In-ear monitors can be a daunting category of personal audio to get into. Not only is there a whole new lexicon you’ll have to learn before pulling the trigger, but the cost can be steep, setting you back several hundred dollars, if not thousands. They can be daunting, but they don’t have to be.
Sony’s new in-ear monitors, the IER-M500, just debuted at $120, marking a reasonable starting price for anyone looking to dip their toes. The wired earbuds come with a 5mm dynamic driver and have a frequency response between 10 Hz and 40,000 Hz, which should make them capable of relaying deep bass and high treble. Part of the reason for that wide range is that these particular in-ear monitors are actually geared toward musicians who perform live.
Because of that performance-centric angle, Sony says the IER-M500 are equipped for “outstanding sound isolation” thanks to a fully sealed design and big acoustic chamber. That’s something that any listener can enjoy if they don’t fancy being distracted by sounds around them while they listen, but definitely a huge selling point for musicians who need to actually hear themselves play among a mess of crowd noise and other instruments.
Another nice flourish is the inclusion of a very wide range of “fitting supporters,” which can adapt the fit of the in-ear monitors to all sorts of ear shapes. Again, that’ll be extra important for musicians who don’t want to worry about having their monitors fall out while they’re playing or being bothered by a bad fit mid-set. The IER-M500 are wired, obviously, and come with a 1.6-meter cable as well as a 3.5mm jack, and there’s a cable clip to manage the wires so they don’t get tangled while you play.
On top of all that, I like the look. There’s a red/blue pair, as well as a black, but my favorite is the colorless see-through. All three pairs have red and blue somewhere on them to differentiate between right and left, but the fully red and blue pair were designed especially for musicians who need to see quickly which side is left and right while groping around in the dark.
Clearly, these in-ear monitors have a lot to offer musicians, but there’s nothing to stop a non-musician from using them; they sound like a solid option all around. The approachable price that won’t send you spiraling into debt doesn’t hurt either. The IER-M500 are available for preorder now and are estimated to ship in late August.
