That’s great Info man, thanks very much for posting that. Yeah I’ve heard that about the cables. What are the specs you should look for to compare good better and best as it relates to the cable? And of those numbers, what should I be looking for as good, better, best?
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Help with IEM’s
- Thread starter NYgiant
- Start date
That’s great Info man, thanks very much for posting that. Yeah I’ve heard that about the cables. What are the specs you should look for to compare good better and best as it relates to the cable? And of those numbers, what should I be looking for as good, better, best?
skyline_01
Endorsing artist: Nordstrand Audio, Tsunami Cables
Sure thing!
Just look for something well-rated with the correct plugs on both end. I think those KZ are 2-pin, then 3.5mm on the other end is standard mini audio jack. I've had good luck with the one below.
Limited-time deal: Linsoul Tripowin Zonie 16 Core Silver Plated IEM Cable, SPC Earphone Cable for KZ ZS10 PRO, ZSX, ZSN Pro, ZS10 Pro NF2u, Recessed 2pin IEMs (Recessed 2pin, 3.5mm, Grey) Amazon.com
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OK great. That’s funny, I actually had that same. One saved on my wishlist on Amazon.
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Why not? Works for my band very well - 2 Xvive transmitters into a Behringer XR18, with a wireless hub attached and all controlled by a tablet! Been doing it that way for the past year with no issues at all.Just a heads up: if you do get wireless for your IEMs, don't plug the transmitters directly into a mixer that uses wifi for control with a tablet
Good to know. I have exactly the same gear.
When we plugged into someone else's Soundcraft recently, it killed communication with the tablet.
Maybe with a separate wireless router, it's far enough away from the transmitters?
As for 2, I've never once seen an aux channel that's in stereo, they're all mono.
As for 3, every single member of my pop punk band uses a different brand without issue.
Just ordered the Phenyx Pro PTM-11 (mono version). If I find I need the stereo version, I'll order it. While the X-Vive is nice and compact, I feel it's overpriced.
If you are lacking bass response on any of Shure’s in ears, you don’t have a good seal. The Physics of bass with in ears is simple - if you have a good seal, there is NO low frequency rolloff. A different set of tips (for a good seal) is what you need if you’re lacking low end.
I'd like to believe that, but I'm using the exact same type of seals in my 535's that I have in my KZ10's (comply). The KZ's bass response is fine.......not so much with the 535's. I really wanted to like them (they are lighter, and far more comfortable), but the bass just wasn't there.
Edit: The top end on the Shures is MUCH smoother as well.
I was wondering what Shure earbuds you actually have, as none of them have 5 drivers. But yes, given what you're saying, you definitely don't have a good seal. The Shures have a smaller nozzle diameter - the tips (what you're calling "seals") that work on KZ's will not work on Shures - they will leak, which will throw the low end out the window. 535's have plenty of low end - I'd argue too much. I use 425's, because they're more neutral - with 1 LF driver, they have a flatter overall response - better balance with the "tweeter". Both of them have (as they're sealed systems) low frequency extension that goes well below audibility.
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No, I have 535's. They are marked as such on the outside, so unless I got some kind of fake (Amazon bought) it's unlikely there aren't really 535's. At $400+ they had better not be fakes. I had 215's before them, and TBH the bass response was about the same on the 215's......which I found a bit disconcerting. The mids however sounded "less congested, and the highs were smoother (the KZ's are a little harsh in comparison). For guitar the 535's are much better......for bass, no contest......KZ's won every time I A/B'd them.
And yes, the necks are smaller on the Shures, but I have the correct memory foam comply tips for each of them (non interchangeable).
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s0c9
Supporting Member
The 535's are triple driver buds - not 5 driver buds. The SE215's are single driver. The 2nd digit indicates # of drivers.
The bass response "should" be "better" on the 535's - as in more defined and distinct - than the 215's.
Being single driver, the 215's work (yes, I used them long ago, but never used the 535's) but being single driver tend to hasten ear fatigue.
Thing of a single PA speaker producing the full spectrum vs it being 3-way.
With 3-way, each driver works less, is more efficient, sound cleaner and clearer, more defined and using EQ, can boost/cut the frequency range of each driver to taste.
Have you tried EQ to boost the bass on your IEM feed w/ the 535's ?
There are 4 sizes of Comply tips to fit Shure earbuds. If you don't have enough low end, you almost certainly have the wrong size - they aren't sealing, trust me on this - you wouldn't say they don't have low end if you had a good seal.. For the price of the right size tips (you may have to buy several sizes to figure out which ones work), your 535's will be transformed. I have never been able to get a good seal with foam tips - both sealing issues, and they fall out. I always use triple flanges, which seal well, and they stay in my ears. Finding the right tips can be a struggle, but it is well worth it.
The 535's have more low end. Is that more defined or distinct? That's a subjective judgement. They were designed for folks that like extra bass. The 215's are actually a bit more "accurate" when it comes to the balance of bass to mids and treble. They are also more efficient (louder with a given input voltage) than the 215's.
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Good post. Good point on earbuds as well. These are monitors and don't need to create high fidelity sound. It's not like wedges crank out high fidelity sound, so why spend the money on high end pieces? I can understand if you sing you might be a little more chosey, but I don't sing and I've used Shure 215s going on 12 years now with satisfactory results.
One other point with regard to IEMs for bassists, the fit of the earpieces is critical. You need a good seal and without it's going to be very treblely. I also highly recommend the use of earpiece lubrication like OTO-EASE ( sold on Amazon) for a better seal as well as comfort. Nothing worse than 3/4 of the way through a set playing a song and the inching and butning get's to the point the only thing you can think of is ripping out your earpieces. Trust me on this.
