The MM-520 builds on the MM-500 with Audeze's new SLAM technology, targeting bass accuracy and spatial detail for mix engineers.
Audeze has updated its Manny Marroquin Signature Series with the MM-520 open-back professional headphones, a refresh of the well-regarded MM-500 that adds the company’s new SLAM technology – Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator – to the mix. The idea behind SLAM is that it optimises air pressure inside the earcup, improving low-frequency impact and soundstage transparency, without touching the mid-range neutrality that made the MM-500 a go-to for mix engineers.
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The MM-520 was developed in close collaboration with Marroquin, whose 18 Grammy wins across work with artists including Kanye West, Rihanna and Alicia Keys give him a fairly specific set of requirements from a monitoring headphone. The brief, as Audeze puts it, was to deliver mixes that translate across any playback system.
Under the hood, the MM-520 runs 90mm planar magnetic drivers with Ultra-Thin Uniforce diaphragms and Fazor phase management for low distortion. High sensitivity and low impedance mean it can be driven from a console, interface or laptop without a dedicated headphone amp. The earpads have been upgraded to memory foam with magnetic attachment for easy swapping, something you’ll appreciate after a ten-hour session.
“By adding SLAM technology to Manny’s signature series, we’ve created a headphone that delivers even more truth in the low-end while maintaining the signature clarity Audeze is known for,” says Audeze CEO Sankar Thiagasamudram.
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