Best IEMS for Bass

Below, a selection of industry professionals share why their chosen Cosmic Ears In-Ear Monitors are best for Bass players.

Nick Blacka (Double Bass, GoGo Penguin)

“With my Cosmic Ears I can hear every sonic detail on my instrument perfectly, which enables me to focus purely on delivering the best performance I can. Moving to Cosmic Ears was a game changer for me and I use them for both live shows and in the recording studio. They are an absolutely essential part of my touring kit.”
(Nick uses our discontinued C6B model, but we would recommend the C8A as an alternative)

Max Goff (Bass with Tom Odell)

"I use the Cosmic Ears C6A for a perfectly balanced mix. They’re best for me as a bass player, providing the detail I need to hear every part of the band as well as great clarity for vocal harmonies. The low end is full and rich on these and really compliments what I get from the amp behind me on stage."

James Higginson (Freelance Bassist)

"I’m currently on tour with Only Fools and Horses the Musical, so have been giving my Cosmic Ears C8A a thorough test with 8 shows a week! I had a couple of shows covering on Mean Girls in London at the weekend too, there are a lot more effects on the bass on that show, so was nice to see how they performed in a completely different environment!

I can confirm the C8As performed flawlessly. Everything sounded great through them! They do indeed sound slightly different to my CE6Bs, with a bit less of the “crisp” top end that I’m used to, but the top end response being a bit smoother/flatter is a nice change from what my ears are used to. The low end is definitely present and very nicely tuned to accentuate what I need to hear, being a bass player!

The overall “profile” of the sound is lovely. I’ve found that everything “sits” in the mix in a different way than my 6Bs, all instruments somehow simultaneously meshing/sitting together but still being clear and separately distinguishable - Particularly the bass and drums. My IEM mix sounds big and full, but still clear. Very impressive!"

Instagram: @higgiebass

Richard Lanthier (April Wine)

"I’ve been playing bass and singing within the Canadian rock band April Wine for over 15 years now, and in the last 2 years or so I’ve been trying several IEM options, not being satisfied with my previous attempts. So after having been pointed towards Cosmic Ears by a few musician friends who are using them, and then comparing the online specs of the different models (I must admit I also checked a few other options from other companies) I decided to jump onboard and go for the top with Cosmic Ears and ordered their flagship, the C8A - read on to find out why they are the best IEM for me...

First of all, excellent customer service to begin with. Detailed instructions, great communication, to have the ear impressions made, and in my case made again a second time before I sent those to Manchester, UK. They want it perfect, and I liked that…! Also when you order, the online configurator choice of options to customise your IEMs just the way you want them to look, not like any other, is great. From the faceplate color/finish, to the carrying box engraving, everything was swift and easy to do.

I’m just coming back from a 22 show coast to coast Canadian tour with April Wine, and those CIEMs have been fully tested and what can I say… They are just awesome! The fabrication is flawless, sturdy shell, no flaws, bumps or gaps, recessed 2 pin socket, personalised faceplate, and perfectly fitted to my ears! I ordered the ProX cable, and also a slightly thinner ProQ cable as a spare one.

After they warm up and having worn them several times, they fit even better and it feels like they almost disappear. And they do block external sound, a lot…!! That’s exactly what I wanted, being on stage with a rock band is loud, and protecting my hearing is a must. The specs are -26dB isolation. That’s great!

Now of course the sound… There's 8 drivers in each one, and I'm aware of the number of drivers competition between many manufacturers, so that was not my main interest at first, nevertheless they do sound awesome. The tuning, the dimension in the sound, very clear image of all instruments, no weird resonance, a sense of space I guess I could say. Excellent definition of all frequencies, and a tight low-end response and with a lot more sub-bass then you would expect from such a tiny device, if you want to push it (remember I play bass, this is hard to deal with for IEMs). And they can get loud if you want. I tested it…. ;) Although I keep it to a reasonable level, in all my tests I never heard any cracking or any problem whatsoever, and that's in a rock band context. I also tried them to listen to prerecorded music (my main sound quality reference, Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree, and some others…) and again the dimension, the stereo imaging, neutral, immersive, so many details, that was impressive… I had never heard those same recordings sounding that good before."

www.aprilwine.ca
www.richardlanthier.com
www.facebook.com/rlanthiermusic

FAQ

How do custom in-ears compare to universal fit models for low end response?

Cosmic Ears custom fit IEMs provide better seal and isolation versus a generic fitting IEM, which significantly improves bass response compared to universal models.

I've had custom IEMs for 5 years, but I seem to have lost some of the bass since I got them. Why could that be?

It is the seal through the ear canal section that will allow you to get the best possible bass response. Over time, our ears change size and shape (it happens to everyone), so the fit and seal of custom IEMs may be compromised, which can affect the sound. For artists, touring musicians, and industry professionals who constantly require the best isolation and tightest fitting IEMs, we usually see customers return to us for new IEMs anywhere between 4-8 years.

Can Cosmic Ears custom IEMs help me hear the bass more clearly in a full band mix?

Yes. Since low-end frequencies can sometimes get lost in a mix, Cosmic Ears custom IEMs allow you to isolate and emphasise the frequencies most relevant to you. With the right tuning, custom IEMs can help you hear your bass more clearly, even in a noisy or crowded mix. Where you have a very busy mix and multitude of instruments, we recommend our C6A, C6R, or C8A models.