SilverCans
100+ Head-Fier
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- Sep 30, 2004
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Every so often I’ll be walking through the audio aisle at the local electronics retailer to see what new products are available. On one of these visits, I noticed a pair of Monster Cable in-ear monitors (IEM); could it be, Monster was now in the business of producing IEMs? I guess so. As many of you know most local B&M electronic retailers don’t carry the full line of products and often times tend to leave out the top of the line offerings, that's when my curiosity got the best of me and I started looking on-line for more info. Looking on Monster Cable’s website I realized they actually had a wide range of IEMs available with the top being the Monster Turbine Pro Copper (MTPC). Looking on head-fi.org, I found some positive reviews about Monster’s Turbine Pro Gold, but not a whole lot on the MTPC, fortunately, I was able to get my hands on an pair to evaluate, courtesy of Monster.
What’s included:
Quite a lot of accessories come with the MTPC, especially in the earphone tip department. Aside from the 1/8” to 1/4” adapter, 2 carrying pouches, ear tip case, cable clip, and polishing cloth, you get a whopping 16 pairs of tips (though most are just different sizes of the same style tip). More specifically, one gets 1 pair of comply style foam tips, 2 pairs of segmented tips (large and small), 3 pairs of olive style tips (large, medium, small), 5 pairs of silicon filled olive tips (large, medium, small), and 5 pairs of a new tip developed by Monster called “SuperTips”. The SuperTips are made from foam but are not meant to, and do not, compress like comply style foam tips.
Fit/Isolation and Finish:
Fit is a subjective topic, however, I think one may be able to deduce a general trend from my experience, so I tried out all of the tips (tip sound impressions will be covered in a different section).
Segmented tip: Fit securely in my ear, fairly comfortable, though tough to get a good seal; a poor seal made my ear feel blocked which resulted in poor sound. Isolation, on the other hand, was excellent. Also, insertion depth was deepest of all the tips (as expected)
Foam tip: Comfortable, however, I never could get these to stay in all the time. It seemed that as my ear became warm, the small amount of wax in my ear caused these to loose their seal and slipped out. Isolation on the other hand was excellent. Insertion depth was second only to the segmented tips.
Silicon filled “olive” style tip: I had a tough time getting these in, even when using the smallest size offered. These tips just don’t compress enough to get them inserted deep enough to get a good seal and fit. As a result, isolation was below average. Insertion depth, as I eluded to above, was very shallow.
Non filled “olive” style tip: Found these tips to be comfortable albeit less so then the foam tips, however, they did stay seated in my ear fairly well, especially when I wore the IEMs over the ear style. Isolation, however, was only average as was insertion depth.
Foam SuperTips: I found these to be very comfortable, however, only two sizes are included and unfortunately even the smallest was too large for my ear. Hence, for me, isolation and insertion depth was only average.
In regard to overall finish and build quality, I would say the MTPC are built like a tank. Their metal housing and cord strain relief make them very durable. Even if they weren’t built as good as they are, Monster includes a lifetime warranty, which is a definite plus. I also found that the cord was not microphonic and, as a whole, the IEM felt fairly light (the cable clip and adjuster certainly help in this regard when using them while running).
Sound:
Source(s):
IPod 30gb video
Denon DVD/CD player
Amp:
Straight out of Ipod
Dynahi (class A biased amplifier)
A small subset of tracks I listen to for critical listening:
Showdown - ELO
Mr. Blue Sky - ELO
Can’t Get it Out of My Head - ELO
Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz
Pocrcelain - Moby
Synaesthetic - Blue Man Group
Virtue - Jesse Cook
Glory of Love - Otis Redding
Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle - Nirvana
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major - Alexander Titov
Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major for Violin, Viola and Orchestra - Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
Before getting to sound impressions, I would like to note that the choice of tip used makes a huge (actually really huge) impact on the sound. That said, my subjective thoughts below were done with the tip I feel sound best with the MTPC, the foam Supertip. Yes, as you may have read above, these tips were slightly too big for my ear canal, but because my critical listening was done while sitting put, they stayed in my ear and I was able to achieve a good seal.
