoyable.
Desert Island Disk by Radiohead
Again, the i5 has a blacker background and is more dynamic, though they sound more similar here than on many other tracks; the balance between bass, mids, and highs is relatively close. Still, the i5 is clearer, while the 109 PRO has a thicker character.
As Before by Olga Konkova
There is a bit more low-end presence with the cajón drum on the 109 PRO, while the i5 sounds brighter and more aggressive. Here, I prefer the smoother and better-balanced presentation of the 109 PRO.
It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
The 109 PRO has slightly thick but not overdone bass and smooth, natural vocals without aggressive sibilance, making it a very pleasant listen. The i5 sounds more detailed, with leaner bass and more upfront vocals, though they can feel a bit off – they’re quite manipulated by the production (double tracking, reverb etc)
Mahler’s Symphony No 2 III by Paavo Järvi
The i5 delivers excellent detail on the kettle drums with strong punch, great instrument separation, and a natural timbre.
The 109 PRO has thicker bass and a somewhat different tonality. It is smoother and very pleasant, though I don’t prefer it over the i5.
Maple Noise by Greene Serene
Both are good, but the i5 comes across as cleaner, more dynamic, detailed, and articulate, with tighter bass.
Midnight City by M83
The i5 offers great detail and instrument separation and is quite dynamic. The 109 PRO has a very different tonality, coming across as fuzzier and slightly brighter in direct comparison, but once you adjust to the difference, it is also very good.
Sunrise by Norah Jones
The vocals here are somewhat divisive. The i5 presents them in a very energetic, upfront style, while the 109 PRO is more laid-back, in a way I find to sound more natural here.
WRAPPING IT UP
Sound Signature
These two headphones have different tonal balances, though they sometimes align more closely. The 109 PRO has stronger bass presence, a laid-back midrange. In general, the treble is not too dissimilar, but the differences vary from track to track.
Treble
The treble difference varies from track to track, so I would not describe one as generally brighter than the other. The i5 has more dynamic contrast in the upper range and greater articulation, while the 109 PRO sounds slightly drier and occasionally a bit fuzzy.
Midrange
The 109 PRO is generally more polite and darker in the midrange, while the i5 is typically more upfront and energetic.
Bass
The 109 PRO has slightly more bass presence, while the i5 offers tighter bass with greater detail.
Soundstage and Imaging
The 109 PRO has a pleasant soundstage and good imaging, but the i5 is generally at least one step ahead, which is quite impressive for its price.
Detail, Dynamics, and Timbre
In general, the i5 offers better detail retrieval across the frequency range and stronger dynamics, especially in the midrange and treble.
In terms of timbre, they can sound quite different, though sometimes they are similar. I tend to prefer the darker tuning of the 109 PRO, but the more upfront voicing of the i5 is also easy to adapt to. Which one sounds most natural depends largely on the track.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Fosi i5 is technically superior, but I often prefer the tuning of the Meze 109 PRO. They are different headphones with distinct strengths, yet this comparison has left me most impressed with the Fosi i5. The 109 PRO is, however, much lighter and more comfortable.
Thanks for reading. You can support us by purchasing anything using any of our affiliate links.
- Amazon: Fosi i5
- Amazon: Meze 109 Pro
Any purchase you make on Amazon or Linsoul with any of our affiliate links will give us a small provision at no cost to you.
We only get a provision for items that are not returned, so there’s no incentive for us to recommend something that’s not good.
Linsoul : Headphones, Earbuds, Wireless Earbuds, Desktop DAC/AMP, Portable DAC/AMP, Digital Audio Players,
Amazon: Headphones, IEMs, Headphone Amplifiers, Home Audio or Anything else.
.
If you enjoyed this article or other content on The Headphoneer, you might consider leaving a small donation to keep this website up and running. No donation is too small. Thanks for supporting us!
If you like our work please follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter , it will help us grow. Sharing is caring 🙂
