I listen to a lot of headphones, and though I do enjoy listening to a few on-ear and over-the-ear models, I seem to always return to a good pair of in-ear monitors (IEMs). There's something about the sound isolation and discretion of wearing a pair of IEMs that really accentuate the personal listening experience. But the trick with most in-ears is getting a perfect fit. While the foam and silicon eartips in store-bought IEMs can sometimes provide a good seal in your ear canal (which is required for the best sound), nothing compares to the fit you get with custom in-ear monitors.
"Custom" in this case means that they measure the shape of your ear by creating a mold of your ear canal. This mold is then used to create an earphone insert that fits snugly in your ear. These have several benefits: they block sound incredibly well, they're more comfortable than traditional inserts, and they stay in your ear better than stock ear tips.
Ultimate Ears Pro (owned by Logitech, but operating fairly independently) makes some really nice in-ear monitors for consumers, but they also make custom in-ear monitors for touring musicians and other music professionals. But what I never realized before was that consumers can actually order UE's custom "professional" in-ear monitors as well. At CES in Las Vegas last week, I chatted with Philippe Depallens, VP of the Ultimate Ears Pro line. He suggested I get custom ear molds by an audiologist, Courtney from Sound Signature, who happened to be at the Logitech/Ultimate Ears suite in the Venetian Hotel.
Ten minutes later, after a cool pink gel solidified and was gently removed from my ears, I had a chance to listen to some of the Ultimate Ears Pro 'phones, specifically the UE Pro 11s ($1,150/pair). Even with the stock silicon ear inserts, these 4-driver in-ear monitors with built-in subwoofer sounded amazing: deep bass, transparent midrange, delicate highs. Compared to the Ultimate Ears SuperFi 10 and the UE900 (both of which I own), the UE 11 simply sounds more immediate and more substantial. Audiophiles should check out the Ultimate Ears Pro web site where you can find a local "brand ambassador" who can create custom ear molds for you and open up your ears to sonic nirvana.
Also, advances in 3D printing and an all-digital production process allow the company to turn around orders for their custom products much quicker than before. Once they receive your order along with your ear molds from the audiologist or brand ambassador they can usually turn around a pair of IEMs within 5 days.
Custom in-ear monitors from Ultimate Ears Pro start at about $600/pair. I'll report more once I have a chance to test the UE11 Pro IEMs with my own custom-fitted ear inserts.
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