[insano768]

I've been on a here for a few months trying to gather some information on customs IEMs primarily for stage use. I've notice a lot of this community are just listeners, which is cool, but I need some opinions from musicians.

I sing and play guitar at a large church, as well as sing in a touring rock band. I've used E2s and UM1, with UM1s being the most recent. The two are definitely different. I found the E2 had a warmer sound, and more impactful bass while the UM1 seemed a bit harsh and tiring on stage. I guess this is part of the the whole BA/Dynamic conversation.

So now, I want some good custom molds. Would pay up to the $1K range and need some real life opinions from musicians. I need something comfortable, and something that won't make my ears tired. I'd love to hear from those who have used JH on stage. And of course there is the Futuresonics conversation which nobody here really has experience from. But there are a lot of big artists that do love them.

So let's get this party started. Thanks.

 

[insano768]

BUMP

 

[Bina]

Try asking on Jhaudio site on facebook, there is some musicians using Jh audio customs.

JH Audio | Facebook

 

[insano768]

thanks. i'll look into it. i just read the "Three Flagship Review" and pretty much said what I expected. Between the ES3x and the JH13, the comparison of sparkling water vs chivas regal. I guess it's really up to me to decide what I am looking for as far as sound stage. I also know a lot of musicians love Westones, probably for their soundstage and neutrality for monitoring purposes, along with their comfort.

Does anyone know if Westone has plans for a big brother of the ES3x?

 

[Keithpgdrb]

as a musician (singer and instrumentalist) I have also struggled with the in ear monitor situation. Here is the problem. if your playing a non wind instrument (guitar, bass, drums, etc), its best to have good IEM's that seal well and block outside noise. thats the best situation because you have more control over what, and how much of something you hear.. as a singer and wind instrument player, having an IEM that seals and blocks noise is a problem. you can hear the problem by simply putting your fingers in your ears and humming. your own vocal resonance is amplified. its low, muffled, and doesnt do much outside of giving you a bit of bad pitch reference. that means, to be able to hear whats going on in your monitor, you have to overpower the resonance in "your head". if your not worried about blowing out your hearing, then its no big deal, but I am not.

The same thing happens if your playing a wind instrument to some degree. its not as bad, but it doesnt sound good, thats for sure.

so, what to do? I've had some great In ears in performance, and one thing that helps is to have an IEM with an actual BAD seal. thats right, the oposite of what you want for listening to music. This method generally blocks enough outside noise to be worthwhile. I am still trying to find the best method for making this work. In theory, an Over the ear headphone would be best for the singer, as it would block outside sound, while not amplifing unwanted head resonance. But who really wants to wear headphones on stage? totally mess up your "doo".

my next attempt is going to be one of the quality over the ear cans that usually hang on your ear. this could work, unless the stage is really loud, which is usual.

what we need is an "open, noise canceling, in ear monitor". Let me know when you find one. seriously.

 

[MayaTlab]

I read on JH's website that they have a "ambient vent" option on their IEMs for musicians looking for hearing what's going on on stage - could that be what you're looking for ?

 

[insano768]

Personally, i don't mind complete isolation. It has taken me 2 years to get used singing with in-ears, however, it's hard to go back to wedges. I don't even mind singing with no effects cause though it's hard for a singer to get used to, it allows you to be the best you can be. effects cover up tone, pitch etc so the more reverb you put in the iem mix, the less likely I will compensate for poor singing. A good ambient mic(s) gives me the feel I need to not have to go overboard with the effects.

At any rate, this doesn't help me in finding which may be the best IEM for me.

 

[insano768]

Bump...can't believe there aren't more musicians here.

 

[br&n]

As a musician (bass player) and a monitor engineer I have to say JH16 pro's are the way to go. I know they are expensive but I have never heard another pair of ears that have done it for me. These things are truely amazing.

I went from using Shure E5's to Westones UM2's to Livewires to Ultimate Ears UE5's to now JH16's. I thought the UE5's were great until I got the JH16's. I have been using the UE5's for a few months then ordered the 16's. Now that I have the 16's I will not use anything else unless I am forced to. The frequency response is unreal.

Dont settle for anything less than what you feel will work best for you even if you have to save up a month or two longer. Its better to wait longer than to settle.

 

[koonhua90]

Well I am not musician myself, but my dad is one. Anyway, the difference between dynamic and BA is closing in, so you can't just decide the characteristic of an earphone just based on its driver type. If you want to see the user's response to JH13, you could check out the thread regarding JH 13 impression, but it's one heck of a long thread.

There's not only JH and Westone, there's also Earsonics, Unique Melody, Ultimate Ears, etc. There is a list of companies that make custom earphones on the start of this thread. The Earsonics EM3-Pro seems to give JH13 a run for the money.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/a...ustoms-473930/

Perhaps you should check out UE-11/UE-18/JH 16 too. Just my 2 cents.