Monster iSport Earphones Are Completely Waterproof (And We Mean, Completely) [Review]

By

monster-isport-2a

Review by Jordan Trimas

It’s nice to know that when I get caught in the rain with my headphones on, I don’t have to anxiously hide them if I’m wearing the Monster iSport Immersion In-Ear Headphones ($180). Did your kid spill his Kool-Aid on them? They’re machine washable!

 

The Good: 

Did I mention they’re completely waterproof? Just for kicks, we dunked the eartips in a jar full of water, pulled them out and plugged them in. No problems.

Build quality is excellent. They feel extremely durable, and incorporate the same Magnetic Fluxtube technology found in Monster speaker cables. Though I wouldn’t tie one end to a tree and the other to a horse, these things feel like they’re built to take a beating.

The iSports’ flat cord is also virtually tangle-free, and has a very flat right-angle jack that stays nicely flush with my iPhone and out of the way. With a full range of eartip sizes and five sets of unique in-ear clip stabilizers, they are likely to give most ears a snug fit .

Sound quality is very good, with crisp sound all around and nice tonal range; it’s also not too bassy, which is pretty surprising for a set from Monster. The inline mic did its job well, with only the occasional complaint about background noise. Most of the time, my voice came through loud and clear.

The volume and play/pause skip forward/back track inline controls are also helpful.

 

 The Bad: 

They could perform better in the low range with a little more bass. At this price, the bass performance should be better; the iSports came in a little under par.

Rather than a clip that fits around the outside of the ear, Monster designed the iSports with a unique in-ear clip. They aren’t quite as comfortable as they should be, as I did find that wearing them long-term wore me down a little and I had to adjust them more than I’d like to with less than aggressive use. I had some fitting issues, as I often do, and Monster could have done a bit better with the design of the snap-on stabilizers.

Monster could also have configured the skip forward/back track controls to allow for more time between clicks. You have to be a darn quick shooter otherwise you’ll just pause and play your tunes.

 

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Verdict: 

Monster has created a pair of sturdily built, waterproof IEMs that’ll stand up to any outdoor adventure you can muster, and then some. Could be a little more comfy.

[xrr rating=80%]

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