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.
See Sony IER-M500 at Amazon
