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In-ear monitors

6.7K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  Jazzaferri  
#1 ·
Hey everyone- looking to purchase some in-ear monitors (earbuds) for a new band I'm playing with. Rock/funk/soul type stuff- can get pretty loud. I'm looking at these 2-

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004PNZFZ8&linkCode=as2&tag=2804-20

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-E40-Professional-Monitor-Headphone/dp/B01AXSYFN6

Any thoughts/experiences on either of these? Also, if you have other suggestions at this price point ($100) or lower please let me know. I will only be using these for performing, as I have other earphones for everything else.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Never used the AT in ears but the Shure ones are pretty good for that price point. Not as isolating or good sounding as say a pair of custom fit units. But it's certainly not going to hold you back for playing rock/fusion/funk.
 
#3 ·
Yeah the Shure SE215 seems to be the "standard" for IEMs at this price point. Our band has been looking into using them as well. It's the sending unit (which the band may already have) and all the wireless stuff necessary to make this work where the real money goes. There are several good websites that explain the setup and use as well as things like the difference between balanced armature drivers and dynamic drivers. If you spend a little time you can often find good deals on demo, open box, or lightly used IEMs but it takes some research up front to know what you want and what a "good deal" looks like.
 
#4 ·
I always thought those Shures sounded great!

This will probably be sacrilege to a lot of people, but... I actually have a good friend who is a seriously heavy guitarist, has done some really high-profile gigs, and insists that the $10-$20 Monoprice ear buds work just fine for in-ears. I have a bunch of these just for listening around town, and honestly they've been every bit as good as or even better than Apple ear buds and the like, but I've never used them for gigs. Still... legit musicians have had good results, and they're easily replaceable, which is a good feature for heavy gig mileage.

http://www.monoprice.com/search/index?keyword=ear+buds
 
#10 ·
I'd PM member Woody Reed (aka Euge Groove). I know that he uses in ears for his shows, and is a pretty fair sound guy.
 
#11 ·
The Shures probably come as the stock pair of buds if you're using a Shure wireless system. I used the 215s for one or two hundred gigs. Most of that time I thought I didn't like using IEMs. Then I realized the 215s just kinda blow lol.

I would HIGHLY recommend treating IEMs like a major gear investment, on the order of a good live mic, high-end mouthpiece or whatever. Unless you're already an audiophile with thousands invested in your headphones, they'll mop the floor with whatever you're listening to for pleasure, and they'll make it much easier to hear on the gig (if you've already sunk that bread into a headphone/amp/DAC, etc., you'll want the IEMs anyway lol). It's worth going custom, and it's worth shelling out for a high-end pair if you use them all the time. Even if you have other decent headphones, top of the line IEMs are competitive with even some very high-end headphones... not quite as good for sound stage and airiness, but better obviously for isolation. I shelled out for some good ones last year and they make the gig much more pleasant, plus they're better for casual listening than any of my other headphones and even my studio monitors.

IEMs are essentially headphones... if your sound company already takes care of the wireless end, you're only on the hook for the buds. So, consider that you're saving a grand on the wireless setup and sink it into some good IEMs! Check out the JH Audio line (JH 13 for flat response, Roxanne for bass-head, Angie for solid bass, impressive mids and gorgeous highs, Layla for more of the same if you're richer than God), Noble Audio (the Kaiser 10 has been very well-reviewed consistently), and Ultimate Ears (the UE Reference Monitor is probably the most truly flat offering you'll find).

I wound up going with JH Audio Angies... the adjustable bass of the siren series is convenient, as I like more bass on the gig than I generally do for listening on my own, cuz it helps to hear the pitches more clearly (an area where the 215s are sorely lacking... they just sound like mud when competing with a live band, stage amps and FOH bleed). The Angie delivers a very detailed response with some of the most gorgeous top end I've ever heard. Definitely leans more toward the hi-fi audio end of the spectrum rather than studio reference, but to me as a performer, I feel that delivers more of what's important to me on stage. If I had to mix a band or something using in ears, I'd go for a flatter headphone. Most importantly, since I do use these all the time for listening to music, doing transcription, etc., I wanted something I enjoyed, and the Angies gave me chills when I tried them, moreso than any of the other models.

You can try all these things out in their universal fit versions at Musicians Hearing Solutions in NY. It's a short walk from Penn Station, and Dr. Glick is super cool and fun to deal with. She made the molds for my IEMs and naturally got it right the first time. The customs seal better than the universals, and the bass feels a bit more responsive to me, but the universals give you a good idea of the strengths of each setup.

When it comes down to cost/benefit, consider that your 215s might last a year or two of continuous use, are fairly nondescript and easy to misplace, etc. Once the cable goes bad, you'll wind up buying new ones. Good customs will last. If the cable goes bad, you replace it. You won't forget that you have them on you and they'll do no one else any good. Dropping $1-1.5k on a pair is a lot all at once, but if you use them for 20 years, it's $50 a year for the best mobile listening experience produced by current technology. Compare to $100 every year or two for a mediocre experience and the benefit outweighs the cost easily.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for all the info Dan! Will definitely do some research. I'm such an anti-gear guy with everything, so this is all new to me, haha. To put it in perspective, I own exactly 1 mouthpiece and 1 ligature for every instrument I own...and have been using the same alto mouthpiece since I was 18, hahah.
 
#16 ·
I'm the same way. I've gotten new mouthpieces when I've gotten better horns, but it's always been one mouthpiece, one lig, one horn. That's why I consider it important to buy once and buy something I'll never even want to replace with a "better" model... I find what's the absolute best for me that I can afford, and then never second guess it.
 
#17 ·
If we're talking about going custom IEM's, also check out 1964 Ears. They're one of the newer company's building custom in ear monitors, but they have some impressive technology. They are gathering quite a following for their sound, quality and value.
 
#20 ·
Simon Fisk made mine, dual drivers, way better stereo sound than my top of the line Shure earbuds and the moulding fits perfectly. Drops outside way down at a guess over mid 30's Db drop. The cost me $500 Cdn a few years ago which is around $350 USD

he gets a local to you hearing lab to make the moulds.