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Tenured symphony musician here- I can't say that I would recommend IEMs at all for this application. As a violinist I don't think you would need anything with extreme isolation (unless you have an unusual arrangement with you in front of the brass or something) or the bass response of dynamic drivers. You could probably get by with some relatively affordable balanced armatures... I honestly don't think that you can go wrong unless you are planning on using these for leisure listening as well. I wouldn't give up on finding some over-ears that work with your set-up... what is it that you find uncomfortable? I find nice cans to be much more comfortable than IEMs.
Magicturtle
15
Jul 12, 2018
Ditters_von_DittersdorfI think it's the setup of my shoulder rest/chin rest angle and the sheer number of earrings I have in my cartilage. The timpani and percussion is sort of behind me and my right ear gets hammered by them, even though we have splash guards between them and us. So, the noise isolation is really for my sanity since I only keep one ear on when I play. Does that make sense? I'm a weirdo, and while I prefer my b&o cans over anything else, they don't work well for the weird situation I'm in in the back of the section.
RayF
22214
Jul 13, 2018
MagicturtleSounds like you'd be a candidate for those custom fitted jobs all the pro musicians where on stage? I don't recall the name of the company that makes them, but I do recall that they are quite pricey. On the other hand, you strike me as a person who deserves the best and to hell with the price--especially if I'm not buy'n 'em!
Eventually someone will chime in with the name of the manufacturer.
Shouldn't be long now...
phoenixsong
1055
Jul 16, 2018
MagicturtleWill earplugs like the Etymotic ER20XS help instead?
MagicturtleTotal isolation would be intolerable for me and is problematic in my opinion... maybe some dynamic IEMs would be a decent compromise. I don't think you would need to spend a whole lot for something sufficient for that setting... there are plenty of affordable options by the major manufacturers, I would just suggest aiming for something neutral, unless there is something you are trying to individually compensate for in your mix. There's a reason we use custom-molded earplugs with interchangeable filters... although if you are comfortable playing with old foam plugs you may not mind any of this. I wouldn't rule out that you can find some over-ears that would be comfortable for you... while I don't have any piercings, I have extremely rigid cartilage and most headphones cause me intense pain. If it hurts you a lot and is touching your instrument, my hunch would be that they are just a bad fit for you. I've managed to find a number of models that feel great for me and have modified others that didn't with great success.
phoenixsongI think that since her work is in a recording studio that she is looking for a monitor and not ear plugs.
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