Best IEMS for Singers

On this page, a selection of industry professionals share why their chosen Cosmic Ears Custom In-Ear Monitors are best for singers.

Rachel Chinouriri

'Cosmic Ears is the first and only Custom IEM company I have ever used! The biggest financial jump early on for equipment is your ears, and I have had my C6A custom in-ears for over 2 years with no issues, making them the best IEMs for me as a singer! The lady who took my impressions (Gisele Flower from Aid2Hearing) made me comfortable and was lovely, and the Cosmic designs are amazing - I couldn’t recommend them highly enough! And they’ve helped me become a far more confident performer, and able to enter a whole new world!'

Sydnie Christmas

"My Cosmic Ears IEMs have taken sound clarity to another level, making the C8A best for me as a singer."

Seb Lowe

"It’s nice to feel like you’re in the room with the band when you’re playing live. I never thought I’d feel that with Custom IEMs, but I do with the Cosmic Ears C4A, making them the best IEM for me as a singer and acoustic guitarist."
Image: @byfbarber (instagram)

Elles Bailey

"I've been a touring artist for 17 years and toured very heavily for the past 10 years. It took me a long time to be convinced to use in ear monitors, as we are very much a “live band”. But after consistently losing my voice over the course of a tour in 2023, I finally relented. I had some old custom in ears from another company, which got me by, but I was still struggling to get the sound I was happy with.

I then moved to generics which worked to an extent but I knew I needed a long term solution. I was recommend Cosmic Ears and decided to take the plunge - hand on heart - they have revolutionised my touring - the sound I am getting in my C6A's is incredible - the clarity of everything is really important and I can hear everything with my Cosmic's, all the tiny little details.

My vocal performance is just so much better but so is my over all enjoyment and performance. But the best thing is I don’t feel isolated, I feel totally in the show, with the band, and with the audience. Cosmic Ears - game changer, and the best IEMs for me as a singer!!

Instagram: ellesbailey

FAQ

When I sing, I do so with expression and open my mouth wide. Will I retain a good seal with my Cosmic Ears?

No problem! Many of our vocalist customers sing with wide mouths, and musicians often make various facial expressions when in the moment. 😊 As long as you keep your mouth open during the impressions process (using a bite block or your knuckles), the audiologist will advise on this. This is from the moment the impression material is applied inside the ear until it has fully set, which usually takes between 5-7 minutes. This process will help maintain a good seal for your IEMs when singing, as opposed to having impressions taken with a closed mouth (which would allow you to smile, cough, laugh, or swallow—actions that can change the shape of your ear canal).

What is important to consider for a vocalist choosing custom IEMs from a sound perspective?

Sound is subjective, and everyone hears it differently—it’s a very personal choice. For more budget-friendly models, the C3A (or C3S) is like a mini C6A, offering a similar sound signature but without the wider stereo spread and more power through all frequencies that the C6A has. However, both the 3A and 6A offer a warm sound. The C4A (or C4S) offers a ‘bright’ representation of the mix with an emphasis on the mids/highs, while the 6R is the most transparent and ‘neutral’ sounding model. The C8A offers fantastic definition across the full frequency spectrum and is our most powerful IEM. The C8A is a favorite across many disciplines, from vocalists and monitor engineers to drummers and bass players. We advise coming to our Cosmic Ears HQ to listen to our demos, or finding one of our partners across the UK on our dealer map that offers demos.

How do I go about getting a great IEM mix for vocals?

This will depend on a number of factors. The first is what instruments you (personally) want to hear in your mix. For example, some vocalists prefer to hear the full band, while others prefer just their own vocals, the drums for timing, and maybe also the bass line or the chords of the track. If you don’t have a monitor engineer tuning your mix, you can use monitor mixing apps like Audiofusion or MyMon to do this yourself.