Looking for recommendations on good headphones for IEM playing. If you change out the ear tips to memory foam, recommendation for that too.
Joining band that uses IEMs to practice. They’ve got the rest of the system, I just need to provide the headphones.
I know this has come up before, but is a lot to sift through.
Your budget will more than likely play into your decision. Here’s my advice: Customs are fantastic for fit, but unfortunately you can’t truly choose them by listening which is and should be the best way to decide what you like. There are thousands of reviews out there, but no one hears like YOU do. I have three custom sets by well know manufactures and they all sound different. To me, the best solution is a universal earphone that you can audition, choose the ones you like best and then have custom sleeves made to fit your ears. My favorite for my bass and tracks are the Shure SE215’s (happily, the cheapest in their line) with custom sleeves from Sensaphonics. If you try the Shure line, they come with a variety of tips. A good fit is extremely important to get them to sound right, experiment with multiple sizes and and the memory foam. If you like them with the universal tips, your good to go and can always add the custom sleeves later. Your mileage may vary… Custom Sleeves for Shure IEMs
I read through the other thread and tried a few out.
I tried the Shure 215s based on some recommendations and was underwhelmed by the bass (but I’m a bit deaf)
Then some cheap CHiFi KZ 10s - they were better but a bit bulky in the actual unit (I kept them as a spare and they sit in my gig bag gathering dust)
I landed on BASN Bmaster. They’re smallish so sit nicely in the ear, cost about $90 USD and have more than adequate bass. If I really crank the output from my pedal board the bass distorts but I suspect that’s the same for most IEMs as they’re such a tiny unit. I can set the correct gain into our mixer and turn up the headphone amp on my belt and it’s OK. We use our own digital mixer and I use Mixing Station app on my phone to set my individual mix. Not perfect, but more than good enough for me to practice with the band. But playing live standing next to / in front of my cabinet makes it a better experience i.e feeling the bass being you. YMMV.
There’s a more expensive upgraded (5 driver) version of this now that looks a little bulkier (I haven’t tried it):
I tried Comply foam tips and was happy. I bought a variety pack to work out the correct size for me then a multi pack of my size later.
The guy to ask is @Al1885 because he’s probably tried 30+ units and he plays in bands.
Thanks. I currently have the KZ 10s and the Comply 500’s in my Amazon cart. Will look at the BASN.
Is your critique on the KZ 10s purely a size one? Or do the BASNs sound better too?
Do the Comply tips work with the BASN?
I thought the Basn sounded better for bass (but I’m a bit deaf so it worked for me)
Use the fit finder (find your tips) on the Comply site but I think it’s the 500s you want
I guess you could try both and send one back? Looks like they take the same Comply 500 tips
https://www.amazon.com/BASN-Headphone-Detachable-Suitable-Engineer/dp/B084TG8X1Z?th=1
Thanks!
Looks like BASN has a bunch of different models, and I don’t understand the differences. I know I don’t want the 6-driver, because those have to piezo tweeters, and I don’t need more high end. Don’t know about 3, 4, or 5 driver though.
I don’t understand the difference between “Direct Drive” and “Balanced Armature”. What those get me.
Triple Drive - 2 DD + 1 BA
Quad Drive - 2 DD + 2 BA
Five Drive - 1 DD + 4 BA
Sounds like… DD’s give better bass and BA’s are better for high and mids. Which makes me lean towards the 3 or 4.
I chose the Bmaster because it had better bass 
Upon review - I’m leaning strongly in favor of the BMaster Triple-Driver.
That’s what I have. It was recommended by someone in the forum who used it for his band and it works for me. No guarantee it’ll work for you, but good aftermarket foam tips and that IEM is OK for me.
Plus it’s not stupid money.
Thanks @Barney
The DD stands for Dynamic Driver, like one on most speakers and amp. The BA or Balance Armature is a small box unit that produce sound.
Dynamic driver can produce more impactful bass because it can move more air. BA can produce much faster sound but if its not done right BA can produce weird timbre and metallic overtone.
The more drivers DD/ BA can share the load of producing specific frequencies but it will come at the cost of tuning. It’s much easier to tune one driver than 5 drivers. I have a few IEMs with more than 10 drivers per side do they sound better than my Single DD? NO!
I know that you live here in the US so I’d get this one from eBay. It’s the cheapest online because this is direct from the company. He’s the FiiO North America Warranty center. FiiO FH3 2BA+1DD Knowles Hybrid Driver in-Ear HiFi Earphones IEM (Black) | eBay
It comes sealed like new. It offers great tuning and fits stage playing really well and it’s fun to listen to as well. I like FiiO, I probably own all but a couple of their models.
the next recommendation is this Tipsy M1. This is what many pro are using, this Single DD model is exceptional. and perfect for bass player. I own the M1 and the M3 both are great for stage and music production especially the M3.
Both are great on stage as well as listening to music.
They are not the same. Audiophile style IEMs is not the same as Gigging IEMs especially the current trend of Meta tuning JM-1 as it’s not bass player friendly the tuning usually involves high sub bass shelf and a tuck under mid bass and relax treble, a bass player needs the “Mid Bass” information. That’s where we live.
Don’t worry about Custom IEM just yet. I have a few and none are cheap and it’s not easy to live with. I have the 64 Audio N8 that I used to use for my gig regularly but seriously sh!t happens on the gigs and the last thing you want is to damage your $2000 IEM. I now play exclusively with a few rotations of replaceable IEMs 
As for tips, I don’t do Foam, some people like it but I just hate it especially on stage, it puts you deep under water not fun. I like silicone tips and yes there are tons to choose from, I just start with the largest size that seal. They feel more breathable.
