Monoprice did it again! The new budget champ?
Monoprice inverted driver (item #s:12235-12238): ~$14. Comes in 4 colors
Thanks to dsnuts, I think most of us know about the Monprice 8320 (as well as its adjacent models) and its status here. So, could their brand new offering out do the "legend"?
These intrigued me because of the inverted driver technology. The dynamic driver faces out away from the ear and sound reflects off an acoustic baffle, then back to the ear for a "natural" sound. Sounds like a gimmick right? (Bose Acoustimass anyone?). It's not groundbreaking technology, there are a few other companies offering backwards drivers and even Sony does a "parallel" driver arrangement on their hybrids and ex series. Another interesting note: they look like a rebranded Zagg ZR-Six, which sells for $60! So, for about a fifth of that cost, I had to see what they were all about... And I was floored!
Let's get right to the sound!
First listen, straight out of iPhone 6 Plus:
Wow, nice wide stage, good placement, decent separation. Definitely enhanced bass, but I am glad that it seems to be more sub bass. Man, it reaches deep too; awesome for Daft Punk's Tron soundtrack and Hans Zimmer's Dark Knight Rises score! Very nice impact and rumble. The orchestra arrangements are wide and clear, the horns have bite, the synthesizers have some edge... Ya know, this is reminding me of my Kef m200 (will compare later).
After a few listens:
Bass is elevated, powerful, yet still decent quality. Not the quickest, maybe a little bleed into lower mids, but not much honestly. It is more subwoofer type bass, low and thunderous when called for. It still presents detail like slaps and plucks from bass strings, and a bassoon sounds great.
Mids are not scooped out! Actually right up front and clear. Vocals are very nice, not distant or back at all. Electric guitars have good tone, attack, crunch, chug, etc... Snare hits have a nice crack when called for, and still enough detail for brushes and "fatter" sounding snares. As mentioned before, horns have a little bite to them, strings sound pretty good too. Not a ton of detail, but way more than a sub $15 earphone should have!
Highs are clear, a touch of sparkle, missing some air, but really no complaining at this price. Cymbals have a nice shimmer, high hats have some sizzle. Non fatiguing, no unpleasant spikes or harshness present.
Wide stage! Not very deep, but has decent height and good separation.
Fit is quite amazing! Just using the included medium tips, they just pop in and "melt" away. They also include a small and a large pair for your basic tip set. The housings are very light too, which contributes to a virtually perfect fit for my ears. The only reason they become noticeable is due to the horrible microphonics; they transfer a lot of energy to the housings. Wearing them over ear helps with this quite a bit, and if you can find a spare shirt clip somewhere, that should pretty much eliminate the problem.
Now, the isolation on these are spectacular! I barely heard the loud television in the same room. This is gonna be a huge win for me, as I plan on using these while cutting grass and plowing snow. These are also very immersive for gaming. That visceral bass along with the great isolation make for some intense gaming sessions.
The cable is flat, thin, and does seem cheap to me. I do like the right angle connector and it is gold plated. Mic/remote works fine, good location, and has a nice click. It lacks a volume control, is not robust, but this is not a big concern for me.
Overall, the MP Inverts are a winner! Now, I do not own some of the budget heros from Sony, Havi, Ostry, or JVC, but I can offer a few notes:
- they destroy the Apple earpods that are included with iPhones
- they trump the Monoprice 8320 in mostly every way (but cost a few bucks more too). The bass will be a bit much for some, but no graininess in the upper mids/lower treble . The fit is no contest, a known weakness of the 8320.
- Klipsch s4i is a good fight, but these win again. Better bass, and no treble spike or sibilance that the s4 occasionally presents.
- Sennheiser cx300 (first model) is a good fight too, but there is better clarity and a wider stage on the MP inverts. There is more mid presence as well as top end, so they win here for me.
I think a nice way to describe these are a budget Kef m200. The MP inverts do have a much better fit, but thats the only win it will get. The m200 presents a better overall refinement from top to bottom, but these do a great impression of the Kef. So, I think these are a stellar bargain! They could be a great starter for one's headfi journey, a nice backup, or an awesome "beater" set, which is what I am slotting them for. Try them out and get inverted!
thats why i thought i would throw ljokerl's recommendation up. If THE man on IEMs thought they were a top recommendation, i figured thats a good place to start! 
