Answers | Q&A (Week of 10.13.25)

Reviewing IEMs and Headphones

Question:

Question concerning In-Ear Monitors: lately, there has been a “boom” in the IEM market. From the introduction of a new JM-1 meta target to the release of more and more affordable excellence. In my opinion, we are experiencing the golden era when it comes to the development of IEMs. With it, we are also experiencing a massive drop in entry-level for the audiophile hobby. I would love to hear The Absolute Sound magazine’s opinion on this, given that you mostly review ultra high-end products and never, as far as I know, the humble IEM. I would also love to hear what the modern IEM means to seasoned audiophiles who have heard the best that Hi-Fi can offer, and finally, I would like to know why it is that a small corner is never reserved for an IEM review in the pages of your magazine.

—EVANGELOS POULOS

Answer:

We basically agree with your premise that headphones and IEMs are a point of entry for many people to the world of high-quality music reproduction. To that end, we have concen…