SENNHEISER In- Ear Audio Monitor, Black, Wired (508940)

These are going to be my first dip into pro-ish level in ear monitors. When it came to other iem's that I have tried, I have only ever bought consumer level in-ears and some of the budget oriented monitors from KZ like the ES4 and ZSN Pro X. This is actually my first Sennheiser as well so I was rather excited due to the company's lineage and experience.Inside the box was nicely laid out and came with everything I needed. The only gripe I had was the little "bag" that was meant to hold the iems in. It's one of those "snap bags" but instead of having a magnetic clasp to keep them closed, its just two bits of stiff plastic that keep it closed by simply being rigid, and if you want to open the bag you push in the sides to snap it open. They really should have included a zippered bag of some kind because that would have been simpler.The comfort of the monitors is simply great. They're small and could fit into most ears and the stiff over ear hook can easily be bent into any shape to fit any ear. Some might not like the wire design but I think it works out just fine. One very important thing to note about the silicone and foam ear tips is the cylinder of foam on the inside. Please take care when switching out tips because this foam is CRUCIAL to keeping the sound profile right. Yes, even though you can swap out the tips for more comfortable ones, you will have a VASTLY different sound profile due to the lack of dampening foam. Also, be sure to double check the nozzle itself because it too has some foam inside. For the most part, just be careful when switching tip sizes and use the cleaning tool to orient the tubes of foam so they sit correctly inside the nozzle and ear tips. I know it sounds like a hassle, but once you are aware of it, there should be no issues.For the sound quality. I have to say that these things are well balanced with some boost in the trebles that add a bit of brightness to each song. Snare drums and cymbals sound a bit more forward, but this is where the small fault comes in. There will be some songs in which the "S" and "T" sounds from vocalists will be a bit harsh, but not unbearable. Think about how recording a voice sounds like without a pop filter and you will get the general idea of what I'm talking about. This doesn't mean the sound is totally bad, far from it. It's just a warning that some tracks with certain lyrics will not sound the best unless the mastering of said track is a bit warmer. I have tried many genre's with these monitors and I will say all of them are pleasing and detailed. Even the bass is well tuned and you can get a nice thump, nothing that is head rocking and muddy but good enough. I will say that these do fit within the pro range and have a rather flat curve, in spite of what you might see on some frequency response graphs. I will say that minus the occasional shrill tracks you might run into, these will fit most, if not all genres of music.In the end, these are indeed pro level in-ears that you can get for a mere $100 and they will not disappoint. If you want to hear familiar tracks in a different way, I would recommend these. But also be sure that you are listening to a good source because the clarity of these in-ears will reveal badly recorded or low quality sound files very easily. A definite must-have for music enjoyers.

I play keyboard in the band for a large church. No onstage monitors so I need a good set of ear monitors to handle the click tracks and hear all the other singers and musicians. I've struggled with the custom ear monitors. Even though they've been engineered to fit my ears, I've never liked them. I know the quality of Sennheiser from lots of studio work through the years and so I thought I'd give these a try. The are not sound isolating, but when fitted in your ear they provide excellent sound reproduction. For the price, you can't go wrong. Everyone has a different opinion of what they think sounds great, but I've worked several decades in studios and these do the job of much more expensive units. If anything should happen to these, I'm going right out and ordering another set.

I initially purchased these headphones precisely to mix live audio and better understand the sound for live recording.The frequency response seems flat, which is suitable for audio mixing. This allows you to get the closest to authentic sound possible without any added coloration. The only issue with flat-response headphones is that they lack bass. This is true for any headphone that has a flat EQ.Although I was hoping that this pair of headphones would have a slightly better bass response, I also know that headphones with better frequency response typically cost more, so you get what you pay for.Overall, the medium silicone tip fits well in my ear and has just enough enclosure to allow me to at least hear some of the ambient sound so that it’s not completely closed off. This allows me to not only hear the ambient sound but also, when I wear a headset that I use for communications, hear others on the headset while listening to the mix with both in-ear in.However, if you want a better enclosure from ambient sounds, switch the silicone tip for the included foam tip to get better noise isolation.

Great sound! Cancels all noise around you. I use them mostly on airplanes and I can not hear the babies crying lol. Great price too. Definitely bass there !

These sound very clear but not harsh. The packaging in very well done and they are very comfortable.

I found out that I'm an audiophile with these things. I was a long time lover of the Bose QC 20 NC wired earbuds - tried to replace them and realized that anything you can find online today are all knockoffs with good sound isolation but horrendously cheap tinny and thin sound.So, I went on the hunt. These things won. Big.Great price point for what you get too.They have an amazingly crisp yet dynamic feel. A fairly neutral profile that very much highlights the essence of what the music was intended to sound like. Super fun to listen to plugged into my computer on Qobuz. Great accurate bass, trebles have a realistic studio quality feel and the mids are present but not overpronounced like some 'neutral' devices. I love, love, love these things and think you will too...