Mackie MP-120 Professional In-Ear Monitors Review

Reviewed by Gabby Bloch

The Mackie MP-120 is the lowest priced IEM in the Mackie line. But price doesn’t always dictate quality. Could the MP-120 be as good, if not better than the higher priced models? Let’s find out in this Mackie MP-120 Professional In-Ear Monitors Review.

IN the BOX – Mackie MP-120 Professional In-Ear Monitors Review

Hard molded case

Gold-plated ⅛” to ¼” adapter

Foam tips: s,m,l

Silicone tips: s,m,l

Double flange: s,m,l

FIT and DESIGN – Mackie MP-120 Professional In-Ear Monitors Review

I absolutely love the design on Mackie’s IEMs. These musicians’ monitors are super easy to fit in your ears, and they provide pretty good isolation from your crazy fans. Light, with a sturdy and shiny plastic, the housings are designed to fit perfectly to the contour of your ears.

The cable has detachable MMCX connectors that swivel. And the cable is hardcore; internally braided with an outer shielding that makes it look and feel very durable. The MP-120 is equipped with a single driver and is designed to deliver a serious bass response, along with crystal clear highs. Let’s see if this claim holds up.

SOUND – Mackie MP-120 Professional In-Ear Monitors Review

Extremely realistic and clear with great separation, these IEM’s are perfect for any kind of musician and pop music lover. Let’s see the breakdown.

Lows

We’ve got some serious lows here! The bass is deeeep with a ton of grip. It’s not an extremely dry sound, but it has good clarity, and the lows don’t muddy the rest of the mix too much. Pop, hip-hop and EDM sound perfect on these buds. Certainly, if you’re a drummer or bass player, you’re going to love these.

Mids

The higher mid range is a little emphasized, while the lower mid range is less pronounced. But it’s still a pretty full sound. Vocals have great presence, so these IEMs are perfect for singers too. The clarity is impressive too; subtle background acoustic guitars, for example, come out very clearly. You definitely feel like you’re on stage listening to these babies. Great transparency in this range.

Highs

Out of all the frequency ranges, the highs have the most clarity. Listening to Miles Davis’ trumpet, I heard a lot of texture, even though his highest notes didn’t kill my ears. Then I tried out Whitney Houston. The subtlest vibrato in her voice was clearly audible. Sibilance free too!

Soundstage

Perhaps not as much width or depth as the higher priced models, but the imaging still sounded spot on.

SUMMARY – Mackie MP-120 Professional In-Ear Monitors Review

Wow. Who knew that 100 bucks could get you such a great in-ear monitor. “Realistic” is the word that defines the MP-120.  In terms of mid range fullness, I almost like these buds more than the MP-220. But both are great. If you’re a performer, you’re going to love the MP-120. And even if you’re not a musician, but you listen primarily to pop, these IEM’s are perfect for you too.

Impedance: 32 Ohms

Frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHz

Cable length: 59.1 in. / 150 cm