Meze Audio surprised a lot of people with the Alba, and in a good way too. These were shown off earlier this year at events including High End Munich, where attendees came away thinking this was a competently tuned set of IEMs which looked good and fit very comfortably. Add to that the useful Type-C dongle adapter, allowing a DAC/amp to use directly with your phone or laptop, and people were estimating something over $500 perhaps, especially given Meze's position as a more premium audio brand. At $160, the Alba is easily the best value offering from the Romanian brand of any I've tried to date, and it's no wonder then that demand was so high immediately after launch. What happened next could have easily killed the product, with Meze taking it off the market for multiple months while building up stock and also aiming to rectify a potential issue with the shells and the paint chipping off easier than should have been the case. It's since come back for sale and people are buying it again, which is a testament to the Alba. Sure, it's not discussed as often as it was during launch, and all the new IEMs come out since will try and compete for the attention span—and wallet—of potential customers too, but this is why I decided to wait and release this review after the Alba was back available for purchase.
To be clear, I don't think the Alba is doing anything novel or groundbreaking. It's using a single DD in ways that will appeal to most people reading this review. You get good extension on both ends, a punchy mid-bass, clean mids making for most instruments and vocals to shine without feeling unnatural, precise imaging and layering, and decent treble smoothness too. There are no doubt some less expensive Chinese IEMs which can compete strongly, but again I will point out that the odds of them doing right by the customer in ways that can disrupt the sales cycle so heavily are extremely low. Meze Audio earned my respect with the Alba thus, and I am convinced you will also get a higher level of quality control and after-sales service with the Alba now than most other IEMs. I can recommend the Alba as an all-rounder for many, including those who want something that is comfortable, doesn't look garish, fits securely, and has a warm-leaning sound.