Sound engineer Manny Marroquin has helped shape the sound of modern music with his legendary work on Kanye West’s 2004 album The College Dropout, for which he won a Grammy for Album of the Year. Also notable for his work with Alicia Keyes, Rihanna, and Post Malone, the producer has won 8 Grammys in total and has over 40 singles that have reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Now, he’s been assigned as Head of Professional Products for California-based maker of premium headphones, Audeze, where he will focus on launching new products that are more creator-centric.
Having just premiered at the NAMM audio show in Anaheim, CA was the first release of the Audeze Manny Marroquin Signature Series. As any engineer knows, mixing tracks is better done on speakers rather than headphones. Still, using cutting-edge technology, Marroquin and Audeze have crafted the MM-500, a headset that’s capable of consistently translating the artist’s intention when recording.
Used by Marroquin when mixing Kendrick Lamar’s latest album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, the MM-500s aim to mimic near-field monitors to give the engineer studio-quality sound. Built from machined aluminum and spring steel and padded with extra-plush premium leather, the headphones are lightweight and fit comfortably on your head for long-term use as well.
The best studio-quality monitors can be quite expensive and are far from portable, but the MM-500 headphones can be taken anywhere you go. You can head over to Audeze’s website to purchase the first in the Manny Marroquin Signature Series for $1,699.
