The IEM (in ear monitors) Bible thread

[EBS_freak]

Added in the recommendation for KZ AS12 (6 balanced armature per side design with improved low end) and the AS16 (8 balanced armature per side design) to test out. Certainly a new level in gateway drug to some customs. @Phil Starr - you may find the latter interesting, they have a less prominent smiley face signature to them.

[Phil Starr]

1 hour ago, EBS_freak said:

Added in the recommendation for KZ AS12 (6 balanced armature per side design with improved low end) and the AS16 (8 balanced armature per side design) to test out. Certainly a new level in gateway drug to some customs. @Phil Starr - you may find the latter interesting, they have a less prominent smiley face signature to them.

Thanks, I'll investigate

 

[andytoad]

+1 for the AS12's, which I purchased because of this thread recommendation.

I also have UE6 and some custom molded.

The AS12 are now my favourite, sound great, seal well (for me) and appear a well built quality product. The Only two qualms I have are they feel a bit bulky compared to the others and the cable could be longer But is replacable). Neither of these would prevent me from recommending them, they  are well worth a try for under 100 quid.

[Matt P]

I'm being dragged into IEM's as our church has made the decision we all go to IEM's, we have a small contribution of £30 each towards our own set and i don't have the cash to go for custom moulded ones (especially as they will only get used once or maybe twice a month as my pub band won't be going to IEM's any time in the next few years), the KZ ones look pretty good but is there a good reliable supplier of the KZ IEM's in the UK? I try to avoid Amazon for various reasons and would rather buy from an alternative if there is one in the UK.

i was thinking of the ZS10 Pro (if there is a worthwhile improvement over the regular ZS10's)

 

Matt

[EBS_freak]

Amazon are pretty much the go to place for them as it serves as a shop front for the various dealers trading from China. Alternatively, there are vendors on eBay - or you could go via Aliexpress.

[lushuk]

Great info, thank you, I seemed to have accidentally stumbled upon iem’s during this non gig period, I am trying to put a starter set together on a budget,  I got some kz10 pro’ s you recommend somewhere and very pleased under home practise sessions, I have a pair of acs plugs that I removed the filter nd pushed the kz’s in (I’m looking for a decent way to join them together better) I was going to try either the psm200 or the xvive u4, any recommendations.? Many thanks

[EBS_freak]

@lushuk

For on a budget, I simply wouldn't bother with budget wireless systems. They just aren't great. Just stick with wired.The two you mention, the PSM200, is a horrible sounding system with a poor compounder that sucks your bass and has a really unpleasant shrill top end... and the likelihood, is the limiter will just over compress the hell out your signal the whole night. There's a reason why you find these on the used market so often.

As for the U4s, like the PSM200 they are mono, which may not be a deal breaker in itself - but the latency figure of 5ms may be cause for concern. If you have any digital devices in your signal path - like digital pedals and a digital desk, the cumulative latency may become an issue for you. I like to top off at a maximium of 7ms. I talk about this in section 2.4 - and specifically mention how the Xvive could be a problem as part of cumulative digital chain. Chances are, if you are looking for wireless, you are already wireless on your bass... which Im guessing is likely to be digital with at least somewhere between 2 and 8ms latency.

If you must go wireless, shoot for a EW300 or PSM300 system, otherwise I really wouldn't bother. 

Edited September 12, 2020 by EBS_freak

[lushuk]

Thank you for you thoughts and advice, yes my bass is wireless Line 6 G55, and yes I can’t stand wires lol, so go with the uhf systems you suggest, I’ll see what’s around, thank you 

[bassmansam]

Looking at upgrading my KZS10's in the near future. Potentially a newer model... KZAS12? 

I might even go down the custom route. UE6, UE7, UE11 look promising. I suspect going custom will be night and day to what I'm using now. The UE6 get a lot of love from bass players so not sure if it's worth splashing out for the 7's or 11's?

