Sennheiser - IE 400 Pro Clear

Sennheiser IE 400 Pro are really nice. I use them playing live hardware sets and on the go when I have to check some mixes or edit videos

So, if you really want perfect sound, say goodbye to all those shitboxes. Especially at the price of $250. I mean, JBL just has headphones with a display on the case. Who needs that? 😂. And I don't even want to get started on Apple's iPods. They're just cheap quality. Do yourself a favor and use the money to buy some solid IEMs. I used to only have AirPods and JBL headphones in the past: Bluetooth and wired. Then I looked into the topic a bit more and compared everything. Then I came across the magic word "IEM" (in-ear monitoring). After further thorough research, I landed on Sennheiser's IE 400 Pro and luckily snagged them for $300 (worth every dollar). And hallelujah, these things will really knock your socks off. Powerful sub-bass, a powerful punch, clear mids, and precise highs, something I've never experienced before with in-ear headphones. Despite the age of the in-ears, I can still absolutely recommend them in 2025. And especially for $300

I think if you can afford custom, do it. I have the Sennheiser IE 400 pro and they are great, but don't have the same dampening a custom can give you. For a cheap one I recommend the Sennheiser 100 pro but for a few bucks more the 400 has much better sound quality for me as a drummer. You can also get a subwoofer in your drum throne that is great. I think people call it a butt blaster but that could just be their own term🤔

I tried KZ10s and didn't like them at all. That said, many do, so I think its very possible that I got a "bad" pair. With cheap stuff, you figure that quality control isn't going to be all that great. Mine work, but they sound harsh and bright, almost (not quite) overdriven. Very fatiguing. I tried a different cable, both to see if it would improve the sound quality and to reduce the horrible tangling, but it made no difference in the sound. I used SE215s for maybe 150-200 shows. I thought they sounded fine. Granted, I play keys and sing and don't need super clarity when it comes to bass. I now use Sennheiser ie 400 pros, which use a different tech so "single driver" may be a bit misleading...they sound better, but should as they are more expensive. I had a 3-driver set of customs made and hated them. Big, bulky and uncomfortable. I have a hard time singing with them in. And the worst part, they didn't really sound better than the 215s. That was before I went with the Sennheisers. I love the fact that the Senns are small and light, no physical fatigue on my ear. Our bassist uses something with 12 drivers a side, I think he said they cost 1800....I'd hope they set up my gear and drive me to the show for that much money! :)

I'd be surprised if the transmitter/receiver would make a huge difference--then again, I run mine wired so I'm just guessing. I used Shure 215s as my earbuds for a couple hundred gigs--they were fine. I see these often put down, as they are single driver and relatively cheap, but I had no complaints. I play keys and sing and while I don't need super clear bass (which may require more drivers), I do appreciate clarity. The fit of your earbuds makes a big difference in quality and how much isolation you get. I've had to try different types and sizes of tips until I was happy with them. I tried a custom IEM pair, didn't like them unfortunately. Bulky and singing with them was terrible. Tried 5 driver KZs, didn't like them (too harsh and bright). Now I use Sennheiser IE 400 pros, they are single driver but it's some kind of different tech from traditional. Sounds great, small and light. I use the largest size comply foam tips that fit on them. Another thing that improved my monitor mix was being able to go stereo. That way I can pan guitar more to one side, keys more to the other, and have vocals in the center (these are all mid-range channels that tend to obscure each other).