Monster Turbine PRO High-Performance In-Ear Speakers (Gold)

by Monster

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 6 x 9 inches ; 15.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002EL4RIE
• Item model number: MH TRB PRO GLD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 30, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Individual Fit for Perfect Comfort and Noise Isolation If you think in-ear headphones are uncomfortable or can't deliver high-performance sound, prepare to to be amazed by Turbine Pros. Unlike most other “earbuds,” with their “one-size-fits-most” approach, your Turbine Pro Gold include a full set of four different sound-isolating performance eartips in numerous shapes and sizes to accommodate any ear. The result? A perfect fit and a perfect seal. Listen to your music-not outside noise-with the most comfortable in-ear headphone on the market.

	Rediscover Your Music with Turbine Copper Pros Color, dynamics, nuance – these are just some of the characteristics that define and distinguish music and musical performances. Attention to such details can mean the difference between an exhilarating experience and a forgettable one. When designing Turbine Pro Copper professional in-ear speakers, Monster took painstaking attention to all the details, using the finest components and wiring to an advanced in-ear speaker design to ensure that all the musical details come through with unprecedented beauty, energy and accuracy. Like the finest studio monitor, with Turbine Pro Coppers the natural timbres of instruments and voices are presented with startling accuracy. Heaven-storming symphonic works or the subtle dynamic shadings of an acoustic trio are reproduced in exceptional detail. Expect waves of rich yet transparent sound, never dull or artificial. Ultimately, Turbine Pro Coppers preserve the ultimate value of the sound and the music – the sound of  music itself. Prepare to be lifted by the sound like never before. And your music can move with you, too! Two soft, velvet-like pouches, that fit easily in a shirt pocket, are included to cradle and protect the Turbines when not in use. You can carry a set of reference-quality speakers with you wherever you go! And if you think in-ear headphones are uncomfortable, wait until you wear Turbine Pro Coppers for the first time. An assortment of five different ear tips ensures the Turbine Pro Coppers not only stay in your ear when in use, but sit softly and comfortably in the ear for hours of effortless listening. These are not just tips, but “SuperTips,” carefully designed to keep outside noise from interfering with the music. Our design simply makes makes listening much better.Turbine Pro Coppers are all about the music, and that's what you'll hear more of.   Product Features Contemporary and stylish copper with bright chrome design mirrors aircraft turbine engine Audiophile-grade components and performance in a portable, lightweight package Speed, delicacy and power Unsurpassed tonal accuracy Subwoofer capable of reproducing a 20Hz tone Contemporary and stylish gold with black chrome design mirrors aircraft turbine engine Proprietary speaker driver design Heavy duty strain relief SuperTip eartips for unprecedented performance and noise isolation Soft sewn pouch houses and protects headphones Clip pouch and revolver holder keeps eartips organized Lifetime Warranty Compatible with all portable media players
True studio quality, reference sound from an in-ear speaker sets Monster Turbine Copper Pro apart Have you ever dreamed of having your own recording studio? Or maybe just having a chance to sit at the mixing board of your favorite studio and watching and listening as a skilled engineer and producer bring a recording together? Perhaps you work in the music industry and demand the most from your equipment? Whether you're an industry professional or an audiophile whose face lights up during discussion of direct-to-disk recordings, Monster's Turbine Pro Copper Edition Professional In-Ear Speakers are designed to deliver the finest musical details while letting the power and personality shine through. Accurate, life-like and involving, Turbine Pro Copper Gold Edition In-Ear Speakers are  reference quality loudspeakers for your ears.
Ultra-wide bandwidth driver delivers clean, dynamic and accurate sound All-metal housing eliminates unwanted resonances Extraordinary bass response thanks to a subwoofer capable of reproducing a 20Hz tone Rugged construction features Pro Strain Relief to withstand a lifetime of heavy-duty use Patented Magnetic FluxTube employs the same technology used in the best Monster Speaker cables 24K Gold-plated Contacts ensure maximum signal transfer, resist corrosion and look great Two soft and luxurious cases protect your headphones in style Cable Management System keeps weight off headphones for added comfort and reduces tangles during storage Right Angle Connector hugs player to stay out of your way and reduces wear. Compatible with all portable media players 8 sizes of high-performance sound-isolating eartips ensure a perfect fit and seal Lifetime Warranty includes full replacement Who are they for? For lovers of tube gear If you find it fatiguing to listen to most digital recordings If you tend to adjust your audio system to bring out the bass for added low-end punch For lovers of vinyl records who want the warmth of analog in the digital domain If “feeling” the music is as important to you as hearing it For superb playback of blues, country, pop, reggae, rock and R&B For music lovers ready to take the next step up the “audio ladder” and discover the difference between ho-hum and high fidelity How do they sound? Rich, smooth and easy to listen to for hours Present a large and vivid soundstage Deliver the musical “big picture” while keeping each instrument and voice in its own space Like a favorite pair of loudspeakers you've had for years Bold, virile and brimming with energy Produce low-reaching bass without artificial warmth or muddiness Warmer than neutral, but never stuffy or “heavy” Deliver the pure joy of music and music making Can give new life to thin-sounding recordings and even compressed audio files such as MP3s