Bass:
I wouldn’t call myself a “bass-head,” but I generally can not tolerate IEMs that are not able to reproduce the lower octaves as I eventually find them to be fatiguing. At the same time, to me, bass quality is also an important factor. All too often I’ve come across IEMs that have boomy, sloppy bass and was really hoping these wouldn’t fall in that category.
So, how did the MTPC perform? Quite well actually. Bass was taught, controlled, and present when it needed to be, instead of imposing itself and smearing the other frequencies. If the song had very low notes, the MTPC were able to able to reproduce them. Furthermore, due to the excellent control, bass had texture and sounded balanced with the mids and highs. The caveat being of course the recording. If the recording was poor or a very low bitrate mp3 was used, the MTPC certainly revealed the flaws. Which is something I think people looking into this IEM should consider, the MTPC are very revealing and need good source content to be fully appreciated. Another point worth mentioning is proper seal. No matter the tip used, if a proper seal is not made with the ear canal, the MTPC, will sound anemic in the bass department (most IEMs are like this as well). Hence, a good seal is very important.
Mids:
The mid range performance was simply my favorite aspect of the MTPC, far exceeding other IEMs I‘ve had. The vocals were perfectly placed and nicely reproduced; they were clear, uncolored, and smooth. Never did I find them recessed nor were they overly forward, and were fairly detailed. Female vocals in particular had weight, body, and sounded realistic. This in my book is a big feat, as many full size headphones have difficulty accurately producing vocals, some sound recessed or have a harshness to them that eventually leads to listener fatigue.
Highs:
High frequencies are quite detailed and very resolving. So much so, that there was a moment during a song that I actually turned my head thinking I heard someone behind me! This also points to how nice and deep the sound-stage is through the MTPC. The downside to the great detail, is as mentioned above, bad recordings sounded, harsh and grainy.
I did not find the MTPC rolled off or to sound too soft. On few occasions, there was a slight hint of sibilance but it could very well have been the recording, however, it was very slight and didn’t appear to be a glaring problem on every song. Overall, I was really impressed with the fact that instruments such as cymbals actually had some body to them instead of sounding tinny or splashy.
General sound characteristics of the various tips:
Segmented tip: Decent bass impact, good mid range, however, I felt that it muted the high frequencies quite a bit.
Foam tip: great bass but upper mid range and highs sounded rolled off. Gave the MTPC a much darker tonal character. Not necessarily a bad thing if you like darker sounding IEMs, but definitely not my cup of tea.
Silicon filled “olive” style tip: For my ear these resulted in poor bass response, mainly due to the shallow insertion depth in my ears and subpart seal. As a result, everything sounded tinny and bright.
Non filled “olive” style tip: Fairly balanced sounding. Good bass, mids, and highs. Added just a touch of warmth / darker signature to the overall sound. As far as sound, my second favorite tip, however, tied with the segmented tip for being the best fit for me.
Foam SuperTips: I was really surprised by these, though at first glance I didn’t think much of them and doubted they’d be any good. My initial thinking was that all the other tips have been around for a very long time and just didn’t think these could be any better. Well, I learned that the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” was certainly true in this case.
At any rate, before trying these tips, my initial impression of the MTPCs was that it leaned slightly toward the darker tonal spectrum, but the foam SuperTip completely changed that. The trouble/highs really opened up and the detail was just phenomenal. The mids were crystal clear as well, and bass still had great presence and had impact. The only problem for me was the fit, as mentioned above, and as such I can only use these when I’m not moving much.
Amplifying vs. Straight out of Ipod:
I wouldn’t call the MTPC the most efficient IEM I’ve used, though I was able to get suitable volume using them straight out of the Ipod, albeit, depending on the song, I did have it at 3/4 volume a few times when foot tapping to a song
. Using them out of my amp provided much more headroom, which was expected, but the overall tonal character of the MTPC remained the same. This is a good thing in my book because often times one doesn’t want to have to lug around an amp just to enjoy or get the best out of their IEM. I would say though, that using an amp gave them a touch more extension and control.
