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In ear buds for bass

B

bass1860

Jul 5, 2026
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3
#1
Hi new to the thread. I play weekly in church n we have in ear buds we were aske to try out. Unfortunately they dont work for the bass and am resigned to using clunky headphones!
Any ideas ascto a moderately priced set of in ear buds specifically for bass guitar?
Thanks everyone
 
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#3
bass1860 said:
Hi new to the thread. I play weekly in church n we have in ear buds we were aske to try out. Unfortunately they dont work for the bass and am resigned to using clunky headphones!
Any ideas ascto a moderately priced set of in ear buds specifically for bass guitar?
Thanks everyone
Click to expand...
I’ve got about 150 gigs on these. They seal up really nice and they sound great for bass and drum response. I also have a set of $800 Westtones and these sound remarkably better.

Some folks prefer the Comply foam tips. I actually prefer the silicone because they stay in my ears and seal up better for me.


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#5
Fit is everything. If they don't go all the way in with a good seal, no in-ear will sound good with bass. The cheap ones usually come with different tip sizes you can swap and many people can get ok results with stock tips. Getting custom molded tips is the gold standard.
 
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#6
Absolutely try those KZ12s. They work and they're a fraction of the cost of some brand names. As Pings points out, the seal is important. You can find foam seals to replace the standard poly seals - those work OK but on stage when you are moving, they can loosen off. The foams feel a little 'tight' in the ear but they stay put a long time.

Also, it's a good idea to have a switched mic somewhere in the middle of the stage - if possible - that can be used to communicate with the band. If you make a song change or something, your singer can yell right in your face and you still won't know what they're trying to say. Also useful to give the keys player a mic to tell you that they need to change the effects and patterns so that you don't start the next song with them sounding like a Hammond B when they need a piano preset.
 
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#7
Memory foam tips from comply is what worked for me, using a set of KZ10s

Seal of the ear canal is what let's you hear the bass the way you want to.

www.complyfoam.com

Comply® Memory Foam Ear Tips | Upgrade Your Earbuds

Comply Foam solves the most common earbud problems — better comfort, better sound, and a more secure, pain-free fit. What's not to love?
www.complyfoam.com www.complyfoam.com
 
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#8
I'd be wary of in-ears that are advertised as being for "gaming", as I'd expect the lower frequencies to be boosted in a way that may lead to lack of clarity on stage. Ultimately, you want a monitor that will allow you to hear everything clearly. A lot of people recommend the KZs but they were a terrible fit for me (AS10 Pros). They sounded fine but are way too bulky. Tough to beat the price though (if you're looking for an IEM that has several drivers). You could always try them and send them back if you don't like them.
 
#10
I used to use the KZ ZS10 pro’s and I still have them for backup. Comply foam tips work well, as suggested. The sure se215’s are also a classic.

After years of universals, I made the move to custom molds and I think the isolation/separation was key for me to have a good IEM experience on bass. I wish I had done it sooner!
 
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#14
I'd be wary of in-ears that are advertised as being for "gaming", as I'd expect the lower frequencies to be boosted in a way that may lead to lack of clarity on stage. Ultimately, you want a monitor that will allow you to hear everything clearly. A lot of people recommend the KZs but they were a terrible fit for me (AS10 Pros). They sounded fine but are way too bulky. Tough to beat the price though (if you're looking for an IEM that has several drivers). You could always try them and send them back if you don't like them.
 
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#16
I used to have KZ before I went with Etymotic, I remember it was ZAX or ZSX? I chose the least bass-boosted one, and it had a good frequency response if a bit whistly in the treble. It sure was a bit bulky, though.
 
#17
Last night I subbed with a band that has an ampless stage. Everything direct and all in ears.
I've never played in that situation before.
I have a set of the KZ's listed above.
Started out sounding phenomenal. After a couple songs, I could tell I they were maybe slipping out of my ears.
I had to push them in, in between songs. Then they sounded great again.
I ordered some silicone tips to see if that helps
 
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#18
I gave up on ear buds for bass decades ago for all the reasons above: lack of bandwidth, discomfort, and other reasons. I utilize a Behringer hot spot monitor on a mic stand pointed directly at my head so I can get the articulation and general tone to lock in with the drummer. then if I need anything else, my cell phone has the Behringer app so I can tailor my own mix.
 

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