I am excited to write about these wonderful little headphones. If you haven’t checked my report on the Munich High End Show, you can find it here.
Meze presented Alba at the show, and I had the pleasure of discovering it myself. I was blown away by Alba and awarded it both the “Wallet Wrecker” and “Bang-for-Your-Buck Beauties” awards. It sounds confusing, but let me explain. I wanted to buy it on the spot and a few more for my family. Vlad from Meze asked me to estimate the price, and I guessed around $1000. When I heard it would be around $159, my jaw dropped.
SPECIFICATIONS:Driver: 10.8 mm Dynamic Driver
Frequency Range: 15 Hz – 25kHz
Impedance: 32 Ω at 1kHz
SPL: 109 dB SPL/V at 1kHz
Distortion: <0.1% at 1kHzSOUND THAT SPARKS EMOTION
Experience the unmistakable Meze sound. Possessing a neutral sound profile with an added touch of warmth, ALBA can vividly emphasize both the rain and the thunder in your favorite songs. Reach for the light, close your eyes, and press play.
RADIANT COMPATIBILITY
Take the light with you anywhere you go. The Meze Audio custom-designed 3.5mm to USB-C adapter has a built-in DAC/AMP to ensure an immersive audio experience.
BUILT FOR COMFORT
By preserving the Meze Audio design language, high levels of comfort, ergonomics, and noise isolation are assured. The combination of zinc alloy and anodized aluminium parts ensures a resilient build.
You can also find a detailed description of Alba here.
I also mentioned in other reviews for wireless portable headphones (in ears and on ears) that I’ve stopped carrying any other DAP with me. I just don’t want a separate device other than my phone. Meze Alba fixes this with a small “dongle” that acts as a USB-C to 3.5mm jack converter, a DAC, and an AMP. I didn’t expect Alba to sound so amazing directly through the dongle from my phone. I actually enjoyed it more than from a much more expensive dedicated DAP. Why? The matching is perfect and the sound has its own magic. It became my no-brainer travel companion.
The build quality is also very impressive, especially for the price. The cable is a silver-plated copper braided cable. It looks good and seems to be a great match for the headphones. It’s light and has almost no microphonics.
I also love the eartips they have chosen. Combined with the the form of the earbuds and their light nature, they are very comfortable to wear for hours.
Btw, if you want to know what Alba means:
FIRST LIGHT
All beginnings are marked by the reverie of a bright light – its warm, hopeful rays soothe and energize, imprinting memories that define our journey ever after. Imagine being able to hold this light in the palm of your hand, taking it with you wherever you go.
ALBA Romanian noun | ‘alba — first light
I have to say that there was something nagging at me from the back of my brain. The name and headphones remind me of the famous scene from Lord of the Rings . Also check out my video review here:
The dongle also has a very gentle/subtle white light that adds a really nice touch to the look and feel of the product, especially considering the description from above. Hearing the product and reading that description, it’s clear to me that the Meze Team has poured a lot of soul and effort into this product.
Listening Impressions and Tests
Let’s get into how they actually sound. The listening was done using the provided dongle with a Samsung S23 Ultra.
I loved how I was fully immersed in the live scene from the first moments of the song. They managed to offer a natural, holographic soundstage, unlike the typical in-ear experience. The guitar plucks sparkled, beaming with energy, providing a tactile and joyful sensation. The voice was amazing, filling the stage with a wonderful, natural, and well-textured presence. This created an enveloping atmosphere, making me feel as if I was part of the performance.
Oh man, the sax was blowing directly into my soul. I felt the breath and texture intimately, as if the breath was coming from my throat. It gave me goosebumps and chills repeatedly. The bass plucks were deep and well-extended, adding more emotion to the song. The midrange on the Alba is magical, enriching the overall experience.
Ekaterina Shelehova’s raw vocal performance was an absolute marvel to experience on Alba. I got goosebumps after chills, eventually leading to tears of pleasure. Her voice filled the stage with rich texture and a holographic presence. The smooth, detailed, and dynamic transitions between notes were superbly executed, making the performance deeply moving and emotionally charged.
