Function: Universal In-Ear Monitors
Price: $399
Overview: When we first heard Fender was making in-ear monitors, we have to admit we were immensely curious; after all, the legendary guitar and amp company makes the most famous instruments and amplifiers on the planet! After doing some digging, we discovered that Fender had acquired Aurisonics last year, one of the most innovative IEM companies in the business. Working together with the original Aurisonics team, Fender has released their first line of in-ear monitors, which currently features five universal-fit models. For our review, we choose the FXA6, which uses a combination of a Hybrid-Dynamic Balanced Armature and a custom 9.25 rare-earth driver to deliver a gigantic sound.
Features: The drivers of the FXA6 are housed in a 3D printed Digital Hybrid Technology housing, the result of scanning thousands of people’s ears to find the shell that fits 95% of ears, making the experience as close to a custom IEM fit as possible. FXA6 comes with 3 sizes of sureseal™ tips along with a cleaning tool and ¼” to 1/8” adapter in a black, rigid zip-case. The sureseal™ tips provide a fantastic seal and almost as much isolation as my custom molds, and in fact fit better than a few of my custom IEMs. In place of the traditional balanced armatures, FXA 6 sports a single Hybrid-Dynamic Balanced Armature (HDBA) tweeter and a custom 9.25mm precision rare-earth driver, allowing the monitors to achieve a stunning 6Hz-22kHz frequency response. FXA6 comes in red or metallic black colors.
Sound: The unique combination of drivers in the FXA6 makes them sound unlike anything we’ve ever heard! The low end definitely steals the show in these monitors as bass is unbelievably deep and has a life-like, three-dimensional quality that you can almost feel rattling your chest (it’s hard to describe, but you have to hear it to believe it!). This is partially due to the perfect fit that the ears deliver thanks to the 3D printed enclosure and the sureseal™ tips. The Hybrid-Dynamic Balanced Armature tweeter provides a bright, crisp top end and the upper mids are present and punchy. FXA6 provides incredibly good stereo image especially in the upper midrange and higher frequencies, which we’ve often found to be a weakness in universal-fit ears. A perfect IEM for drummers and bass players, the FXA6 are a ton of fun on stage and sound great as everyday headphones, especially for rock and electronic music.
Church Use: Ideal universal IEM for drummers, bass players or musicians who like to emphasize bass in their mix. Ideal IEM for rotating musician team.
