Review of the Monster Turbine Pro Gold IEM:
Monster has been in the consumer electronics game for many years, manufacturing audio cables,
surge supressor/ac line-conditioners, and close to 3000 products now on their list, but fairly
recently with their introduction of their noise-cancelling DJ HeadPhones, the "Dr.Dre Beats",
Monster has made quite a stir among Urban Music Listening Consumers.
They now also produce more portable cousins to the "Beats" and also Beats IEMs.
Which brings us to another product line, an IEM called Turbines.
People familiar with Monster's RCA cable line will recognize the little angled slits
cut into the metal around the back of these IEMs and notice how theyre shaped like
Monsters RCA connectors. Its a nice-looking feature that connects the look of this product to the Monster Company,
and makes their look different from typical IEMs on the market, and makes them instantly
recognizable to anyone seeing them on the street, which is probably good advertising,
which Monster does very well.
Head-Fi Spring 2010 Meet:
My first listen to the Turbines was at this past Spring 2010 Bayside NY Head-Fi meet.
I brought all my headphones and portable amps and the few IEMs i own, and set up a table
in one of the two rooms Head-Fi reserved for the meet at the Adria Hotel.
I didnt know that 80% of the tables in that room were to be Members of the Trade (MOTs),
but for me it was a good thing, because i got to meet them and listen to their products.
One guy i talked to alot that day was John, a representative from Monster.
He was there giving everyone audtions of the Monster Turbine Pro Copper and also the Gold
models of IEMs. Whats weird is, although Gold is a more expensive metal than copper,
Their Copper model is actually the higher model.
So anyway, John twists my arm and asks me to take a listen to their Pro Copper Model.
HE allows me to walk around with them on my own amp and player and get a feel for them.
Well colour me impressed! These were the best IEMs i ever heard, and competed with some
of the best headphones i ever heard! Maybe not with the absolute top phones, like the
Grado RS1, Grado PS1000, Sennheiser HD800, and the HiFiMan HE5,..but up there with
phones like Grado SR225, M-Audio Q40, and as enjoyable as my Sennheiser HD650, abiet less
inner-detail and smoothness, but just as enjoyable, and really....IM NOT AN IEM GUY.
So the day goes on, and at the end of the day i end up going home with the less expensive
GOLD model. The Coppers go for around $400usd and the Gold about $300 or so MSRP.
Thanks John!!!
UNPACKING...
I didnt get to listen to the Gold's until i got home, unpacked and relaxed a bit.
The box it comes in has some weight to it, and is impressive. It really makes
me feel like im holding something classy, something of quality, like
opening a fancy jewelry box with diamond earrings in it!
The inside is all black and velvety and the Gold IEMs just glisten in there
waiting to be touched. GORGEOUS!
So what the heck....I touched them...lol.
In the box is:
Turbine Pro Gold IEMS
5 different sizes & type rubber tips
2 luxury cases for carry
Clip to manage the IEM cable for wear
1/4" adapter
WOW! These better be good, like the Coppers i heard!!!
LISTENING...
I hooked up my Zune and RSA Tomahawk amp, being this amp was made for IEMs,
and proceeded to listen. The tone seemed to be the same balance as the Copper model.
I dont have enough memory to tell you any exact differences really, but they satisfied
me just as well.
Before this, the only IEMs i heard were Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 3 Studio, and lower
models from Sennheiser, Sony, SkullCandy, Philips, etc., but ive listened to alot
of headphones from most companies and can tell you that these are really good-sounding
IEMs!!! They were comfy and didnt fall out of my ears. Inserting was easy, not like
the fight i usually have with my SF-3's !!!
They actually have some sound-stage, theyre non-fatiguing, i can listen to them
all day. They sound very speaker-like really. Nice big,full, tower speakers,
not small bookshelves. There is no thin cymbals, and thin voices here.
I wont say they sound like tubes, but each sound is well-rounded, and has some separation.
Not like the best ive ever heard my HD650's amped on the best equipment, but just as good
as my 650 on my SS Millet amp.
