Sony IER-M500 In-Ear Monitor Earphones Announced
Sony has announced their wired IER-M500 In-Ear monitor headphones. While it is not mentioned in the press release, this is the Sony YY3012 I wrote about last month. I was not expecting such a quick announcement, but considering all of the imports were from March, it makes sense.
Providing a secure, comfortable fit for a wide range of performers, from aspiring musicians to seasoned professionals
- The IER-M500 In-ear Monitor earphones offer a secure, stable fit even during energetic stage performances
- High sound isolation for accurate monitoring
- Durable, stage-ready design with moisture-resistant construction and detachable cable built for frequent use
- Availability
The new IER-M500 is Sony’s entry/mid level in-ear monitor headphones. The earpieces are uniquely designed to provide a secure and comfortable fit. The earphones are bundled with fitting supporters in 5 varying shapes and sizes, along with 4 sizes of noise-isolating tips. The fitting supporters are colour paired with the headphones.
The tips appear to be the same model that ships with the WF-1000XM6, the EP-NI1010. I dislike these tips, as they tend to deteriorate rather quickly after regular use. I wish Sony would go back to the tips they shipped with the XBA headphones, silicone exterior and foam interior.
The bundled cable (1.6m) uses an MMCX connection. Edit, seems that no they do not, according to the AV-Watch article, the connector is a proprietary one. Meaning using third party cables could damage the earpieces and connection. Seriously Sony, wtf. Frustrating that this was not mentioned in the English press releases.
The headphones were developed in collaboration with monitoring engineers, using Sony’s decades of engineering expertise. The earpiece structure is fully sealed, with a large acoustic chamber, offering outstanding sound isolation, even in noisy live environments. The dynamic driver is 5mm. The absence of balanced armature driver(s), along with the M500 model name, could suggest higher end models in the future, perhaps IER-M700 and IER-M900?
The model is high-resolution compatible, supporting frequencies from 10 Hz to 40,000 Hz, and impedance rating of 16 Ω @ 1 kHz, and sensitivity 103 dB/mW.
The model uses recycled plastic, according to the EU press release, 35% of the plastic is from recycled sources. This information is missing from the North American release.
There are 3 colour options, black (B), clear (W), and red and blue (ZZ). Based off the photos, all of the colours appear to use a transparent plastic, with the W model being the most transparent. All the colours ship with black tips, even the clear model. This is rather odd, as Sony has white EP-NI1010 tips they used on their WF-1000XM6, so why not bundle them here with the clear colour?
A carrying case is included with the headphones.
The price is $119 USD, $169 CAD, 119 €, 499 PLN, or £99. There is no pricing for Australia right now or other regions.
Availability is August 2026 in EU/UK, and September 2026 in the US according to Amazon. You can pre-order below using my affiliate links.
Amazon US – IER-M500 – $119 USD
Amazon Germany – IER-M500 – 100 €
Overall I think the new IER-M500 model is a nice addition to the lineup. I am contemplating whether to pick up a pair to test them out, but I may wait a bit for a price drop first. The INZONE E9 did drop to a record low of $128 CAD here earlier this year in March, so perhaps the M500 will drop in price by the end of the year to around 109-119 range, and then I might pick up a pair.
Edit, AV-Watch has some hands on photos where the inside of the case is visible.
