Ultimate Ears

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Ultimate Ears is an American in-ear monitor and earplug manufacturer based in Irvine, California. The company was founded in 1995 by then Van Halen sound engineer Jerry Harvey.

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[edit] Background

Many professional audio engineers and professional artists[who?] rely on Ultimate Ears products for a variety of musical applications from music recording to performing. Ultimate Ears caters to a variety of audio channels, from audiophiles to professional musicians. Ultimate Ears currently has a large market share of the in-ear monitor market, providing consumer-grade in-ear monitors as well as custom-molded in-ear monitors and earplugs, which protect a musician's hearing without altering the frequency balance of the sound.[citations needed]

[edit] Consumer in-ear monitors

Ultimate Ears' mainstream offering is the super.fi family of in-ear monitors, with prices ranging from $80-$400 USD as follows:

  • The metro.fi 2 Studio with a small, dynamic high-energy magnet.
  • The super.fi 3 Studio with one balanced armature driver.
  • The super.fi 4 with a proprietary balanced armature speaker.
  • The super.fi 4 vi with a proprietary balanced armature speaker designed for the iPhone.
  • The super.fi 5 EB with one balanced armature and one dynamic armature driver.
  • The super.fi 5 Pro with two balanced armature drivers with pre-emptive inline crossover.
  • The triple.fi 10 Pro, a universal-fit, three balanced armature in-ear monitor.

Like all in-ear monitors, the Ultimate Ears consumer monitors require a certain fitting pattern for low-profile, environmentally-friendly noise isolation, and it may be uncomfortable for some users.

[edit] Reference in-ear monitors

Ultimate Ears also offers a family of reference quality in-ear monitors called the Custom family. The Custom line of monitors have price ranges of between $550-$1,150, and are custom-molded to fit the ears of the buyer. Each monitor from the Custom line is suited for different types of music and/or recording.

  • The UE-11 PRO features a dual driver subwoofer, a dedicated driver for the mid range, and a tweeter.
  • The UE-10 Pro and the UE-7 Pro, both with three low-mass, high-energy balanced armature for each range of notes.
  • The UE-5c and UE-5 Pro, both with two low-mass, high-energy balanced armature for high and low notes.
  • The UE-Hybrid with one balanced armature driver and one high-energy diaphragm.
  • The UE-Ambient with two balanced armatures.

The only drawback about the Custom models is that those who want to purchase these kind of monitors must visit an audiologist to have ear impressions made, for truer noise isolation and an accurate fit. A visit to an audiologist is a high expense to consider, and tight-budget individuals sometimes criticize the Custom family of monitors not only for the cost of the monitor alone, but also the added cost of having to visit an audiologist.

[edit] Musician's earplugs

Ultimate Ears also offers earplugs for professional musicians. The earplugs are aptly marketed in the amount of background noise dB value an earplug can reduce. These earplugs attenuate all frequency ranges equally, allowing a musician to protect his or her hearing while maintaining the ability to accurately hear their music.

[edit] References

[edit] External links