These actually have some weight! Not just physically heavy, which they have some of that also,
but you can hear the swing and heft of the bass a bit. Im not saying theyre bass monsters,
because theyre not.....theyre actually well balanced and pretty flat, but on the slightly
warmish side of neutral, which is very pleasing to listen to indeed!
The details are all there ,separated but not mechanically etched.
Theyre not thrown in your face and cutting up your ears, theyre just more polite
and sound like instruments. Just very acoustic and earthy and natural.
I cant tell you how well extended the highs are, as i only hear up to 16,000hz,
but theyre not lacking and arent bothering me like some phones do.
Although i cant detect above 16,000 really, if there was annoying highs above
that range, they still bother my ears.
Highs sound rounded and smooth, not etched and mechanical and digitized.
Everything is just very analog, and i like that!
Mids are realistic. Voices are full, smooth, comfy. Good mids for all around
listening to any music style really. I think these can do classical-rock-
R&B- Rap - Electronica. Theyre the most all-around phone i heard, to me.
In group acapella , i can hear each voice distinctly and natural.
I havent heard any page turning, or breathing out etc, but it sounds
like separate natural voices with the chestiness and upper breath
to it.
Acoustic guitar isnt just pretty and thin-sounding. Guitars have
that hollow wood sound and you hear some plucking and all those
details that tell you its an acoustic guitar, but not overly done
like maybe a Grado SR80. Highs are rounded and not exagerrated.
Drums have weight and some thwack! Snare rimshots thwack, but the
high elements of the hit dont kill you. Theyre very slightly
muted or rounded, but no veil.
Bass is strong but balanced, and not overly done, but not lacking.
Its musical bass, not boomy and fat. Tight but not overly done.
Not the best i ever heard, but up there with some good phones.
I dont think anyone would have a complaint about the bass at all.
It can do R&B, and still be natural for classical and jazz.
Blues stand-up bass even stands out and sounds more like an
instrument rather than just a boomy sound supporting the music.
BUILD....
They look like jewelry, without being too blingy.
Everything about the look says class. They got weight but are still
comfy when i wear them.
They stick out of the ear just a little, but not too much.
The cable is thick enough and doesnt seem to tangle, and has a little
less bend-memory than the one on the SF-3.
As far as cable-noise, using the supplied clip really helps.
Without clipping to your shirt, you get a little bit of noise,
but not as bad as some IEMs, but using the clip its pretty good.
I kinda wish the cable was removeable and replaceable, and i did
mention it was a gripe when i saw the rep at the meet, but it seems
pretty sturdy and theres a decent strain-relief on it, and Monster
has a ONE-TIME REPLACEMENT FOR LIFE, so if it breaks for any reason,
even if its your own fault, they will replace it once.
I would recommend these with no problem at all to anyone looking
for an IEM and i have nothing negative to say about it.
I dont know if theyre the best, because i havent heard any
IEMs above $120usd before these, but ive heard many headphones,
with some being over $1300, and speakers up to $50,000, and i can
say these are definately audiophile and pro-studio quality.
I would use these with any kind of music, and also mixing.
I dont usually do reviews, and im not proficiant at it really,
but i hope this gave you a decent idea of the product.
Everything here is just my own opinion.
They do respond pretty well to amping, and show character of different players.
HELPFUL LINKS TO REVIEWS AND THE MONSTER SITE:
Monster® Turbine™ Pro Gold Audiophile In-Ear Speakers™
Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers (gold) Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews
Monster Turbine PRO - Headphones | HeadRoom Audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0THwdh9FMZU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElyRs...eature=related
Zakk Wylde advertises Turbine Pro- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E5r3...eature=related
Kerry King - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0RKc...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3C2o...eature=related
**ILL BE ADDING TO THIS REVIEW LATER (if i can find specs etc, maybe)**
PHOTOS:
Junky pocket camera pictures...sorry for the low quality, but the links above
will have better images.
