The IEM (in ear monitors) Bible thread - a guide to help every musician

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, SimonK said:

1) I've taken my Linsoul KZ ZS10 ear pieces back from my son (who was using them for gaming), but he's buggered up the cable - can anyone recommend a replacement (probably looking at around £20 accepting it is probably a disposable item in the long run)? There seem to be plenty of options on Amazon?

 

I got a really nice tangle free cable from aliexpress which is all braided, unhelpfully I dont' remember the name but it has been excelent, and saved a good minute at each gig!

 

[Wombat]

I have z10s and zars. The cable that came with the zars is MUCH better quality.

[dave_bass5]

57 minutes ago, Wombat said:

Ah, ok. I’ve not used other IEMs so can’t compare but I find the NUX fine for my needs. I have the whole band in them (at various levels - I don’t usually need a lot of drums as I’m mostly standing right next to them!) and not noticed quality or distortion as an issue.

Yeah, im wondering if the distortion wouldn't be noticed with a live band, especially on a smaller stage. 

[dave_bass5]

51 minutes ago, SimonK said:

Any thoughts re a replacement cable for the ear pieces?

 

(I am coming to the conclusion that there are as many opinions as there are products RE the transmitter/receiver!)

My singer has this one (if you’re talking about the KZ type), although she doesn’t use those IEM’s anymore. 
 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07ZQCBYXS?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

[Wombat]

Yes, KZs. I bought both to save on postage as they get different ‘reviews’ here. Both are ‘ok’ but they weren’t hitting the spot so I’ve also got senheiser 100s and am currently using them. I’d love something more custom but I’m not gigging enough to justify the outlay. The 100s are ok. The existing desk (zoom lt12) is great but only allows mixing channel volume. I expect if I could eq my bass for the IEMs separately to the FOH I’d like the 100s more…

[javi_bassist]

I received last week a pair of Soundbrenner Waves after a lot of the Spam in Instagram. And I have to admit that they are incredible. They are one of the most comfortable in ears I ever used. And soundwise are great. They have a little bass boost, but just a little, which makes them really good for gigging. The cable is fine, I like it. I was very skeptical with them until I tried them. 

[SimonK]

Well there's a discovery - I didn't know 4.4mm balanced jacks existed having spent years just thinking they were only 1/4" or 1/2"! Now had to buy an adapter for my new headphone cable to go from 4.4 to 3.5 (1/4")... apparently there are also 2.5mm jacks out there as well... humanity should have learned from the USB debacle!

 

(although is 4.4 common for IEMs?)

Edited 6 hours ago by SimonK

[Mottlefeeder]

The common jack plug sizes for headphones were 1/4 inch (6.35mm) originally for hifi, and 3.5mm (USA 1/8 inch) for Walkmans and similar small gear. Both of these were tip/ring/sleeve (TRS) giving connections for left/right/common ground.

A quick google search suggests that the 4.4mm connector appears to be mainly aimed at headphone connectors where the user needs to keep the left and right return conductors separate, so it is a TRRS, but connected differently to phones' 3.5mm mic and earphone headset TRRS. This may be why they went for a different size.

Just guessing.

David

[Chienmortbb]

The 4.4mm plugs are called bantam plugs and are used in professional audio applications, for example, high density patch fields. I have only heard of them being used for headphones, using high impedance headphones. You can plug the 'phones directly into the jack field to check for a signal.

[SimonK]

So the upshot is that IEMs normally use standard 1/2" or 1/4" jacks and the 4.4mm connectors are just there to catch out the unwary?

[TimR]

19 minutes ago, SimonK said:

So the upshot is that IEMs normally use standard 1/2" or 1/4" jacks and the 4.4mm connectors are just there to catch out the unwary?

 

Sounds like you might not have the right spec cable.