ROAD
TEST
Sennheiser IE 40 Pro Dynamic
In-Ear Monitors
By Mike Rowland
A
t last, Sennheiser has introduced
its first professional-level in-ear
monitor headphone, the IE 40
Pro. The company touts the 10-
mm dynamic broadband driver
in each earpiece as its competi-
tive edge against its rivals in the category, which
offers a wide frequency response with a solid
bass foundation.
Overview
Diving into the specs, the IE 40 Pro offers a fre-
quency response of 20 Hz to 18 kHz, which is
slightly wider than its main competitors. When
running a tone generator, I was surprised how
well they produced a very audible 25 Hz up-
wards, but found the top end started to roll off
earlier than the advertised 18 kHz.
The IE 40 Pro offers up to 26dB of attenua-
tion, while some competing models can take off
an additional 10dB of environment noise. That’s
certainly something to consider when getting
into the world of IEMs, though your intended
applications are key to making an informed deci-
sion. What style of music are you playing? Which
kinds of venues? A bit of experimentation and
research will give you a good head start on your
ideal solution.
The IE 40 Pro comes with different memory
foam and rubber bud attachments to allow for
a variety of ear canal gauges and ensure a com-
fortable fit.
The patent-pending, proprietary in-ear cable
is removable and therefore replaceable should
it become intermittent or break; however,
20 CANADIAN MUSICIAN
Sennheiser touts the durability of the cable and
connectors as another key selling factor.
The cable, which loops up and over the ear,
is reinforced to give it some additional support.
The loop over the ear can be moved around and
manipulated to help secure the mould and keep
the mould in a sealed secure position.
The mould being detachable but “break-
proof” is also a nice reassurance considering
it addresses another point of potential failure,
and after testing it, I can confirm that it certainly
takes a lot of force to remove the cable from the
driver casing, which earns a thumbs-up from me
in terms of durability and trustworthiness. (That
said, I wouldn’t advise crowd surfing with these
on, in case anyone in the audience was thinking
of conducting the same test…)
For the record, some of my favourite listening
buds over the years have been the standard ones
that Sennheiser includes with its transmitters; I’ve
always found them lightweight and very com-
fortable to wear in addition to sounding really
good. I’m very happy to see (and feel) that the
company has built on these same pillars with
the IE 40 Pro.
In Use
When putting them on, the first thing I noticed
was just how comfortable they are! The slightly
rubberized cable creates a more “gripped” feel
along the back of your neck and the toggle easily
moves up to keep the cables pulled back and
in place.
Sonically, I must say I’m very impressed.
Comparing them to the aforementioned generic
Sennheiser buds that I know very well, they have
a little more information in the high mids and a
nice, full, rounded low mid. They certainly have a
warm characteristic, which is one of the reasons
I really liked their generic headphones. That also
means they’re less fatiguing when being worn
for extended periods – another plus.
While monitoring at lower levels, they don’t
cut quite as much as I’d like, but upon giving
them more level to move and breathe, they cer-
tainly come alive in their high mids. I’ll note they
also lack some sparkle and air in the top end, but
this is also typical in a single-driver headphone
and not a huge concern considering the feature
set, performance, and price point.
They’re packaged nicely, and along with the
variably-sized rubber and foam ends, the set
comes with a cleaning tool and small pouch for
storing your new IEMs.
For the price, I would absolutely recommend
these and even buy a pair myself. I am biased to
using these in a professional environment as I’m
lucky enough to use high-end custom moulds,
but since I never wear my custom moulds if I’m
not working, these certainly are now my go-to
headphones. They’re incredibly comfortable and
sound great, especially considering the price
point. If you’re looking to get into the world of
IEMs, Sennheiser’s IE 40 Pro is a great option.
Mike Rowland is a touring monitor engineer for the
likes of Daniel Caesar, Marianas Trench, AFI, Don
Broco, and others.