Oh man, been waiting for any reviews of these. Happy the review embargo is finally lifted. Pretty sure this was brought up in one of the headphone show live streams.
How are these for trance, rock/metal, pop, electronica, classical ect... ? I listen to a wide range of genres. I like detailed, wide, punchy and a little warm sound. It must be enganging and musical. Not Fatigue. And of course comfortable. The most comfort iems ive had, is the beyerdynamic xelento. A good iem. But to pricey
It’s one of those things than can change for a person based on how they perceive things. I used to hear a lot of differences in soundstage in IEMs and headphones, but a lot of that really has to do with how the music is mixed, or in the case of headphones, open backs that let you hear ambient room noise do help the effect as well. But headphones and especially IEMs don’t interact with your ear in a way that gives you a real sense of localization. It’s perceived as coming from inside your head or nowhere. Which is why diffuse field is referenced a lot in tuning (tuning a headphone or IEM as if the speaker is directly in front of you sounds wrong to most people). Binaural recordings can give more of a sense of localization since that information is in the recording itself, but the source of the sound is still being produced as if it’s coming from nowhere. Now for me, when I hear IEMs that I used to perceive as sounding wide, now I more often hear them as just sounding tonaly off in their tuning rather than really wide.
@sidesaladaudio tonaly off? Are you implying that wider stereo width is simply illusions created by FR inadequacies? For me, no matter how I tried to eq my S12's, they always had a thin and cramped soundstage in comparison to other iems I own. Regardless of cause, is it not still on you as a reviewer to describe the experience of using the audio device?
@@dennisalarcon9175 It's not for you to tell someone how to review something, they can't explain something they don't experience. Unless you'd prefer reviewers just made stuff up.
@CammyFi I apologize if I came across harsh in any way. The problem is that Sharur and other "objectivist" trolls out there are on the rise, who like to spread the idea that everything sound wise will come down to FR. In my experience, that has been far from the truth, so I feel that it is good for the community to push back when they hear that stuff. Idk, as far as I can tell, side salad seems good faith, but I just don't want that ideology to spread.
@dennisalarcon9175 “everything comes back to FR”, is often misrepresented or minimized by people who like to troll. In theory, yes in a minimum phase system like headphones or IEMs *most* of what you hear should come back to the FR at your own eardrum. This is what a lot more in the community are staring to believe, as more data comes in. That’s why even channels like the Headphone show, Crinacle, and others also say the same thing. The problem though that people run into is that they put all their faith into graphs, when it doesn’t explain the entire experience that you hear when listening in person. as well, how things measure on a graph also won’t be representative of how you hear said IEM or headphone since the FR in your own ear will not match what is seen on the graphs. Things will vary a lot from person to person, and Psychoacoustics can be affected by things like fit, isolation or ambient nose, bias, mental state, or just how one may believe or understand things to work. I think that’s why I don’t really hear soundstage as much anymore, because just for myself it isn’t something I consider important. There are some who would normally be labeled as “objectivists”, but don’t really think of themselves as objectivists because they believe that what you hear yourself is more important than just what appears on a graph. I consider myself more in that camp. I think that data is really interesting and good to have, but in the end it still comes down to each person individually, since there’s a lot of variables that affect things in the end.
I think that at least TylersEclectic also commented on the same treble sharpness that you pointed out, at least out of the reviews that I have checked thus far. So, it's not just you.
Meze stuff is always so we'll designed but these just look plain ugly to me, like they are just sample shells from the factory to test tuning without all the exterior design features. I heard a lot of people hyping them up so I was hoping they were good enough to overcome the visual aspect but if they are not just ugly, but mediocre and ugly then I really can't justify them at all
Designs are subjective and I find these much more classy looking than those IEMs with resin shells. Tunning wise, Meze would have set themselves up for a failure if they tuned these to Harman since hardware wise, they can't beat those Chifi brands. I think these would sell very well.