Monster has been in the consumer electronics game for many years, manufacturing audio cables,
surge supressor/ac line-conditioners, and close to 3000 products now on their list, but fairly
recently with their introduction of their noise-cancelling DJ HeadPhones, the "Dr.Dre Beats",
Monster has made quite a stir among Urban Music Listening Consumers.
They now also produce more portable cousins to the "Beats" and also Beats IEMs.
Which brings us to another product line, an IEM called Turbines.
People familiar with Monster's RCA cable line will recognize the little angled slits
cut into the metal around the back of these IEMs and notice how theyre shaped like
Monsters RCA connectors. Its a nice-looking feature that connects the look of this product to the Monster Company,
and makes their look different from typical IEMs on the market, and makes them instantly
recognizable to anyone seeing them on the street, which is probably good advertising,
which Monster does very well.
Head-Fi Spring 2010 Meet:
My first listen to the Turbines was at this past Spring 2010 Bayside NY Head-Fi meet.
I brought all my headphones and portable amps and the few IEMs i own, and set up a table
in one of the two rooms Head-Fi reserved for the meet at the Adria Hotel.
I didnt know that 80% of the tables in that room were to be Members of the Trade (MOTs),
but for me it was a good thing, because i got to meet them and listen to their products.
One guy i talked to alot that day was John, a representative from Monster.
He was there giving everyone audtions of the Monster Turbine Pro Copper and also the Gold
models of IEMs. Whats weird is, although Gold is a more expensive metal than copper,
Their Copper model is actually the higher model.
So anyway, John twists my arm and asks me to take a listen to their Pro Copper Model.
HE allows me to walk around with them on my own amp and player and get a feel for them.
Well colour me impressed! These were the best IEMs i ever heard, and competed with some
of the best headphones i ever heard! Maybe not with the absolute top phones, like the
Grado RS1, Grado PS1000, Sennheiser HD800, and the HiFiMan HE5,..but up there with
phones like Grado SR225, M-Audio Q40, and as enjoyable as my Sennheiser HD650, abiet less
inner-detail and smoothness, but just as enjoyable, and really....IM NOT AN IEM GUY.
So the day goes on, and at the end of the day i end up going home with the less expensive
GOLD model. The Coppers go for around $400usd and the Gold about $300 or so MSRP.
Thanks John!!!
UNPACKING...
I didnt get to listen to the Gold's until i got home, unpacked and relaxed a bit.
The box it comes in has some weight to it, and is impressive. It really makes
me feel like im holding something classy, something of quality, like
opening a fancy jewelry box with diamond earrings in it!
The inside is all black and velvety and the Gold IEMs just glisten in there
waiting to be touched. GORGEOUS!
So what the heck....I touched them...lol.
In the box is:
Turbine Pro Gold IEMS
5 different sizes & type rubber tips
2 luxury cases for carry
Clip to manage the IEM cable for wear
1/4" adapter
WOW! These better be good, like the Coppers i heard!!!
LISTENING...
I hooked up my Zune and RSA Tomahawk amp, being this amp was made for IEMs,
and proceeded to listen. The tone seemed to be the same balance as the Copper model.
I dont have enough memory to tell you any exact differences really, but they satisfied
me just as well.
Before this, the only IEMs i heard were Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 3 Studio, and lower
models from Sennheiser, Sony, SkullCandy, Philips, etc., but ive listened to alot
of headphones from most companies and can tell you that these are really good-sounding
IEMs!!! They were comfy and didnt fall out of my ears. Inserting was easy, not like
the fight i usually have with my SF-3's !!!
They actually have some sound-stage, theyre non-fatiguing, i can listen to them
all day. They sound very speaker-like really. Nice big,full, tower speakers,
not small bookshelves. There is no thin cymbals, and thin voices here.
I wont say they sound like tubes, but each sound is well-rounded, and has some separation.
Not like the best ive ever heard my HD650's amped on the best equipment, but just as good
as my 650 on my SS Millet amp.
