Mee M6 Pro 2nd Generation

By labelling its latest pair of earphones, the M6 Pro 2nd Generations, ‘professional monitor earphones’, Mee Audio is aiming them at musical types. With a budget price tag of just £40, the company will also hope that these in-ears have a wider appeal too. The Mee Audio M6 Pro 2nd Generations certainly look like a decent pair of ‘pro’ earphones. Removable cabling drapes over your ears to increase stability and decrease microphonics, and the translucent cable sheath is a little classier than plain black too.

But up close, flaws in the M6 Pro 2nd Generations' design become more obvious. Their standard dynamic drivers look like part of an A-level project – transparent designs work best when you have something to show off, but there’s not much to see here.

There's no in-line remote, but that's common among pro earphones. It may take a while to get used to the shape-holding part of the cable by the earpiece, which is less malleable than some rivals.

Once fitted properly, these M6 Pros will do the job for running and the gym, as well as checking sound levels on stage. They are IPX5 rated, so can handle sweat.

These 2nd Generations are significantly better than the

original model, but the core characteristics remain the same. Mee Audio has beefed up the sound so that the thin sensibility of the original is gone, however, the sharp treble remains.

The 2nd Generations lack the high-quality drivers needed to pull off this signature without obvious harshness. Songs packed with sibilants are fatiguing, as sharp sounds crowd the ear. Outside the higher frequencies, it's better – bass is deep, punchy and well-balanced for an affordable earphone.

Like a pro

That energetic treble also throws shade on the mids, making you appreciate the solid midrange texture that is here, particularly in vocals. However, the fact that those mids are not a tangled mess goes some way to justifying that ‘pro’ tag in more than just the design.

Dynamics are decent at the price too, even though rivals such as the Beyerdynamic Soul Byrds and Soundmagic E11s offer a much more cohesive sound. The Mee Audio M6 Pro 2nd Generations are ‘professional’ IEMS at an entry-level price, and though an improvement over the original M6 Pros, a sharp and granular treble is their defining quality. It is hard to recommend them fully.