IEM - Recommendations

TommyCrash

Heya:

I was considering some in ear monitors for stage use male rock vocal.

Ultimate Ears look great but $1000 for the monitors and then and another $1000 seems crazy for occasional weekend gigging.

What is the BEST value for the money in IEM's under $600 all in with the wireless system?

Brands / Models etc.

Thanks fellow vocalists for any recommendations.

Cheers Ken... love the material, thanks for offering a stellar product at a fair price.

Thomas

johnjohn

Anything by Shure, Audio Technica, or maybe Galaxy, should suffice.  There are quite a lot of good systems available around the $400.00 through $600.00 price points.  

I have heard a few negative comments about some of the Nady systems. 

Hope this helps.

John

rcrosier

I know Galaxy isn't well known, but I bought a Galaxy wireless system, and something went wrong with it... can't remember what, but I contacted them, and they were very responsive, took care of the problem right away, replaced the unit with no argument at all, and a technician emailed me directly to find out the problem, etc.  I was quite impressed.  It was in warranty, so that might have had an effect.

highmtn

I haven't bought in-ear monitors, yet.  They are on my list, however.

Being a drummer, and the likelihood that I'll have a critical drum mix, besides needing quality vocal sound, I'm leaning towards the models that have dual-drivers.  Sort of a "woofer and tweeter" setup, if I'm correct.  I'm pretty sure Shure makes several dual-driver models. 

Let us know what you end up getting, @TommyCrash.

Bob

billthebaldguy

I use Shure IEM wireless system - bought it used and it works like a charm or me. My mics are all Sennheiser and I am a huge fan of their products; they have an IEM wireless product as well that I have not tried, but if it is a good as their mics, it is probably badass. Worth looking at...

tjdee

Obviously, I am jumping in a bit late here, but for those still looking for IEMs, I thought I would share my experience. While the pair I have are not sub $600 range, they are very good.

I have a pair of JHAudio 16 Pros. They are custom fit, custom made, and have 8 drivers per ear! The sound is absolutely crystal clear, the seal is perfect, and they work very well. I use them in my studio instead of cans sometimes as they are obviously lighter.

One additional thing I would like to share....

A lot of times you see singer fumbling with their IEMs, pulling one out, and even pulling them out all together. This is primarily due to ear fatigue.....yes, ears do get fatigue and will ring like a church bell at times. I have eliminated ear fatigue by using a simple, passive device inline with the IEM. It is from a company called REV33 (rev33.com). They make perfect matches for tons of IEMs. I have one for my IEMs and one for my cans and they make a huge difference. No more of the slight hiss and noise you don't know is there until you eliminate it!

Hope this helps some of you out there.

~TJ

highmtn

So what does the passive device do? Just take out the high-frequency hiss? Kind of a passive low-pass filter?

tjdee

Bob...it basically filters out problem areas. Here is an "in a nutshell" 40 second video. https://player.vimeo.com/video/152288830

I did multiple comparisons, and it really does what it says it does!

~TJ

highmtn

Interesting. Thanks for the info!

Cherie

A singer friend of mine gigs generally 3-4 days/week. After going through 3 sets of Shure triple driver IEM's she decided she would go with (at least) triple driver Ultimate Ears next time. She thinks they are made well & a lot more durable than the Shures. Each time her Shure monitors wore out it was a driver that fried. I have some Shure dual driver monitors and I had custom sleeves made for them. I believe I paid ~$120 for the sleeves. The sleeves were made from a soft, rubbery acrylic type material which fit right over the earbuds. With lots of use they will wear out in time. However, the custom fitted ear buds stay in SO MUCH better! Unfortunately, one afternoon, in a split second, our puppy managed to pry my sleeves off my earbuds, chew them and then dump them in the flowerbed... so I am back to the generic tips. This next time, I would like to buy complete custom IEM's (instead of generic IEM's with the custom sleeves added). I got the molds. I went to a local audiologist and had them made. As a singer, I think the triple drivers would be great. I have read some good reviews about 64 Audio. They advertise Apex Technology with their earbuds that vents air pressure reducing ear fatigue. They are priced just a bit less than UE.

tjdee

Quit a ride there! I tell you his from experience. JH Audio will deliver your ears beyond expectations! Also, grab REV33's for your IEMs and you will be in the highest of highs!!! I can't even explain how good they sound!!

highmtn

tj, I have made a note to get the REV33's when I take the plunge for real IEM's. Still haven't pulled the trigger.

bentk

I have also heard great things about the Fender FXA series. Especially the FXA6 and FXA7. I think Fender bought a company that now produces these IEMs with the Fender branding. If you don't move around a lot, you can also use a wired system for your in-ears. wireless systems can be very expensive.

I guess custom molds are always the best, but if others work, then it works.

bbaker9

Also, check out the Futuresonics ear monitors, they have vents that have a similar effect as the APEX. I also use a REV33 and wouldn't go with out it now. no ear fatigue