Budget (sub £150?) IEM recommendations?

gearaddict

Apologies if this has been done to death but I couldn't find a current thread on it. I currently have these MEE M6 Pro things I got off Amazon for about £30 years ago and they just sound really bad - harsh and trebbly. I'm starting to use IEMs more frequently so I'd like something that sounds better and is more comfy.

The Shure SE215 seems to be the weapon of choice (and I can find them for £85) but I wondered if I should try and go dual driver - maybe the Mackie MP-240 (although that's a bit more money than I'd ideally like to spend). The Xvive T9s look like very good value (too good?)...or are these Stagg ones any use? They seem too cheap to be good.

Any experience of these or others in the price range? I'd probably feel ok spending £160-ish.

lustycourtier

My Xvives are wonderful. Do what I want them to very well.  

gearaddict

lustycourtier said:

My Xvives are wonderful. Do what I want them to very well.  

Cool - the only slightly negative thing I've read about these is that they are a bit bulky...do you find them comfy?

Jonathangus

I got a set of the 4-driver Stagg ones.  The sound quality is actually really good; the only problem I found is that the nozzle over which the foam fits is quite large - so that there's too much nozzle and not enough foam inside my ear canal (maybe I just have very small ear canals!), if that makes sense.  So they're now on loan to our drummer, and I got a set of Shures.  The SE215s are a better fit, but the Staggs take it for outright sound quality.

Danny1969

The SE215's are good for constant gig'ing as the sound is inoffensive and not fatiguing over long periods. I have a set of Xvives that have a wider frequency response and a more Hi Fi sound than the SE's but they are more fatiguing over long 3 setter wedding and corp gigs  

rze99

L215s are great

Roland

gearaddict said:

Apologies if this has been done to death but I couldn't find a current thread on it..

This thread?  https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/4241555/#Comment_4241555

gearaddict

Roland said:

gearaddict said:

Apologies if this has been done to death but I couldn't find a current thread on it..

This thread?  https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/4241555/#Comment_4241555

Yes I did see that one but it was focussing more on higher end gear. 

Stratavarious

SE215s sets here… perfectly fine for most scenarios.  Best cost/value out there and easy to get a box of spare foam tips.

gearaddict

So, I amazoned a pair of SE-215s and if anything they are less nice sounding that my £30 M6 Pro cheap ones. And I find them a real struggle to put in. I think it's the rotating connection, which keeps spinning round and trying to pull them out. I have been used to using a pair of inexpensive Sennheiser HD200 over-ear headphones and they sound fairly warm and bassy. In comparison, the M6 Pros and the Shures sound very tinny and nasty.

I've only tried them through a Katana Go headphone amp so far (and directly listening to music on my phone) so maybe that's just how that sounds.

vasselmeyer

It probably depends on the fit. I have had custom molds made for my SE215s which give me pretty much a perfect seal and isolate me as much as possible from the rest of the band. I can then tweak my mix from the desk in terms of individual instrument levels and EQ. They sound really very decent quality to me in that context.

Danny1969

The bass response depends entirely on the fit. If you move about a lot then tape them in. 

There's a lot of fake Shure IEM's about too, on Amazon and all over Ebay. Look out for adverts like brand new but no retail box. 

gearaddict

Danny1969 said:

The bass response depends entirely on the fit. If you move about a lot then tape them in. 

There's a lot of fake Shure IEM's about too, on Amazon and all over Ebay. Look out for adverts like brand new but no retail box. 

Amazon is becoming a bit of a nightmare. I've had a few issues with fake things recently. I might send these back and buy direct from Shure.

kennedydream1980

https://www.soundbrenner.com/products/wave-in-ear-monitors?srsltid=AfmBOoqsRRitJ-HfmG_kXnqQLRZFgpqt92Vr8qVJKMKIRg16GD2efy0u

These are excellent

Roland

I’ve had SE215s for more than 10 years. I only replaced them with fitted plugs because, for a while, we had a drummer who was too loud. The two things I like about SE215s are their physical robustness (essential for live work), and their EQ. They are not hifi earbuds. Instead they give you what you need to hear, without being tiring in prolonged use.

gearaddict

kennedydream1980 said:

https://www.soundbrenner.com/products/wave-in-ear-monitors?srsltid=AfmBOoqsRRitJ-HfmG_kXnqQLRZFgpqt92Vr8qVJKMKIRg16GD2efy0u

These are excellent

Yeah, I was thinking about those - the advertising is all over social media and YT is full of people saying they are amazing...but I feel like most of those guys are paid to say that. There are a few more obviously genuine reviews where they say they are fine but not as good as the Shures. I'm nervous of the hype.

kennedydream1980

gearaddict said:

kennedydream1980 said:

https://www.soundbrenner.com/products/wave-in-ear-monitors?srsltid=AfmBOoqsRRitJ-HfmG_kXnqQLRZFgpqt92Vr8qVJKMKIRg16GD2efy0u

These are excellent

Yeah, I was thinking about those - the advertising is all over social media and YT is full of people saying they are amazing...but I feel like most of those guys are paid to say that. There are a few more obviously genuine reviews where they say they are fine but not as good as the Shures. I'm nervous of the hype.

Yes I felt the same with all the hype and social media. But I took a punt and I much prefer them over anything I’ve had in the past. Ive owned Shure SE215’s up to 535’s and I still prefer them.

thomasw88

The 7hz Salnotes zero are actually very nice.     Would say the isolation isn't amazing although it does a reasonable job.    Also have some Linsoul KZ pro 2 I think. They're not bad either although I think I marginally prefer the Salnotes to them.
Comply TW400 foamtips as well..

I've also just bought a set of the Soundbrenner waves which I'll try tonight at a gig.  They came in just shy of £100   They sounded pretty darn good in the house though and I have pretty high hopes for them.

thomasw88

Used the Soundbrenner tonight and they were a massive step up from the salnotes and kz pros mentioned above.   Good sound isolation and really nice sound.

kennedydream1980

thomasw88 said:

Used the Soundbrenner tonight and they were a massive step up from the salnotes and kz pros mentioned above.   Good sound isolation and really nice sound.

Yep I love mine. I’ve only gigged with them once but it was very enjoyable :-)

gearaddict

Well, I've ordered the Soundbrenner Waves, so we'll see...might take a little while to arrive as they seem to keep selling out.