Function: Signal buffer for IEM
Price: $149
Overview: I’ll admit it, I was a bit skeptical when I heard about a buffer device for in-ear monitors that cost $149, but after one rehearsal with the Line Drive, my IEM experience will never be the same! Line Drive is an accessory that plugs in between your in-ear monitor and any source to provide the ideal audio fidelity between the two. Approximately the size of a pack of gum, Line Drive comes with an extra set of batteries and a 3.5mm stereo input cable.
Features: Line Drive acts as a buffer between in-ear monitors and your audio source, such as a wireless pack, Aviom system, or even your headphone output on your phone. Traditionally, portable devices such as iPods, wireless packs and even Aviom systems have trouble driving low-impedance multi-driver in-ear monitors and the audio can sound thin, especially extreme lows and highs. Line Drive acts as an impedance transformer for the source and allows IEMs to function at their ideal performance level. Cutting the technical jargon, it means that no matter what brand IEMs you own, your in-ears will sound how their creators intended them to sound every time you plug them in no matter what source you plug into.
Sound: No exaggeration, the transformation of my in-ears after I used Line Drive was nothing short of a miracle. As an owner of several pairs of custom IEMs including the UE7 Pro, I had the opportunity to test Line Drive with multiple pairs of custom in-ears of different brands, and different sources including Aviom systems, wireless Shure packs, headphone amplifiers at different price points, and my iPhone. In every situation, the audio was significantly fuller and more balanced. Lows were full and punchy and highs were smooth and crisp, while upper mids were not harsh at all. Possibly the biggest difference I noticed was in transient attack. Drums and percussion felt like they were forward in the mix and sounded huge, compared to the far-away sounding drums I often experienced plugging straight into Aviom systems and cheaper headphone amps. Line Drive is a game-changer when it comes to in-ear monitors, making any source sound leaps and bounds clearer and fuller and provides consistency to your IEM experience.
