ALBA | Wired Earbuds in-Ear Monitor Headphones for Audiophiles | USB-C Adapter Included | Smartphone Compatible | Noise Isolating | Ergonomic Metal Chassis

These are my first “higher end” in-ear monitors (IEM) and I love them! Ok, let’s get a few things out of the way. For a newbie to IEMs, there is a learning curve for how to use them properly. If you’re used to the intuitiveness of airpods or earbuds, it might be confusing at first. I initially put them in wrong (with the Meze logo pointing forwards - see picture), and was confused because the audio was terrible! No bass, no noise isolation, always falling out of my ears... just bad. But after some trial and error, and looking at pictures on the Meze website I corrected the error. Viva la difference! Super-comfy, beautiful isolation, and the sound quality finally came through. I also had to find the best-fitting tips (turns out I need different sizes for each ear), which helped with comfort for long-time wear. Now, to the really good: (1) they look fantastic (again, see pictures) and sound excellent. It’s a different type of sound than say, a pair of AirPods. Those sound warmer and “fuller”, but also more muddled; whereas the Albas have the more accurate representation. Especially if you listen to lossless audio, you can hear the difference. (2) They're very comfortable. They don't "disappear" like Airpods do during long-time use, but they are way better than most high-end IEMs or clampy headphones. With the correct eartips there should be zero discomfort. (3) The USBC dongle DAC is an excellent value add, and the carrying case is very nice. The not-so-great: (1) this is a “premium” product, meaning you have to treat them gently. The cables are premium and feel nice, but good luck going for a run or workout with them. (2) The 2-pin connector can sometimes get loose and make the Albas fall off when you’re putting them on or off. I tried to fix that with a dab of glue (see picture), which seems to work for now. All in all, they’re not a pair of IEMs you can treat roughly, like you would a cheap pair of wired earbuds. Overall, are they worth it? I think so, they’re a decent intro to the world of hi-fi IEMs. They don’t sound as good as the Sennheiser IE900 or the Sony IER-RZ1, but that’s because those cost 10-15x as much. The audiophile hobby can get super expensive and niche; and the Alba is great value for money for people just dipping their toe into it.

I had only tried KZ ZAR iems before. They sounded better than average earbuds, but I had issues with comfort, due to a big shell that caused pain in the cavity of my ears. The provided eartips are no so good in comfort. The Meze Alba are REALLY comfortable, and the eartips provided are really comfortable also. You don’t notice you are wearing these iems. That is something very important for me. In addition the sound is fantastic. I have been testing them on a playlist for audiophile headphones testing, and WOW. I hear great music detail, identify the different instruments, and enjoy great voice details. For me this is the best experience I’ve had with iems. I am using them with the DAC dongle provided. The only not so great is the cable, which is very thin and does not look vey durable (the cable of the KZ ZAR is much better), but I already ordered the KB Ear Chord with 4.4mm balanced jack, which has flat 2 pin connection, perfectly compatible with the Meze Alba. If comfort is something important for you, do not hesitate to buy these, with the bonus that sound quality is great.

Phenomenal in ear monitors. Fantastic sound, very comfortable fit and excellent built quality. Well worth the money. Love using them when listening to music on Qobuz on the go. Also excellent physical noise isolation perfect for commute on subway. Only minor nuisance - that LED glow of the USB-C adapter really wasn’t necessary and is annoying when in a dark environment. Who thought anyone wants their USC-C adapter to glow… Oh well, it doesn’t take away from a great pair of monitors.

EDIT: I returned these. They’re not noticeably better than my $20 chu II’s. Original Review: They're.. okay. Not great for the price. The cable is awful, both my roommate and I had issues with keeping it on top of our ears properly, the shape just isn't right. This cable also just feels cheap and was quickly replaced with the one that came with my $20 chu II's. The IEMs themselves feel of nice quality and are a metal hull. The difference in sound quality between these and $25 IEMs isn't noticeable enough for me. There is slightly improved bass over my moondrop Chu II's but it's nothing mind blowing. I'm sure if I double blind tested these I would struggle to pick out a difference. I may be returning these but I'm going to sit with them for a while first as I got them opened for a discount and I do like the included accessories (tips, dongle, case). Overall not a purchase I would make again, but not completely offensive as a product. Very middle of the road, and definitely not worth the premium price. Maybe pick them up refurbished or on a sale.

