I use shure SE215s. They aren’t the most accurate buds around but they do have a hyped low end that I like. They are also cheap. After stepping on one at a gig, that became a selling point for me. Now I have to go check out a set of KZ’s…..
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Need IEMs?
- Thread starter buzzby
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Take my advice on this one. Do not listen to anyone else here.....
I’ve owned Sure 425’s and Westones. I currently own an $800 set of custom mold Alclairs. They are incredible sounding but they’ve broken down several times. They’ve sat on my desk for 3 months to send back to get fixed and the reason I haven’t gotten it done because my $25 KZ ZSN’s made from China off of Amazon are INCREDIBLE! Don’t believe me, go YouTube KZ’s for IEM’s.
I’m the MD at my church, and I’ve played conferences with 8000 thousand people. Trust me when I tell you these things are super legit. KZ makes about 10 different models so you can even get more for your money if you want to spend more than $25.
Take my word for it, and if I’m wrong, you’re only out $25. One small tip, buy the foam tips for them (also on Amazon). And also make sure you don’t get the ones with a mic.
Hit me up and let me know how you like them.
Thank you, everyone!
I went and splurged on the KZ AS10s. They are currently $59.99 with an instant $4 off coupon. I had seen them earlier today, but I was concerned about the quality, simply because Amazon reviews have become so unreliable over the last couple years--and lots of folks were saying that you get what you pay for. But I think these will be perfectly fine for my need, and I know if real bass players here at the forum like them, they're good enough for me.
Thank you all again for helping me out with this!
buzz
I went and splurged on the KZ AS10s. They are currently $59.99 with an instant $4 off coupon. I had seen them earlier today, but I was concerned about the quality, simply because Amazon reviews have become so unreliable over the last couple years--and lots of folks were saying that you get what you pay for. But I think these will be perfectly fine for my need, and I know if real bass players here at the forum like them, they're good enough for me.
Thank you all again for helping me out with this!
buzz
What this guy said!!!!
Anyone recommending Westones and Sures have never played with the KZ’s
I documented my experience here. Certainly would recommend westone and shure for universal fits, but lots of companies out there including 64 Audio have options to check out. Let me know if you have questions about my thread!
My experience going to custom IEMs
I’m not a fan of any IEMs as I don’t think having that much volume in your ears is healthy for your hearing. But I’m interested in the KZ brand for when I have to work with them.
These replaced my Shure 535s, which went to a very nimble-fingered TSA agent. I was expecting decent. What I got was so much better than the top of the line Shure product I’ll never go back. 60 bucks, well built, sound quality unmatched.
I own a pair of the KZs & while I’ll agree that they sound way way better than their cost would suggest & you can get a decent fit from them with the right tips. They don’t come even remotely close in sound quality to my custom mold Westones.
Their build quality makes me think they wouldn’t survive a lot of heavy use/ touring etc theyll probably hold up ok for church / chill gigs. That’ll all said they do sound amazing for the $. Better than Shure 215’s for sure
Personally, I thought the SE425’s were terrible. After getting custom-fitting IEM’s, I cringe if I ever have to use the SE425’s as backups.
If I were on a budget, I’d get one of these custom IEM’s:
Dual Driver Stage IEM - Dual XB Custom In-ear Monitor - Alclair Audio
https://alclair.com/product/dualxb/
Link Removed
https://alclair.com/product/dualxb/
No affiliation.
If I were on a budget, I’d get one of these custom IEM’s:
Dual Driver Stage IEM - Dual XB Custom In-ear Monitor - Alclair Audio
https://alclair.com/product/dualxb/
Link Removed
https://alclair.com/product/dualxb/
No affiliation.
I highly recommend checking out Anthem Five custom mold iem's their e2 line dual drivers sound excellent and are $200 plus shipping and tax so after getting ear impressions and taxes you should be within your budget and if you can save abit more their quad driver set would be excellent
I'm not familiar with how the Eartech customs sound but the build quality in pics looks abit suspect and I've used the Alclair dual driver customs and was not impressed with the sound quality so I cant personally recommend either of those brands for customs. I have owned several kz iem's and they do sound excellent especially at their price point even when compared to some sets costing over $1000. I think it would be a good idea to get a set of those to start out with and save abit to get a good set of triple driver or more custom mold iem's later. This would help you get used to how they sound and not break the bank with the benefit of using them as a backup set later. I personally started out with a set of shure se 215 iems and later got hooked on trying out a bunch of the affordable chinese in ears I probably have owned and tried well over 100 pairs as I was reviewing and got some pairs free to test out. This helped me really nail down what I like and to help determine where diminishing returns come in to play. Bear in mind the stock cables and ear tips that come with even the bigger brands are usually quite poor quality so it is a good idea to buy some upgraded extras and a pelican case to help protect and transport them. If you have any questions feel free to pm me. Hope this was helpful. Oh side note if you are looking into kz in ears they have a newer triple dynamic driver set called the Dq6 that is excellent on bass.
As most have said, 3 or more drivers. I had duals and they sucked for bass. I had to upgrade to a series that was catered to bass & drum players. Very happy with them. I went with a set of Alclairs. Great customer service!
Have you tried the Dq6’s? The frequency chart posted for them looks like they are mid scooped.
This is why fit and isolation are key. If the IEM fits properly and isolates outside noise you can keep the volume down to a safe and comfortable level.
In-Ear Monitors - A Risk To Your Hearing?
I have the um pro 30s and they're great. Way better than typical shure ones. Though I'd love some 50s!
Sweetwater periodically runs sales on the Westone UM Pro 30's, which is what I use and like.
Get earseals that fit - there's a starter pack of every size and style. I use one size in the silicone for 'everyday' use and one size larger foam for seriously loud onstage.
Lots of people like the KZ's but I could never EQ them to sound good. YMMV. Good prize point if they work for you so maybe worth a first try...
Get earseals that fit - there's a starter pack of every size and style. I use one size in the silicone for 'everyday' use and one size larger foam for seriously loud onstage.
Lots of people like the KZ's but I could never EQ them to sound good. YMMV. Good prize point if they work for you so maybe worth a first try...
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