Anyone using In ear Monitors? Can you please drop down your recommendations?
You don’t want any crazy BA just dynamic driver. you don’t want the audiophile type of iem it would be too bright for bass practicing. My high end IEMs are pretty crappy when I use it for bass. Not even my high end headphones can do the job properly.
Any sub $40 KZ will do, look for the one that say bass boost or MP3s. You want as much colors as you can.
I use those same ear buds that @Al1885 suggested with memory foam ear pieces.
And I use this thing. It all works great together. And it’s pretty easy.
2 Likes
Depends on what you’re using it for but i’d say the best inexpensive IEMs you can buy right now are:
- Truthear Hola
- Salnotes Zero
- Truthear Zero
- Truthear Hexa
If you want something a bit better:
- Etymotic ER3XR (if you don’t mind violating your earholes)
- Sennheiser IE 200 (esp on sale)
IEMs, especially chifi change pretty rapidly, manf. like KZ have really been left in the dust over the last year or 2. Most of the IEMs are pretty good now, my preference is to prioritize fit/comfort. Some aftermarket tips like Spinfit often go a long way to improving an iem’s fit/performance.
1 Like
This is a great point. I have mine for a few years already and have no need to buy more IEMs. Most higher end like my Fiio FH7 is garbage when using with my drum or bass practice. Way too much sibilance, it’s distracting. You’d want the “Beat” of iem for that. That’s why you don’t need at all or too many BA Balance Armature drivers, just a good pair of Dynamic drivers and you are all set for some kick ass bass.
I’m interested to see the newcomers and how they perform. I use wireless monitor transmitter/ receiver so I don’t usually need long cables. I had a few custom length made and it’s been working well. If you plug in your IEM from the front then you’d need longer cable.
BA drivers is why some people don’t like the Truthear Hexa as well. Many of the KZ tunings are very bass heavy so like you said, that makes them good for playing bass 
I have some KZ Zex Pro which are pretty good and very neutral for KZ but they don’t fit well for me. For practice i use One Odio A71 headphones; they they’re pretty bass heavy and they’re super comfortable! Overall, IEMs used for monitoring might not be balanced/neutral or even great sounding for general listening but being able to hear specific frequencies well often makes them excellent for monitoring
1 Like
Thanks @sshoihet I just ordered the 7hz Zero and the Zero 2.0. this might be a good one to leave in the gigbag for a quick practice. Hopefully they work well. I was looking a couple of V shape audio iems but didn’t pull the trigger, lol.
1 Like
Sweet, i was just looking at them earlier today, i don’t think i knew the zero 2 was out before that? It’s hard to keep up lol. Let us know how they work out
I’ve successfully not bought about 6 different IEMs now… i put them in my cart, wait a week and then delete them when i decide I really don’t need them. It’s much easier to not buy the expensive ones 
1 Like
@sshoihet you have no idea what you’ve started, lol. I got both my Salnotes then I thought why not they are cheap lets try out a few more, I’d have a few more coming, what do you think about the Timeless AE. I ordered the Fiio FH-E Eclipse I thought it was interesting. It’s been a while since I shop for IEM so there’s a lot to catch up, lol.
1 Like
BASN Bmaster Triple Drivers in Ear Monitor Headphone with Two Detachable Cables Fit in Ear Suitable for Audio Engineer, Musician (White) Amazon.com
I have used these in ear monitors for the last three years playing with different bands/church groups and also use them recording most of my cover videos…… Great monitors IMHO….
Keep On Thumpin’!
Lanny
1 Like
Been curious about these for a while.
Why/How do you use them?
For gigs, practice rehearsal?
What are the benefits etc?
1 Like
They are like headphone without the bulk. There are different grade of IEMs available at all price range from $15-$15000. Great ones starts at just less than $20. There are just about any kind of frequency tuning iem that would fit your style in your price range, seriously. It’s a great hobby and pretty affordable for the most part, lol.
You’d need more of a V shape tuning for practice and gig as a bass player, because you do want to push too hard just to get to the meaty bass. You use it the same way you use the headphone. I have a wireless monitor so I can use it without being tether to some stationary hub.
