Meze Audio Alba review: engaging entry-point IEMs

Introduction

Meze is no stranger to wired headphones that demand four figure sums. The Romanian audio expert has been carefully crafting audiophile-grade over-ears for a while now, and even turned its hand to an in-ear pair or two. But the opposite end of the price spectrum was unexplored territory. Until now. The Alba in-ear monitors will set you back $159/£159, which is chump change in comparison to the rest of the range.

On paper, it doesn’t look like any corners have been cut to keep the price in check. These buds major on design, just like Meze’s over-ear offerings, and come with a comprehensive set of accessories for getting your tunes pumping on pretty much any device. There’s just a single dynamic driver inside each one, but driver count has never been an indicator of sound quality. So has Meze delivered earphones to rival much bigger brands at the first time of asking?

Design & build: come out of your shell

It was never in doubt that Meze would skimp on styling, given its headphones are some of the most distinctive around. The Alba is a simply gorgeous looking IEM. The conch-shaped buds are painted piano gloss white, with what looks like automotive-grade metalflake paint that subtly catches the light. I’d argue they’re more distinctive than some multi-driver earphones costing several times the price.

The firm hasn’t cheaped out on materials, either. Plastic is out, in favour of a hard-wearing zinc alloy that’s brilliantly sturdy without also weighing very much. The finish has held up perfectly throughout my weeks of testing, with no signs of wear or fade.

A metal build doesn’t negatively affect comfort at all; the softly curved shape and familiar over-ear arrangement used by almost every IEM meant they sat perfectly still in my outer ears. Silicone ear tips provide the soft of background noise isolation I’d expect from any good IEM, and with four sizes included (S/M/L/XL) pretty much everyone should be able to find a good fit. The white colour does tend to highlight any earwax buildup, though, and if you want foam tips you’ll need to provide them yourself.

I like that Meze has complimented the buds with an equally stylish cable. It’s braided, with silver-coated wires encased in transparent plastic. It did tangle quickly, in my experience, but didn’t create much cable noise when rubbing against my clothes. There’s no inline remote or microphone, highlighting that Meze is targeting the Alba at all music fans, not just smartphone owners. Length-wise it easily reached my phone in my jeans pocket, but was a little too short for plugging into the PC under my office desk.

Of course it’s detachable; any IEM worth bothering with should be able to easily replace its cable, and the Alba delivers with 2-pin connections. These are pretty widely used, so it’ll be easy enough to find a replacement. In my experience this style is more reliable than MMXC, too.

Features: I hear DAC

For an entry-level IEM, the Alba doesn’t leave you wanting for much. It comes with a compact hard-shell carry case made of eco-leather, with a separate compartment for stashing the bundled sets of ear tips. The similarly-priced Sennheiser IE200 only includes a soft pouch; this feels a lot more premium.

The biggest addition is the custom USB-C DAC, designed in-house, that lets you plug the Alba into almost any gadget – whether it has a 3.5mm headphone port or not. It matches the included cable perfectly, and is so slim you’d struggle to tell it was actually a separate part. There’s no setup, you just plug and play. My MacBook, Android phone and Steam Deck all threw their audio output over to it automatically.

I’m in two minds about how the USB end illuminates with a tiny white LED. It’s a cute nod to the fact Alba means “first light” in Romanian, but is annoying to use at night – especially if your partner is trying to sleep next to you. There’s no button on the DAC, or software solution to turn it off.

Sound quality: hear clear

Meze says it tuned the Alba’s 10.8mm dynamic drivers to deliver more warmth than its usual, more neutral sound profile; after just a few tracks I was in full agreement. These IEMs are well-defined across the board, with a slightly v-shaped sound curve that provides a generous amount of bass and a crisp, clean treble. It’s a sound signature that’ll go down well with the majority, whether you’re more about Chase & Status or Celine Dion.

There’s plenty of midbass oomph on offer here, but less of a subbass rumble or sudden drop-off where the mid-range kicks in. Modestep’s brb pushes the low end into the background just a bit, with vocals pulled to the front of the mix – but not so much the track loses its impact. The Alba is a consistent performer regardless of genre.

Mids and the high-end favour vocal performances in general, with no hint of sibilance when cranking the volume but plenty of precision. White Town’s Your Woman came across cleaner and nowhere near as sharp as with the Sennheiser IE200, while dynamics are otherwise closely matched. There’s enough detail here to please most listeners.

The soundstage isn’t hugely expansive, with music contained rather than giving the impression of surrounding my head – but that’s true of pretty much every IEM in this price range. It did a very good job of layering multiple instruments, though.

Meze Audio Alba verdict

There’s really nothing here to indicate the Alba is Meze’s first attempt at an entry-level IEM. The styling is distinctive, but not at the expense of comfort; the audio is well-balanced but on the right side of fun; the included accessories are comprehensive, but not included purely to pad out the package. It puts many bigger name rivals in the price bracket to shame on multiple fronts, so for wired listening newcomers, this is an excellent first pair and a step up from the even more budget-friendly alternatives.

It’s not like single dynamic driver earphones are a rare breed, though. With a V-shaped tuning curve that arguably plays it safe, beginner audiophiles might also prefer something a little more neutral – or edgier still – from one of the lesser known boutique brands.

Meze Audio Alba technical specifications

Drivers	10.8mm dynamic
ANC	No
Frequency response	15Hz – 25kHz
Impedance	32 ohms
Cable type	3.5mm, 3.5mm to USB-C adapter
Cable length	1.2m
Dimensions	7g (buds, each)