Not-crazy-expensive in-ear montiors

[Geri O]

For earbuds alone, The Westone UM Pro 30s just can't be beat. Even if you buy a wireless IEM rig, ditch the buds (or sell them) and get the Westones. I had to use a set when I needed a new cables for my 1964 Quads and I was amazed at how good they sounded, with plenty of low end. Like all generic buds, your mold seal needs to be good.

"rechargeable 9V are not cheap and don't work that well."

Not quite accurate, look at the Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable 9Vs and the Maha 9V chargers. They work very well at our church for the acoustic guitars and Lectrosonics belt packs. And decently priced. We get them from, of all places, Amazon.com.

 

[s0c9]

"rechargeable 9V are not cheap and don't work that well."

Not quite accurate, look at the Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable 9Vs and the Maha 9V chargers. They work very well at our church for the acoustic guitars and Lectrosonics belt packs. And decently priced. We get them from, of all places, Amazon.com.

My guys (4 of them) and others I have talked with (plus some online research) indicates that your experience(s) may differ. Plus, $9-10 per "decent" battery, and no charger?

My guys have said (and I have seen) their 9v recharge-life is poor and they have ALL gone back to throwaway 9v as they last longer. 3 of the 4 play guitar (2 electric, one acoustic) so they tend to be picky about stuff like that. Can't even get a single gig out the rechargeable 9v in their PSM body pack!! The other's a drummer, so 'nnuf said. LOL !

My comment was based on observation/experience with a working band.. obviously YMMV.

 

[dreads311]

All rechargeable batteries lose charge quickly. My keyboardist uses an audio technica iem system and rechargeable AA's. He's ALWAYS on red or dead by the end of each set. The rest of us buy bulk 9 volts (I can get a gross of Duracell Procell 9 volts for a few cents over a dollar a piece). I get at least two full shows out of each battery (3 50min sets a show) with the psm 200. Just thought I'd chime in on the battery thing just because it was brought up. This statement is aimed at no one in particular.

 

[s0c9]

All rechargeable batteries lose charge quickly. My keyboardist uses an audio technica iem system and rechargeable AA's. He's ALWAYS on red or dead by the end of each set. The rest of us buy bulk 9 volts (I can get a gross of Duracell Procell 9 volts for a few cents over a dollar a piece). I get at least two full shows out of each battery (3 50min sets a show) with the psm 200. Just thought I'd chime in on the battery thing just because it was brought up. This statement is aimed at no one in particular.

Wow.. that's REALLY great life out of those 9V's, and not so good out of the AA's ..
Wonder why my guys have dumped them ???

I'm getting roughly 2 FULL GIGS (8-hrs total) out of my rechargeable AA's - using 2 in the IEM and 2 in the G90 body packs - rotating 16 of them. I'm phasing in the Tenergy (2300mAh) as my Energizer PowerPlus (2500mAh) wear out. The Eneloops got great reviews but are 2000mAh (Eneloop"Pro" at 2500mAh are EXPENSIVE!!) and I got a GREAT deal on the Tenergy. Will probably go back to the Energizers again as they seem to work best for me.

 

[dreads311]

Wow.. that's REALLY great life out of those 9V's, and not so good out of the AA's ..
Wonder why my guys have dumped them ???

I'm getting roughly 2 FULL GIGS (8-hrs total) out of my rechargeable AA's - using 2 in the IEM and 2 in the G90 body packs - rotating 16 of them. I'm phasing in the Tenergy (2300mAh) as my Energizer PowerPlus (2500mAh) wear out. The Eneloops got great reviews but are 2000mAh (Eneloop"Pro" at 2500mAh are EXPENSIVE!!) and I got a GREAT deal on the Tenergy. Will probably go back to the Energizers again as they seem to work best for me.

It's a solid 6 hours of usage. Another thing to consider is how long you've had the particular rechargeables. After a time of being drained and recharged, they lose the ability to hold a charge. They'll get fully charged, but will drain a lot quicker. Just like a cell phone battery if you keep it plugged in all the time.

 

[two fingers]

I have been pricing them myself lately, along with reading tons of reviews. That budget for a good transmitter/receiver AND good buds is a tall order. I don't see it happening new, and it will still be tough used.

 

[Big_Daws]

use duracell procells...they are better for everything...lol great wording i know...but you should get approx 4-6 hours use from a 9v and 8+hrs with AA's with procells. in my sennheiser wireless systems, they use 2xaa batteries. i usually get about 2 and a bit gigs (4hrs a gig) plus 3 rehearsals from one set.

rechargables aren't worth the money...and aren't near as reliable for lastability. but at $4 for a 4pk of procell AA's, who cares!