For the gig, you have the advantage of individual volume adjustment and the engineer/ mixer can talk directly to the band or to you. It’s a much better and easier to mix and control much better than using wedges and/ or PA although it’s still nice to get some sound wave hitting you from the speakers/ cabinets
A couple church groups that I’ve played with use monitoring systems…
Since many different musicians fill in and play, most everyone has their own in ear monitors that plug into the wireless units that attach to your belt (kinda like a cell phone)…. Click beats can also be programed in so that every musician can hear the click and stay on beat (including the drummer)… Additionally, the main unit can be set to provide certain levels of frequencies to each individual unit so that you can more easily hear each instrument including your own as the band plays…. However, the greatest benefit to in ear monitors when playing with a band or group is that you hear no outside distractions. They do help protect your hearing on stage…
When I use them for recording music videos, I run the cables behind my head and under my shirt. Instead of plugging the in ear monitor into a wireless unit, I have a long extension cord that I plug them into and then plug directly into my DIA where my headphones typically plug into…. This allows me to record live tracks without headphone (cans) providing a cleaner look to the video…
I never use them when I practice - much easier to just use my headphones…
Keep On Thumpin’!
Lanny
2 Likes
I definitely recommend this Fiio FH3. I just bought this on ebay from the guy that turn out to be 15 mins from me. Great price, although it said open box but it’s sealed brand new. I order one thing that shipped to me and I saw the address I placed a couple more order and asked if I can pickup.
The IEM is perfect for bassist. Not V shape but great bass, very tight punchy bass. The accessories that comes with this package is just top notch. For $60 you can’t beat it. Regular price is $130. Highly recommend
travis dykes has a couple of videos about IEM and wireless systems:
2 Likes
I wrote this last week and then forgot to post it 
The Timeless AE look great, they’re one of the best affordable planars out there! I though about the original Timeless for a long time but I have so many earbuds/headphones/IEMs already that they were expensive enough to be out of my danger zone
Compared to the Zero2, the AE look pretty similar with a bit more “air” https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/graphtool/?share=Timeless_AE,Zero2_S1&tool=4620
The Letshuoer s12 pro is popular too, very similar to the timeless with a bit more treble and quite a bit cheaper right now.
1 Like
I went on a shopping spree and got a few iems. I like Fiio, love the packaging and what’s included the unboxing experience is top tier. I now have the FH3, FH-E, FA7, FH7 and 4 of the UWTs3 and 5 Bluetooth units.
I found that many of the reviewers on YouTube are kind of BS or have the kinds of listening Kung Fu I don’t have. It’s difficult to make decisions based on the review. I love the Moondrop Chu /Chu 2 if I didn’t know any better I’d say that they are a lot more expensive than $19 price tag same goes to both Zeros heck all 4 of Crin’s zeros are quite awesome.
May be I’m just lucky to have a cheap listen ears, I put in a preorder for the Timeless 2, I probably won’t go any more expensive than that. Although there are a few high end Fiio I’d love to get,
1 Like
Glad to hear you’re having fun, maybe I can live vicariously through you when you get your timeless 2 
My brain adapts pretty quickly to anything so unless something is really bad, it sounds find to me. There are definitely some I prefer for different genres but they’re mostly different and not better. I’m like that with music too, I rarely chase tone because i can find so many things that sound good to me It’s like that when i play a bass i haven’t played in a while… “wow this sounds great, why don’t I play this more?” then I play it for a bit and go back to my pbass
The only thing that’s really noticeable is when i come home wearing my bone conduction headphones and then switch to pretty much anything else, it always sounds super muddy for the first few minutes
coffee aficionados are just as nuts as audiophiles For the most part, I’m a “good enough” sort of guy and i prefer something that’s more practical or better value. I do often wonder what it’s like to be those people who are have such a narrow field of things they enjoy that they’re always chasing something “better”.
I’m loving the fit of my Truthear Hola IEMs, they’re probably one of the best fitting of any earbud/IEM I’ve used. It really makes me realize just how important good fit is. I might try the crinacle red but if i hold off a bit longer, there will be all new stuff I do really like FiiO products too, i have their BTR5 headphone DAC and it’s great!
I want to buy a 6 string bass; i’ve managed to avoid buying 2 good used Ibanez BTB so far… Every time I think about buying one, i go play for 30+ minutes so I’m getting in a lot more playing time
1 Like
do you have a link to those earbud buds? I just ordered these and those memory foam ear buds look great.
Memory Foam Tips for Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 / Plus/Beats Studio Buds, No Silicone Eartips Pain, Anti-Slip Replacement Ear Tips, Fit in The Charging Case, 3 Pairs (Assorted Sizes S/M/L, Black) Amazon.com
1 Like