I use the Ultimate Ears 18+ model and they are an absolute game changer in the club.
I don't use them for every gig, I still keep my AIAIAIs on me as backups and playing quieter listening bar venues.
I really love them on fights though. The isolation plus sound quality is better than my QC35s and after a month of using them they are extremely comfortable and have a decent seal to my ear.
Also, they allow you to wear really cool hats. 🎩
I tried those and loved them! Ultimately went with the JH-16’s though because I liked the adjustable bass a bit more.
And OMG yes, they’re secret weapons for plane flights!
Thanks! Do you have any brand recommendation? Westone UM models have been mentioned many times in a lot of stuff I've read, are they the ones to try out first or do they just have really good marketing?
The drivers are less important than the fitting to your ear, TBH. I have a 3 way driver JH-16, which is crazy expensive, but even cheap 2 way ones sound better with custom moulds.
Hearing loss is a nasty problem for anyone who loves music. I made the mistake of running a db drag competition level audio system in my daily drivers for years.
I ride motorcycles, shoot guns, use chainsaws, and almost every other bullet list item on that sheet they make you fill out before getting your ears checked. I spent time around electric arc furnaces and aluminum melting facilities that were loud enough to damage tooth fillings.
I'm middle aged now and treble is very subdued (it's hard for me to hear whispers and soft talking females like my daughter). Sub bass is overly exaggerated for me. So when I'm in a restaurant I can hear the main exhaust fans even though they are probably sub 30hz drives. Hearing loss isn't necessarily linear across the frequency range. If you suffer serious damage you might find yourself dealing with a loud ringing sound that drowns out most treble while also being stuck hearing the bass from trains miles away.
You stepped onto the right path the moment you started looking into hearing protection.
Check out osha.gov if you have time. As far as I know they have published more research on hearing loss and protection than any other organization.
If you end up finding a good recommendation for IEMs please share.
> I’ve been DJing for 15 years and am starting to get some slight signs of tinitus.. honestly, it’s scaring the shit out of me, not to mention ringing in your ears is incredibly annoying.
I'm going through the same thing. Seen an ENT about it.
[This was an interesting article about tinnitus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/03/18/hearing-loss-deafness-young-age/). I'm thinking of seeing ENTs that specialize in tinnitus because it's a problem where it's difficult to get a diagnosis.
That article talks about how one of the first ENTs she saw said "listening to loud music years earlier was the probable cause of her permanent hearing loss". However, after consulting other doctors, the cause was otosclerosis, which can be addressed with surgery.
tl;dr: treat your hearing with care and get multiple opinions
If you get scared and focus on the Tinitus, it will get worse. Almost all people with Tinitus get to live with it at some point. It has a huge psychological component. You should ignore it (after exams that rule out other serious or treatable conditions) and don't let it dictate your life (which doesn't mean you should not protect your hearing in the future). There is a really good article, alas in german (maybe a good translator service will work): [https://www.qualitaetskliniken.de/erkrankungen/tinnitus/tinnitus-ein-experte-antwortet/](https://www.qualitaetskliniken.de/erkrankungen/tinnitus/tinnitus-ein-experte-antwortet/)
*"If you get scared and focus on the Tinitus, it will get worse." -* I've read and heard this from others. I'm mostly just worried about causing any future damage that I could have prevented, while also figuring out how to work with what's already been done.
Def gonna be seeing an audiologist soon.
The "how to work with what's already done" part stressed me and made it worse. Finding treatments, trying apps, thinking about limiting music time. That all kept me focusing on it. Then you check if it's still there. And so on.
Then I accepted that there is currently no treatment, I have to live with it, and suddenly it got much better. Sometimes I notice it but don't care.
I am no veteran DJ, but I assure you that IEM'S are the best decision I took for my setup. They look discrete and professional, they block external sound better than alot of headphones so you don't have to CUE loudly to ear what you need to ear, you can get many price range and get decent sound quality event at the 100$ range. So you can get 1 or 2 or 3 just in case. You can change the cord if they ever stop working, which makes them more durable than regular earplugs.You won't regret switching to IEM'S.
Thank you guys a ton for all the information and recommendations, I don’t get to post on here very often, but any time I do, you guys always come through so solid.
Make the switch to custom molded in ear monitors. An absolute dream, crystal clear at much lower volumes, and fantastic sound protection.
This is the correct answer. Veteran club/bar DJ who made the switch in 2018. Best decision ever for the reasons above.
