ASI Audio IEM Live Issues

[Dutch]

I've really been searching for the best tips I could find for my universals.
I don't like foam because it's a hassle to get them in before they expand and they hurt my ears after a while. Normal silicones have to get a really good fit to seal well enough and have a tendency to slip out.

Best I've found yet are these: Azla Sednaearfit Xelastec.
They are a bit sticky and heat-form themselves to your ear for a good seal. They stay in pretty well and don't put huge pressure on my ears. They need to be cleaned with slightly soapy water before use, your ears as well, goes for all tips, of course. Earwax makes everything slip.

I have had molded earplugs before, but they weren't very comfortable either, started hurting after an hour or so. Maybe I have sensitive ears. I've seen several comments of people going from molded back to universals. It's a personal thing. And since we're not that rich...

 

[Rick]

I now have the Sennheiser XSW which is not noise free, but reasonably low enough to play with. You just don't notice anymore after a while. Make sure there's enough signal going in and not turn up the volume on the receiver too much.

I've also tried the NUX, for full mix it was bearable but somehow only guitar was very buzzy. Maybe a dynamics thing. Too bad, it's a great form factor and concept, but it doesn't work. Weirdly I also have a M-Vave/Lekato mini wireless 2.4GHz that sounds pretty good and is dirt cheap, just has too high latency for live playing!
I also had an LD Systems 1000G2 (German Adam Hall product, probably rebranded chinese) that was pretty noisy.


I questioned Thomann about it and they said not to expect noisefree under $1000,-. i.e. Shure PSM300 or Senn G4. It's a journey.

I’ve never heard a completely noiseless IEM, wired or wireless, just varying degrees towards that goal. As you mention, that path is paved in money so the closer to zero noise you get the closer to an empty wallet you also get! Such is life… quality costs money. The G4 system was over $1k; an investment towards good sound and saving my hearing, but is as high as I’m likely to go at my level of income return from playing. I think someone else would be writing the checks before I’d see something superior to what I have. Still, I wouldn’t think it a bit odd if someone who just plays at home or with friends had a $5k wireless with another grand or two into custom molded ears. If you want it, and can afford it, why not? It’s just that each incremental step adds an exponential curve to the price. Like most musical stuff, 20% better might cost twice as much. Only the buyer can say if it’s worth it.

For players who really want wireless but are on a very tight budget, the NUX are a good buy. You just have to expect they won’t sound like $500-$1000-$1500 systems. They have a place, as do the $2k and up systems. I’m happy there are options these days.

I've really been searching for the best tips I could find for my universals.
I don't like foam because it's a hassle to get them in before they expand and they hurt my ears after a while. Normal silicones have to get a really good fit to seal well enough and have a tendency to slip out.

Best I've found yet are these: Azla Sednaearfit Xelastec.
They are a bit sticky and heat-form themselves to your ear for a good seal. They stay in pretty well and don't put huge pressure on my ears. They need to be cleaned with slightly soapy water before use, your ears as well, goes for all tips, of course. Earwax makes everything slip.

I have had molded earplugs before, but they weren't very comfortable either, started hurting after an hour or so. Maybe I have sensitive ears. I've seen several comments of people going from molded back to universals. It's a personal thing. And since we're not that rich...

You might need to go smaller, as opposed to a different material. I used to think I needed larger tips if I had slippage, but found the right combination of material, size, and shape yielded the best result. Larger ear tips made my ear sore and sensitive pretty quickly, even though they did seal better. My best fit so far has come with the medium Comply foam ones, and I intend on trying the Shure olive style, as I have read lots of good reviews on them. I just ordered a set of the Comply Professional type, which are not larger, but a bit longer, with should help them stay put without adding uncomfortable bulk. We’ll see. I’d really love to get some custom molds done, but don’t have a nearby audiologist to do them. I can dream, though

 

[jamongrande]

re: noise floor with Senn G4's. Good gain staging is pretty important to get the nosie floor down with the G4s, as cranking the beltpack can generate some constant low-level hiss. In my bands IEM rig, I make sure that everybody is getting individual channels somewhere in the -10 to 0db range, and the output level for their aux send close to the same. Lastly, I try to have beltpacks around the halfway point in their range, maybe a little above or below, but never cranked. That seems to get the best signal to noise ratio happening.

As a heads up, the ASI system generates some noise on its own too, even with the ambient mics muted.

