Regarding the lines carried on this site. There are mega numbers of in ear monitor manufactures. I try to stay on top of them to make sure there's nothing new I should make you aware of and/or add to the site.
I just got back from the NAMM show and checked out all the new introductions as well as the old standards. Here's the deal. What's carried on InEarGear.com is all of the industry boiled down to a few products. I've done a lot of comparing, research, and trying out for you.
For instance, I carry the Shure products and not the Westone. Reason, they're pretty much the same and they both make a good product. Reason I switched to Shure is; both warranties are two years. Shure is no questions asked. You down load (or I email you) the repair form, you mail it in with your IEMs and Shure replaces it. Real fast and easy. No hoops to jump through. With Westone, if you didn't send in their card, you only had a one year warranty (caught a lot of my customers off guard). You need to first email Westone and wait for a response. You then explain the problem, they issue and RA and you send it in. Then Westone repairs your IEMs. Shure replaces! It was a no brainer as to which to run with.
Through out this site, there are reasons for every line carried that makes it a better fit for you than it's competition.
At the NAMM show 2012 I checked out all the new products. One outfit had 12 drivers! I listened to all and they sounded fine. Here's the thing, after two armature drivers, I've never heard the difference that would justify the added cost. I'm really not sure I can hear a difference at all. I've paid through the nose for mega driver stuff and I just wanted to believe!
I went from a dual driver Westone mold to a three way and spent a fortune. I heard no difference. I opened a 3 way Shure SE535CL and compared it to the Shure SE425 2 way. I heard no difference. Keep in mind, I'm talking stage rock n roll here.
You head-fi guys like talking top shelf, burn in time etc and that's fine. You read reviews on the mega drivers how bad ass they are. It's like buying a new expensive guitar, you've spent a fortune on it and you believe its the best - worth all the money you've invested. You tell every one you know and continue convincing yourself that it was worth all you spent. Same with the mega driver IEMs in the chat rooms. I've been there.
Do you believe with a 12 driver IEM that if a couple drivers went out, you'd hear a difference - nope. When you're standing in front of a PA system and it's kicking your ass. Can you tell if it's one, two, three, four way? Nope, you just know it sounds really good. The rest is selling hype. All the national and regional touring acts we do sound for ask for bi-amped wedges. For the last ten years, I've put full range wedges in front of them. They sound real good. Never has an act said, "is that a 2 way system"?
In ear gear has the basics, the standards, the meat and potatoes of in ear monitors. I try out everything on the market and if it beats something on this site, I'll switch out or add.
I recently found an Australian company that was making a dual driver with a dynamic on the lows and an armature on the highs. The sound was dead on great however, it was difficult to seat correctly, there was no cable slip to tighten behind your head and a couple other things that made it - not right fit in ear gear.
I listened to mold outfit that had up to 12 drivers. It was the most inexpensive molds I'd ever seen. Do it yourself impression kit and really a low cost alternative. I liked the guys so I won't mention the company name. At the end of the day - a Future Sonics Atrio with the SofterWear Sleeve option was a better sounding product (single dynamic driver).
So bottom line; There's not a million choices on this site like the big box stores that sell ever product in the world. What is on this site is what you need. I spend a lot of time researching, studying, reading, talking with manufactures etc. This frees you up to do your job and hit the stage.