Reviewers usually get sent the devices weeks in advance, but they aren't allowed to post until a certain date, known as an embargo. When the embargo comes, every reviewer rushes to get his video/article out first, because the first ones will obviously get the most clicks. That's how it works for tech, games, and pretty much every other industry.
the timing doesn't make me believe in conspiracies, but the amount of sly ways to overhype it sure does (from other reviewers, this reviewer is legit). The more shocking thing is Bloom Audio is a seller/distributor and even they were more honest about the Alba than the other mainstream review channels. The way those channels try to cherry pick single DD IEMs below a certain price (some even outdated IEMs) to try to hype the Alba as "best" within a certain tier looked very intentional and sly. I've only seen this channel and Bloom Audio give an honest take on the Alba. This channel says it's just not worth the value and it's also grainy, unnatural, and not neutral, lacking sub-bass. Bloom Audio just tells you it's an upgrade if all you've got are $50 IEMs, else this is something to carry outside so you don't have to take your better IEMs out. The other channels are oddly suspicious, as they try to keep saying "best under xxx dollars" or "best single DD under xxx dollars" and give flowery descriptions of the entire sound.
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3:52 finally the second reviewer I watched to say something like this. the first reviewer I watched to say it this clearly.
Oh man, been waiting for any reviews of these. Happy the review embargo is finally lifted. Pretty sure this was brought up in one of the headphone show live streams.
Great review bro! A "budget" iem from meze is so nice to see.
Really like that they included the converter inside the box.
High quality review, I wonder if you'd be interested in reviewing our new R6!👏
Thank you, I’d be happy to. I just saw the email, and will respond shortly.
@@sidesaladaudio Glad to hear from you, I've replied to the email please check it out
@@sidesaladaudio Hello, please check your email💌
@@sidesaladaudio Hello, please check your email
Great review! Could you tell me if the cable is 0.75mm or 0.78mm? Would like to know because of aftermarket cables. Thank you, man :)
Just saying, id totally be down to see you do an asmr unboxing review. Your voice is an unintentional asmr
How are these for trance, rock/metal, pop, electronica, classical ect... ? I listen to a wide range of genres. I like detailed, wide, punchy and a little warm sound. It must be enganging and musical. Not Fatigue. And of course comfortable. The most comfort iems ive had, is the beyerdynamic xelento. A good iem. But to pricey
Do you know how thick the nozzle is? Looks fairly similar to IE600 size-wise, so hoping it's one of the few IEMs my ears can handle.
5mm at the narrowest part, and 5.7mm at the lip
I really want to try this one
Nice review, Thanks!
What do you mean by you dont hear soundstage in iems? There are definitely iems that have a wider stereo and better imaging than others.
It’s one of those things than can change for a person based on how they perceive things. I used to hear a lot of differences in soundstage in IEMs and headphones, but a lot of that really has to do with how the music is mixed, or in the case of headphones, open backs that let you hear ambient room noise do help the effect as well. But headphones and especially IEMs don’t interact with your ear in a way that gives you a real sense of localization. It’s perceived as coming from inside your head or nowhere. Which is why diffuse field is referenced a lot in tuning (tuning a headphone or IEM as if the speaker is directly in front of you sounds wrong to most people). Binaural recordings can give more of a sense of localization since that information is in the recording itself, but the source of the sound is still being produced as if it’s coming from nowhere. Now for me, when I hear IEMs that I used to perceive as sounding wide, now I more often hear them as just sounding tonaly off in their tuning rather than really wide.
@sidesaladaudio tonaly off? Are you implying that wider stereo width is simply illusions created by FR inadequacies? For me, no matter how I tried to eq my S12's, they always had a thin and cramped soundstage in comparison to other iems I own. Regardless of cause, is it not still on you as a reviewer to describe the experience of using the audio device?
@@dennisalarcon9175 It's not for you to tell someone how to review something, they can't explain something they don't experience. Unless you'd prefer reviewers just made stuff up.