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Yes, very little luck without it sounding weird. Boosting frequencies the amount I had to boost them is just never a good idea.
I purchased a small "case" of comply's. There are 3 or 4 different sizes in each case. I agree that the double/triple flange tips actually do work pretty good, but they tend to come out when I get sweaty during gigs. I'll take your word on it that the 535's SHOULD be better, but I'll stick to my $50 KZ10's. My wife swiped my 535's about 6 months ago anyway (when her KZ's took a dump), so it's kind of a moot point.
(I was replying to an earlier post and probably wouldn't have bothered to comment but it might apply for someone else where the point isn't moot 
)
While my own experience would make me tend to agree that a search for the optimal tip (and not just including foam tips) could very well result in finding a better seal and transformed SE525s, as far as I understand it, the frequency response of the KZ is simply more bass heavy and has sub bass representation that the SE525 just does not. The SE525 is more balanced. The KZ is also tuned for "young ears", being defined as having bass and sub bass suited for current music (and entertainment/games) and high end that can't even be heard by 45+ year old ears.
I think that an understandable mistake with foam tips on different IEMs with different size nozzles is to assume that tips with the same outer diameter will result in the same fit and seal for both, when that's not necessarily the case.
What happens with the material on an IEM tip is that it conforms to the contours of the ear (direct quote from Captain Obvious). The same outer diameter on tips for large nozzles, like most chi-fi IEMs (also very obviously) means less foam material to do that conforming than small diameter nozzles.
The result is that they look the same but are not the same, and with the wide variety of ear canal sizes and specific shapes, this can make a meaningful difference. Ear canals tend to be tall, boxy-ish ovals, not round. IEM nozzles and most IEM tips are round. The diameter if the KZ bare nozzle itself is pretty close to the average ear canal width, so in most cases, adding any size tip's sleeve and tip material is going to mean that no matter what size tip is used, the fit will be "snug" from side to side with the foam filling in space on the top and bottom. For most of us who haven't made a highly detailed study, results are going to have some unpredictability and require some trial and error.
I also think that trying to contrast and compare IEMs as a group discussion subject is problematic. We don't all hear the same thing. We don't all define what we hear in the same way. So the back and forth about various aspects can be futile with us realizing it.
I have "tested" (The Ultimate Headphones Test) KZ ZS10 Pros, listened to recorded music and tried them at rehearsals and a gig. For me and my ears and my preferences, they have more than sufficient bass, which I really only find apparent with tests and recorded music with sub bass, and by comparison with others I've tried have a harsh sounding upper end. I don't say high end because I have 50-something ears and know there's content I'm not hearing there. I don't find them particularly well-fitting/comfortable...they feel bulkier than they look to me. While I suppose I would find them useable if they were somehow the only choice, I find that the dealbreaker is they have the least isolation of any that I've tried so I had to run them notably higher to have the same balance, so given choices, I wouldn't use them for playing live.
An anecdotal case about tips that might be worth watching...
)While my own experience would make me tend to agree that a search for the optimal tip (and not just including foam tips) could very well result in finding a better seal and transformed SE525s, as far as I understand it, the frequency response of the KZ is simply more bass heavy and has sub bass representation that the SE525 just does not. The SE525 is more balanced. The KZ is also tuned for "young ears", being defined as having bass and sub bass suited for current music (and entertainment/games) and high end that can't even be heard by 45+ year old ears.
I think that an understandable mistake with foam tips on different IEMs with different size nozzles is to assume that tips with the same outer diameter will result in the same fit and seal for both, when that's not necessarily the case.
What happens with the material on an IEM tip is that it conforms to the contours of the ear (direct quote from Captain Obvious). The same outer diameter on tips for large nozzles, like most chi-fi IEMs (also very obviously) means less foam material to do that conforming than small diameter nozzles.
The result is that they look the same but are not the same, and with the wide variety of ear canal sizes and specific shapes, this can make a meaningful difference. Ear canals tend to be tall, boxy-ish ovals, not round. IEM nozzles and most IEM tips are round. The diameter if the KZ bare nozzle itself is pretty close to the average ear canal width, so in most cases, adding any size tip's sleeve and tip material is going to mean that no matter what size tip is used, the fit will be "snug" from side to side with the foam filling in space on the top and bottom. For most of us who haven't made a highly detailed study, results are going to have some unpredictability and require some trial and error.
I also think that trying to contrast and compare IEMs as a group discussion subject is problematic. We don't all hear the same thing. We don't all define what we hear in the same way. So the back and forth about various aspects can be futile with us realizing it.
I have "tested" (The Ultimate Headphones Test) KZ ZS10 Pros, listened to recorded music and tried them at rehearsals and a gig. For me and my ears and my preferences, they have more than sufficient bass, which I really only find apparent with tests and recorded music with sub bass, and by comparison with others I've tried have a harsh sounding upper end. I don't say high end because I have 50-something ears and know there's content I'm not hearing there. I don't find them particularly well-fitting/comfortable...they feel bulkier than they look to me. While I suppose I would find them useable if they were somehow the only choice, I find that the dealbreaker is they have the least isolation of any that I've tried so I had to run them notably higher to have the same balance, so given choices, I wouldn't use them for playing live.
An anecdotal case about tips that might be worth watching...
A lot of guys have wives that are smarter than them.
LOL....true....true.
Actually they went in the "spare" backpack. She had no choice, but says she loves them nonetheless.