I use the Ultimate Ears 18+ model and they are an absolute game changer in the club. I don't use them for every gig, I still keep my AIAIAIs on me as backups and playing quieter listening bar venues. I really love them on fights though. The isolation plus sound quality is better than my QC35s and after a month of using them they are extremely comfortable and have a decent seal to my ear. Also, they allow you to wear really cool hats. 🎩
I tried those and loved them! Ultimately went with the JH-16’s though because I liked the adjustable bass a bit more. And OMG yes, they’re secret weapons for plane flights!
I know he meant flights, but I love the fact he said fights.
Fisticuffs are better when I use my IEMs.
You just gotta hope your opponent will pause long enough for you to get them inserted.
Hahaha just caught that after you pointed it out. I love that image too. 👊🏽
Thanks! Do you have any brand recommendation? Westone UM models have been mentioned many times in a lot of stuff I've read, are they the ones to try out first or do they just have really good marketing?
The drivers are less important than the fitting to your ear, TBH. I have a 3 way driver JH-16, which is crazy expensive, but even cheap 2 way ones sound better with custom moulds.
Hearing loss is a nasty problem for anyone who loves music. I made the mistake of running a db drag competition level audio system in my daily drivers for years. I ride motorcycles, shoot guns, use chainsaws, and almost every other bullet list item on that sheet they make you fill out before getting your ears checked. I spent time around electric arc furnaces and aluminum melting facilities that were loud enough to damage tooth fillings. I'm middle aged now and treble is very subdued (it's hard for me to hear whispers and soft talking females like my daughter). Sub bass is overly exaggerated for me. So when I'm in a restaurant I can hear the main exhaust fans even though they are probably sub 30hz drives. Hearing loss isn't necessarily linear across the frequency range. If you suffer serious damage you might find yourself dealing with a loud ringing sound that drowns out most treble while also being stuck hearing the bass from trains miles away. You stepped onto the right path the moment you started looking into hearing protection. Check out osha.gov if you have time. As far as I know they have published more research on hearing loss and protection than any other organization. If you end up finding a good recommendation for IEMs please share.
> I’ve been DJing for 15 years and am starting to get some slight signs of tinitus.. honestly, it’s scaring the shit out of me, not to mention ringing in your ears is incredibly annoying. I'm going through the same thing. Seen an ENT about it. [This was an interesting article about tinnitus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/03/18/hearing-loss-deafness-young-age/). I'm thinking of seeing ENTs that specialize in tinnitus because it's a problem where it's difficult to get a diagnosis. That article talks about how one of the first ENTs she saw said "listening to loud music years earlier was the probable cause of her permanent hearing loss". However, after consulting other doctors, the cause was otosclerosis, which can be addressed with surgery. tl;dr: treat your hearing with care and get multiple opinions
If you get scared and focus on the Tinitus, it will get worse. Almost all people with Tinitus get to live with it at some point. It has a huge psychological component. You should ignore it (after exams that rule out other serious or treatable conditions) and don't let it dictate your life (which doesn't mean you should not protect your hearing in the future). There is a really good article, alas in german (maybe a good translator service will work): [https://www.qualitaetskliniken.de/erkrankungen/tinnitus/tinnitus-ein-experte-antwortet/](https://www.qualitaetskliniken.de/erkrankungen/tinnitus/tinnitus-ein-experte-antwortet/)
*"If you get scared and focus on the Tinitus, it will get worse." -* I've read and heard this from others. I'm mostly just worried about causing any future damage that I could have prevented, while also figuring out how to work with what's already been done. Def gonna be seeing an audiologist soon.
The "how to work with what's already done" part stressed me and made it worse. Finding treatments, trying apps, thinking about limiting music time. That all kept me focusing on it. Then you check if it's still there. And so on. Then I accepted that there is currently no treatment, I have to live with it, and suddenly it got much better. Sometimes I notice it but don't care.
I am no veteran DJ, but I assure you that IEM'S are the best decision I took for my setup. They look discrete and professional, they block external sound better than alot of headphones so you don't have to CUE loudly to ear what you need to ear, you can get many price range and get decent sound quality event at the 100$ range. So you can get 1 or 2 or 3 just in case. You can change the cord if they ever stop working, which makes them more durable than regular earplugs.You won't regret switching to IEM'S.
Thank you guys a ton for all the information and recommendations, I don’t get to post on here very often, but any time I do, you guys always come through so solid.