Best In Ear Monitors for Singers
If you want to have a great live show, it is essential for the musicians to feel comfortable and to have reliable monitoring. It should be an enjoyable experience for them if they want to make it enjoyable for everyone else. The majority of modern Western music is vocal-centric, so it’s necessary for singers to have this all sorted out. Given its importance, we figured we’d have some coffee and take a look at some of the best in ear monitors for singers on the market today.
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Top Pick: Audio-Technica ATH-IM04 SonicPro
The Audio-Technica ATH-IM04 comes in as our top choice since it brings terrific sound quality, high functionality, and fits perfectly in the average human ear. If you want a professional product and have some extra cash to spend, this one’s for you. Every manufacturer will say that their product covers the entire audio spectrum, but the ATH-IM04 really does deliver, and covers all the areas that you need on stage without any problems.
Runner-up: MEE Audio M6 Pro
On the opposite end of the price spectrum are the MEE Audio M6 Pro. Not only are they solidly-built and durable for on-stage use, but these manage to provide good operation and bring audio quality in the higher register as well as in the mid-range. It’s the reason why they are often considered to be the in ear monitors with the most clarity among vocalists. Combined with the fact that they are pretty easy to use, the MEE Audio M6 is one of the best in ear monitors for singers.
Also Great: Shure SE215-K
In 3rd place, we have the SE215-K by Shure. The over-ear design adds grip and makes sure that the monitors will stay firmly planted throughout the show. They also provide decent sonic clarity, although not as great as our 1st and 2nd place picks. With the SE215-K, you’ll also get iOS and Android functionality, Bluetooth connectivity, and 3.5mm audio jack compatibility. At a competitive price, this set from an industry leader in audio, Shure, should definitely be on your short list.
5 of the Best In Ear Monitors for Singers
Shure SE215-K
Shure is another company we think of for great audio products, especially microphones. Their SE215-K monitors provide comfort along with a clear operation over the entire audio spectrum.
They can be used as regular earphones for casual listening as well. Bluetooth connectivity adds optional wired and wireless operation. The gold-plated connectors allow for 360-degree rotation with a locking mechanism.
Features & Specs
♦ Suitable for other uses outside of monitoring
♦ Gold-plated connectors
♦ 360-degree operation with cable
♦ Great sound quality
♦ Remote mic control
♦ Android and iOS compatibility
♦ Great isolation
Sennheiser IE 40 PRO
Although last on this list, Sennheiser’s IE 40 PRO in ear monitors are far from a bad choice. They’re mostly praised for their balanced sound, although the quality might not be as great as some of the others we mentioned earlier. At the same time, these still bring some solid low-end into the mix. It’s the perfect option for performers looking for these kinds of monitors.
Features & Specs
♦ Clarity in bass
♦ Great design
♦ Good fit
♦ Reduces acoustic stress
♦ Detachable cables
♦ Durable
Audio-Technica ATH-IM04 SonicPro
Audio-Technica is well-known for their solidly-built products, and the ATH-IM04 SonicPro is no exception. They come in at the very top of this list due to the overall quality, functionality, ease of use and the fact that they easily fit in an average person’s ear.
Their tone is also very balanced and will provide the clearest possible image in the mid and high-end of the spectrum. Their biggest strength comes from their wide frequency response and clarity. These deservingly top the list of the best in ear monitors for singers.
Features & Specs
♦ Designed for comfort
♦ Volume levels can be adjusted for any kind of environment
♦ Frequency response: 15 Hz to 15.5 kHz
♦ Detachable cables
♦ Three sizes of silicone ear pieces included
♦ Provide solid grip on and in ears
♦ Good sound isolation
MEE Audio M6 Pro
Next up in our list of the best in ear monitors for singers, we have the M6 Pro by MEE Audio. The second generation of these headphones was made with tonal quality in mind, and they’re a solid, durable build. The idea was to have a smoother, yet highly-audible high-end.
The secure fit over the ears will provide careless performance on stage, and their lighter weight will make them feel very comfortable. The design might not be as some may expect it to be, but the ergonomic features and overall performance are not impacted by it.
