Headphones

Well known for its high-end headphones, Meze Audio recently introduced an affordable set of wired buds designed to attract a new audience to the brand. The Alba boasts impressive build quality, with distinctive earpieces that are shaped like the shell of a snail – similar to its high-end Advar – and built out of sturdy zinc alloy and anodised aluminium, with a pearly white finish.

Each earpiece houses a 10.8mm dynamic driver with a healthy 15Hz-25kHz frequency response and, rather than opting for a fixed cable, the earpieces provide 2-pin connectors along with a detachable 3.5mm braided cable. The cable is designed to hook upwards and behind the ear, which can make it a little tricky to put the earpieces on at first, and also to get a firm seal for good sound quality and noise isolation. However, this is a common design with high-end earbuds, and ear tips are provided in four sizes to help you get a good fit.

I am also pleased to find that Meze includes a specially designed USB-C adapter, with a built-in DAC/amp, at no extra cost. That allows you to use the Alba with most computers and mobile devices that have USB-C, as well as conventional 3.5mm audio sources. The DAC also seems to work with headphones from other manufacturers as well, so that’s a handy little bonus (although owners of Apple devices with a Lightning connector will need an adapter). There’s even a smart little ‘eco-leather’ carrying case thrown in.

Sound quality
Apparently ‘Alba’ is a Romanian word that refers to the ‘first light’ after dawn. The pearly little earbuds certainly live up to their name, delivering an impressively light and clear sound that’s rarely found in such affordable headphones. That delicate touch is ideal for the duet of Hélène Grimaud and Lisa Batiashvilli on Speigel Im Spiegel, streaming in lossless format from Apple Music. The Alba reveals Grimaud’s precise but delicate touch on the piano, while the occasional deeper notes on the left hand have just enough weight and resonance to anchor the lilting melody. Meze states that the Alba is tuned to provide: “a neutral sound profile with an added touch of warmth,” and Batiashvilli’s wistful violin melody is certainly rich with emotion as it combines with the piano.

That 15Hz low-end also stands out and works really well with the smooth bass riff on Come Together by The Beatles (available in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music). The bass on many cheaper rivals can sound exaggerated and flabby, but the Alba keeps Paul McCartney’s playing firm and precise, and allows it to glide along with a relaxed, hip-swaying rhythm. It shows a deft touch on Ringo’s percussion, which skips nimbly around in this Atmos mix, and there’s a bright, attractive shimmer to the cymbals that drive through the middle eight. Again, though, the Alba knows when to ground the sound and it lands the chopping guitar riff with real weight as it leads into the chorus.

The Alba needs to be grounded for the giddy cocktail of sounds on Ricky Martin’s She Bangs. The instruments pile up right from the start, but it acts as conductor to guide us through the flamenco guitars, blaring horns and what sounds like half a dozen different percussion instruments – and it even manages to pick out the tinkling piano that can easily get lost in the mix. When the chorus arrives, it is able to step back and make room for the multi-tracked harmonies to explode into action.

Conclusion
The lack of digital features might deter some users, but if – like me – you prefer wired earbuds for day-to-day use, then Meze Audio’s Alba’s precise, balanced sound is hard to beat at the price. CJ    

DETAILS
Product: Meze Audio Alba
Type: Wired in-ear headphone

FEATURES
● 10.8mm drivers
● USB-C DAC/amp
● Detachable 1.2m cable (3.5mm)