Ultimate Ears Teams With EMI For Monitors

By Lisa Johnston -- TWICE, 8/31/2010

Irvine, Calif. - Ultimate Ears announced it is joining forces with EMI Music's Capitol Studios to develop new custom in-ear monitors.

The In-Ear Reference Monitors are meant for pro audio and audiophiles alike.

The Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors are designed for professional producers, audio engineers and audiophiles, the company said. They reportedly provide up to 32 dB of noise isolation and feature three individually turned, balanced armature speakers in each monitor. Frequencies can be reproduced with an extended wide band response from 5Hz to 18 kHz.

Paul Manfrini, product marketing director for the professional products at Ultimate Ears, explained to TWICE, "There are different frequency response curve for different users ... This product is the first time we've really gone outside the live stage.

"What happened here is we took the amazing sound [from our musician monitors] and then created this [frequency] curve, this flat curve ... When they play it back, they know speakers aren't adding anything to that. That allows a really honest bass line from which they can color all those channels themselves," he said.

According to Ultimate Ears, the Y joint connector was eliminated from the monitors, and a braided cable is used to reduce tangling and friction. 

The monitors are scheduled to be available in September for a $999 suggested retail. As with other custom in-ear monitors, a trip to an audiologist is required; the $999 price does not include this visit. A list of qualified audiologists can be found at the company's website.

They come in an opaque black faceplate and a clear back housing, with the Capitol Studios logo on the right monitor and the Ultimate Ears logo on the left. The company also offers the choice of personalizing them with individual artwork.

Ultimate Ears is a product unit of Logitech.