Page 76 - Lighting & Sound America (December 2019) Magazine

TECHNICAL FOCUS: PRODUCT IN DEPTH

Sennheiser IE 500

PRO In-Ear Monitor

By: Mark Johnson

A few months ago, I had an opportuni- and silicone ear adapters.
ty to review Sennheiser’s first pro IEM Some of the innovations introduced
product, the IE 40 PRO. (Since then, in the IE 40 are carried on through to
the company has followed up with the the IE 500, notably the patent-applied-
release of the IE 400 PRO and IE 500 for cable-routing method for a secure
PRO in-ear monitor systems.) In the and comfortable fit. The IE 500 carries
review, I stated that, based on my on the relatively utilitarian look of the
experience with the IE 40, I was hop- IE40, though the latter unit comes in
ing, at some point in the future, to try opaque black or frosted clear, and the
out the IE 400. I need to be careful IE 500 earpieces are available in clear
what I wish for. I ended up skipping or “smokey black.” The IE 500 fea-
the IE 400 when I was offered an tures the braided type of cable, desig-
opportunity to audition the top-of-the- nated as “twisted pair,” compared to
line IE 500 PRO. the IE 40, in which all the wires are
The form factor of the three models contained within the insulation. The
is very similar, and the specifications cables (either style) are listed as
for the IE 400 and the IE 500 are very optional accessories on the boxes of
close. The primary differences both models. In each case, however,
between them is a frequency response the majority of the listed optional
of 6Hz—20kHz for the IE 500, as accessories are, in fact, included.
opposed to 6Hz—19kHz for the IE
400, and a maximum sound pressure Keeping it simple
level of 126dB for the IE 500 com- Compared to the multiple-driver IEMs
pared to 123dB for the IE 400. The IE on the market, the IE 500 looks basic;
500 weighs in at a mere 18 grams; it’s just a single 7mm driver. The interi-
sonically, it is a horse of a different or of the earpiece is amazingly unclut-
color. It uses a SYS7 seven-millimeter tered. The IE 500 (as well as the IE
dynamic driver and clocks in with less 400) utilizes a two-chamber absorber
than 0.08% total harmonic distortion. to help reduce resonance peaks. The
With a good fit, you can expect about method used to create the new 7mm
26dB of noise attenuation. The funda- drivers has been dubbed
mental difference between the IE 400 “TrueResponse” technology. This is
and the IE 500, in terms of perform- the marketing buzzword for the new
ance, is the mid-frequency response driver and system, with the resultant
(with more “presence” in the mid fre- low distortion and wide bandwidth,
quencies, between 1—2.5kHz), as well which helps to create a natural sound-
as the ability to get 3dB louder, which stage and reduce listener fatigue. The
is probably why the IE 500 is adver- benefits of a single driver system are ably few components, which combine
tised on the box as “the monitor engi- full-bandwidth frequency response, to make up the driver assembly. You
neer’s choice.” without the artifacts or distortion from are basically looking at a miniaturized
The biggest visual distinction is, multiple crossover points, and better loudspeaker that has been fitted in the
actually, not the IEM proper; it’s the phase response. earpiece.
container that it arrives in. The IE 500 The back of the box for the IE 500 List price for the IE 500 is $599.
comes with a hard-shell transport case features an “exploded view” photo of The IE 400 (which also incorporates
1
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and a 3.5mm—6.3mm ( /8"— /4") jack. the product. In the graphic (and, pre- the 7mm driver) lists for $349.95 and,
It also offers more choices of foam sumably, in the earpiece) are remark- as noted in the IE 40 review, the list for

76 • December 2019 • Lighting& &Sound America