Best IEMS for Sound and Monitor Engineering

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

Callum Vernon (Monitor Engineer for The Rock Orchestra)

"The C8A's offer bite in the upper mids whilst keeping a flat, but slightly emphasised low end. Working with a bunch of musicians who all own a range of different IEM’s its best for me to have a set more natural sounding with the option of switching to something else to check other areas of my mix. I’ve found with the rock orchestra the C8A’s have been great for dialling in the lows and low mids, particularly between the kick and bass because of the fast and punchy transient response these IEMs can deliver in those areas, also with the low mids of a vocal against the rest of the music making the C8A the best IEM for me."

Hannah Brodrick (Monitor Engineer for Florence + The Machine, The Last Dinner Party)

"I was immediately struck by was the power in the low end of my C8As. Details I’d never heard before in that range were suddenly punching their way through. It felt like the listening equivalent of eating chocolate fudge cake—rich, indulgent, and deeply satisfying. I think listening should be an enjoyable experience - yes even for monitor engineers, and if you can hear all the details but get that delicious punchy sub too, then why not?!"

Aaron Buck (Monitor Engineer for Anastacia)

“I always build every mix using my Cosmic Ears C6A. They are the true representation of my mix. The service and turnaround time has always been world class which means everything whilst touring.”

Chad Halford (Monitor Engineer for the DMAs)

“As a monitor engineer I like the accuracy of the C6A. I feel confident I'm hearing all the detail I need from all sources, making them the best IEM for me as a monitor engineer.”

Francois Le Moignan (Monitor Engineer for The Streets + Lily Allen + James Blake)

"My Cosmic Ears C6A give me deep rich clarity and accuracy in my mix, and they are also a fantastic company to deal with, who have given great support to myself and the artists I look after"

FAQ

Although sound is subjective and perceived differently from one person to the next, what sound in general do monitor engineers look for in IEMs?

A good seal, a nice clear rounded sound, not perfectly flat, good low end reproduction and sparkly top end. Cable should be robust, long enough and have a good solid connection to the mould (Answered by Andy 'Baggy' Robinson)

Other band members use different brands, can I use Cosmic Ears to mix their monitors still?

Yes! In a perfect world everyone in the band and the monitor engineer would have the same custom in-ear monitors, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Using Cosmic Ears will allow you to create a mix that will still be well reproduced on most other brands, and driver set ups (Answered by Andy 'Baggy' Robinson).

Is there a big difference between generic and moulded IEMs?

Yes, although generic fit custom in-ear monitors are budget friendly, using the foam and plastic buds won’t give you the seal to get the best low end reproduction and the isolation from stage noise (Answered by Andy 'Baggy' Robinson).