One thing I've found from the KZs is that they slide around in my left ear during live shows and I'm constantly adjusting. Also the tone it reproduces is quite thin and sometimes low volume, even when I've maxed out on the Behringer P16. 

FYI - Going into a Behringer XR18  - Silent stage from now on. 

Edited December 1, 2020 by bassmansam

[EBS_freak]

28 minutes ago, bassmansam said:

Looking at upgrading my KZS10's in the near future. Potentially a newer model... KZAS12? 

I might even go down the custom route. UE6, UE7, UE11 look promising. I suspect going custom will be night and day to what I'm using now. The UE6 get a lot of love from bass players so not sure if it's worth splashing out for the 7's or 11's?

One thing I've found from the KZs is that they slide around in my left ear during live shows and I'm constantly adjusting. Also the tone it reproduces is quite thin and sometimes low volume, even when I've maxed out on the Behringer P16. 

FYI - Going into a Behringer XR18  - Silent stage from now on. 

The UE6 are popular because it gives the headroom in the lows that bass players demand (balanced armatures aren't so great at headroom or bass department - thats where the dynamics come in in the UE6, complimented with the balanced armature in the high to give you the detail, air and sparkle that they really excel at). In short, the UE6s tend to give a more warm sound than a BA equipped equivalent IEM. That doesn't mean however, that they don't sound absolutely brilliant - they will kill pretty much anything else out there sound wise for a comparable price - at least for a bass player. UE7 and UE11 wise, the double drivers in the UE11 are going to give that better controlled, low end response. The UE7 tend to be a bit bass light or not so great at delivering the low end without breaking up if you dig in.

Headroom is king for a bass player. Hope this helps.

If you have the money, custom is where it's at for sure. Night and day compared to the KZ.

[bassmansam]

13 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

The UE6 are popular because it gives the headroom in the lows that bass players demand (balanced armatures aren't so great at headroom or bass department - thats where the dynamics come in in the UE6, complimented with the balanced armature in the high to give you the detail, air and sparkle that they really excel at). In short, the UE6s tend to give a more warm sound than a BA equipped equivalent IEM. That doesn't mean however, that they don't sound absolutely brilliant - they will kill pretty much anything else out there sound wise for a comparable price - at least for a bass player. UE7 and UE11 wise, the double drivers in the UE11 are going to give that better controlled, low end response. The UE7 tend to be a bit bass light or not so great at delivering the low end without breaking up if you dig in.

Headroom is king for a bass player. Hope this helps.

If you have the money, custom is where it's at for sure. Night and day compared to the KZ.

 Very helpful as always. Thanks 🙂

[EBS_freak]

Fixed some issues and addressed some broken links! Enjoy.

Edited January 26, 2021 by EBS_freak

[spyder]

Received two days ago an early Christmas present, a pair of ZS10 pro. 

They are rather good. Thanks guys for the recommendations.

[Rik (ESA)]

On 01/12/2020 at 19:46, bassmansam said:

 Very helpful as always. Thanks 🙂

I've got the UE6s on EBS Freaks recommendation, and can't speak highly enough of them. Whilst they have buckets of headroom, they've been awesome during lockdown for general music listening too (gigs are where it's at though!). I had the Shure 535s before and the UE6s were a massive step up, worth the investment. Good luck whichever route you go!

[caitlin]

my sennies are breaking up all over the place with my B string, do we know if the zs10s will comfortably track those lows? I'm driving hard for some wooten and dunno whether to do this cheap IEM thing, or find some posh cans.

How do I get my flubs without the flapping?

[EBS_freak]

16 minutes ago, caitlin said:

my sennies are breaking up all over the place with my B string, do we know if the zs10s will comfortably track those lows? I'm driving hard for some wooten and dunno whether to do this cheap IEM thing, or find some posh cans.

How do I get my flubs without the flapping?

The ZS10s will do the lows for you for now as you save up for something more flash.

[caitlin]

2 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

The ZS10s will do the lows for you for now as you save up for something more flash.