Product Description

MONSTER 129393 Monster Turbine Pro Gold Audiophile In-Ear Speakers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great sound from a very small package!, December 28, 2009

By 

S. Reed (southwest MO, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monster Turbine PRO High-Performance In-Ear Speakers (Gold) (Electronics)

Packaging/presentation: A
Outer packaging is eye-catching but not "busy." Technical information is presented in a relatively clear and concise manner.
Inner packaging is mostly excellent. The gold housings stand out in a very eye-catching manner against the black molded plastic. The included carrying cases are very nice, though I would have preferred a more traditional mechanical snap closing on the purse-style case. My iPod is a hard-drive based model, and I'm rather leery of having magnetic closures around it in my luggage.
Extracting the inner tray in order to get to the manual, 1/4" adapter and extra ear tips is a bit aggravating the first time. Once the plastic had been flexed a bit, it seemed much easier to remove. This is nice, as it allows the heavy box to be used to store the IEMs when not in use.
The only negative note on the packaging/accessories is the "for audiophiles & audio professionals only" tag line printed on one case. It's a bit over the top and unnecessary, in my opinion.

Cable management/accessories: B+
The inclusion of a cable management clip is an excellent touch. No headphones I've owned at any price point included anything similar. Similarly, the cable slide is a nice way to keep a big loop of loose wire from snagging on things if you're moving around.
The gold-plated 1/4" adapter is a very high-quality part, comparable to the one included with my Audio Technicas. One thing that I would have liked to see included is a dual-miniplug adapter for those odd airline seat connections. My ATH-ANC7s came with one, and it's handy for traveling on those airliners with that type of connection.
Also, the cable is a bit short. It's fine if your source is very close to your waistline or closer, but plugging them into the vintage receiver on my desk at work required a bit of caution. An inexpensive 25' coiled extension cable makes short work of the problem, but an extra 6" or so on the cord would be a nice addition without too much extra risk of snagging excess cable on something.

Sound quality: A
My previous reference points for quality headphones have been the Koss Porta-Pro, Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 and Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket 11mm IEMs, along with various cheap earbuds of the type included with consumer audio products. The Turbine Pro IEMs easily beat the Skullcandy earbuds across the board, and have better bass response than the Porta-Pros. The Turbine Pros compare very favorably to the Audio Technicas, which is impressive considering the much larger transducer size allowed by a circumaural headphone body.
The bass is especially impressive for an IEM, providing a full, complete sound not found in most IEMs and earbuds I've encountered. While the full bass is a strong selling point of these IEMs, it's not overpowering and "boomy" - a condition some other audio companies seem to think means "good bass." One quirk of the design (noted in the manual) is that a good seal in the ear canal is necessary or bass response is greatly reduced. To that end, Monster has provided a number of different types and sizes of eartips.
Everyone's ear canal is different, and that will have a strong influence on which cushion works best for you - for me, both sizes of the "christmas tree" style was the least comfortable and provided the least bass. The stiffer, spherical eartips in the larger size fit my ears very well and are quite comfortable, though they're somewhat easy to dislodge with any sort of activity (the small version of this eartip was too small to get a good seal in my ears). Finally, the slightly sticky, compressible/moldable dense foam eartips seemed to stay in place the best for me and therefore gave the best sound, though they aren't quite as comfortable as the spherical tips. After wearing the Turbine Pros for a while with that eartip, I start to feel a mildly unpleasant pressure inside the ear canal and need to remove them from my ears for a few seconds.

