San Diego, CA (July 8, 2026)—Sony has long served studio pros with technologies like its 360VME Virtual Mixing Environment platform, MDR-MV1 mixing headphones and the de rigueur microphone of hip-hop, the C-800G studio tube condenser mic. Now it’s eyeing the live sound market with today’s launch of its new IER-M500 in-ear monitors.
While they carry an entry-level price, Sony is positioning the IER-M500s as a serious professional stage monitoring tool, underlining that it is not a crossover consumer product. Accordingly, the IEMs have been developed in collaboration with monitoring engineers to provide a secure, stable fit, and attain additional sound isolation onstage with a thin polyurethane wall inside the IEM itself.
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Within the IER-M500s is a dynamic driver and a large acoustic chamber, shaped to help produce deep, controlled bass; meanwhile, the internal structure has reportedly been optimized to aid high-frequency reproduction.
The new IEMs are available in three options—red & blue; black; and clear—and come with four different eartip options to provide a secure fit. Flexible ear supporters are also provided to help with stability as needed so that the IER-M500s don’t fall out at a crucial moment. Connecting the IEMs to the RF pack of your choice is a 1.6m detachable cable.
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Available for pre-sale at $119.99 starting today, the IER-M500s are expected to deliver in late August 2026.