IEM’s around £300

Richard Penrose

Freshman
Jan 3, 2015
17
0
1
Hi,

I’m looking to buy a set of IEM’s for monitoring mainly keys, bass, vocals and sometimes drums.
At the moment I’m using a pair of Shure SE215’s with custom mould sleeves. I’ve had the sleeves for several years and as my ear has naturally changed shape, the sleeves don’t fit as snug as they used to.
As a result, I need to replace the sleeves and am looking to upgrade the SE215’s at the same time.
The SE215’s have been ok but I find them to sound quite thin. I would prefer something with a fuller/richer sound and improved clarity and separation of instruments without sounding overly bright or harsh.

Having had a quick look around, the two options that stick out are the Shure SE535 and Audio Technica ATH E70.

Which of these would you recommend and is there anything else within this price range that would be a better option for me?
 
Oddly, I prefer the 215s to the more expensive Shures - I find the bottom end of the 215s tighter. I'm a bass player and bought some 415s, and found the bossier bottom end made playing harder - E and Eb on my 5 string low B sound the same and down at C the accuracy of tuning is not good at all. The lighter bottom end 215s sounded better - weird!
 
Hi Richard,
If you can afford a bit more, getting a custom molded set of IEMs makes a huge difference.
I use 64 Audio and highly recommend their stuff as they have a port that relieves pressure on your eardrums, reducing ear fatigue. But there are lots of options starting just a little above your budget.
Also, don't forget that you can always apply EQ to your IEM mix to account for things you don't like about your IEMs. Some people seem to forget about this. Play some familiar tracks and dial in an EQ that sounds good to you, and use that as your starting point going forward.