I love that the holographic experience and wonderful soundstage are constant in every song. The drums were a pleasure to listen to, showcasing an awesome bass experience with superb depth, punch, and good control. It was certainly a fun and energetic experience, making each song come alive with vibrant energy.
Hotel California (Live on MTV)
Oh man, the guitars from the beginning are so sparkly, so full of life, and so tactile that they mesmerized me from the first seconds of the song. The strong impact of the drums that followed was surprising, with depth that seemed endless, somehow resonating in my chest like I was on stage. The crowd cheers and the vocals transported me into the concert hall, making me close my eyes and fully enjoy the music.
Johnny Cash’s voice nothing but mesmerizing on Alba. You can hear and even feel the breath, the texture while the guitar plucks also offer a very tactile and joyful experience. The midrange on Alba is mesmerizing.
Vivaldi Concerti Per Duo Violini – Allegro
I just couldn’t believe my ears. I would have never in my life expected such a performance on classical music from in ear headphones, especially in this price range. I kept forgetting I have in ears headphones, the soundstage on Alba is superb. However, besides that, the violins and instruments were superbly presented with really good detail, but presented in a very naturally textured way, without throwing anything at you in an un-natural manner. Absolute stunning experience.
This song can sound quite bad on very detailed audiophile headphones, but somehow it sounded amazing on Alba. The vocals again filling the scene in a holographic way, the bass infusing you with the rave energy. Alba seems to make every song you throw at it sound amazing somehow!
Summary
Bass
The bass can take you by surprise; when it kicks, it kicks like a mule and goes deep, deeper, and deeper. There were times when Alba tricked my brain into feeling the hit in my chest. It also has a good level of detail, injecting songs with both energy and emotion.
Midrange
The midrange is where most of the magic is with Alba. It’s absolutely superb, with everything from vocals to instruments sounding rich, detailed, well-textured, emotional, and natural at the same time.
Treble
The treble is detailed, natural, and sparkly, never intruding over other frequencies. It provides sparkle and detail in a natural way, integrating perfectly with the midrange.
Soundstage
These in-ears really manage to offer an out-of-your-head experience. I am amazed by the performance in this area. They really manage to transport me into the scene and make me forget that I’m listening to headphones, let alone in-ears.
Vocals
The vocals are absolutely superb on Alba. They fill the scene with amazing presence, texture, and detail. You can hear the artists’ breaths, making it so personal that sometimes I felt like the voice was coming from my own throat.
Details
Alba presents an abundance of detail in a very natural way, without throwing anything at you unnaturally. I often found myself hearing subtle noises from the band and audience, like they were in the room with me. It’s a rich and joyful experience across the frequency response.
PRaT/Dynamics
Oh man, these babies are so full of energy and life. They can infuse you with the energy that the songs were meant to transmit in such a powerful and joyful way. It’s a tactile, energetic, and vibrant experience.
Measurements
I have done the measurements using the Holo Bliss KTE as headphone amp and Rockna wavelight as DAC. The measurements were done with MiniDSP Ears. While this is not a certified professional headphone measuring tool, I think it provides a good idea. As you can see below, the measurements are quite impressive as well, especially in the distortion area. Pulling such a low level of distortion is quite an achievement.
Conclusions
From my perspective, Meze Alba is one of the best achievements in this industry I have ever experienced. Bringing this level of quality and joy into such a small product at the amazing price of $159 is a remarkable feat.
Now, I now that this hobby can be sometimes very subjective and I tried to dissect the sound above, but another very important achievement of these headphones is how everything blends together into a wonderful tuning that leads to a magical, mesmerizing musical experience/journey.
Products like this and moments like this are very rare in the industry, and I’m really happy I got to experience this myself. I have to bow to the Meze team for pulling this off. Superbly done!
From my perspective, this is a no-brainer recommendation. Get one for yourself, one for each family member, and some for your friends too!
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