The Monster Ear Shadow X ranks #310 out of 1253 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Monster
Prices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#310 Monster Ear Shadow X: $59.90 eBay
Pros: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 76 against the Harman target.
Cons: Treble about 3 dB below target from 3 to 10 kHz, which can sound dull or veiled next to brighter headphones.
Is the Monster Ear Shadow X right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 76).
- your taste runs warm: it scores 86 for that sound.
- you are sensitive to bright or sharp treble (treble sits 2.6 dB below target).
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated EPZ G10 costs about $36 less.
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.75 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 76 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 76.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 187 Hz | -2.2 dB | 0.91 |
| Peak | 5,542 Hz | +5.9 dB | 2.30 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 41.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.3 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 174 Hz | -2.1 dB | 0.65 |
| Peak | 703 Hz | +1.0 dB | 2.77 |
| Peak | 1,224 Hz | -0.9 dB | 4.91 |
| Peak | 5,541 Hz | +5.9 dB | 2.30 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -3.7 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 22.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -10.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 182 Hz | -3.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,257 Hz | -1.1 dB | 4.51 |
| Peak | 2,476 Hz | +2.2 dB | 5.01 |
| Peak | 3,894 Hz | -1.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,345 Hz | +2.8 dB | 0.53 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -3.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 93 out of 100, up from 86.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 174 Hz | -1.9 dB | 0.87 |
| Peak | 716 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.01 |
| Peak | 1,369 Hz | -0.9 dB | 2.65 |
| Peak | 3,235 Hz | -1.0 dB | 2.76 |
| Peak | 5,775 Hz | +4.5 dB | 3.76 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 74.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 187 Hz | -2.2 dB | 0.91 |
| Peak | 5,543 Hz | +5.9 dB | 2.30 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 83 out of 100, up from 28.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -8.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 174 Hz | -2.1 dB | 0.65 |
| Peak | 5,047 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.63 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 78 out of 100, up from 66.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,895 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.44 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Monster Ear Shadow X measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the median of 3 independent measurements, so one odd sample or rig cannot skew it, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: median of 3 measurements from the squig.link databases of boizoff, breampike and iemocean. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.