Definition: In-ear monitors are one of, if not the, most popular product I hear about from readers. In the last couple of years, there's been a lot of artists going from using regular, traditional speakers (or "wedges") on stage to using in-ear monitors for recording and monitoring while on stage.
An in-ear monitor is a small, custom-fit earpiece headphone, consisting of a high quality driver combination tuned to offer a specific frequency response, or "sound signature".
The benefits of using in-ear monitors are vast. Compared to regular speaker monitors, they, generally, are very lightweight, highly portable, sound phenomenal, and cost around the same or slightly less than a comparable speaker setup.
In-ear monitors come in either "dynamic" or "balanced armature" models, depending on the driver used in the earpiece.
A dynamic driver is generally warmer, with a little less high range accuracy. The balanced armature is well accepted, too -- and what makes up most in-ear monitors you can buy. Balanced armature models generally have multiple drivers plus a crossover circuit installed, much like any large speaker system.
In-ear monitors come in two fittings, either "custom" or "universal". Universal are designed to be worn with little to no modification out of the box. The other end of the spectrum, custom motniors, range anywhere from $400 to $1500. These are custom-fitted to your ear, and fit like a glove.
These products are very popular, because of their added benefits listed above; they're also popular for personal listening and mixing recorded material.
An in-ear monitor is a small, custom-fit earpiece headphone, consisting of a high quality driver combination tuned to offer a specific frequency response, or "sound signature".
The benefits of using in-ear monitors are vast. Compared to regular speaker monitors, they, generally, are very lightweight, highly portable, sound phenomenal, and cost around the same or slightly less than a comparable speaker setup.
In-ear monitors come in either "dynamic" or "balanced armature" models, depending on the driver used in the earpiece.
A dynamic driver is generally warmer, with a little less high range accuracy. The balanced armature is well accepted, too -- and what makes up most in-ear monitors you can buy. Balanced armature models generally have multiple drivers plus a crossover circuit installed, much like any large speaker system.
In-ear monitors come in two fittings, either "custom" or "universal". Universal are designed to be worn with little to no modification out of the box. The other end of the spectrum, custom motniors, range anywhere from $400 to $1500. These are custom-fitted to your ear, and fit like a glove.
These products are very popular, because of their added benefits listed above; they're also popular for personal listening and mixing recorded material.
Also Known As: in-ears, ear monitors, IEMs