Please indulge me as I begin this post with a quote from the Ultimate Ears 18 press release:
“The Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors are expected to be available beginning in February for a suggested retail price of $1350 (U.S.). (The price of the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors does not include the initial cost to have a qualified audiologist create your ear impressions.) The optional ambient noise feature can be added to your custom monitors for an additional $50 (U.S.).”
I’m not entirely sure how much it costs “to have a qualified audiologist create your ear impressions,” but I’m guessing that it’s not a service offered at your local Sam’s Club.
If you’re an aspiring musician, though, think of these things as a big fat write-off on next year’s tax return. And if you’re a professional musician, you probably already have these or something comparable. For the rest of us, $1350 plus a trip to the neighborhood audiologist just isn’t in the cards, financially.
As for the nuts and bolts, each earbud contains six speakers. How do they do that?! They also reduce ambient noise by 26 decibels. Here’s more:
“In addition to the six-speaker design, Ultimate Ears’ newest monitors combine four-way crossovers with acoustic and electrical tuning, patent-pending triple-sound channels and a new low-distortion cable to create the Ultimate Ears sound signature. Each sound channel includes an acoustically tuned in-line filter that keeps the frequencies separate and balanced until they blend naturally in your ear – not inside the monitors.”
Sounds nice. Pun intended.
Full press release:
Ultimate Ears Rocks Industry with Six-Speaker Custom In-Ear Monitors
Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors Deliver Best-in-Class Sound, Fit, Comfort
The 2010 NAMM Show
IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To deliver a live-sound experience directly to your ears, Ultimate Ears, a product unit of Logitech® (SIX:LOGN) (NASDAQ:LOGI), today introduced the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors. Featuring the company’s first six-speaker design, the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro monitors offer you and your band one-of-a-kind sound definition and clarity. Handcrafted like the finest instrument for a comfortable fit, while reducing ambient noise by 26 dBs, Ultimate Ears’ new monitors are designed for performing artists and audiofiles alike.
“These Ultimate Ears 18 Pros are unbelievable – very crisp, detailed and more pronounced”
Ultimate Ears professional in-ear monitors are used by 75 percent of the world’s touring professional artists, including world-renowned bands such as The Killers, Kenny Chesney and the Jonas Brothers. Customized to be as unique as your fingerprint, the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors feature a proprietary six-speaker design that fits six individually tuned drivers in each ear, delivering the audio without distortion that artists demand for live stage performing. No matter how loud you’re rocking out on stage, when you’re using the new Ultimate Ears monitors you’ll enjoy amazing instrument and vocal clarity in the mid range, extended sound reproduction of the high notes, as well as a powerful and visceral low end.
“Ultimate Ears is synonymous with live stage performance, and the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro monitors are an extension of this lineage,” said Philippe Depallens, Logitech vice president and general manager of the Ultimate Ears product unit. “These new in-ear monitors are our next-generation, top-of-the-line professional monitors that build on decades of music and technology expertise. With the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro monitors, you get the distinctive Ultimate Ears sound signature you expect and deserve.”
In addition to the six-speaker design, Ultimate Ears’ newest monitors combine four-way crossovers with acoustic and electrical tuning, patent-pending triple-sound channels and a new low-distortion cable to create the Ultimate Ears sound signature. Each sound channel includes an acoustically tuned in-line filter that keeps the frequencies separate and balanced until they blend naturally in your ear – not inside the monitors.
Professional artists and sound engineers who have tested the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro monitors on stage had this to say:
“The new Ultimate Ears UE 18 Pro custom monitors are simply the best I’ve used on stage – a new benchmark has been set,” said Jon Lewis, professional sound engineer for AC/DC. “The low end and levels that can be achieved are outstanding. It’s like wearing a pair of reference studio headphones on stage.”
“These Ultimate Ears 18 Pros are unbelievable – very crisp, detailed and more pronounced,” exclaimed a very excited Natalie Cole. “I have more control over what I hear and therefore more control of my vocals through my microphone.”
The Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors are compatible with wireless transmission systems and portable media devices. Packaged in a rugged, personalized aluminum roadie box, the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro monitors are designed to withstand the rigors of any tour.
Pricing and Availability
The Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors are expected to be available beginning in February for a suggested retail price of $1350 (U.S.). (The price of the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom Monitors does not include the initial cost to have a qualified audiologist create your ear impressions.) The optional ambient noise feature can be added to your custom monitors for an additional $50 (U.S.).
Ultimate Ears monitors are made specifically for each of our customers and you will need to have ear impressions made by an audiologist. Please contact us or check on our website to locate a Ultimate Ears qualified audiologist. Once Ultimate Ears has received your ear impressions, we will create your personal set of in-ear monitors. For additional information, visit www.ultimateears.com.