The M6 Pro In-Ear Monitors are in-ear headphones aimed at musicians who need to invest in their first pair of in-ear monitors but need to do so on a budget. They can also work as backups for more expensive in-ears or even at the gym or for daily listening.
The M6 Pros cost $50 on Amazon and the MEE audio website. The clear version of the monitors are even priced at $42 on Amazon as I write this review.
With these monitors being so cheap (the lowest cost solution on the market that I’ve found), I wanted to see if they live up to the hype and find out if they’re actually usable for live monitoring at rehearsal and on stage.
My normal in-ear headphones weren’t cutting it for practice, so MEE audio was kind of to send out a pair of their monitors for me to demo and review for you guys. With that said, all opinions expressed in this article are my own.
In this review, I’ll cover the build quality of the monitors, the features, the fit, and the overall sound quality.
Now, let’s get to it:
Build Quality & Features of the M6 Pro Monitors
Overall, I think the M6 Pros are built fairly well, especially considering the price point.
Stock, the monitors come with two cables. One that includes a microphone and volume adjustment built directly into the cable and the other is simply a stand-alone cable. The first works well for use at the gym or when talking on the phone while the other works best when actually using these as in-ear monitors on stage or at practice.
One of the best features is that the headphones actually disconnect from the headphone cable itself:
Many in-ear monitors have this feature but still, there are some that don’t (like the AudioFly AF100s) which can be a large oversight in my opinion.
Having this feature means that if one of the actual earbuds break, that earbud can be replaced instead of the entire in-ear monitor set. The same is also true if the cable breaks. Which if you’ve ever used in-ear headphones, you know the cable gets caught and tugged on a lot. Especially, at the gym when using equipment.
All of these pieces, replacement cables and the left and right earbuds, are sold separately on the MEE audio website here.
How Do They Fit?
Overall, I like the fit of these in-ear monitors. The headphone earbuds include a formable cable that can be wrapped around your ear which helps to create a tight fit around the ear and keeps the monitors from falling out.
The best way to fit them in your ear is to straighten the wire so that it points straight up and place the monitors into your ear:
Then, wrap the cable around the back of your ear and push it tight:
The cable will secure tightly and stick in place.
To really get the most out of these in-ear monitors, or really any in-ear monitors or headphones, you really need to try out each of the earphone tips to find which ones fit you the best. This is especially important to keep the monitors secure and to block out sound properly. Thus, protecting your hearing.
The M6 Pros come with 6 different pairs of silicone tips and a pair of memory foam tips:
Personally, I like the foam tips the best. They fit me the best and block out the most sound in my opinion. The largest round silicone tips also fit me well.
When fitting the foam tips in your ear, squeeze the tips to compress the foam, place them in your ear and allow the foam to expand back to place. Then, fit the M6 Pro cable behind your ear.
How Do the M6 Pro In-Ear Monitors Sound & Perform?
To be honest, I wasn’t immediately blown away by the sound quality of the M6 Pros. But, after some experimenting and comparing them with a few other pairs of headphones, I think the audio quality is comparable to many others at this price point (and even some that are more expensive). The main difference between these and comparable headphones are the frequencies that seem to be emphasized.
For instance, I found the M6 Pros to lack quite a bit of bass but the mids and highs sound pretty clear. Comparing them with the AudioFly AF100 in-ear monitors (which cost $90), I found the AF100s to have a bit more bass response but sounded a bit muddy and lacked the clarity that the M6 Pros had in the mids and highs.
I think this is really a matter of preference in how you like your monitors to sound. When testing them live at rehearsal, I preferred the M6 Pros to the AF100s.
I thought I was able to better hear the mix as a whole and my guitar a bit clearer. I also preferred the fit of the M6 Pros much better. They fit in the ear better and unlike the Af100s, the M6 Pros have a flexible cable that you can bend around your ear. This allows you to form the monitors around the back of your ear whereas the AF100s have a preformed loop that wraps around your ear.
This helps the M6 Pros feel much more secure.
Conclusion: Are The M6 Pros Worth Buying?
In short, yes. I believe the M6 Pro In-Ear Monitors are worth the price.
While I will say that the sound quality isn’t the greatest I’ve ever heard, they work well for what they were built for: budget in-ear live monitoring. I’d also say that the audio quality is comparable to other models in the $50 to $100 price range with the main differences being in the frequencies that are emphasized.
The M6 Pros have clear, more pronounced mids and highs whereas they lack a bit of bass. It all depends on your preference. I’m a guitarist in a heavy rock band and I find that these headphones allow me to hear my guitar tone clearly. I think they’d also work well for vocalists.
Overall, at this price point and considering the earbuds are detachable, the cable is bendable to create a snug fit, and the monitor set comes with multiple cables, a 1/4″ adapter, multiple ear tips, and carrying case, these monitors are a great value at $50.
Personally, I’ll be using them at practice for the foreseeable future until I have the money to invest in custom in-ear molds.
Again, these headphones can be purchased on Amazon for $50 here.
I hope you found this review helpful, and if you have any questions about these monitors, leave them in the comments below and I will do my best to try to answer them.
