Sonic Truth

Twelve years ago, Jerry Harvey was crouching over a soldering iron backstage at a Van Halen concert. He was crafting a pair of headphones for the band's drummer, Alex, so he could hear over his thunderous kit and screaming fans. Today, Harvey is still trying to emulate live sound with an in-ear monitor. This is the closest he's come. Custom-molded for it's owners ears, the UE11s pack four drivers and a labyrinth of sound-shaping tunnels in UV acrylic casing. Two of these miniature speakers are dedicated to bass, the hardest tone to reproduce. The other two are focused, one each, on treble and mid-range. How do they sound? Ask Van Halen-the reconstruction band has already ordered several pairs.

UE11:$1,150, ultimateears.com