Conclusion:
The Monster Turbine Pro Copper impressed me in a number of ways; they are detailed, fairly quick, and can reproduce the lower frequencies with a good amount of authority if called upon by the source material. Depending on the tip used, overall, I found them to be neutral and faithful to the music. With those characteristics, however, one must bear in mind that poorly recorded or low bit-rate material may not sound as good as through IEMs that are colored or described as "fun". That said, with its great build quality and an impressive warranty, the MTPC, to me, is a great IEM.
What’s included:
Quite a lot of accessories come with the MTPC, especially in the earphone tip department. Aside from the 1/8” to 1/4” adapter, 2 carrying pouches, ear tip case, cable clip, and polishing cloth, you get a whopping 16 pairs of tips (though most are just different sizes of the same style tip). More specifically, one gets 1 pair of comply style foam tips, 2 pairs of segmented tips (large and small), 3 pairs of olive style tips (large, medium, small), 5 pairs of silicon filled olive tips (large, medium, small), and 5 pairs of a new tip developed by Monster called “SuperTips”. The SuperTips are made from foam but are not meant to, and do not, compress like comply style foam tips.
Fit/Isolation and Finish:
Fit is a subjective topic, however, I think one may be able to deduce a general trend from my experience, so I tried out all of the tips (tip sound impressions will be covered in a different section).
Segmented tip: Fit securely in my ear, fairly comfortable, though tough to get a good seal; a poor seal made my ear feel blocked which resulted in poor sound. Isolation, on the other hand, was excellent. Also, insertion depth was deepest of all the tips (as expected)
Foam tip: Comfortable, however, I never could get these to stay in all the time. It seemed that as my ear became warm, the small amount of wax in my ear caused these to loose their seal and slipped out. Isolation on the other hand was excellent. Insertion depth was second only to the segmented tips.
Silicon filled “olive” style tip: I had a tough time getting these in, even when using the smallest size offered. These tips just don’t compress enough to get them inserted deep enough to get a good seal and fit. As a result, isolation was below average. Insertion depth, as I eluded to above, was very shallow.
Non filled “olive” style tip: Found these tips to be comfortable albeit less so then the foam tips, however, they did stay seated in my ear fairly well, especially when I wore the IEMs over the ear style. Isolation, however, was only average as was insertion depth.
Foam SuperTips: I found these to be very comfortable, however, only two sizes are included and unfortunately even the smallest was too large for my ear. Hence, for me, isolation and insertion depth was only average.
In regard to overall finish and build quality, I would say the MTPC are built like a tank. Their metal housing and cord strain relief make them very durable. Even if they weren’t built as good as they are, Monster includes a lifetime warranty, which is a definite plus. I also found that the cord was not microphonic and, as a whole, the IEM felt fairly light (the cable clip and adjuster certainly help in this regard when using them while running).
Sound:
Source(s):
IPod 30gb video
Denon DVD/CD player
Amp:
Straight out of Ipod
Dynahi (class A biased amplifier)
A small subset of tracks I listen to for critical listening:
Showdown - ELO
Mr. Blue Sky - ELO
Can’t Get it Out of My Head - ELO
Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz
Pocrcelain - Moby
Synaesthetic - Blue Man Group
Virtue - Jesse Cook
Glory of Love - Otis Redding
Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle - Nirvana
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major - Alexander Titov
Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major for Violin, Viola and Orchestra - Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
Before getting to sound impressions, I would like to note that the choice of tip used makes a huge (actually really huge) impact on the sound. That said, my subjective thoughts below were done with the tip I feel sound best with the MTPC, the foam Supertip. Yes, as you may have read above, these tips were slightly too big for my ear canal, but because my critical listening was done while sitting put, they stayed in my ear and I was able to achieve a good seal.
Bass:
I wouldn’t call myself a “bass-head,” but I generally can not tolerate IEMs that are not able to reproduce the lower octaves as I eventually find them to be fatiguing. At the same time, to me, bass quality is also an important factor. All too often I’ve come across IEMs that have boomy, sloppy bass and was really hoping these wouldn’t fall in that category.
