NAMM 2022: Audeze Manny Marroquin Signature Series MM-500 Headphones
Audeze is introducing the Manny Marroquin Signature Series MM-500 headphones at NAMM 2022. Aimed at creators and pro audio users, the MM-500 share much of the technology of the high-end LCD-5, but at a much lower price point. That’s caught our attention for sure!
Audeze MM-500
Grammy award-winning mixing engineer Manny Marroquin recently joined Audeze as their new head of professional products. With a long list of credits spanning from Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Post Malone, he clearly brings an impressive amount of expertise and professional insight to the company. The first product that came out of this exciting collaboration will be unveiled at NAMM: the new Audeze Manny Marroquin Signature Series MM-500 headphones.
Audeze developed the MM-500 in collaboration with Manny Marroquin · Source: Audeze
While Audeze hasn’t officially announced the full specs of the new headphones yet, some information is already floating around on the internet. And the specs sound very promising indeed.
Just like the company’s flagship LCD-5, the new MM-500 are over-ear, open-back headphones with 90 mm planar drivers and Fluxor magnet arrays comprised of Neodymium N50 magnets. The headphones feature Ultra-Thin Uniforce diaphragms designed to minimize distortion. Like the LCD-5, the MM-500 delivers a maximum SPL of over 130 dB. The frequency response of 5 Hz to 50 kHz is also the same. With an impedance of 18 ohms, the MM-500 should work with a wide range of equipment from consumer gadgets to professional gear, which makes them very versatile.
While the new headphones also look quite similar to the LCD-5, the manufacturer has apparently reengineered them for increased durability. This is also reflected by the slightly higher weight of 495 grams (compared to 420 grams for the LCD-5). The suspension system has also been optimized for increased comfort during long listening sessions.
Audeze MM-500 · Source: Audeze
Price and availability
What’s perhaps most surprising about this new announcement from Audeze is the price. Despite the fact that the MM-500 headphones deliver many of the same specs and features as the LCD-5, they’ll reportedly be available for an MSRP of just USD 1699. That’s obviously a far cry from the LCD-5’s exclusive 4.5k price tag. If these rumours are true, we think that the Audeze Manny Marroquin Signature Series MM-500 will cause quite a stir.
Once we find out when they’ll become available, we’ll update this post.
More information about the Audeze MM-500 headphones
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