@CammyFi I apologize if I came across harsh in any way. The problem is that Sharur and other "objectivist" trolls out there are on the rise, who like to spread the idea that everything sound wise will come down to FR. In my experience, that has been far from the truth, so I feel that it is good for the community to push back when they hear that stuff. Idk, as far as I can tell, side salad seems good faith, but I just don't want that ideology to spread.
@dennisalarcon9175 “everything comes back to FR”, is often misrepresented or minimized by people who like to troll. In theory, yes in a minimum phase system like headphones or IEMs *most* of what you hear should come back to the FR at your own eardrum. This is what a lot more in the community are staring to believe, as more data comes in. That’s why even channels like the Headphone show, Crinacle, and others also say the same thing. The problem though that people run into is that they put all their faith into graphs, when it doesn’t explain the entire experience that you hear when listening in person. as well, how things measure on a graph also won’t be representative of how you hear said IEM or headphone since the FR in your own ear will not match what is seen on the graphs. Things will vary a lot from person to person, and Psychoacoustics can be affected by things like fit, isolation or ambient nose, bias, mental state, or just how one may believe or understand things to work. I think that’s why I don’t really hear soundstage as much anymore, because just for myself it isn’t something I consider important.
There are some who would normally be labeled as “objectivists”, but don’t really think of themselves as objectivists because they believe that what you hear yourself is more important than just what appears on a graph. I consider myself more in that camp. I think that data is really interesting and good to have, but in the end it still comes down to each person individually, since there’s a lot of variables that affect things in the end.
I think that at least TylersEclectic also commented on the same treble sharpness that you pointed out, at least out of the reviews that I have checked thus far. So, it's not just you.
I mistook the price (from the title before clicking on it) as $59,
but was so disappointed seeing it was actually 159
Meze stuff is always so we'll designed but these just look plain ugly to me, like they are just sample shells from the factory to test tuning without all the exterior design features. I heard a lot of people hyping them up so I was hoping they were good enough to overcome the visual aspect but if they are not just ugly, but mediocre and ugly then I really can't justify them at all
Designs are subjective and I find these much more classy looking than those IEMs with resin shells. Tunning wise, Meze would have set themselves up for a failure if they tuned these to Harman since hardware wise, they can't beat those Chifi brands. I think these would sell very well.
Gonna have to disagree. They look decent when they are in the ear rather than just on a desk. But hey to each their own.
I like that they're less bulbous than standard shell designs of modern IEMs.
not worth the asking price
This is the SEVENTH Alba review to be released in the past ten minutes.
It almost makes one believe in conspiracies. ;)
Lol. Yeah a lot of reviewers have been sitting on these for 3 months, waiting for the release date
embargo dates are a normal thing in tech
Reviewers usually get sent the devices weeks in advance, but they aren't allowed to post until a certain date, known as an embargo.
When the embargo comes, every reviewer rushes to get his video/article out first, because the first ones will obviously get the most clicks. That's how it works for tech, games, and pretty much every other industry.
the timing doesn't make me believe in conspiracies, but the amount of sly ways to overhype it sure does (from other reviewers, this reviewer is legit).
The more shocking thing is Bloom Audio is a seller/distributor and even they were more honest about the Alba than the other mainstream review channels. The way those channels try to cherry pick single DD IEMs below a certain price (some even outdated IEMs) to try to hype the Alba as "best" within a certain tier looked very intentional and sly.
I've only seen this channel and Bloom Audio give an honest take on the Alba.
This channel says it's just not worth the value and it's also grainy, unnatural, and not neutral, lacking sub-bass.
Bloom Audio just tells you it's an upgrade if all you've got are $50 IEMs, else this is something to carry outside so you don't have to take your better IEMs out.
The other channels are oddly suspicious, as they try to keep saying "best under xxx dollars" or "best single DD under xxx dollars" and give flowery descriptions of the entire sound.
@@Viewer13128
Mark Ryan from Super Reviews also proffered a rather negative review.