 

[s0c9]

In an interesting twist on the IEM topic, I get to out gig setup last night and find TWO stage monitors on the stage.
Uh ??
Turns out that the BL and the other guitar player made an "executive decision" and dumped their IEM's system.. BL had even sold his during the week. Not a word about it at rehearsal or in conversations prior to the gig.. That left 3 of us on ears, and we now have a whole host of friggin stage volume again.. and assorted issues with the mix as the PA hadn't been rung out for stage monitors and was causing issues at sound check. Input trim and other "tweaks" were made which totally screwed with our IEM mixes.

Reason given was what I have mentioned in other posts here... entry level IEM's (PSM200), MONO system, single driver buds, phase cancellation with two lead guitars and LEAD GUITAR players.. I figured giving them more "ME" in their ears was all they would need!! LOL

 

[tbirdsp]

Again - IEM noob here - but I bet the main issue was the single driver buds. Even A-B'ing the Shure SE215 with my Westone UM Pro 30 using an MP3 player - the difference was remarkable. Maiden voyage for me will be next Sat when we have a sound guy with an x32 so I can control my own mix.

 

[s0c9]

rechargables aren't worth the money...and aren't near as reliable for lastability. but at $4 for a 4pk of procell AA's, who cares!

I have to disagree... my experiences compared to current band members, prior bands and so on, does not support that conclusion. Yes, they have their idiosyncrasies. but since I'm gigging most weekends, I went to rechargeables as I was spending roughly $40 a month on AA batteries. While I don't play for a living.. that's still a stupid amount. I spent $40 on rechargeables and have been rotating the same 16 for at least a year (maybe longer). Guesstimate savings of $440 a year.
No more "could have sworn I put those new batteries here".. or "anyone got some batteries?" or "Crap.. gotta run to walmart for batteries!" before a sound check. Yeah, it happens.. a LOT! You'd think professional could plan a little better

My charged AA's sit in a "split" container in my gig bag. Discharged ones get thrown in the bag, charged the next day.
I check body pack battery levels (IEM and G90) when I power up at each set.. I keep 2 * AA's and a spare guitar cable on top of my amp, along with my iPad. I never have to hunt for batteries. Only once have they died mid song.. that's why the spare cable.

 

[s0c9]

Again - IEM noob here - but I bet the main issue was the single driver buds. Even A-B'ing the Shure SE215 with my Westone UM Pro 30 using an MP3 player - the difference was remarkable. Maiden voyage for me will be next Sat when we have a sound guy with an x32 so I can control my own mix.

I would agree 1000% on the single drivers being the issue... had that conversation with them a number of times. But, guitar B (not BL) said he didn't want to invest another $500+ on multiple drivers and run the chance of it still not working. I chuckled when I heard that as this was coming from a guy who has seldom played the SAME amp (4 different tube amps at last 4 gigs) or SAME guitars at any gig I've done with him over the last 18 months. Each to their own .. I guess.

 

[tbirdsp]

We played a casino gig last night where the singer and drummer used their ears but guitarist and I didn't. Later in the night the singer quit using her ears and told the sound guy to turn up the wedge (was already in place - house system). I asked her what was wrong - "Body pack kept pulling down my skirt!"

 

[Big_Daws]

I have to disagree... my experiences compared to current band members, prior bands and so on, does not support that conclusion. Yes, they have their idiosyncrasies. but since I'm gigging most weekends, I went to rechargeables as I was spending roughly $40 a month on AA batteries. While I don't play for a living.. that's still a stupid amount. I spent $40 on rechargeables and have been rotating the same 16 for at least a year (maybe longer). Guesstimate savings of $440 a year.
No more "could have sworn I put those new batteries here".. or "anyone got some batteries?" or "Crap.. gotta run to walmart for batteries!" before a sound check. Yeah, it happens.. a LOT! You'd think professional could plan a little better

My charged AA's sit in a "split" container in my gig bag. Discharged ones get thrown in the bag, charged the next day.
I check body pack battery levels (IEM and G90) when I power up at each set.. I keep 2 * AA's and a spare guitar cable on top of my amp, along with my iPad. I never have to hunt for batteries. Only once have they died mid song.. that's why the spare cable.