What would we collectively consider 'more flash' if we were to imagine I wasn't skint right now? Because just possibly I'm not.

[EBS_freak]

27 minutes ago, caitlin said:

What would we collectively consider 'more flash' if we were to imagine I wasn't skint right now? Because just possibly I'm not.

That would depend upon your budget.

[EBS_freak]

Updated with silent stage.

Edited January 26, 2021 by EBS_freak

[EBS_freak]

Updated with Klang and 3d imaging.

[RichardH]

I picked up a pair of ZS10s recently from Amazon (£25 - warehouse stock.... just a damaged box - the phones are perfect). I'm finding that the have a tendency to slip out with the supplied tips, despite trying the various sizes.... would it be useful to add some links/info for alternate tips? I have used the foam type before and find them OK, but would be good to know what type fits these headphones....

[EBS_freak]

2 hours ago, RichardH said:

I picked up a pair of ZS10s recently from Amazon (£25 - warehouse stock.... just a damaged box - the phones are perfect). I'm finding that the have a tendency to slip out with the supplied tips, despite trying the various sizes.... would it be useful to add some links/info for alternate tips? I have used the foam type before and find them OK, but would be good to know what type fits these headphones....

A bargain! Nice one.

As for tips... This is the thing about tips - everybody's ears are different so I can't really say what is great. It's a case of finding the tips that work for your ear shapes.

[Matt P]

3 hours ago, RichardH said:

I picked up a pair of ZS10s recently from Amazon (£25 - warehouse stock.... just a damaged box - the phones are perfect). I'm finding that the have a tendency to slip out with the supplied tips, despite trying the various sizes.... would it be useful to add some links/info for alternate tips? I have used the foam type before and find them OK, but would be good to know what type fits these headphones....

i bought a pair of the zs10 pros on amazon, i went for some of the inairs foam tips, i seem to remember a chart that showed which tip fitted each particular IEM

INAIRS - Memory Foam Tips – INAIRS Foam Tips (getinairs.com)

 

I believe that the zs10 pro is a different size to the original zs10 so make sure you get the right size, if you have a set of callipers you could measure the diameter and compare that to the different tips available.

 

Matt

[Phil Starr]

8 hours ago, RichardH said:

I picked up a pair of ZS10s recently from Amazon (£25 - warehouse stock.... just a damaged box - the phones are perfect). I'm finding that the have a tendency to slip out with the supplied tips, despite trying the various sizes.... would it be useful to add some links/info for alternate tips? I have used the foam type before and find them OK, but would be good to know what type fits these headphones....

Hi Richard. I use these, TheTransporterUK - 24 x Mixed Black Triple Flange Style: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics the small size fit me perfectly and the seal is excellent, as snug as my ACS earplugs. As a bonus they go quite deep into the ear canal and that helps a lot if you sing as well as play bass. The only word of caution is to change them every month or so, the old ones go baggy and I once managed to remove my ZS10's and leave one of the buds behind. Foolishly I asked my wife to remove them and she pushed them down into my ear and a trip to the minor injuries unit for their removal was needed. Apparently hearing aid users turn up there several times a week and the nurse thought it was hilarious

Edited February 24, 2021 by Phil Starr

[EBS_freak]

14 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Hi Richard. I use these, TheTransporterUK - 24 x Mixed Black Triple Flange Style: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics the small size fit me perfectly and the seal is excellent, as snug as my ACS earplugs. As a bonus they go quite deep into the ear canal and that helps a lot if you sing as well as play bass. The only word of caution is to change them every month or so, the old ones go baggy and I once managed to remove my ZS10's and leave one of the buds behind. Foolishly I asked my wife to remove them and she pushed them down into my ear and a trip to the minor injuries unit for their removal was needed. Apparently hearing aid users turn up there several times a week and the nurse thought it was hilarious

the tiniest drop of superglue or maybe thread lock or something may be in order! (strong enough to stick - but able to be pulled off the iems when necessary!