Listening impressions: A+
The sounds that come out of these IEMs exceeded my expectations, they're equivalent to or better than any other headphones I've personally heard. I tested the Turbine Pro with several types of music: jazz, country, rock, R&B and classical. Any type of vocal sounds and higher-pitched non-vocal sounds in any genre come through crystal clear but not "brittle" and harsh. Likewise, low bass sounds were clear and not "muddy." Midrange sounds were very accurate and pleasant, and the instruments were distinct in smaller groups or with single instruments. Larger jazz/rock ensembles and most classical music tended to blend a bit in the mid and upper bass ranges. This effect wasn't actually unpleasant or inaccurate, but the "air" around the individual instruments (and therefore the "phantom center channel" stereo effect) were diminished. I think this is an unavoidable side effect of reducing the transducer size to a point where it fits in a very small headphone body, I've observed a more noticeable version of the same effect when listening to the Skullcandy Full Metal Jackets.

Final observations:
The metal IEM bodies feel cold against a warm ear. I'd recommend holding them in your hand for a few seconds to warm up before insertion.
Comfort level is high, even in situations adverse to most headphones. I fell asleep one night while listening to the Turbine Pros in bed, and I slept on them all night with no adverse sleep effects. Every other headphone and IEM I've owned has created uncomfortable feelings when being pressed into my head by a pillow.
My overall grade on the Monster Turbine Pro IEM is "A." Good quality, balanced sound in a very comfortable design earns these a recommendation for anyone looking for this type of headphone for critical listening and travel. I haven't had a chance to take the Turbine Pros to the gym, but based on my less-active observations, my other IEM options might make a good case for being used in very active environments.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best IEM's I have ever used!, December 30, 2009

By 

Anthony M. Pircher "Anthony P." (Surprise, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monster Turbine PRO High-Performance In-Ear Speakers (Gold) (Electronics)

Presentation - 9/10

Without knowing the retail price of these, the packaging suggests that these are expensive headphones. The sleek outer sleeve with two texture finish and anatomical diagrams were what caught my eye. Once you remove the sleeve, the black inner box is heavy and substantial in design, hinting at what you will find inside.

Inside the box, the first things you see are the two golden Turbine Pro ear buds set against a black velvet background; very classy. Included in the box are two sleek looking suede leather pouches for storage of the headphones and ear bud attachments.

Overall, the presentation definitely is reassuring that you have purchased a quality product.

Cable Management System - 10/10

The cable management system does its job very well of keeping the cord from dangling and getting caught on things. I appreciate the fact that the cord is shorter then usual also, which by design cuts down on the snags, even without using the cable management.

Earbud Fit/Comfort - 9/10

I must have very small ear canals, as the only earbuds which I was able to keep in my ears and still remain comfortable were the smaller conical shaped ones. The others all either popped out of felt like I had two giant cotton balls in my ears. The smaller conical shaped ones on the other hand fit nicely and stayed put. The longest stretch that I listened in one sitting was for an hour and at no time did I feel any discomfort.

Listening Impressions - 8/10

I listened to the Turbine Pros over the course of six sessions, totaling about four and a half hours of listening. The genre's of music included rock, instrumental, jazz and classical.

A few things I noted that these headphones do better then and other IEM's I have ever used. The first, was realistic percussion. In my experience, IEM's tend to get sloppy when reproducing busy percussive pieces. That was not the case with the Turbine Pros; in fact, they reproduced a kick drum better then most full can's that I have heard. I also really like the way that that they reproduce woodwind and string instruments as well, especially violins.

Secondly, they are very dynamic and do not sound congested like some other IEM's I have used.

