Skip to main content

Fender’s first line of earbuds debut, for pros and audiophiles

You don’t have to be a musician to be familiar with the Fender name. It’s appeared on guitars and amps used by musicians of countless genres. Now the name is going to be appearing somewhere else — your ears.

Yesterday the company announced a new line of in-ear headphones dubbed the Fender In-Ear Monitor Series. Ranging in price from $100 to $500, the five-model lineup seems to be aimed at musicians and other audio professionals, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also function as your personal in-ears as well.

Recommended Videos

“The launch of the Fender In-Ear Monitor Series is an exciting step in the expansion of our product offering,” Fender’s Jim Ninesling said in the announcement. “Fender is committed to delivering innovative products and services that accompany players at every stage of their musical experience. We believe serious players and discriminating audiophiles alike will appreciate both the design and performance of Fender IEM’s, setting the stage for further additions to this new line in the future.

Instead of starting from scratch, Fender is using technology and engineering know-how acquired in its 2015 purchase of Aurisonics. Every model in the line features SureSeal tips, a cleaning tool, and a deluxe carrying case. The higher-end models feature 3D-printed Digital Hybrid Technology (DHT) shells, which Fender says “fit 95 percent of ears like an expensive custom-molded monitor.”

The top-of-the-line FXA7 sells for $500 and features dual Hybrid-Dynamic-tuned Balanced Armature Array (HDBA) drivers alongside a custom 9.25mm precision rare-earth driver, and a claimed frequency range of 6Hz to 24kHz. The $400 FXA6 trades down to a single balanced armature driver, but keeps the rare-earth driver, and provides a frequency range that is still impressive at a claimed 6Hz to 22kHz. For $300, the FXA5 offers dual balanced armatures and a claimed frequency response of 19Hz to 21kHz.

Looking at the (comparatively) more affordable options, the FXA2 sells for $200, still offers the 9.25mm rare-earth driver as well as the same bass port and DHT shell offered in the above models, and has a frequency range of 6Hz to 23kHz. Finally, for $100, the DXA1 drops the rare-earth driver and DHT shell, opting for a 8.5mm titanium micro driver, with a claimed frequency response of 14Hz to 22kHz.

Each model has its own specific purpose — the FXA2 is aimed at drummers and bass players, for example — so see the Fender website for more details. The entire line will be available for purchase in March.

Kris Wouk
Former Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Nothing’s Ear 1’s really are nothing like your usual true wireless earbuds
Nothing Ear 1 earbud in someone's ear.

After months of teasing and a near-constant drip-feed of information, Nothing has fully announced the Ear 1 true wireless earbuds, and they're visually unlike any we've seen before. Anticipation has been high due to Nothing being the new tech company formed by Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, after he left the smartphone maker in September 2020, along with the release of some very intriguing concept images revealed early on.

The Ear 1 are not designed like your usual, boring true wireless earbuds. The stems are transparent, revealing the circuit board, magnets, and microphones inside, along with delicate, pixel-art style branding, plus a cute red dot to differentiate the right-hand earbud. They’re attached to a white oval body that houses an 11.6mm driver. The sound has been tuned by Teenage Engineering, a company with considerable experience in audio products, for balanced bass, mids, and treble.

Read more
Nothing’s Ear 1 earbuds will cost $99, have noise canceling upon July 27 debut
Nothing Concept 1 teaser image.

It has taken a while, but we now know a little more about the first product from new technology company Nothing. The Nothing Ear 1 true wireless earbuds will launch at 2 p.m. BST on July 27 in the U.K., which is 6 a.m. PT and 9 a.m. ET in the U.S. They will cost $99 USD and though much still remains unknown about their design, Nothing has confirmed that they will feature "state-of-the-art" active noise cancellation (ANC) and each earbud will sport three high-definition microphones.

Along with the announcement of the price and ANC capability, Nothing released a new teaser image on Instagram, which it describes as "a close up of Ear 1."

Read more
Marshall debuts the $179 Mode II, its first true wireless earbuds
Marshall Mode II

Marshall, the iconic British guitar amplifier brand, has revealed its first set of true wireless earbuds, the $179 Mode II. The earbuds are available for pre-order today, with shipping starting March 18.

And just in case you're not obsessively paying attention to tech publications like Digital Trends, Marshall intends to make everyone aware of these new earbuds (plus its $319 Monitor II ANC and $149 Major IV wireless headphones) via a "Never Stop Listening" ad campaign featuring none other than veteran punk rocker Iggy Pop.

Read more