I have had the Meze Alba’s now for a month and have used them both at home for casual listening and Live on stage for Solo & full band gigs. After testing, I decided my main use for these IEMs are for live performance. For gigging musicians, this is the best IEM I have tried for vocals (I have bought and tried 35 IEMs over the past 2 months). These IEMs have the best headroom I have heard when belting/singing loudly into a microphone. Many other IEMs I tried actually distorted or compressed when I sang loudly into them. The Meze Alba’s handled dynamic vocals perfectly well, sounding clean all the way thru. My acoustic and electric guitar also sounded very good thru these IEMs on stage without any EQ applied from the mixer. For casual listening to your music library, this is my experience: These IEMs are very immersive and put you on the stage with the artists you’re listening to. Vocals are thankfully not shouty (especially on the pre-chorus of REM’s “Man on the Moon”); however, drum cymbals can sound metallic and artificial at times. Vocals are slightly sibilant on certain songs like “Time” by Pink Floyd. Sub bass sounds pretty decent but I prefer a little more rumble on songs like “Analog Kid” by Rush and Pigs 3 Different Ones (2018 Remix) by Pink Floyd. Guitars and Snare drums could benefit from a Mid-boost as the Meze Alba guitars do not sound nearly as accurate as the KZ Gale IEMs (best electric guitar sound I’ve heard). The snare drum sound on the Meze Alba sounds a bit choked and dark and could use a mid-boost in that region to sound more open like it should. The Meze Alba doesn’t handle Snare Transients as well as the Dawn Inawaken MS IEMs. Another thing I noticed on certain tracks was that I could feel the bass more than the kick drum. Overall, it’s a more relaxed listen and you could definitely listen to music for a long time without fatigue. The shells are below average looking and don’t seal in your ears the way you imagine IEMs to look in a performer’s ears (like the Tin Hifi C3 or the Sivga Que’s). The cable could and should be replaced w/ something sturdier that doesn’t tangle as easily. Get the Meze Alba’s for live performance but consider the Supermix 4 or the Tripowin Vivace for home/casual listening.

Very musical, which in the end is the only thing that matters. I recommend buying them without reading any reviews. They have a natural sound. I recommend trying it with a good amp/DAC. The difference compared to the dongle that comes in the box lies mainly in the spatiality and micro-detail. The bass is drier, faster, but with a sense of movement; it seems to move air. You can't achieve that with a DAC that doesn't deliver as much current. (The test was performed by matching the output voltages (55mV)). They are very easy to drive but benefit from a good damping factor, along with good current delivery. They should give it a minimum run time of 50 hours (according to Meze). But I recommend giving it time before judging any product; everything requires getting used to it. Finally, if you're choosing between these and another Chifi model, choose these without hesitation. They have a very mature sound signature; they don't try to be flashy, they're not flat, but they're very balanced with a natural profile, a little relaxed in the treble, but not lacking. They really do sound like headphones that cost twice as much; they're very enjoyable and make you want to use them.

Great build paired with exceptional sound, I love them and they are easily my most comfortable IEMS

Here’s a breakdown of the Meze Audio ALBA IEMs from the viewpoint of a music-lover (not hardcore audiophile) if your primary listening is: vocals, pop, country, acoustic/instrumental/classical, long-wear sessions, podcasts then the ALBA are a very good match. They shine in clarity, comfort, build quality. If you also listen a lot (say > 40% of time) to bass-heavy genres like R&B, hip-hop, EDM and you really care about strong bass punch (physical impact, deep sub-bass feel), then: the ALBA may work okay, but you might feel they are “just okay” in those genres (as you are noticing). he build is premium metal shells (zinc/aluminum) give a solid feel, the packaging/accessories are nice, and they are comfortable enough to wear for hours. Good for podcast use the clarity and comfort mean I can wear them for long sessions without fatigue. here is some “break-in” feel: I felt the bass and overall sound seemed a little better after maybe 20-30 hours of use that could be my ears adapting or slightly better fit rather than a dramatic change. If you’re a “bass-head” or listen heavily to bass-emphasized genres and want maximum bass thump, you might either live with a little less impact here or consider going for something more bass-forward. If you enjoy music across genres but lean more toward vocals / acoustic / pop / instrumentals, and you want something solid, comfortable, wired, the ALBA are a very good choice. update 5/8/26 1 year update. These are so small compare to the chinese brand iem, it just disappear and you forget it's there. I am really enjoying this for long listen, travels, and commute use. Try swapping out the ear tip but the OG ones are better, upgradeed the cable to a more thinner one for a light weight setup.

Ein Hammer Klang würde ich immer wieder kaufen

Me gustaron bastante, aunque no soy audiofilo estos son mis primeros iems. Noto algunos detalles en la música que con los AirPods 2 no se notan. Son pequeños, discretos y bonitos. Les doy 10/10 pero todavía debo probarlos más tiempo. Llegaron un día antes de lo previsto.

Son unos buenos auriculares. Claros, detallados y con una buena resolución. A los amantes de los bajos retumbantes no les gustará mucho. No es que no tengan bajos, los tiene y muy buenos, pero no son como los de otro tipo de auriculares más comerciales. Son una buena entrada al mundo del audio hifi. Es muy importante probar todas las puntas que trae, ya que son muy sensibles a ellas.

Excelente produto, qualidade de audio e qualidade de construção, recomendo demais.

Ottimo rapporto prezzo/prestazioni. Non sensazionali ma decisamente meglio di auricolari wireless