- Sony announces the new Sony IER-M500
- Their most premium wired headphones yet
- Designed for aspiring musicians rather than average listeners.
Sony: Big name in the wireless audio space, with the WH-1000XM6 headphones getting rave reviews from us, but not a big player in the wired headphone game.
Sony doesn’t get any mention on our list of the best wired headphones, and to be honest, the company’s most recent wireless headphones (check out the Sony WF-1000XM6) and open-fit offerings haven’t shot straight to the top of the list either.
However, since the company is basically keeping the headphone jack alive on smartphones, it makes sense that this could change. Enter the Sony IER-M500, the company’s new wired headphones.
These are the most premium wired headphones Sony sells right now, priced at £99/AU$149 (around $130), which is at least double the cost of the few other wired headphones it sells. That will be small talk for audiophiles, where IEMs can cost thousands, but still, it’s a lot of money for Sony in this particular space. Its main competition could be something like the Shure SE215.
And there’s a solid reason for the price increase: these aren’t your everyday IEMs (or in-ear monitors). Sony says this particular model is intended to “elevate on-stage performance experiences” and is aimed at “a wide range of artists, from aspiring musicians to professionals.” Basically, they are not for everyone.
So for most people, Sony’s cheaper wired headphones, like the funky pink IER-EX15C or the large-driver MDR-EX650AP, might be better to buy, but some people may find the IER-M500 to be just what they’re looking for.
Monitor this
As with most other IEMs, the IER-M500 consists of a small in-ear earphone that connects to a 1.6m cable and ends in a 3.5mm jack.
The headset is clearly designed to fit (while your guitar gently cries, etc.). Each bud has a “proper support” to keep it lodged in your ear and has a “thin polyurethane wall” to block out background noise. In Sony’s announcement press release, such fit improvements were outlined before any sonic specifications.
They come in light colors, black or red-blue, options that Sony says are designed to “complement your onstage outfit,” which is one of the reasons (along with their still-affordable price) I’d say they’re aimed at new musicians, rather than seasoned pros.
Sony also goes out of its way to describe how they will survive prolonged use, without constant plugging and unplugging of the headphones wearing them out.
In terms of audio itself, the headphones have a 5mm driver, with an acoustic chamber designed to create controlled bass. The frequency response is 10 Hz to 40 kHz and there is an impedance of 16 ohms.
Sony has made IEMs before and some, like the IER-M9, cost more than ten times as much. But with the return of wired headphones, it seems like the company has decided that now is the perfect time to offer some affordable ones.
The best music players for all budgets.
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