In-Ear Monitors

About In-Ear Monitors

Sweetwater’s selection of in-ear monitoring solutions runs the gamut. We carry everything from earpieces to transmitters, receivers, and accessories, all designed to provide clear, comfortable audio monitoring for today’s demanding performers and sound professionals. If you’re looking for professional in-ear monitors, Shure SE215s are a popular place to start. These single-driver, lightweight in-ears are affordable and connect to any 1/8-inch TRS output.

What Are In-Ear Monitors, and How Do They Work?

In-ear monitors — sometimes called IEMs, in-ears, or “in ear monitors” (without a hyphen) — are a type of earphone designed to help live singers and performers hear themselves, bandmates, and stage cues accurately. Unlike traditional headphones or earbuds, IEMs create an airtight seal inside the ear canal to provide superior sound reproduction and passive noise isolation (up to 30dB!) while remaining discreet. By contrast, most headphones and earbuds deliver sound to the outer ear, causing sound leakage and unreliable monitoring when you’re singing, mixing, or drumming live.

How Do IEMs Differ from Earphones?

In addition to being rated for live performance, many IEMs use multiple dynamic or balanced armature drivers, effectively creating a miniature 2-, 3-, or even 8-way speaker inside your ear. Think of them as the luxury cars of self-monitoring devices!

While most in-ear monitors are designed for a universal fit, some professionals invest in custom-made IEMs. A molded impression of the ear canal creates perfectly tailored in-ears for maximum comfort. The idea of custom IEMs is credited to drummer Alex Van Halen and his monitor engineer, Jerry Harvey. On a 1995 Van Halen tour, Alex struggled to hear other band members through stage noise. Jerry installed tiny medical speakers into earpieces molded from Alex’s ears, and voilà: the first custom in-ear monitors. The difference, in Alex’s words, was like “night and day.”

What Are the Benefits of In-Ear Monitors?

In-ears aren’t limited to live venues. Many Sweetwater staff rely on them for mixing, recording, or listening to podcasts during a commute. Still, their discreet size and powerful isolation make them especially popular for live performance.

Why? In settings where stage wedges are unreliable, noisy, or distracting, in-ear monitors ensure musicians hear the mix they need to deliver the best show. IEMs also block distracting and potentially harmful audience noise, even at stadiums. Do they isolate you from the outside world? Not necessarily. Many performers use ambient filters or dedicated mics to hear the crowd or congregation as needed.

In short, in-ears remove guesswork from live sound monitoring. They offer consistency, precision, and freedom to move anywhere onstage. Learn more in our in-ear monitor buying guide!

How Do I Choose the Best In-Ear Monitors for My Needs?

Every artist’s monitoring needs are different. Here are the main points to consider when choosing your next IEMs:

Driver count

High-end IEMs can pack as many as eight micro drivers into a single earpiece! More is better, right? But unless you buy a top-tier system, you may wonder how many drivers you need. Drivers in your IEMs are like the speakers in studio monitors. With single-driver in-ears, one driver handles the entire frequency range. While some are impressive, there’s only so much a single driver can do, especially in low-end output.

Dual-driver in-ears resemble 2-way studio monitors. A passive crossover separates highs and lows between two drivers, delivering deeper bass and greater clarity. Add a third driver and a 3-way crossover (as tri-driver IEMs do), and you get dedicated speakers for highs, mids, and lows. More drivers share the workload for optimal performance.

Foam vs. silicone eartips

Most IEMs include both foam and silicone eartips. Silicone tips rely on a seal and friction to stay in place, offering a stable fit for active users. They’re slightly less isolating than foam, but many prefer the lighter feel. Foam tips offer better isolation but can be less comfortable, especially in sweaty environments. Some brands, such as Westone, include a full-fit kit with various tip sizes to accommodate various ear shapes and sizes. You can also buy sampler packs separately.

Custom vs. universal fit

Sweetwater takes IEMs seriously. And although we offer a wide selection of universal-fit IEMs, custom-molded options provide a level of comfort and isolation that is hard to beat. Here’s how easy it is to order your own custom-molded 64 Audio in-ears:

1. Use the 64 Audio Customizer to choose your model, customize colors and options, and place your order.
2. Your Sweetwater Sales Engineer will contact you to confirm your order and provide information for the audiologist.
3. Download 64 Audio’s Audiologist Impression Guide and visit an audiologist (we’re happy to recommend one) to have your ear impressions made.

Why Shop In-Ear Monitors at Sweetwater?

With our massive selection of in-ear monitors, free shipping, a free 2-year warranty, and 24/7 access to our award-winning support team, Sweetwater gives you more than any other retailer! Shop in-ear monitors online, or call your personal Sales Engineer to discover how far a universal or custom set of in-ears can take your performance potential.