In-Ear Monitors

In-Ear Monitors

Whether you’re an amateur or a professional musician, in-ear monitors are your best friend when you’re on stage. Not only do they improve the way you hear yourself while you play, but they can also help protect your ears from lasting damage.

Why do you need in-ear monitors?

In-ear monitors (aka IEMs) are popular among musicians because they let you hear what the audience hears. Standard floor monitors can cause undesired feedback and muddy the sound of your mix as you play on stage. With IEMs, you can customize what you hear for a detailed, clean sound while moving freely about the floor. Most IEMs have detachable cable systems, making them a smart long-term investment for musicians.

Another great feature of IEMs is the way they can cut the risk of hearing loss. IEMs cover the ear canal, drastically reducing potentially-damaging stage noise. Compared to a front-facing floor monitor, in-ear-monitors provide a more pure sound at a safe, lower volume.

How to choose the right in-ear monitor

IEMs are tiny earbuds that are quite different from regular in-ear headphones in terms of design and specs. Unlike a standard headphone, IEMs have drivers instead of speakers. The drivers in IEMs deliver crisper low, mid, and high frequencies. As a result, choosing IEMs with more drivers can boost your audio experience depending on the instrument you play.

If you're new to IEMs, you can start with single-driver versions just to get your feet wet. But if you want more detailed sound, look for IEMs with dedicated drivers for specific frequencies. In any case, Adorama gives you dozens of options to choose from, ranging from single-driver to six-driver IEM models.