These actually have some weight! Not just physically heavy, which they have some of that also,
but you can hear the swing and heft of the bass a bit. Im not saying theyre bass monsters,
because theyre not.....theyre actually well balanced and pretty flat, but on the slightly
warmish side of neutral, which is very pleasing to listen to indeed!
The details are all there ,separated but not mechanically etched.
Theyre not thrown in your face and cutting up your ears, theyre just more polite
and sound like instruments. Just very acoustic and earthy and natural.
I cant tell you how well extended the highs are, as i only hear up to 16,000hz,
but theyre not lacking and arent bothering me like some phones do.
Although i cant detect above 16,000 really, if there was annoying highs above
that range, they still bother my ears.
Highs sound rounded and smooth, not etched and mechanical and digitized.
Everything is just very analog, and i like that!
Mids are realistic. Voices are full, smooth, comfy. Good mids for all around
listening to any music style really. I think these can do classical-rock-
R&B- Rap - Electronica. Theyre the most all-around phone i heard, to me.
In group acapella , i can hear each voice distinctly and natural.
I havent heard any page turning, or breathing out etc, but it sounds
like separate natural voices with the chestiness and upper breath
to it.
Acoustic guitar isnt just pretty and thin-sounding. Guitars have
that hollow wood sound and you hear some plucking and all those
details that tell you its an acoustic guitar, but not overly done
like maybe a Grado SR80. Highs are rounded and not exagerrated.
Drums have weight and some thwack! Snare rimshots thwack, but the
high elements of the hit dont kill you. Theyre very slightly
muted or rounded, but no veil.
Bass is strong but balanced, and not overly done, but not lacking.
Its musical bass, not boomy and fat. Tight but not overly done.
Not the best i ever heard, but up there with some good phones.
I dont think anyone would have a complaint about the bass at all.
It can do R&B, and still be natural for classical and jazz.
Blues stand-up bass even stands out and sounds more like an
instrument rather than just a boomy sound supporting the music.
BUILD....
They look like jewelry, without being too blingy.
Everything about the look says class. They got weight but are still
comfy when i wear them.
They stick out of the ear just a little, but not too much.
The cable is thick enough and doesnt seem to tangle, and has a little
less bend-memory than the one on the SF-3.
As far as cable-noise, using the supplied clip really helps.
Without clipping to your shirt, you get a little bit of noise,
but not as bad as some IEMs, but using the clip its pretty good.
I kinda wish the cable was removeable and replaceable, and i did
mention it was a gripe when i saw the rep at the meet, but it seems
pretty sturdy and theres a decent strain-relief on it, and Monster
has a ONE-TIME REPLACEMENT FOR LIFE, so if it breaks for any reason,
even if its your own fault, they will replace it once.
I would recommend these with no problem at all to anyone looking
for an IEM and i have nothing negative to say about it.
I dont know if theyre the best, because i havent heard any
IEMs above $120usd before these, but ive heard many headphones,
with some being over $1300, and speakers up to $50,000, and i can
say these are definately audiophile and pro-studio quality.
I would use these with any kind of music, and also mixing.
I dont usually do reviews, and im not proficiant at it really,
but i hope this gave you a decent idea of the product.
Everything here is just my own opinion.
They do respond pretty well to amping, and show character of different players.
HELPFUL LINKS TO REVIEWS AND THE MONSTER SITE:
Monster® Turbine™ Pro Gold Audiophile In-Ear Speakers™
Monster Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers (gold) Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews
Monster Turbine PRO - Headphones | HeadRoom Audio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0THwdh9FMZU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElyRs...eature=related
Zakk Wylde advertises Turbine Pro- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E5r3...eature=related
Kerry King - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0RKc...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3C2o...eature=related
**ILL BE ADDING TO THIS REVIEW LATER (if i can find specs etc, maybe)**
PHOTOS:
Junky pocket camera pictures...sorry for the low quality, but the links above
will have better images.
hesitating should I cancel the order anot... Anyway cck5 these one guy selling his MTPG on the sell forum... Though he bought it for 230 you can still make him a reasonable offer
...........
