Meze Cuts the ALBA to $129 by Taking the USB-C DAC Out of the Box

Meze Audio has added a new variant to its budget in-ear lineup: the ALBA S, priced at $129 USD, a $30 drop from the $159 original ALBA. The entire savings comes from a single change — Meze removed the bundled USB-C DAC/amp adapter from the box. Everything else, according to Meze and to ecoustics' report on the launch, stays the same.

That framing matters, because it means the ALBA S isn't a cut-down or re-tuned product. ecoustics put it directly: "Nothing about the acoustic specification has been reduced to get there." The ALBA S carries the same single 10.8mm dynamic driver as the original ALBA, the same tuning, and the same zinc-alloy and anodized-aluminum shell with a pearl finish. The only thing that changed is what's in the box.

What's actually different

The original ALBA ships with a USB-C DAC/amp dongle included, a small adapter that lets the IEMs plug into devices without a headphone jack or with limited onboard amplification. The ALBA S drops that adapter entirely. Meze hasn't published specs on the removed dongle in these materials, so there's no way to compare its output or DAC chipset to whatever a buyer might already own — but the practical effect is that anyone buying the ALBA S needs to already have, or separately buy, a way to drive the IEMs from a USB-C source if their phone or laptop doesn't have a standard headphone output.

Whether that matters depends heavily on the IEM's own electrical demands, and on paper the ALBA S is not a hard sell for existing gear. It measures 32 ohms impedance with 109dB SPL/mW sensitivity at 1kHz, and total harmonic distortion under 0.1% at 1kHz. That combination describes an easy load — the kind of specification that a huge range of phones, laptops, and portable players can drive without needing a dedicated amplifier stage. Frequency response is quoted at 15Hz to 25kHz, matching the original ALBA's stated range.

The rest of the hardware, unchanged

Meze kept the ALBA S's physical design identical to the standard ALBA. The shell is built from zinc-alloy and anodized aluminum with a pearl finish, and the earpieces weigh 14 grams. The cable is a 1.2-meter braided silver-plated copper design terminating in a 3.5mm plug, and it's detachable via a 2-pin connector — so buyers who want to swap in a balanced cable or a different termination later aren't locked into what ships in the box.

That box itself is fairly complete even without the dongle. Alongside the ALBA S earpieces and the 1.2m cable, Meze includes four sizes of silicone ear tips (S, M, L, and XL), an eco-leather carrying pouch, and the usual documentation. In other words, the fit-and-comfort side of the unboxing experience hasn't been trimmed at all — the accessory cut is specifically and only the USB-C DAC/amp adapter.

Pricing and where to find it

The ALBA S sits at $129 USD against the original ALBA's $159 USD, a straightforward $30 difference tied to the missing adapter. As of the ecoustics report on 25 August 2026, the ALBA S is in stock at World Wide Stereo and available directly from the Meze Audio website. Nothing in the sourcing suggests the original ALBA is being discontinued or replaced — the S variant is presented as a parallel option, not a successor, so shoppers deciding between the two are choosing based on whether they need the bundled dongle, not on which model Meze considers current.

Hear it at CanJam SoCal

For anyone wanting to audition the ALBA S in person before making a call on the price difference, Meze is bringing it to CanJam SoCal 2026, running 29 and 30 August at the Irvine Marriott in Orange County, California. CanJam events are typically hands-on audio shows where attendees can demo gear directly, so this gives regional shoppers a chance to listen before deciding whether the included — or in this case, excluded — dongle actually factors into their buying decision.

The trade-off, laid out plainly

The ALBA S is a clean test case of accessory unbundling in the IEM market: same driver, same tuning, same shell, same cable, same tips, minus one small adapter, minus $30. Whether that's a good trade for any individual buyer comes down entirely to what's already sitting in their bag. Someone with a phone that still has a headphone jack, or a laptop with a capable onboard DAC, may never plug in the adapter that came with a standard ALBA in the first place. Someone who relies on a USB-C-only device with weak internal amplification loses a convenience that used to be included at no extra line-item cost. Meze has simply made that calculation explicit by pricing the two parts separately rather than bundling them by default.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the Meze ALBA S and the original ALBA?

The only difference is that the ALBA S does not include the USB-C DAC/amp adapter that comes bundled with the original ALBA. The driver, tuning, shell construction, cable, and ear tips are unchanged, and the acoustic specification has not been reduced, according to Meze and ecoustics.

How much does the Meze ALBA S cost?

The Meze ALBA S costs $129 USD, which is $30 less than the original Meze ALBA's $159 USD price. The price reduction comes entirely from removing the bundled USB-C DAC/amp adapter from the box.

What is included in the box with the Meze ALBA S?

The Meze ALBA S box contains the IEMs themselves, a 1.2-meter braided silver-plated copper cable with a 3.5mm termination and 2-pin detachable connector, four sizes of silicone ear tips (S, M, L, and XL), an eco-leather carrying pouch, and documentation. It does not include the USB-C DAC/amp adapter.

What driver does the Meze ALBA S use?

The Meze ALBA S uses a single 10.8mm dynamic driver, the same driver used in the original Meze ALBA. Meze and ecoustics both confirm the acoustic specification, including the driver, was not altered when the USB-C DAC/amp adapter was removed from the bundle.

What are the Meze ALBA S impedance and sensitivity specifications?

The Meze ALBA S has an impedance of 32 ohms and a sensitivity of 109dB SPL/mW at 1kHz, with total harmonic distortion under 0.1% at 1kHz. Frequency response is rated from 15Hz to 25kHz, matching the original ALBA's specifications.

Where can you hear the Meze ALBA S in person?

The Meze ALBA S is scheduled for demo at CanJam SoCal 2026, held 29 and 30 August 2026 at the Irvine Marriott in Orange County, California, giving attendees a chance to audition it directly rather than relying on specifications alone.

This article was written by an AI system from Into The HiFi AI Desk, generated from the following sources, with no human editing pass before publication: ecoustics, 'Meze Audio ALBA S IEMs Cost $129 by Dropping One Accessory You May Already Own', Meze Audio official ALBA product page, Head-Fi CanJam SoCal 2026 event thread.