Review: InearZ IE-P350 Custom In-Ear Monitors
Firstly I would like to thank InearZ for
kindly making these custom IEM's for me to review, I will try and write an
honest review, these received over 50hrs of burn-in, no differences were noted.
Gear Used:
Dell XPS 15 > JDS Labs C5D > IE-P350
iPod Classic 7G > IE-P350
Tech Specs:
Input sensitivity
119dB@1mw
Integrated 3 way
crossover
Triple Balanced
armature drivers
1 low 1 mid and 1
high
Impedance 20 Ohm
Noise Isolation -26dB
Input connecter 1/8″
3.5mm Gold plated
Dual bore
Frequency response
20Hz to 17KHz
Price $350
Packaging, Accessories, Build Quality and Finish:
Well as most of you know, custom IEM's don't come in retail packaging as
they are a hand crafted product, they do however come very well protected in a S3
case, similar to a pelican case, it is crush proof, and waterproof too. So no
chance of them getting crushed during shipping, also the inside is a custom cut
foam to separate each IEM and the cable and also has a part for the wax
cleaner, a very well thought out design. So the packaging is great, they also
engrave your name for free on the box.
Accessories are the case talked about above, which is an excellent case,
also included is an InearZ sticker and also a wax cleaning tool. I can't see
them needing any extra accessories, all the essential are included.
Build quality, well they feel great, they are hard acrylic customs so
there is always the possibility of them cracking or smashing if you drop them
on hard ground, but if you are careful I cannot see any faults appearing. I got
the recessed sockets on these, as I find they put less strain on the connector
pins themselves, and the socket is very tight. Great when you are using them,
but it is very difficult to detach the cable if you want to change it, but they
do detach. The cable itself is flexible and soft, has good strain relief and
should hold up well over time, it does have a section of memory wire that I
find to be comfortable.
The finish of the shell is excellent, I can spot the odd air bubble, but
they are very difficult to find and won't affect the longevity of the IEM's.
The innards are all securely fit in place and glued, so no wires flexing to be
broken. Overall they are well made, and with a little care I can see them
lasting a long time. The carbon faceplate looks excellent, and the joining of
the faceplate to the shell is very good, the InearZ logo also looks great,
overall superb finish and plenty of customization options.
Comfort, Isolation and Cable Noise:
Well being a full shell custom IEM these are definitely more comfortable
than universal IEM's, they may not be as flexible as silicone custom IEM's but
I do not find the acrylic to cause any discomfort. The fit of these is spot on,
first time round that is really good. I can move my mouth without the seal
breaking, there is no pressure or discomfort. Also they sit nice and flush,
which is great if you want to sleep with these in. The memory wire is not
uncomfortable either, although I always prefer cables without memory wire.
Isolation is great, better than universal IEM's, even with comply tips,
but silicone customs will isolate better. To be honest for most uses you will
not need more isolation than these, they cut out a lot of background noise, and
are great for commuting and also for regular flyers, even for stage use these
would be fine.
Cable noise is not an issue, due to the cable going behind the ear.
Sound:
Split in to the usual categories with a conclusion at the end.
Lows: The lows on these are full and warm, they give great body to the
sound without sounding muddy. They do warm the mids a little giving a tad extra
body but this is not a negative thing, if you are using these out and about in
noisy environments the lows disappear first so the little extra body means you
never lose track of the beat. The lows also make these sound a little more
natural, they don't sound clinical or thin. The lows extend nicely with
sub-bass being audible with only slight roll off below 40Hz, so very good
response, and also articulation. Also being balanced armatures the lows are
very fast in attack and recovery, so they can keep up with whatever you throw
at them.
Mids: The mids sit nicely in the middle of the sound of these, where
they should be. Up front mids can be fun and engaging but also fatiguing, these
are never fatiguing. They are slightly warmed up from the lows as stated, but
this doesn't make them muddy, they are still very well separated, it just adds
a little extra body. Both male and female vocals sound great, electric guitars
have power and crunch, acoustic guitars have excellent tone and reverberation.
All with excellent detail retrieval. They also don't suffer from sibilance,
very smooth and sweet mids.
Highs: The highs sit a little behind the rest of the sound and give the
overall sound a warm tone, but the highs do add some air and detail to the
sound, extending nicely and not sounding metallic or tinny. They could use a
little boost but to be honest for every day listening they are fine. They are accurate and present, they could just
do with being slightly more up front. However I never find these to be
fatiguing to listen to, and I can listen to these for hours easily.
Soundstage is good, it's not huge but there are definitely out of head
experiences to be had.