Features & Specs
♦ Great deal for the price
♦ Detachable cables
♦ Solid comfort
♦ Smooth high-end
♦ Enough power in the low-end
♦ Great controls
♦ Memory wire ear hooks
BASN Bsinger LUX
While maybe not as popular as Shure or Audio-Technica, BASN Audio provide some surprisingly good products, including in ear monitors geared towards signers. Here we will be singling out the Bsinger LUX in ear monitors. Compared to other entries on the list, these are made especially for singers. They might be a bit more pricey, they but are worth it.
Features & Specs
♦ Clear bass
♦ Great design
♦ Detachable cables
♦ Wireless
♦ Solid noise isolation – up to 25 dB
♦ Can be used as regular headphones
How to Pick the Best In Ear Monitors for Singers
There are a few essential things you need to consider when buying in ear monitors. The very first and obvious issue is the sound quality. The last thing you want to deal with is not having enough clarity directly in your earphones, as it will always make it harder to perform.
We would argue that it’s better to not have in ear monitors at all than to have low-quality in ear monitors.
Comfort is another thing you need to think of. It should feel as if there isn’t anything in your ears. However, at the same time, the best in ear monitors for singers should also grip firmly in and above your ear.
As a vocalist, you’re expected to deliver a great show to the audience, and you don’t need flaky earphones falling out on the stage floor. Another thing you should think of as well is functionality. This will vary from case to case, as everyone has slightly different needs. Let’s go into more detail on these.
Sound Quality
As we mentioned, the first and the most important thing we need to think about here is the overall sound quality.
Just like with studio monitors, monitor headphones for live performances usually focus on clarity in the mid-range and high-end of the audio spectrum. But aside from clarity in this part of the spectrum, the best in ear monitors will also feature an extended frequency response into the low-end.
They’ll also provide singers with a realistic stereo image of the band they’re performing with. Differentiating between the instruments in the mix and hearing each part the way it should be heard would be difficult and detrimental with sub-par monitoring equipment.
Build Quality & Durability
Also essential if you’re looking for the best in ear monitors for singers is the overall build quality. These compact monitors will be the workhorses that singers use for every single live show.
If you’re at least somewhat serious about your music career, you’ll need to consider this in purchasing pretty much anything that you’ll be using often on stage. The in ear monitors should be sturdy, as resistant to moisture as possible, and built well enough to have a decent fit and tight grip. You don’t want something that will constantly fall out and end up in the trash can after just a few months of use due to poor quality.
Ergonomic Features
Along with sturdiness, there should always be some comfort and ergonomic considerations when picking the best in ear monitors for singers. Like we mentioned, you should basically feel as if there isn’t anything in your ear.
Spending two hours on stage with something that brings you discomfort will only contribute to your poor performance as a singer. Even great sound won’t be able to compensate for poor ergonomics. Just imagine how hard your music career would be if you had to deal with hours of discomfort every night. The bottom line is, always consider ergonomics!
Functionality
There are many potential features and functions of a device like in ear monitors, so we just grouped everything under the “functionality” category. Firstly, there are two types of drivers used for in ear monitors – dynamic and balanced.
Dynamic drivers are often used for professional monitoring and help reproduce the full audio spectrum.
We also need to think of other features like wired and wireless options. If we’re talking about drummers or other stationary instrumentalists, then wired monitors would do just fine. Wireless in ear monitors will always provide the singer with more freedom to walk on stage and focus solely on the performance, and therefore would be the better choice for that situation, if available.
Sound Isolation
Last, but not least, you’ll need to put some thought into the level of sound isolation that the monitors can provide. The whole purpose of in ear monitoring is to give you the clearest possible image of what the band members are doing.
If there’s noise from the stage and crowd leaking through, it could be detrimental to your performance. Even if you prefer to use only one headphone here, you still want to have an accurate audio image in that one ear.
Usually, custom made in ear monitors have the best isolation. But some of the best commercial in ear monitors for singers will be more than enough to block out any unwanted noise and sounds from your ear canals.
Concluding Remarks
The in ear monitors themselves are usually not the most expensive pieces of touring gear, and even some of the higher-end products will be affordable. This means that it’s not advisable to cut your overall costs on this piece of equipment if you’re looking for reliable monitoring on stage. What you’ll also need to be thinking about is that everyone has a different ear canal and might even perceive the same audio information with slight differences. What we placed at the top of this list may not work the best for you, but you’ll definitely find your perfect choice somewhere here.
Thank you for reading, and we hope this provided some value and insight on your search for the best in ear monitors for singers!