 

[Dutch]

I’ve never heard a completely noiseless IEM, wired or wireless, just varying degrees towards that goal. As you mention, that path is paved in money so the closer to zero noise you get the closer to an empty wallet you also get! Such is life… quality costs money. The G4 system was over $1k; an investment towards good sound and saving my hearing, but is as high as I’m likely to go at my level of income return from playing. I think someone else would be writing the checks before I’d see something superior to what I have. Still, I wouldn’t think it a bit odd if someone who just plays at home or with friends had a $5k wireless with another grand or two into custom molded ears. If you want it, and can afford it, why not? It’s just that each incremental step adds an exponential curve to the price. Like most musical stuff, 20% better might cost twice as much. Only the buyer can say if it’s worth it.

For players who really want wireless but are on a very tight budget, the NUX are a good buy. You just have to expect they won’t sound like $500-$1000-$1500 systems. They have a place, as do the $2k and up systems. I’m happy there are options these days.



You might need to go smaller, as opposed to a different material. I used to think I needed larger tips if I had slippage, but found the right combination of material, size, and shape yielded the best result. Larger ear tips made my ear sore and sensitive pretty quickly, even though they did seal better. My best fit so far has come with the medium Comply foam ones, and I intend on trying the Shure olive style, as I have read lots of good reviews on them. I just ordered a set of the Comply Professional type, which are not larger, but a bit longer, with should help them stay put without adding uncomfortable bulk. We’ll see. I’d really love to get some custom molds done, but don’t have a nearby audiologist to do them. I can dream, though

Just wanted to share the AZLA tips. I tried all sizes, stuck with the smallest that still closed the ears up. Anything smaller and bass is gone and sounds brittle. I'm at ML for the AZLA's.

I read on Reddit that the artifacts in the NUX B-7PSM are a known byproduct from the compression needed to fit the sound in to the signal. I think that's strange. You can fit 4K TV in wifi 5G. Several channels. How are they not able to fit stereo sound without it crapping out? Especially with the M-Vave sounding reasonably good at 2.4G? NUX has been doing wonderful stuff lately, but this one is disappointing. Love the concept, was so hoping it would improve on the M-Vaves but it doesn't.

Wow. we have audiologists everywhere here... There's one in my street. Several in this village of 45000.

 

[Rick]

Just wanted to share the AZLA tips. I tried all sizes, stuck with the smallest that still closed the ears up. Anything smaller and bass is gone and sounds brittle. I'm at ML for the AZLA's.

I read on Reddit that the artifacts in the NUX B-7PSM are a known byproduct from the compression needed to fit the sound in to the signal. I think that's strange. You can fit 4K TV in wifi 5G. Several channels. How are they not able to fit stereo sound without it crapping out? Especially with the M-Vave sounding reasonably good at 2.4G? NUX has been doing wonderful stuff lately, but this one is disappointing. Love the concept, was so hoping it would improve on the M-Vaves but it doesn't.

Wow. we have audiologists everywhere here... There's one in my street. Several in this village of 45000.

I’m with you on the NUX stuff. I think it’s more fitting it into something that is regularly discounted to well under $200 more than anything else. That makes more sense!

I’m about 55 miles out of Houston, so it’s not impossible to find an audiologist, just not convenient. My town is under 30k, and has generally good medical access, but the specialists involve a trip.

 

[Sixstring]

Yeah i think putting an EQ on the IEM mix should work. The PTM system is ok for the money. My experience has ranged from very good at some venues to absolutely useless at others. I always carry a behringer P2 as a backup just in case.

just thought I would post up on the PTM 33 system if anyone is thinking about it. First impressions not good, the number 2-3 channels drop / mute out only a few feet away from the transmitter. I thought it might be interference from the handheld mic's so I turned everything off but the PTM and still have the problem. I'm hoping it is just an issue with this unit but I suspect that it's a design issue. 4 channels of mono IEM for $500 something has to give... but we shall see.

On the ASI side of things with respect to the complaints of excessive high end response. I experienced this the other day and was surprised. At first I thought something was broken with the system but then realized I had taken off the triple seals that I was using and had to resort to the stock foam seals. Originally when I received the system prior to using them I couldn't stand how the stock seals felt, they really hurt my ear canals even using the smallest ones so I immediately changed them out before using the system. The stock seals are horrible and I believe they cause most if not all of the problem.

I wondered what could be causing it to sound that way and looked at the seals closely. They have little micro screens in the seals to prevent ear wax from being pushed into the bud. I suspect that this is what's causing the problem. The minute I changed the seals back to the triple's I had better isolation and everything sounded like someone had added bass to the mix! so there's that tidbit of info for what it's worth.

 

[Rick]

Tagging on to the comments from @Sixstring , I tried the Comply Pro tips on my Westone UM3X IEMs at a gig last week, and they are my faves so far. Anyone wondering whether the tips you use matter, I’ll second Sixstring’s assertion that they can make all the difference in both comfort and perceived sound quality.

