IEMs for hearing impared bass player.

[pequeajim]

I lost quite a bit of my hearing about 10 years ago from a surgery gone bad.  I gave up playing bass because I could not hear my bass clearly through an amp, or floor monitors.  I wear hearing aids, but thye do not reproduce the sound anywhere close to where it should be.
 
I started looking into IEMs recently in hopes that I can get back into playing bass again.  I have two requirements:
 
They need to be amplified as straight headphones, (like plugged into my computer), are not hot enough.
They need to reproduce the bass sound while retaining the clarity of the vocals and other instruments.
 
I want to be able to try this without spending mega bucks.
 
Any recommendations?

 

[pequeajim]

no one can help me out?

 

[barleyguy]

JH Audio can tune custom in ear monitors to your hearing loss.  They get a profile of your hearing from your audiologist and then create a frequency curve that's halfway between your hearing loss and the Fletcher Munson hearing sensitivity curves.  That should compensate for the loss of frequencies so you can hear things better.
 
The only thing that doesn't fit your requirements is the price.  They'd probably recommend JH13's, which run $1099.
 
I personally can't think of a cheap solution that will meet your needs, unfortunately.  The best moderately affordable choice might be the Etymotic ER4P, since they are renowned for their clarity and neutral frequency response.
 
You might just call JH Audio and ask to talk to Jerry Harvey.  He should give you honest advice even if you can't justify spending the money on his customs.

 

[mythless]

^ as barleyguy said.  I couldn't really think of any other IEM besides customs that could give you edge you're looking for.  Best bet would to try some IEMs sold at your local bestbuy store or see if they work, if they do great, if not at least we know some universals can't perform up to snuff.  Another one to consider, not a custom, but the SM3.
 

 

[ethan961]

Customs are the ideal option. However, they generally fall into the mega bucks category.
JH Audio does have customs starting at $400 if you can stretch your wallet that far.
 
If all else fails I would look for something fairly bassy and sensitive that can be easily amped.
You could indeed try calling up Jerry Harvey and see what he has to say.

 

[JxK]

If customs are outside your price range (though I agree that they're probably your best choice) I'd first go to an audiologist and get a profile of your hearing.
 
Then purchase an etymotic er4 (or hf5 if the er4 is too pricey). The etymotics have a nearly perfectly flat frequency response. Then, using your hearing profile as a guide, EQ the etymotic to compensate for the areas of loss. The nearly machined flat frequency response will work to make it easier to EQ.
 

 

[ethan961]

As much as I hate the idea of EQ (distortion comes to mind) that's probably also a feasable option. My only concern would be bass amount. Since the OP is a bass player, he needs to hear the bass well. Personally, having neutral IEMs, I would not choose them if I was monitoring bass. I'd probably choose the MTPC, which is on the bassier side of neutral while still being neutral.
 
I guess it depends on how bad your hearing loss is in places. If it's not too much to EQ without distortion, and you haven't lost (comparatively) a lot more hearing in the low range, the Ety option would work.

 

[JxK]

Distortion shouldn't be much of a problem as long as you EQ correctly. In practical terms this means that if you want more bass (as an example) you don't just increase the low frequencies. That could add distortion, as ethan961 stated. Instead, to increase bass you just lower mids and highs. No distortion, and you have more bass.
 
It's not immediately intuitive, and takes a bit of practice, but with a little effort and dedication should give you the best results.

 

[FSChic]

Future Sonics Atrios® are known for their bass response.  Because it has a 10mm Dynamic speaker, there is actual air movement so you don't just hear the sound but you'll feel the energy. Like if you put your hand in front of the port of a house speaker. 
They retail for 199.00, some dealers like sweetwater.com or Tour Supply have them for around 179.00, and there's a 30-day return policy so its at least worth looking into.
 
Good Luck!