Since we started offering our passive hardwired and wired in-ear monitor systems, we have noticed a slow increase in other comparable passive hardwired in-ear monitor systems on the market.
The first thing we noticed was price. The competitors were less expensive than our systems. So we purchased some system to see how they were making them so inexpensively. What we learned is that the other systems are mostly being made in China and also using cheaper components than our systems. We build our systems in the United States, we offer very high quality hand crafted electronics, and we use real authentic Neutrik connectors and other high quality components.
The next thing we noticed was the potentiometers (volume controllers) being used in the competitors products are commonly found in bulk and are not specifically designed for a passive hard-wired in-ear monitor system. This results is poor control of the audio volume. The volume control is not smooth or easy to control and has a spike in volume toward the loud end. The user experience is compromised and may also result in hearing damage. Nobody is using the potentiometers that we use. Our volume control is custom built for this purpose. It is smooth, professional, and superior to any other passive volume control.
Lastly, the IXM cable we manufacture is a unlike any other cable in the world. It's durable, looks and falls just like a guitar cable, and is highly customized. It has extremely low handling noise and high sound quality. Nobody offers an in-ear/instrument cable as high end as our IXM cable.
Overall, We make the best passive hard-wired in-ear monitor systems in the world... Period. We have worked hard at making our products road worthy and superior to any others. We proudly stand by our systems and know you will not find a better system anywhere. Thanks for your support!
The easiset way to see if this will work for you is to plug your earbuds into the Aux send on your mixer and see if you get enough volume. If you get enough volume, then the only thing you will need is an adapter to deliver the mono signal to both left and right earbuds. We have adapters available on our website.
We invented the IXM In-Ear Monitor System because we wanted to get our band set up with an in-ear monitor system, and like most bands... we were on a budget. We needed something inexpensive but still Pro quality. Here's the story:
First we thought about getting wired in-ear monitor systems like the Shure PSM600 wired in-ear monitor system... but then we would have two cables hanging down. One for the in-ear signal and one for our instrument.
Then we thought about getting wireless in-ear monitor systems. We looked into getting Shure, Sennheiser or even Nady wireless systems. The Shure and Sennheiser systems seemed better but were definitely more expensive... and we would still have an instrument cable hanging down.
We decided that having one cable hanging down was normal to us. We didn't mind that at all. Going completely wireless (getting a wireless in-ear system and a wireless instrument system for each guy) was way out of our price range and besides... our bass player liked the sound of a cable better than a wireless transmitter anyway.
This is when the idea came to us, why not combine the instrument signal cable and a wired in-ear monitor signal cable into one cable... like a mini snake.
Voila! Perfect. We decided to use a headphone amp to deliver all the in-ear monitor signals to each guy... like a recording studio. It was cheaper, reliable and made for a really lightweight belt pack.
After a bunch of experimentation we arrived at the IXM In-Ear Monitor System, the cable is currently under patent pending.
We Decided to use standard, road worthy XLR and 1/4 inch cables for the signal paths... And we found some really strong beltclips. As you can tell, we were tired of little proprietary connectors breaking and those wire belt clips getting caught and bent at gigs.
We guarantee you will not be disappointed!
1) Wireless systems tend to adversely effect sound quality with compander circuits, RF interference and dropouts. A lot of professionals prefer the pristine sound of a good cable over the sound of a wireless instrument system…even if they are using wireless in-ear monitors.
2) Another drawback to wireless systems is that you need to change batteries often.
3) Wireless systems can be expensive. Especially because in order to go completely wireless, you must buy two separate wireless systems – one for your instrument and one for your in-ear monitors. Also, wearing two belt packs can get a bit bulky.
All of these problems can be solved by using the IXM In-Ear Monitor System.
The IXM has the advantage of offering you an instrument send down the same cable that your in-ear mix is on. This makes for a light weight, streamlined system.
Whenever we get asked about our hard-wired in-ear systems, the question is usually asked about how it will affect on stage dynamics. Will the performers feel isolated on stage? The answer is yes. Some performers will feel isolated from the crowd especially if they are used to interacting with the audience. To counteract this, we suggest getting an ambient mic of some kind and putting it on the front of the stage to give that "live" feel. Then the performers can mix in the amount of ambient sound they want and won't feel isolated.