Instrument separation is great, there is enough air to separate
everything without sounding detached. These are fairly forgiving of bad
sources, but they definitely benefit from FLAC over mp3 and also a good amp
brings out a little more body in the sound.
Conclusion, I really like the smooth yet detailed sound of these, they
lean towards the warmer side of sound, but never sound muddy or veiled. The
mids cut through with great detail, the lows have extension and punch, with
body that makes these a pleasure to listen to. You will never find these
fatiguing to listen to, rather they are more relaxed, the highs could use a
little boost, but this could lead to fatigue (also if you want that, EQ and
cables can help in this regard). They may not be the most detailed, or the most
fun IEM's to listen to, but what they do, they do very well, which is easy
listening. I highly recommend these as an entry level custom IEM, that sounds
great with all genres and is easy to listen to.
Also a little end note, InearZ are a pleasure to work with, excellent
communication and fast turnaround, they can be found and contacted via social
media very easily, and Matthew who does all the shells was quick to reply to my
messages, and Kim the owner was very insightful about the driver configuration.
Sound Perfection Rating: 8/10 (easy to listen to, reasonably priced,
great looking custom IEM's)
Production photos:








Oscar, thanks for this review. I had been looking for one on these IEMs. I currenlty own the Westone UM Pro20 and have used them and the previous versions for years. I'm also familiar with the UM Pro30 and the Shure SE535. How would you compare these to these InEarz? I'm really looking for a little more highs, as I think these are resecced on the UM series and also a little more punch than my UM 20s. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is the perfect model to dive in to the custom world with due to it's price/performance ratio. Comparing to the UM Pro30 which is incredibly warm, this does have better treble. The treble on these is more pronounced but not harsh or over the top, they blend very well with the rest of the sound.
DeleteThese also sound a lot less congested, everything is much better separated on these compared to the UM Pro30. I have not heard the UM Pro20 but these have good punch and a balanced but laid back sound.
How would these compare to the Um Pro 30 with the Um56 custom tips? My reasoning for this question is that I do not think Universal tips can really be compared to a Custom tip/IEM. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.
DeleteHi djpeetiv, if you read my comment above you will see these are better than the UM Pro30, they are momre detailed and balanced.
DeleteEven with custom tips, the UM Pro30 will have the same essential sound signature. So it really depends on what you are after.
And yes custom sleeves and full customs are different, but both offer excellent wearing comfort over standard tips.
Thank you.
Deletehow is this compared to dunu dn2000 and fidue a83?
ReplyDeleteWell first of all these are customs,
ReplyDeleteFidue A83 all sounds a little detached and not very cohesive, with big lows and good sparkle. I prefer the smoother and flatter sound of these,
Dunu DN-2000 are similar in a way, maybe a tad more detailed and better separation and soundstage than the IE-P350, but then you cannot beat the comfort of customs. The Dunu also has better low end response due to the dynamic driver.
Hey there Oscar. I have a pretty simple question. My band has been given the wonderful opportunity to take ourselves to the next level and begin touring about 7 months out of the year. I have been looking for some quality, yet affordable, IEMs. I am a drummer and would like to know how you feel these would fair in high volume situations.
ReplyDeleteHi there, It's great to hear your band have been offered such a great opportunity.
DeleteCustom monitors are made for stage use, so the InEarz would suit your needs perfectly, I personally love the way they block out a large amount of outside noise, it means I can be immersed in my music and not be disturbed by the outside world.
For drummers the IE-P350 might not have enough low end boosting, you may want to take a look at their other models.
Both InEarz and Alclair are great companies, who both offer artist endorsement also.
If you need any further help, please do no hesitate to contact me: [email protected]
Hi! I'm Japanese
ReplyDeleteWhat do u think which is better, 250, 350 or Im-02's remold?
Unfortunately I have not tested the other models you mention, but I can assure you, you won't be disappointed with the P350, it is smooth and well balanced, a great all rounder.
ReplyDeleteThanks for answering!
DeleteHow do these compare to the Alclair you reviews some time ago .
DeleteI'm looking for a budget under 500 ciem that pairs well with rock and blues with a tight bass that is not overbearing or boomy
Thanks
Hi There,
DeleteCompared to the Alclair they are very similar to be honest. I haven't heard the Alclair in a long time, but I would say they both have a very smooth sound signature, the Alclair may have a little bit more top end that makes them a little more balanced.
You can't go wrong with either pair though.
Hello. How would you rate against UE Pro 4?
ReplyDelete