How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

R

Richard Mitton

Freshman
Jul 14, 2011
65
0
6
Birmingham, UK
I'm currently working with a recently signed band who are making the switch to IEM's prior to going out on a national tour. We've done various rehearsals/tests using standard earbuds and the guys are impressed enough to know that custom IEM's are the way forward. So far, so good.

However, they then asked me the not unreasonable question of how they go about choosing a company/model, because you can't really audition a load of them. You seemingly just have to go on faith of the reviews you've read. I didn't really have an answer for this and it made me realise I'd bought my set from JH Audio coz, well, everyone knows they're good, right?

It's a 5 piece band and they're looking to spend up to £1000 a set, so it's a not insignificant investment for them. The guys will ultimately take my advice but are also technically minded enough to be interested/care enough that they are getting a good product, rather than what's fashionable/the latest thing etc.

So, I guess where I'm coming from in this thread is to ask a) how/why did you choose the set(s) you own (or ones you've recommended to bands) and b) if you're happy with them could give a brief run down as to their strengths and any negatives if them have them?

I'd also be interested if anyone has ever managed to come up with a test rig of some sort to try and do a decent comparison between models...
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

Here is the issue, any person who answers this question with "you should buy brand XXX they are the best" is most likely making an opinion after listening to just their ears. Most monitor engineers that tour with bands have multiple sets when the artist pays for their molds, but even their opinions are just opinions. I own 2 sets of IEMs and I like them both for different things, If you buy from JH, UE, Westone, Sensaphonics they will not be disappointed. Give all of those companies an Email and see if they are willing to work out an artist deal, you would be surprised how quickly they will offer a discount because you are buying 5 pairs of IEMs. I would go with the company (out of the top companies) that is willing to support their product with spare cables, quick turn around on repairs etc, because they WILL break down over time.
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

I agree with Tom, Any of the big companies produce good products. Sometimes its not about having molds, I worked with Brad Paisley (as a stage hand with a lot of down time) the ME said that Brad prefers to use the stock clear 3-rib tips on his Shure ear buds.

The question is going to boil down, Which company has the nearest Audiologist?
Does the band’s management company offer the band any Health Insurance?
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

i'd second what Tom said, but from a different perspective. All the top brands [especially at the price point you're looking at] sound good, just different. it's like comparing Meyer, d&b, and l'acoustics. None of them suck, they just are different flavors. So at the end of the day, it's all about the customer service. i lead a music team at a church so i needed to find a provider that could take care of us at a lower price point. i ended up going with a smaller startup company [AlClair] based on my past experience with their customer service and i've been very pleased with both the product and the service. That being said, if you're looking to go upper 3 figures, you would probably be better served with one of the more established players.

Tom hit the major players, but when you're looking, don't forget to include Futuresonics as an option. They really are a different beast entirely with their single dynamic driver approach. If i could afford them on a church salary, that's what i'd be using. And often you can talk right to marty garcia himself and he'll take great care of you.
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

Tim Weaver said:
Just as an FYI, Ultimate Ears has been having a really hard time supporting their products lately. Long lead times for new stuff and super long waits for repairs.

The product is good, but the support has been iffy lately.
Click to expand...

ever since logitech bought UE, i've been waiting for the hands-on service to suffer. looks like that's finally happened....
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

brian maddox said:
i'd second what Tom said, but from a different perspective. All the top brands [especially at the price point you're looking at] sound good, just different. it's like comparing Meyer, d&b, and l'acoustics. None of them suck, they just are different flavors.
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That's kinda the conclusion I've come to. It just seems odd that for every other bit of gear I use my choice is based on how it sounds to my ears (budget notwithstanding of course!), but for these all I can go on is advice and gut instinct.
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

Richard Mitton said:
That's kinda the conclusion I've come to. It just seems odd that for every other bit of gear I use my choice is based on how it sounds to my ears (budget notwithstanding of course!), but for these all I can go on is advice and gut instinct.
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That's the main reason that custom IEMs have been such a hard sell for so long. No way to demo.

One way to mitigate this to some extent is to use an IEM processor. For some singers, any latency added might be a problem, but for most other band members they'll never notice. A processor allows you to tailor the sound of the IEM quite a bit to tune it to the listener's taste. Just like good speakers, so long as there's a decent amount of headroom in the system, you can really do quite a bit to change what these things sound like. If you're using [and carrying] a digital monitor desk, the console may have enough processing built in to do the job. I use a cheap Behringer processor for my IEMs and it's really worked well for me. I"ve got two VERY different sets of customs [one i use as a backup] and i'm able to get both of them sounding pretty good through the use of a little EQ and Dynamic Compression.
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

Tim Weaver said:
Just as an FYI, Ultimate Ears has been having a really hard time supporting their products lately. Long lead times for new stuff and super long waits for repairs.

The product is good, but the support has been iffy lately.
Click to expand...

Ah man, I havent had that issue as of yet, I just ordered a new right side mold after losing it on a flight, it only took a couple days and quick communication. I deal directly with them and I live down the street, so that may help.

If you are working with their Artist Relations department you should be fine.
 
Re: How did you choose which IEM's to buy?

Everything that has been said makes lots of sense. So all good.

The only other thing to consider is whether you want hard plastic or soft silicone molds. I have both, and I have to say I much prefer the soft silicone variants. I find them to be overall more comfortable, and being pliable, the fit is less susceptible to head/mouth movement.
 
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