Description
What the ALBA Is
The Meze Audio ALBA is a wired in-ear monitor built around a single 10.8 mm dynamic driver. Meze is a Romanian manufacturer known at the high end for large planar magnetic headphones, and the ALBA is its entry-level in-ear, carrying the same design language in a considerably less expensive product. The chassis combines zinc alloy with anodized aluminum parts, finished in an iridescent color that Meze compares to a pearl.
The single-driver approach is worth noting in a category that increasingly advertises driver counts. One well-implemented dynamic driver avoids the crossover entirely, which removes a source of phase and timing problems that multi-driver hybrids have to engineer around. Buyers who want to hear the alternative approach should compare the four-driver TRUTHEAR HEXA, and those wanting a different single-driver take should look at the Truthear Zero RED.
The Included USB-C DAC Adapter
The most consequential inclusion in the box is a custom USB-C adapter with a built-in digital to analog converter and amplifier. This solves the problem that kills most wired earphone purchases in 2026: modern phones have no headphone socket.
Meze states that the adapter is made from the same materials as the cable and is custom designed rather than bought in, which matters because the quality of a USB-C dongle varies enormously. A cheap adapter with a weak amplifier and a noisy converter will undo whatever the earphones are capable of. Including a considered one in the box means the product works properly from the moment it is unpacked, with no separate research or purchase required, and it is a meaningful part of the value. Anyone building a more serious portable chain should still look at a dedicated desktop unit such as the FiiO K11.
Chassis, Cable and Accessories
The shell uses zinc alloy and anodized aluminum, which is unusual at this level where injection-moulded resin is standard. Metal shells are heavier, which affects fit over long sessions, but they are also far more resistant to the cracking and scuffing that eventually ruins plastic in-ears. Meze’s stated priority is ergonomics and noise isolation alongside the build, which is consistent with the company’s approach across its range.
The cable is a braided silver-plated copper design, 1.2 metres, terminating in a gold-plated 3.5 mm jack and attaching with a standard 0.78 mm two-pin connector. That connector is the industry standard, so replacement and upgrade cables are widely available from many manufacturers. Four pairs of silicone tips in S, M, L and XL are supplied along with an eco-leather carrying pouch. The listed packaged weight is 1.06 ounces.
Isolation and What It Is Not
Noise control on the ALBA is entirely passive: a well-fitted tip seals the ear canal and blocks external sound mechanically. There is no active cancellation, no battery, no Bluetooth and no processing anywhere in the signal path. That means nothing to charge, no latency in video or games, and no firmware, but it also means no button to press when a train announcement matters.
The listing describes the recommended uses as music listening, audio monitoring, studio work and gaming, and the low latency of a wired connection genuinely matters for the last of those. What it does not carry is any water resistance rating, so exercise is not the intended application despite the compact form. Buyers looking at the wider field should browse the earbud headphones category, and the SoundMAGIC E80D takes the alternative route of building the USB-C converter into the cable itself.
Category Placement
This product is filed on this site under Adapters, and on Amazon it is ranked at number 356 in Headphone Adapters. Neither placement describes what it is. The ALBA is a pair of in-ear monitors that happens to include an adapter in the box; the earphones are the product and the adapter is an accessory.
The consequence is that a shopper browsing for a USB-C dongle could land on this listing and a shopper browsing for in-ear monitors might never find it. The categorization is an artifact of how the listing was created rather than anything about the product, and it is flagged here rather than corrected. The adapters category on this site currently contains this single item for the same reason. Listeners comparing metal-shelled wired in-ears should also look at the ARTTI T10 Pro.
Highlights
- Custom USB-C DAC adapter included, solving the missing headphone socket problem in the box.
- Metal chassis in zinc alloy and anodized aluminum rather than moulded resin.
- Standard 0.78 mm two-pin detachable cable, replaceable and upgradeable.
- Single dynamic driver with no crossover in the signal path.
- Four tip sizes and an eco-leather pouch included.
- Made in Romania by a manufacturer with an established high-end range.
Things To Consider
The specification block contains fields that describe a different kind of product. The wireless communication technology reads “In ear headphones with cable.” The control type says “Media Control”, the control method says “Remote” and the controller type says “Media Control”, on a passive earphone with no inline controls of any kind. The frequency response field gives a bare 25 kHz while a separate field correctly gives the range as 15 Hz to 25 kHz. The carrying case color is listed as white while the description specifies an eco-leather pouch.
- No water resistance rating, so this is not an exercise product.
- Metal shells are heavier than resin, which affects comfort over long sessions.
- No microphone or controls on the supplied cable, so calls require a different one.
- Only around 73 ratings, so the 4.5 star average rests on a thin sample.
- Filed under adapters rather than as an in-ear monitor, in both places it is listed.
- Several specification fields describe controls that do not exist.
Who Should Buy It and Who Should Skip It
The ALBA suits a listener who wants a properly made wired in-ear from an established manufacturer, whose phone has only a USB-C socket, and who would rather not research adapters separately. The metal build, the standard detachable cable and the included pouch make it a product designed to last rather than to be replaced, and the single driver approach means the sound is coherent rather than assembled from parts.
Skip it if you need wireless, cancellation or a microphone for calls, none of which are present. Skip it too if the earphones are destined for the gym, since there is no water rating, or if you want the largest possible driver count for the money, where several competitors offer more on paper. Anyone unsure whether wired in-ears suit them at all should try a less expensive pair before committing at this level.