How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• MEE audio Professional MX4 — biggest strength: a four-driver hybrid setup (10mm dynamic subwoofer plus three balanced armatures) tuned for linear bass and reference-level detail, wrapped in a fully modular design where every part is interchangeable across the MX PRO series.
• MEE audio Professional MX4 — biggest trade-off: it's the bulkier, more complicated ownership experience here — detachable cables, memory wire, a 12-ohm load that wants a clean source, and a one-year warranty versus Westone's two.
• Westone Audio — biggest strength: a genuinely light, low-fatigue design (6 g per earpiece) with a dual balanced-armature driver system, a Linum BAX T2 silver-plated copper cable, and a 50-inch cable that's built for long sessions.
• Westone Audio — biggest trade-off: it's simpler by design — no hybrid dynamic driver for sub-bass slam, no modular upgrade path, and a 2.5mm jack that may need an adapter for everyday gear.
• Pick the MX4 if you want one monitor you can grow with, from universal fit to custom tips and engraved faceplates.
• Pick the Westone if you want a featherweight, plug-in-and-go reference monitor for stage and long rehearsals.
The MX4 PRO is MEE audio's flagship in the MX PRO in-ear monitor line, and the spec sheet explains why. Four drivers do the work: a 10mm dynamic driver handling the low end and three balanced armatures covering the rest. That hybrid arrangement is the whole point — a dynamic driver moves air for that linear, physical bass, while balanced armatures stay crisp and detailed up top. The tuning is described as balanced, and the claimed frequency range runs 20 Hz to 20 kHz, so nothing in the audible spectrum is obviously missing.
What makes the MX4 unusual is the modular philosophy. MEE audio builds every part and accessory to be interchangeable across the MX1, MX2, MX3 and MX4 PRO, and the box ships with two detachable cables — an audio-only cable plus a spare headset cable with an inline mic and remote for phones and tablets. You get a carrying case, Comply memory foam tips, four pairs of silicone tips, two pairs of shirt clips, and a ¼-inch adapter. That's a full working kit, not a bare pair of buds.
The upgrade path is the real differentiator. At any point you can order 3D-printed custom-fit eartips molded to your ears, and swap in engraved metal faceplates using stock artwork or your own design. Very few universal monitors let you drift that far toward a custom monitor without buying a new set.
So who should buy it? Working musicians and engineers who want one reference monitor they can adapt over time — universal today, custom later — and who value replaceable cables because cables are what fail first. Who should skip it? Anyone who wants zero setup and zero fuss. The MX4 is sweat-resistant and built to last, but it's a 12-ohm load, it's heavier at 22.68 g, and it asks you to think about tips, cables and earhooks. If that sounds like a hobby you don't want, keep reading.
Westone's Mach 20 takes the opposite approach: strip it down and make it disappear in your ears. It uses a dual balanced-armature system — one driver for lows, one for mid/high — and Westone describes the result as a big, punchy low end with a quality soundstage. The numbers back the "easy to drive" story in a different way: 96 ohms impedance and 110 dB sensitivity, with a 20 Hz to 18 kHz range. Note that top end of 18 kHz: it's slightly narrower than the MX4's 20 kHz, though for most musical material nobody will notice.
The headline for me is weight and comfort. Each earpiece is listed at just 6 g, and the design is explicitly pitched at all-day use with no ear fatigue. The enclosure is copper, the earpiece shape is a rounded tip, and the finish is gray and black. If you've ever pulled monitors out after a three-hour rehearsal because your ears were aching, that spec line matters more than any driver count.
The cable deserves its own paragraph. Westone ships the Mach 20 with a Linum ESTRON BaX T2 cable — thin, ultra-strong, silver-plated copper — and it terminates in a 2.5mm jack. It's a genuine high-end reference cable, and at 50 inches (127 cm) it gives you room to move on stage. The trade-off: 2.5mm is a balanced-style connector, so if your phone, laptop or mixer only has a 3.5mm output, you'll need the right adapter. That's a real friction point worth knowing before you buy.
The kit is solid and practical: five pairs of foam tips plus five pairs of silicone, an impact-resistant Monitor Vault, a cloth pouch, a cleaning tool and a cable band. And Westone backs the shell and internal components with a two-year warranty — a year longer than MEE audio's.
Buy the Mach 20 if you want a light, low-hassle reference monitor for stage, worship bands, or long practice sessions, and you already have a source that plays nicely with a 2.5mm plug. Skip it if you want deep hybrid sub-bass, a modular upgrade path, or a cable you can swap out yourself — the Mach 20 doesn't offer those.
• Best for deep, physical bass → MEE audio Professional MX4. The 10mm dynamic subwoofer is doing something a dual balanced-armature set simply isn't built to do.
• Best for all-day comfort → Westone Audio. At 6 g per earpiece with an ergonomic, fatigue-free design, it's the lighter monitor by a wide margin.
• Best for long-term ownership and repairs → MEE audio Professional MX4. Detachable, replaceable cables and fully interchangeable parts across the MX PRO series mean a broken cable isn't a dead monitor.
• Best for a clean, low-clutter setup → Westone Audio. One cable, a vault, a pouch, done. No earhooks to fit, no modular decisions to make.
• Best upgrade path to custom fit → MEE audio Professional MX4. Order 3D-printed custom tips and engraved faceplates whenever you're ready.
• Best for sensitive sources and easy volume → Westone Audio. At 110 dB sensitivity and 96 ohms, it reaches loud levels without demanding much from your gear.
• Best for plugging into phones, laptops and consumer gear → MEE audio Professional MX4. The 3.5mm jack and included headset cable with mic and remote are built for everyday devices; the Westone's 2.5mm plug may need an adapter.
• Best warranty coverage → Westone Audio, with two years on the shell and internal components versus one year for the MX4.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd take the MEE audio Professional MX4. I like that it's a system rather than a sealed product — the quad-driver hybrid gives me the bass foundation I want from a reference monitor, the two included cables mean I'm covered for both studio and phone use, and the custom-tip and faceplate path means it can grow with me instead of being replaced. The one-year warranty and the fussier fit are real costs, and I won't pretend otherwise.
That said, I'd recommend the Westone Audio Mach 20 without hesitation to anyone who prioritizes weight and endurance above all: 6 g per side, a fatigue-free design, a beautiful silver-plated copper cable, and a two-year warranty. It's the monitor I'd hand to a touring player who wants to forget they're wearing anything. Decide which of those two priorities is yours, and the choice makes itself.
what is studio monitor headphones
Studio monitor headphones are built to reproduce audio as neutrally as possible rather than flatter it, so you hear what's actually in the mix. Both monitors here are tuned for reference work — the MX4 via its quad-driver hybrid setup, the Mach 20 via its dual balanced-armature system.
what are reference studio headphones
Reference headphones aim for a flat, uncolored response so you can trust what you hear when mixing or performing. The MEE audio MX4 PRO is explicitly described as high-resolution reference sound with balanced tuning, while Westone positions the Mach 20 as a professional musician's monitor with a true high-end reference cable.
what are studio monitor headphones
They're in-ear or over-ear monitors designed for accurate playback in studio and stage environments, often with strong noise isolation. Both models here are in-ear designs with passive isolation — the MX4 via its sealed fit and Comply foam tips, the Mach 20 via its sound-isolating rounded-tip enclosure.
can you connect headphones to monitor
Yes — in-ear monitors plug into whatever output your gear has. The MX4 PRO uses a standard 3.5mm jack and even includes a headset cable with a mic and remote for smartphones and tablets, while the Westone Mach 20 terminates in a 2.5mm jack, so you may need an adapter for 3.5mm sources.
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