 

[fenderbenderlax]

just thought I would post up on the PTM 33 system if anyone is thinking about it. First impressions not good, the number 2-3 channels drop / mute out only a few feet away from the transmitter.

On the ASI side of things with respect to the complaints of excessive high end response. I experienced this the other day and was surprised. At first I thought something was broken with the system but then realized I had taken off the triple seals that I was using and had to resort to the stock foam seals. Originally when I received the system prior to using them I couldn't stand how the stock seals felt, they really hurt my ear canals even using the smallest ones so I immediately changed them out before using the system. The stock seals are horrible and I believe they cause most if not all of the problem.

I wondered what could be causing it to sound that way and looked at the seals closely. They have little micro screens in the seals to prevent ear wax from being pushed into the bud. I suspect that this is what's causing the problem. The minute I changed the seals back to the triple's I had better isolation and everything sounded like someone had added bass to the mix! so there's that tidbit of info for what it's worth.

i agree with the phenyx pro system. I had similar issues last weekend. I will try changing the tips on the ASI and see if that works. Thanks!!!

 

[Waifjosh]

I use the ASI system (for about 2 years now with Sennheiser G4 receivers), with both the universal dual-drivers and more recent the custom molded quad-drivers. There is an overall tilt towards trebles with this system, though certainly not drastic compared to the Shure 425s that were my standard pair for a number of years. I would definitely recommend using the 3dme's onboard eq to dial back the highs, in particular knocking back 1800hz and 4300hz around 2-4db. It helped me address some overall fatigue I get from iems in general.

I would also say that I find the mics in the 3dme system to lean towards brightness anyways, so sometimes I end up dialing back the ambients further than where I initially think I want them.

And as crazy as it sounds, the tips can have a subtly but noticeable effects on overall sound. I had a pair of the molded sleaves made for my universals (prior to getting the quad-drivers). Switching back and forth between comply tips with the earwax guard and the molded sleaves made for a very different experience. Comply's couldn't get the deep seal of the molded sleaves, so bass and lower mid frequencies bled through and conversely made the iem signal sound thin. Conversely (and I'm just hypothesizing here) the trebles seem softer with the Complys, perhaps because of the earwax guard.

Anyways, I'm getting my quads back today (bad cable was causing some crazy noise in one ear). I'll listen to the difference between a few different listening systems (Neumann monitors, DT-880 cans, Blue Lola cans, and the 3dme system) to confirm my thoughts. But in general, I find the Blue Lola's to have the most the top end, followed by the 3dme, Neumanns, and lastly DT-880s (which I think I really dislike for any critical music listening).

Hi Jamongrande,

I’ve been trying out the universal 3DME Gen 2 and have all but decided to return them and get the custom tour option so it’s timely that I noticed your post. Are you able to share your experience of the difference between the two and your reasons for switching? I’ve also been looking at the quad driver option. What was your reason for opting for the quads and do you feel a great advantage in doing so?

It’s interesting you mention cable issues as that’s one aspect that makes me nervous. I’ve been using JHAudio IEM’s and whilst I haven’t enjoyed them, I have been impressed with the cable quality. The cables on the 3DME’s that I’ve been using don’t fill me with confidence - I definitely don’t like the hardwired aspect. Even though the custom tour model has replaceable cable, they still don’t look particularly high quality from the pictures online. I understand the screws that fit them to the housing of the earpieces are nylon and can easily break if over torqued - which isn’t that hard to do. Have you had issues with any of those things? Also do those nylon screws loosen at all through general use? I had trouble with the JH’s coming loose every single time (which had brass screws and housing) to the point that I had to send them back in for a repair. Any such problems with the 3DME customs?

I understand also that the earpieces themselves are silicon as opposed to most other IEM’s that are a hard plastic. Whilst it’s likely more comfortable, I’ve heard that the silicon isn’t as durable and may not hold up over time. Any thoughts on that would also be appreciated.

Finally, when using the universal 3DME’s live last week, I had a really disconcerting sensation of what I assumed to be the limiter acting in an extreme way and squishing the sound so that it sounded like it was surging or pumping. I turned the limiter off in the app but still encountered the same sensation. It was a big stage at a festival - probably louder than the average gig but nothing overly excessive (I’d certainly need to use the product in this kind of setting on a pretty regular basis). I suspect there might be another limiter that isn’t controlled by the app as an overall safety feature - I cannot get confirmation from Sensaphonics on that though. They suggested that there might be a limiter on the sennheiser G4 pack I was using in conjunction but I’ve not encountered such an issue with the G4 in the past. Anyhow, given you’ve used the 3DME for a couple years I thought you may have encountered this before.

Any feedback on all of this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Josh.