$40 bucks a month is insane!!!! i go though approx maybe $10 buck a month in buying 2 4pk AA duracell procells....that gives me a new set every gig (once a week) and gets me through rehearsals, then maybe i will still have 2/3left on the battery and get through my next gig...... :S

 

[Big_Daws]

i will say this...i did use some eveready's as i had forgot to pick up some new batteries and needed them. they barely lasted through sound check :S

 

[s0c9]

$40 bucks a month is insane!!!! i go though approx maybe $10 buck a month in buying 2 4pk AA duracell procells....that gives me a new set every gig (once a week) and gets me through rehearsals, then maybe i will still have 2/3left on the battery and get through my next gig...... :S

Insane...Exactly!!
But being a "working" weekend warrior and having TWO bodypacks to power on both Fri and Sat night.. uses up a whole load of AA's. Plus, I never waited until they were "dead" before changing, so I might have been able to save a few bucks/get extra life, but at some of the regional venues I play... dead bass doesn't go over well with the management, and could impact the bands tenure there.

And.. last night - Murphy was waiting for his chance!!
4th set (we play 5 sets of varying length at this venue), 2nd song from the end.. my G90 body pack dies 1/2 way thru the song.
Yes, I checked levels at the start of the set, but those NiMh AA's can just quit, even if they show 5hrs left on the pack level.
So.. in about 5 seconds, grabbed the cable on top of the amp.. connected bass to amp and was good to go.
Put new batteries in at the end of the set.

Figures!!
Only the 2nd time in 3 yrs that I've been caught out.. so yeah, sh*t happens, even when prepared!

 

[BassGuyFL]

Interesting responses I've had really good luck with the rechargeable AA's my IEM and my bass wireless both use them and I've maybe bought 3 new sets in 4 years at $10 a pop. Once they start wearing down I relegate them to backup status. I have no problem getting 4-5 sets a night 4-5 nights a week out of them.

Worst time I've had is the few times I've forgotten to put them on the charger after the show and had to run across the street to the gas station between sets to buy some!


Also can't stress enough the difference in sound in the good earbuds. I have the Westone Pro 30's too and there's just a level of sound quality and detail you just can't get with cheaper ones. My old drummer used to buy $10 earbuds at Big Lots and claim there was no difference and I was wasting my $. :eyeroll:

 

[morgansterne]

I use the carvin em900 with the included "junk" earbuds, but that's in a band where I play keys. My bass playing group is not as loud so I don't think I'll use them there.
I have a $99 set of sennheiser buds that definitely have more bass to them than the carvins, but the mids detail is lacking on the sennheisers.

I find the limiter on the carvins can be kind of finicky to set up properly. It likes to engage and the sound will drop out completely if there's clipping somewhere in the signal path. I have had other unexplained dropouts with them, always for a short time and never really causing a problem for me. Just a bit distracting.
Saturday's gig I used the in ears 90 percent of the night and they were flawless, wish I knew what was different from other times when I've had dropouts.

I get about a gig and a half out of the AA batteries, but normally I replace them after each gig and save the batteries for other stuff around the house.

 

[s0c9]

I use the carvin em900 with the included "junk" earbuds, but that's in a band where I play keys. My bass playing group is not as loud so I don't think I'll use them there.
I have a $99 set of sennheiser buds that definitely have more bass to them than the carvins, but the mids detail is lacking on the sennheisers.

When I bought the EM900 I was still [mostly] playing lead guitar.. the buds were used once. Bought Westone UM1's.. which were all I could afford at the time. Upgraded (back in Jan) to 1964 Quads which work great for bass with the EM900.

I find the limiter on the carvins can be kind of finicky to set up properly. It likes to engage and the sound will drop out completely if there's clipping somewhere in the signal path. I have had other unexplained dropouts with them, always for a short time and never really causing a problem for me. Just a bit distracting..

There are no adjustable limiter settings on the EM900.. it's either ON or OFF. The limiter shouldn't cause dropouts.. not even if Carvin uses a "brick-wall limiter" type. It's compression, not cutoff.

If you are getting dropouts it's probably due to local interference... Which freq are you set on?

At default factory frequency setting (don't recall what that is) I got dropouts, momentary.. like you described, quite a bit. I changed my frequency to an upper range setting (643.500Mhz) and they [mostly] went away.
You could try that... and... it's mostly venue specific.. broadcast TV channels. cell phones, etc. vary by location.

 

[morgansterne]

Cool thanks for the suggestion.

 

[mjmeche]

These 9V Lithiums worked great on my PSM200 when I had it. I would get 9 hours easily.
http://www.thomasdistributing.com/9V-Lithium-Polymer-Batteries_c_958.html
I might be getting another system , I might try Carvin btw Shure is coming out with PSM300 soon