Ultimate Ears UE 6 PRO Custom In-ear Monitors Review

While many people may know Ultimate Ears (UE) for their Boom Series of speakers, they have a rather robust line of professional in-ear monitors. Last year, Ultimate Ears updated its entire line of custom in-ear monitors (CIEMs). As a result, we requested the Ultimate Ears UE 6 PRO Custom In-ear Monitors for review.

7 Ultimate Ears Styles to Choose From

UE currently has 7 different in-ear monitors:

• $499 – UE 5 Pro
• $699 – UE 6 Pro
• $899 UE 7 Pro
• $1199 – UE 11 Pro
• $999 – UE Reference Remastered
• $1,499 – UE 18+ Pro
• $2,199 – UE Live

While these models may look similar, they offer a different array of drivers. That goes from the two-way crossover of the UE 5 Pro headphones to the 5-way UE Live model. Make no mistake—you get what you pay for in terms of technology.

If you absolutely have a penchant for good in-ear monitors—by all means, use the Ultimate Ears as your everyday headphones. More realistically, however, these are going to work best for professional musicians and recording artists. In general, the nature of inserting and removing custom-molded in-ear monitors makes them cumbersome for when you need to be able to take them out at a moment’s notice. At least, that’s the case with my ears. They’re also overbuilt for general use—including features like removable (IPX System) cables and an IP67 rating that makes them perfect for use under hot stage lights.

Inside the Ultimate Ears UE 6 Pro Custom In-ear Monitors

As the standard models provide visual access to the internals, you can’t help but see the tech within the UE 6 Pros. This model uses two 6mm neodymium dynamic drivers to cover bass and mids, and a True Tune balanced armature for the highs. Ultimate Ears brings everything together with a 3-way crossover.

Customizing Your UE Pro In-ear Monitors

The IPX Connection system lets you remove the cables. That not only protects your investment, it also lets you utilize different lengths or even purchase UE’s Bluetooth cable option for wireless freedom.

There are 13 colors available for the UE 6 Pros. In addition, you can add a custom logo, add a silver or gold “halo” ring around the edge, or just pay to remove the UE logo.

How They Sound

We’ve worn the Ultimate Ears UE 6 PRO Custom In-ear Monitors for several months. The isolation properties work wonderfully. Active noise-canceling headphones often introduce artifacts. They also rely on batteries to operate at peak fidelity. With the Ultimate Ears UE 6 PRO in-ear monitors, you get around 26 dB SPL isolation. Whether you’re a budding musician or you want a pair of custom in-ear monitors for a higher-quality listening experience, the UE 6 PROs will deliver.

I immediately noticed powerful and punchy bass that didn’t override the pristine highs created by the balanced armature. These in-ear monitors also provide lots of comfort. You might expect that from the custom-molded process, but materials also play a role. I took an international flight with the UE 6 PRO monitors in my ears for no less than 9 hours straight. I am currently unable to do that with nearly any other headphones or in-ear products and report zero discomfort.

These in-ear monitors are very comfortable.

After listening to movie soundtracks, watching dozens of feature films, singing live on-stage, and enjoying hours and hours of classic rock, the Ultimate Ears UE 6 PRO Custom In-ear Monitors more than justify their price. They also sound nearly identical whether using them as wired monitors or wireless Bluetooth headphones. I swapped back and forth often depending upon my needs.

You can pick up a pair of UE 6 Pro Monitors for $699. Add some costs for a custom mold if you don’t already have one on file. Remember, Ultimate Ears has quite a few models, so check out their website to see if a different model more closely fits your needs.