If you have a specific budget and needs just let me know I’ll help you fit into one. Put aside $20-$30 for an upgrade cable, not for sound, but for comfort and convenience. Cable upgrades is like a ToneWood talk, much of it it’s nonsense.
Well, I hope it’s not too much to absorb in one post, but feel free to shoot any questions.
In the mean time I highly recommend you pickup one of this, it’s great for just about anything. I just use this on stage last week and I’m blown away.
There are 2 versions 3.5mm jack or Type-C. If you’ve been in the hobby then the type C would be the one to get because you can just plug it into your phone or laptop and use your spare cable for your playing but if you are new to it maybe just start with the 3.5mm.
The type C has a built in DAC and it offers deeper bass. I have both, well why buy one when you can get two twice the price,
https://www.amazon.com/HiFiGo-Titan-Earphones-Silver-Plated-Performance/dp/B0GLGVCRTZ/ref=sr_1_1_pp?crid=2U0EYVNVWCV93&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rBIr3bVWCMxu4YgtYjcKTfFlcAk8Egj8JOfgpjzc3s170YwS5q0EClU5M7Lw7zXhxRLzuIUazHYcvg1HFqohIMMzPmpfqUz6ryhqMjMxkPQ.FwG2UQOHgm6Shxb0JCGhCRHZpytIHDk0MXSA751Dncs&dib_tag=se&keywords=dunu%2Btitan%2Bx&qid=1772992051&sprefix=dunu%2Btitan%2Bx%2Caps%2C258&sr=8-1&th=1
Thanks @Al1885
I’m going to give those FiiO’s a go as they’re compatible with my Comply foam tips! #GAS
I really like the fit / low profile of the BASN which I didn’t enjoy with the KZs. We shall see how the FiiO’s test out at practice.
So for playing bass with this band, it sounds like your order of suggestion is, in order of preference:
Any of these are good. You put the FiiO at the top, but the Tipsy are roughly par.
My budget is flexible, but if I can come in around, or under $100, that would be strongly preferable.
Tipsy M1 and M3 would sounds the most accurate especially the M3 but in the band setting there are so many variables. The FH3 is just a great build and very comfortable and they are Branded drivers they use custom Knowles BA.
Tipsy M3
Dunu Titan X
FiiO FH3
I also highly recommend the Dunu Titan X. it’s the best $35 you are going to spend. you have awesome tips selection to start as well as awesome cable. Metal shell to boot.
Too bad you are quite a way away from me if not you could have test drive some of mine.
The good news is that there are so many great ones for under $100. I’d skipped KZ for now the good ones are usually between $5-$9 then just upgrade the cable, the expensive ones are pretty bad for band playing.
So the Tipsy for the best sound reproduction, but the FiiO get the nod for comfort while having good sound.
Makes sense.
FiiO is definitely my first pick but Tipsy while unknown here they sold millions to musicians in Asia and all over the world.
I’m listening to the M3 right now as we speak, it’s definitely musician friendly.
Let me know what you are leaning this is a fun hobby for sure. If you are considering Tipsy spend some time checking out the price on Amazon.
The M1 is about $85 and the M3 is $185.
FH3 from my FiiO eBay guy is $70 and that’s pretty much the best deal, if you ever have any problem with them just let me know, I’ll get that taken care of for you.
When you want to get into the Audiophile side of it let me know and I’ll go into the deep dive on DAC, DAP, and amp stuffs, also introduce you to the world of 4.4mm jack,
Can you use IEMs for listening to music “regularly” as well? Like could I plug them into my iPod for listening while at work? And would it still sound “correct”?
My hunch is that the answer is yes, but sometimes with this stuff there’s some reason why it wouldn’t work…
Yes it’s another world of music listening nowadays. You plug it into your iPod or you can get some kind or dongle DAC to play music from your phone or iPad if you don’t have the headphones jack.
The IEM market is now is filled with all kinds of designer sound signature that you can choose and you don’t need to spend much to get what you want. If you are interested let me know and let get you started 
I am very happy with the LINSOUL Kiwi Ears Cadenza II that @Al1885 recommended to me.
They sound quite neutral and have good subbass. Also, sound is very detailed, which is an absolute plus. The cables don’t make that scratchy noise when I move, like many IEMs do.
The eartips are soso, but that’s true for most earbuds.
Luckily, I have a large collection of eartips, so I managed to find good ones.
I use them for playing in the park. You can get them quite loud, and with the right eartips they reduce outside noise (people playing loud techno next to me) quite well.
I tested those with a USB DAC (those little cables, not the bigger boxes).
Of the three USB DACs that I have, two sound bad, one sounds great. So there are differences.
The fact that you can hear the difference of the DAC is a great indicator that these are good. With bad earbuds you don’t hear the difference between bad and good sources.
USB DACs don’t cost more than 20-30€, but you need to check the reviews closely, if they are really good. Some USB DACs have issues with volume control (at least on Android), so be careful.
I paid 40€ for the Cadenza II… and they sound better than the Sure 215 or the Sennheiser 200, in my opinion.
I went ahead and ordered the FiiO and the Dunu Titans.
Going to see how I feel about the cables. Would appreciate suggestions on upgraded more comfortable cables after they come in.
For HiFi, I’ve got a speaker setup in my basement, but haven’t dived into HiFi headphones yet. I don’t know if my preamp has a 1/4” jack or not…
I 
% agree… the BASN Bmasters with comply memory foam tips are fantastic. Small enough to fit well in my ears and the sound is really clear and articulate with good sounding bass. The mids are bit lacking, but not enough to affect hearing the vocals and guitars. I’ve tried the lower end Shure, Sennheiser, and Mackie IEM’s that my bandmates use, but I prefer my sub $100 Bmasters.
