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In-ear monitoring

I've been researching headphones for monitoring purposes lately, and it has been suggested to me several times to check out IEMs. Upon looking into them, i think that they could be a better alternative to traditional full-size phones. I've found three models that caught my attention and fall in my price range. They are:
Etymotic Research ER-4S
Shure SE-310
Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro
If anybody has any knowledge or experience with any of these i would really appreciate your help. Thanks a lot.

what makes you think they are better?

they have application where ambient noise is high, but normal off ear headphones are better for studio use imo.

1. in ear monitors form a seal in your ear canal, so you have the problem of the "microphone effect" where you can hear yourself breathing, your heart beating and even the slightest tap on the cord.

2. in ear monitors are so close to your ear drum, if you get a spike (eg. turning your computer on) theres a good chance your ears are gonna get raped.

3. the drivers are not big enough to give as accurate sound, but use the dynamics of your ear canal to "make up for it".

Unless you're producing in the middle of an oil refinery, I would stay with normal headphones.

i was thinking that they might be better because i live in an apartment complex right next to the main street in the town and the college campus, so sometimes it can get kind of loud. but i guess you are saying that unless there is a large amount of noise, it would be better to get regular phones?

Bump.

I'm considering a pair of Etymotic ER-4Bs for monitoring. Just look at the response curve:

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCo...0&graphID[]=459

Not as good as a real pair of monitors, but they're certainly a lot easier (no acoustics) and quieter (no pissed off neighbors). They're the only headphone company that I've seen to measure their frequency response with +/- like studio monitors. The 4Bs can do 20hz - 16hz +/- 4db.

At $200, a pair costs 1/10 the amount I budgeted for a pair of Mackies and room treatment.

Headphones are better than ear plugs
Earplugs dont give as much warmth as far as i hear
So you will probably make mixes with too little base in it as a result
And plugs will hurt your ear after a while
And much worse than headphones already do after wearing them for some hours

I think the poblem is the opposite of what you said passion, earbuds usually have too much warmth (frequencies around 200-300 Hz) so you cut those frequencies to compensate. You can get used to them, and produce a good mix on them - I did for 12 months - but they aren't as good as headphones IMO.

My sennheiser earbuds have a very similar sound to the Akg K240s that I bought, so the frequency response isn't bad. I would be emore concerned about hearing damage from having something right in your ear... That can get uncomfortable after a while, and I just can't see the point of them unless you hae them in a really loud environment; the K240s are give more than enough isolation for most things.

quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips I think the poblem is the opposite of what you said passion, earbuds usually have too much warmth (frequencies around 200-300 Hz) so you cut those frequencies to compensate.

The frequency response on the ones I'm thinking about getting is almost perfectly flat up to 1khz.

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCo...0&graphID[]=459

Yeh it'll say that, and it might even be true, but once you put it in your ear, I think that you get more bass frequencies because of the microphonic effect or whatever its called. Its like if you stick your fingers in your ear and talk.

Thats another big issue, at least with mine, you can't sing while using them because your voice will seem too loud. But they aren't a bad option, I just think maybe real headphones would be better. Earbuds are really good for the bus tho

quote:

Originally posted by alanzo The frequency response on the ones I'm thinking about getting is almost perfectly flat up to 1khz.

Totally irrelevant man. In ear monitors are so subject to 0.1mm changes in positioning that you have no hope of ensuring consistent monitoring. You won't know what I'm talking about until you try them. Also, the driver within the headphone actually can't output at those specs. It uses the seal and the shape of your ear canal to do so. In a way, you could think of this as being like porting in monitors - "artificial" frequency changes.

Anyway, for DJing, these are good because they can save your hearing. For producing, they are shit. Also, you shouldn't compare headphones to proper monitors dude, they're in a totally different league. They are also annoying as batshit to have stuck in your ears. These are not like normal ear buds, they form a VERY tight seal on your ear, and you will feel a kind of vacuum in there.

If you NEED headphones with good isolation, get Sennheiser HD280s. Headphones are never a replacement for monitors.

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm Headphones are never a replacement for monitors.

I suppose you're right...

Hey how would you use them for DJing? One in and one out? Wouldn't that get uncomfortable?

quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips Hey how would you use them for DJing? One in and one out? Wouldn't that get uncomfortable?

The idea is that you just leave them in all the time

Etymotic makes an earplug that reduces all frequencies equally by 10db or so... above and beyond use them when DJing. They're for protecting your hearing.

Ah ok, so you get both the cue mix and the main mix coming through the earbuds?

I always thought you were supposed to run your cue track through the headphones and line it up with the main mix comning through the main speakers. But I think your way is better. Am I getting this right?

Alanzo, I have a pair of those earplugs (mine are hearos or something tho) they work very well But again I get that microphonic problem when singing which is strange because I know a lot of popstars use them on stage... Am I doing something wrong maybe?

quote:

Originally posted by kitphillips I always thought you were supposed to run your cue track through the headphones and line it up with the main mix comning through the main speakers. But I think your way is better. Am I getting this right?

It can be done both ways.

Some prefer using headphones on both ears ("split-cueing"), while others prefer one ear on a headphone, and the other listening to an adjacent monitor.

Ah OK thanks for the info, I'll try doing it this way from now on I think... It means you run the risk of your main mix sounding rubbish though doesn't it? Or you could forget to change the track over to the main channel from the cue channel, Frankie Wild style
Sorry, I've totally hijacked this thread haven't I...

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