When compare it to e.g Howard,Dixon,Shaw low ones.Comments.
The Alba has a more traditional sound and if I remember correctly a similar finger spread as the Howard. The air requirements are medium.
The Howard has a more flutey sound than I expected. It sounded
We did not like the Shaw low D that we had at all. The sound was way too rough for our tastes.
The low D’s that we have stuck with are a mopani Bleazey and Overton.
The finger spread on the Shaw is much kinder than that of the Alba, but IMHO the Alba is a much more pleasing instrument to play. The Shaw was the first Low D I bought, and I don’t like it very much (takes a great deal of air, and I had to blow my cobblers off to keep the high end of the second octave stable).
Also, compared to the Alba, the Shaw is mechanically fragile (very easy to knock the soundblade out of its rightful position) and it tarnishes quickly, and having a wooden fipple plug (like a Clark) it has a finite lifetime (unlike the Alba, which I suspect will outlive me). Finally, the Alba looks great, while the Shaw looks like something a plumber soldered together (again, in my opinion).
I’ve never owned or played a Howard or Dixon Low D so I can’t comment on them wrt the Alba.
HTH
I’d second Gary: like him, my first low D was a Shaw, and I couldn’t get to like it. I agree with all his comments on it, and I’d add that, with its narrow tapered bore, I found that it gave me cramp in my right hand.
On the other hand, I love my Alba Low D, and use it a lot in gigs, both for dance tunes and slow airs.
brian
I low my Shaw Low D. It does take a lot of air, but I love that unique breazy & breathy sound it produces. I was reading where a Freeman Tweaked Low D is an awesome sounding whistle. That his tweaking on this particular low D cuts down on the amount of air needed without losing the quality of its sound.
I have a Dixon Low D and a Silkstone Low D, but haven’t tried the Alba. I love the tone of my Dixon, but I think I’m in the minority here as far as most Chiffers are concerned. The fingerholes were harder for me to get ‘sealed’ properly and I squawked a lot at first. The Silkstone Low D is amazing easy to play, but I’m not too crazy about the sound right now. It just seems ‘muffled’ compared to the Dixon. The Silkstone is a beautiful instrument … maybe I just need to clean my ears? 
I do like the Alba Hi D I purchased here. The tone is great - and I would expect the same from a Low D.
My 2 cents, and not really worth that.
~Judy
One thing people complain about with the Howard are the large holes. The Alba Low D has very nice, easy-to-hit holes. The distance between the holes – the finger stretch – isn’t bad at all. The tone is great. The sound is traditional. I love it to death.
LJ
Alba and Shaw are silver-colored.
Howard and Dixon are black.
The finger holes on a Howard are easy to hit. It’s sealing them that takes a bit of practice.
By way of comparison, I think it’s a bit easier to seal the holes on an Overton or Chieftain, and a lot easier on a Dixon Low D. Don’t know about Albas - haven’t had a chance to try one yet.
But unless you have extremely skinny fingers, I wouldn’t worry too much about reach or coverage on an Alba - my fingers are medium length and bony, and I was able to adjust to my Howard.
Just don’t let the first few days discourage you - a little practice makes a huge difference. And remember that pressing too hard causes as many air leaks as not pressing enough - the key is light, even, finger pressure on all the holes.
Check your PM’s UilleannFinlander