Cheap IEM suggestions

PolarityMan

mike257 said:

PolarityMan said:

mike257 said:

215s are a go to for entry level generic IEM. If you want to go cheaper, the KZ ZS10 Pro are widely available on Amazon for about fifty quid. They're good *for the price* but take all the "better than my Shure 535" hyped up reviews with a pinch of salt. They're good cheapos, and better than most non-IEM users are used to hearing but they're not the holy grail the internet would have you think. I own a set that live in my backpack for casual listening/emergency spares but they're back of the queue behind my Cosmic Audio CE6P customs, and my Shure 535 and 315. 

Isolation from stage volume depends on the fit in your ear. Any decent pair of generics will come with a couple of different tip sizes, so it'll take some experimentation to see which works best for you. When popping them in your ears, roll/squish the foam earbuds so they're squashed smaller, pop them in your ears and hold them in place for a few seconds while the foam expands. 

The fit of generics will never match the isolation you get from well fitted customs, but they'll still be a step in the right direction. 

I use my zs10s in preference to Shure 315s. Obvs the 535s have more drivers but the zs10s are really punching significantly above their weight.

Better than they should be for £50, for sure.

I find that they're excessively hyped in the high mids compared to other earphones, especially when you directly A/B them. That might suit some people - I'm generally looking for as flat a response as possible as I'm using them for mixing monitors live, and often with people wearing different types of IEMs on stage, but if it's just for yourself, you might prefer the more sculpted frequency response on the KZs. Certainly can't knock them for the price. 

That probably makes sense. I'm using them for my own live mix and a distorted guitar would almost certainly benefit from any "hype" curve.  They are also way louder for a given volume too and batteries last longer so I assume they are using more efficient drivers. 

Longtallronnie

Sorry to hijack but after tonight’s acoustic gig, I think a set of wireless IEMs would be handy for when I’m looping. 

Any cheap sets that would do for a basic acoustic/vocal set up? Keeping out stage volume isn’t an issue as everything goes straight to the mixer, no amps etc onstage. Cheers

Longtallronnie

Maybe something like this? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LEKATO-MS-1-Transmitter-Automatic-Performance-Receiver/dp/B0B9W5S4N8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=13KPVAI8LHMK&keywords=wireless+in+ear+monitor+system&qid=1687040116&sprefix=wireless+in+ear+%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-3

All I need is to be able to hear my loops so I can keep them in time so as long as the sound quality isn’t distractingly shit…

Evo

The KZs were the go-to for quite a while (and rightly so, very good IEMs), but things have moved on a little since they were introduced. 

Rather than just throwing more and more drivers at the earphones, companies have started tuning their phones to various EQ curves which has made a noticeable difference to the performance at price point. 

I actually just upgraded my se215s to a set of Moondrop Katos as they were on a decent offer. Definitely a noticeable upgrade, and the moondrops were still cheaper than a new set of 215s at today’s prices. 

If you’re looking at investing then I’d recommend checking out 

https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/

I wouldn’t take it as gospel, but the guy has a lot of experience with a lot of IEMs and might give you a few new recommendations to investigate if nothing else.