So, how did the MTPC perform? Quite well actually. Bass was taught, controlled, and present when it needed to be, instead of imposing itself and smearing the other frequencies. If the song had very low notes, the MTPC were able to able to reproduce them. Furthermore, due to the excellent control, bass had texture and sounded balanced with the mids and highs. The caveat being of course the recording. If the recording was poor or a very low bitrate mp3 was used, the MTPC certainly revealed the flaws. Which is something I think people looking into this IEM should consider, the MTPC are very revealing and need good source content to be fully appreciated. Another point worth mentioning is proper seal. No matter the tip used, if a proper seal is not made with the ear canal, the MTPC, will sound anemic in the bass department (most IEMs are like this as well). Hence, a good seal is very important.
Mids:
The mid range performance was simply my favorite aspect of the MTPC, far exceeding other IEMs I‘ve had. The vocals were perfectly placed and nicely reproduced; they were clear, uncolored, and smooth. Never did I find them recessed nor were they overly forward, and were fairly detailed. Female vocals in particular had weight, body, and sounded realistic. This in my book is a big feat, as many full size headphones have difficulty accurately producing vocals, some sound recessed or have a harshness to them that eventually leads to listener fatigue.
Highs:
High frequencies are quite detailed and very resolving. So much so, that there was a moment during a song that I actually turned my head thinking I heard someone behind me! This also points to how nice and deep the sound-stage is through the MTPC. The downside to the great detail, is as mentioned above, bad recordings sounded, harsh and grainy.
I did not find the MTPC rolled off or to sound too soft. On few occasions, there was a slight hint of sibilance but it could very well have been the recording, however, it was very slight and didn’t appear to be a glaring problem on every song. Overall, I was really impressed with the fact that instruments such as cymbals actually had some body to them instead of sounding tinny or splashy.
General sound characteristics of the various tips:
Segmented tip: Decent bass impact, good mid range, however, I felt that it muted the high frequencies quite a bit.
Foam tip: great bass but upper mid range and highs sounded rolled off. Gave the MTPC a much darker tonal character. Not necessarily a bad thing if you like darker sounding IEMs, but definitely not my cup of tea.
Silicon filled “olive” style tip: For my ear these resulted in poor bass response, mainly due to the shallow insertion depth in my ears and subpart seal. As a result, everything sounded tinny and bright.
Non filled “olive” style tip: Fairly balanced sounding. Good bass, mids, and highs. Added just a touch of warmth / darker signature to the overall sound. As far as sound, my second favorite tip, however, tied with the segmented tip for being the best fit for me.
Foam SuperTips: I was really surprised by these, though at first glance I didn’t think much of them and doubted they’d be any good. My initial thinking was that all the other tips have been around for a very long time and just didn’t think these could be any better. Well, I learned that the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” was certainly true in this case.
At any rate, before trying these tips, my initial impression of the MTPCs was that it leaned slightly toward the darker tonal spectrum, but the foam SuperTip completely changed that. The trouble/highs really opened up and the detail was just phenomenal. The mids were crystal clear as well, and bass still had great presence and had impact. The only problem for me was the fit, as mentioned above, and as such I can only use these when I’m not moving much.
Amplifying vs. Straight out of Ipod:
I wouldn’t call the MTPC the most efficient IEM I’ve used, though I was able to get suitable volume using them straight out of the Ipod, albeit, depending on the song, I did have it at 3/4 volume a few times when foot tapping to a song
. Using them out of my amp provided much more headroom, which was expected, but the overall tonal character of the MTPC remained the same. This is a good thing in my book because often times one doesn’t want to have to lug around an amp just to enjoy or get the best out of their IEM. I would say though, that using an amp gave them a touch more extension and control.Conclusion:
The Monster Turbine Pro Copper impressed me in a number of ways; they are detailed, fairly quick, and can reproduce the lower frequencies with a good amount of authority if called upon by the source material. Depending on the tip used, overall, I found them to be neutral and faithful to the music. With those characteristics, however, one must bear in mind that poorly recorded or low bit-rate material may not sound as good as through IEMs that are colored or described as "fun". That said, with its great build quality and an impressive warranty, the MTPC, to me, is a great IEM.
