Meze Audio has released some of the best high-end headphones on the market. Their standards for quality are always on display, no matter the price range. While their IEMs aren’t as varied as their headphone selection, Meze is looking to expand their library with the new Alba. This is one of the most inexpensive items that Meze has released recently, only setting you back $149. This area is usually taken over by the plethora of chi-fi IEMs that occupy the market, so it’s nice to see one of the notable high-end brands take a stab here. Could it be the entry-level IEM you’ve been looking for?
What You Get
- Alba IEMs
- 2-pin cable with 3.5mm termination
- 2-pin cable with 4.4mm termination
- Leather, hard shell case
- Selection of ear tips
- USB-C to headphone jack adapter
- Quick Start Guide
Look & Feel
If you’ve seen Meze’s last IEM, the Advar, the Alba will have a familiar look. It’s basically the same basic structure of the Advar but with a white sell. It’s really nice that the Alba features many of the same materials that a seven-hundred-dollar IEM does, as it uses anodized aluminum and zinc alloy. This gives the Alba a ton of value, as its materials add to the overall build quality and potential longevity. The Advar features more flashy accents, but the Alba is the perfect translation of a high-end design to a more economical one. Most important is the fit, which is also a strength of this design. The Alba has a compact shell size that has an ergonomic shape that has no problem being a natural fit in your ear.
Design
All the Alba needs is a single 10.8mm dynamic driver to get the job done. Its simple configuration can cover a wide frequency spectrum while also being fairly easy to drive. While I would normally suggest a simple DAC/Amp to get the most out of these IEMs, Meze has thought ahead and provided their own for the Alba. This Type C dongle is all you really need to make the Alba sound its best through your smartphone or laptop.
- Frequency Range 15 Hz – 25 kHz
- Impedance 32Ω at 1kHz
- SPL 109 dB SPL/V at 1 kHz
- Distortion <0.1% at 1 kHz
Soundstage
Even when we’re dealing with a more affordable price range, Meze still shows up to bring a soundstage only they can give you. While there have been more than a few budget IEMs that have impressed me with their soundstage, the Alba is a different beast. Not only is the soundstage very wide but the depth of the headspace offers so much more than what budget IEMs usually give you. The Alba breaks out of the linearity that most other budget IEMs give you, displaying a bubble of sound that’s incredibly engrossing. It feels completely in character with the level of accuracy and spaciousness Meze usually gives you. While some of the scale of the sound might be brought back a peg, the movement, and musicality are totally intact with what Meze offers in its higher-end items.
Low End
Like the soundstage, Meze’s brand of bass response is fully enwrapped in the Alba’s sound signature. Everything is tight and concise, showcasing a dynamic range of bass details. Nothing about it feels too restrictive or plain though, as the bass tends to show some significant impact. It never overextends its tone with thickness or warmth, but it does offer a clear shape that supplies realism. Your enjoyment of the Alba’s bass may vary, but I appreciate its level of control compared to many other budget IEMs.
Mids
While the Alba isn’t going to have as precise details as their other products, it still finds a way to present lush musicality. There’s a level of fidelity here that other budget IEMs just can’t match. You can definitely tell where the notches are, but the Alba rarely calls any attention to its shortcomings, instead focusing on precision and clarity. Its definition is presented very casually, but it leaves nothing in the background. While not completely even, the mids provide a roominess that helps specify notes and other artifacts. It’s very lively from the low mids that add a touch of warmth, to the upper mids that add crispness.
Highs
The highs have a nice glisten to them, adding a nice tail to the sound signature. It adds height to the sound but never brightens it to the point of discomfort. With the treble, the Alba brings the highs under control while featuring lively details that add color to the sound signature.
Summary
Meze Audio usually doesn’t disappoint, and the Alba is another winner from them. The Alba is the whole package, not only because of its included DAC dongle, but it might be one of the best IEMs you can get for less than $200. Just going from its sound, the Alba just sounds so different compared to what you usually get with budget IEMs. Its standards are different, focusing more on precision and organization rather than texture and coloration. This is also one of the best-designed IEMs for the price, maintaining materials that exist on their higher-end models. If there’s any pair of IEMs you should make your new entry-level purchase, make it the Alba.
The Meze Alba is available at Audio46.
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