When looking a purchasing IEM's/buds - I look at it this way.
Would you put your entire band thru a PA that only had a single speaker on each side of the stage?
Probably not.. it would sound awful right?
So why would you buy single driver IEMs/buds and put them right up against your ear?
Think about it.
sorry, just have to point out the flaws in that comparison: (yes I know, I'm sorry, I can't help it, and I'm honestly not trying to be mean or insulting... I have a problem, I know. Please accept this from the educational point of view that it is intended!)
- speakers REQUIRE more than one size and type of driver to cover the full audio spectrum loudly and efficiently and with low distortion (by speaker standards). Yes I know of home hifi single driver speakers that people love, and can extend pretty darn well. But no where near possible at stage levels which was the comparison given. Earbuds do not require a larger diaphragm to reach down below 20Hz with full force, nor do they require a smaller lighter diaphragm to reach 20kHz perfectly well. I'm not saying that all single diaphragm earbud systems sound great. But the TECHNOLOGY is NOT LIMITED by using a single diaphragm. There may be plenty of other reasons why the Shure models, in particular, are weak in the bass. But since you can buy single diaphragm earbuds at the local electronics store (not for stage use) that have a ton of bass and sound amazing throughout the spectrum, the challenge in making stage suitable inner ear designs is not limited by using a single driver.
- speakers REQUIRE small diaphragm tweeters, possibly with a horn for controlled dispersion and wildly increased efficiency, for the treble frequencies to not be like a super directional piston that you can only hear when directly in line of the front of the speaker. earbuds and headphones do not.
- speakers REQUIRE large diaphragm woofers, possibly with a horn for wildly increased efficiency (but dispersion is irrelevant down low), to move enough air to produce loud deep audio at room levels or stage levels. earbuds and headphones do not.
- earbuds and headphones use drivers that move very short distances... and in the case of sealed inner ear designs, they move EXTREMELY short distances and must have extreme control (generally assisted electronically) of the levels so that they do not damage your hearing. This may be related to the choices made by Shure, although it certainly does sound like the Shure units are more vocal oriented than for the bassist. So moving a very short distance negates the requirement for multiple drivers completely.
Now... all that being said, I'm absolutely not dismissing the greatness of the touted multi driver inner ear systems mentioned in this thread. I can't use any of these, and I completely believe the highly rated units are great.
But I can't believe for a moment that there aren't also great units that use a single driver design and still have plenty of bass. I suspect, but am only assuming from lots of experience with speaker design and the physics therein (no experience designing earbud systems, just the theories therein), that using multiple drivers allows the control over output of different frequency ranges to be maximized for your hearing while not ever overloading your ear. I also suspect that the Shure units are designed for the vocalist, not the bassist, based on what I've been googling about them.
DHDIK right?
Anyhow - as your were. no need to reply or argue - I'm just stating facts about physics, and trying to remind people to have an open mind, and not presume that more drivers MUST equal better sound as a result of the multiple drivers exclusively.