Personally, I preferred rock and classical with these headphones but that is not to say that they did not excel at jazz. Honestly, the mid bass and dynamics these present just make you want to listen to something with driving percussion.

Overall - 9/10

To anyone looking for a great set of IEM's that do everything well, I would highly recommend the Turbine Pro's. Well worth the retail price.

Anthony - Surprise, AZ

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Monster Turbine Pro IEM Review, January 12, 2010

By 

Gaurav Vij - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monster Turbine PRO High-Performance In-Ear Speakers (Gold) (Electronics)

Introduction

First of all, I would like to take the opportunity for a genuine thanks to Monster for giving me the chance to listen to and review the Monster Turbine Pro IEMs.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was picked to be one of the four reviewers and given the time to really listen to the earphones for an unbiased and honest review.
This really is my first attempt at a review which can easily be a double edged sword. I am extremely open about the music I listen to not limiting myself to genres and such. Therefore, really giving me chance to hear what these headphones are capable of with all sorts of music.

Equipment to me is just a means to an end, as I snatch any opportunity to learn and understand more about the music we all love. I believe every artist has an opportunity to express himself/herself and every piece of equipment serves a purpose to that end.
And on that note, lets move forward.

Packaging and Presentation...the sense of sight

In one word IMPRESSIVE. Having owned many a high end piece over the years, I'm quite familiar with how things are and should be presented. It seems as equipment gets higher end and more boutique, the less the emphasis on packaging and presentation. Not here as clearly Monster is selling a high end earphone and it looks the part. The box is beautifully packaged with a magnetic closure as you dig in to get to the goodies. Then there it is, beautifully and simply laid out in front of you with the drivers facing each other.

Most earphones in this price bracket come in plastic moulds that are a pain to open up. Cutting them open, you have to be careful not to cut yourself and it's not really a great experience....but we put up with it because it's all about the sound right?
Monster provides a beautiful moulded velvet case that is a treat for the sense of touch.

Dig in further and you get an assortment of tips and fittings to help you find your perfect seal. The attention to this detail is clearly demonstrated in the number of ear tips Monster has included with the package. They completely understand that to get a good seal and understanding of the performance these headphones provide, they need to help the user get their right fit. A great headphone can easily fall to the bottom of the users pit if the physical logistics are not addressed. Case in point the famed Sony Qualias. Getting the right fit is a nightmare and there is no guarantee you have the perfect fit until you try the others. Hence the listening experience suffers and it's a point scratched against the headphone. What a person actually understands about the sound presentation can ONLY come if the headphone has a chance to fit properly as designed in its optimum state.

With accessories are a plenty and really make you feel that you are holding a premium product in your hands.

I was a little worried about the gold plating the earphones come with as I thought they would be too flashy for my taste. I was wrong, so much for preconceived ideas. The gold plated looked quite smart au contraire and fit just fine with my aesthetic sense.
So tips...check, 3.5mm to 0.25 inch adapter...check, carrying case....check, manual and warranty card...check. Great so lets see what these things can do!

Life is too short to listen to bad headphones" - The Head Monster

Completely agree with that! However, life would be so much simpler if we all agreed to what good headphones are And therein, is the spice of life. The variety, the colors and shades, the good the bad...it is all this that makes any listening experience unique and rememberable for every listener. Each person has an opinion, a thought and a feeling which accumulates as ones personal listening experience.


Build quality...the sense of touch

Make no mistake about it, the ear pieces are absolutely solid. Beautifully crafted, turned gold housing. There is a heft in the earpieces that reassures your feelings about the build quality of a premium product aimed at a certain clientele. This customer cares about the durability and wants to see his money being used for all aspects of the earphones physical and auditory. Monster delivers on this aspect and really lets you feel the happiness of holding a quality product in your hands.

The cable extended out of the earpieces has rubberized feel to it. I am sure this plays a significant role in the quietness when the cable is touched. It is actually quite interesting. The wires coming out of the earpieces converge at a what Monster calls the "Turbine Pro Cable Management System". Basically it is the cable splitting junction which you can adjust to control cable slack from the earpieces down. Quite thoughtful and allows you to manage how much of the cable flaps around. Coming back to the cable micro phonics, there is very slight noise when you touch the cables from that junction upwards. It is very low and I've heard much worse in other IEM products. Doesn't detract from the experience especially when the music is playing. However worth mentioning. From the junction downwards towards the cable plug, the cable has a thicker rubber sheath and there is absolutely no noise when tapped.

The right-angled 3.5mm plug has a nice solid build quality matching the gold plating of the earpieces. It is slim and very easy to use without putting excessive strain on the headphone jack. It goes in very nicely, tight and snug with no play.


And let there be sound...

All listening is being done through lossless AIFF files on an external 6 Terabyte Drobo managed via iTunes on a Macbook Pro. The digital USB signal is routed into a PICO USB (DAC only), connected through an RnB Mini to Mini to a Ray Samuels Shadow amp. Monster Turbines Pro connected to the Shadow and given the duty to "pleasurize" my ear canals

NOTE: The headphones are based on a single dynamic transducer. These DEFINITELY needed some burn and I have about 100 hours on them through various burn in CDs. Opened them up nicely which was a must for a somewhat proper listening experience.

The Monster Turbine Pros have a dynamic transducer compared to a balanced armature design in other IEMs such as the Shure E530, Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 pros, Ultimate Ears UE11 which I also own. This is a completely different sound presentation as all sound is emanating from a single point source as opposed to dedicated balanced armatures that are dedicated to bass, mids and highs through a crossover network.

Very much like 2 way, 3 way speakers etc, a balanced armature design employs a crossover network which tells each driver what frequencies it will play. This is obviously a more complicated design and has its own advantages and disadvantages that I won't get into for this review. However, going through many speaker systems and settling on single driver, crossoverless, Alnico magnet drivers in my main stereo system, I have a good idea of the sound a single driver attempts to portray.

Single drivers have a sense of coherency and sound presentation that comes very naturally as part of the design. The amplifier driving the driver sees a very simple load in the form of a speaker. This coupling is very pure and very simple, but putting a lot of pressure on the quality of the driver being used. Hence, single driver speakers design is very critical and involved as the designer has to voice the driver to really sound great. Add to that fact how demanding most audiophiles are, there is a lot of pressure on the product to deliver musically.

The Bass:
The quality and quantity of bass these headphones provide is directly related with the seal you are able to achieve through the fit kit. I had to go through a few to figure out what was best for me and finally settled on using the smaller of the two tri-flanges provided. However, I had to cut of the front piece to make it into a bi-flange and it was PERFECT. The comfort, the sound and the overall presentation just clicked and I knew I had found my fit. This is a VERY important part to achieve a good listening experience with these earphones so do experiment with your fit kit and get it right. You will definitely be rewarded.

The bass quality in the Monster Turbine Pros is very high. The bass is textured and accurate while providing very good heft. Many earphones do this to varying degrees, but the finesse and refinement these Turbine Pros do it with is very commendable. The bass evolves in every note, does it's job and moves back into silence very neatly. This allows for a very nice foundation for the music to progress with.

For example, with Jay Seans new RnB disc "All or Nothing", the track "Ride It" starts a very nice drum intro with the cymbals integrated within. The bass quality is solid and really excites you to hear what comes next. The foundation provided by the bass is clear and exciting.

On the album "Breaking Silence" by Janis Ian on Analogue Productions 24k Gold Limited CD, the track "All roads to the river" the natural tonality of the bass can be clearly heard. The bass guitars heft and amplification comes through like her band was playing right there for you. Bass isn't exaggerated or bloated in any way. It is JUST right as you would be hearing in reality if someone was playing a bass guitar JUST for you. The bass doesn't try to unnaturally seek your attention. It just let's you feel it's presence and simply integrates with the rest of the sonic spectrum. Nicely done Monster.

On the the CD layer of Analogue Productions masterpiece SACD Jazz album "Page One" by Joe Henderson, the pure energy and cohesiveness of the earphones bass shine through. "Blue Bossa" has a beautiful... Read more ›