I'm Never DJing With Headphones Again

After this experience, I'm never DJing with headphones again! Find out why I switched to in-ear monitors for my DJ sets.

[@_P_M_]

My concern with IEM's is that you'll gradually keep turning them up and negate the benefits. Even at moderate levels, after hours of use you can still damage your hearing. I have a set of Etymonic active earplugs that work well to lower the volume but still let frequencies through so the sound isn't muffled. I can have a conversation in a loud room with them in and understand what the person is saying. I like them a lot, but they are a little pricey. After years of playing in bands I lost some top-end in my hearing and have tinnitus. I wear hearing aids now, which really help a lot, but if I had taken this high volume stuff seriously during my teens and 20's I wouldn't need them. It sucks that I'll never know what silence sounds like again. Also, hearing loss is associated with dementia in later life. Scary stuff

[@DjNikGnashers]

In the 90's, while DJ-ing at a club with one terrible monitor speaker, with a torn woofer, that sounded like a pair of flared trousers flapping in the wind, I turned the monitor off completely and just mixed completely in headphones. I found my headphones (Sony MDR V-700) were great at blocking out the external sound from the club's PA and the crowd noise. I didn't even have to have them turned up as loud as I did when mixing using a monitor and headphones. It was also more accurate, and I have never mixed any other way since. My hearing is fine at 54 years old.

[@seanblvd]

Been rocking SE846's for almost two years after losing my headphones. Have never gone back. I coupled it with an in-line attenuator to bring the 'shine' down from the headphone jack. Switching to this pair of IEMs was a gold decision for me.

[@ToddBryantsr]

I have the exact same model. I also have a set of M-Vave zero latency Bluetooth Transmitters and Receivers. They allow me to move around in the DJ Booth and interact with people. So there is a 3.5 mm wire that comes out of my Denon Prime 4+ into the transmitter and then on the other side I have the IEMs and the receiver. The freedom I get is unreal. One thing that is an added bonus is that there is plastic tie at the back of the neck that you can slide to the back of your head for a rock solid fit. And with a ball cap, they are completely undetectable. I love this setup so much!

[@Traumadj]

Could you do a video on what you’re speaking about

[@ToddBryantsr]

@@Traumadjsure I’ll do one tonight.

[@Traumadj]

@@ToddBryantsr gratitude bro 🙏

[@DJQKansasCity]

Agreed. Used Beats in ears in the 2010s and went back to headphones but they were always hard on my ears. Bought shure IEMs in 2022 and don’t plan on going back

[@WILEY67]

I appreciate the review, they seem to be the wave.

[@DjMalondaVEVO]

They are very good, I being using them for 1 half year now. Super

[@THeGOLDWATErChannel]

Hi thank you. I would be interested know how you use IEM’s differently than headphones. Are you Mixing all in ear or taking out one when your mixing with a monitor? Thx 🤜💥🤛

[@djductape]

Nice! Akways been interested in IEMs. I am in love with the HDJ-x10s and I have my headphone volume at about half of everyone else I spin with that use other cans.

[@DJJamMasterD]

The solution is to not have your headphones turned up, I've been using them for close to 40 years without problems

[@ivanesque]

do you use split cue with them? could you make a video about it? coz the one you made about split cue wasn’t very clear :)

[@SUPAROCKINDJSMASH]

Off topic I never see you with a sound system do you have a sound system that you play with besides the turntables

[@victorboyd9881]

Do you get the ones with the microphone?

[@kokunaijin]

I love them as long as I don't have to talk to anyone and if I have high confidence in the audio setup. I use Shure 835s and I find that if something is wrong with the audio while I'm using them I will have zero idea. If I'm playing a well-rehearsed set to a large crowd then they are brilliant. If things are a bit iffy, I want my ears where the crowd's are.

[@YouriHL]

Nice vid, but I have a question. Is there an alternative for those who cannot have earplugs ? I have never been able to have them get stuck in my ears, not 35 years ago, not these days. It just falls out. Even the very expensive ones that form to your ears.

[@djplastix]

I just tried to switch from inears to headphones for 4 gigs and noticed that I went louder in headphones and booth and ears are more tired.

[@langetlikisorma]

Would the wireless version work as well

[@ByronForrest2010]

Yea I'm 54. To late hearing already gone. But this is good to see and may have to switch.

[@thatchinaboi1]

Not sure how IEMs protect your hearing. Can you explain how you use them exactly? Can't you do the same with some good isolating headphones?

[@questionyourbeliefs]

The claim is that because they're closer to your eardrum you won't push them as loud. However, in my experience the risk of pushing them too loud is still there and the result is worse than headphones since you're placing speakers insanely close to your eardrums. Headphones on the other hand are safely far from your eardrums. Also as a DJ it's important to adjust booth levels so you don't need to crank your headphones.

[@Alex-cw7xf]

they don't, they're actually worse because they provide very poor isolation compared to over-ears and are more likely to cause irritation, infections, and earwax compression because IEMs are inserted directly into the ear canal. over ears isolate sound by up to 10 dB or in some cases more and therefore you won't need to turn them up as loud. if you want to protect your hearing, don't use IEMs, turn your booth monitors all the way down or completely. this video is full of shit advice.

[@questionyourbeliefs]

@@Alex-cw7xf 100% Agree with this.

[@Alex-cw7xf]

@@questionyourbeliefs right?? i don't understand why people complain about needing to crank their headphones when there's a master cue circuit on most mixers. as a good friend of mine says, wearing earplugs because the booth / headphones are too loud is like wearing sunglasses at night because your lamp is too bright to read. turn the monitors super low or off and mix as quietly as you can in headphones. simple. if someone finds IEMs more comfortable and less straining to their ears over time, that's fine, but the same rules apply to your booth and cue levels being as low as possible.

[@ByronForrest2010]

I've been considering BT. is there an IE that will support wireless or BT?

[@VaughnGoy]

Grab a wireless monitor system I’ve used a pair with any of my 6 pairs of IEMs at gigs at any given time for the last year

[@DJ.Kvn_]

Do you use split cue with IEMs?

[@PDot]

I currently do not

[@TruthSeekerAi]

i been doing this for 20 years best thing indeed

[@cliffycashmore]

Dude, those are headphones too

[@kco223]

Save up for up for Ultimate Ears. I've been using mine for about 10 years and would never go back.

[@djAXCESSmusic]

I knew it! I can appreciate a good click bait title but as I clicked the video, i thought "he's gotta be switching to IEMs." I talked about this on Twitch last week. Spread the good word brother! Has your hearing been coming back or is it still damaged?

[@djAXCESSmusic]

BTW, I have had customs and I do not like them in comparision to the generics. Even turning the cue volume down makes it hard to "host" in the DJ booth and removing them is even more of a pain. Would love to chat with you about it man!

[@kidsonicofficial]

I don't agree with IEMs for Club DJs. If you're a festival DJ getting major bookings then maybe. But for me, I have ACS Customs ACS17 earplugs for DJing and I just use my HD25s because you get the best of both worlds. You're still getting the sound quality of IEMs but you're protecting your hearing still.

[@genericposterofaudio6837]

How long have you been using that combo for? This sounds interesting

[@jrapheal1]

Do they come wireless?

[@VaughnGoy]

Wireless transmitters and receivers exist that turn any IEMs into wireless with no latency.

[@djestylz]

By far my favorite IEM’s to use! Before I used the M-Audio IE-30’s until they discontinued them…

[@hellaflushhonda]

I came from audio technica m50 headphones, got some $60 iem from Amazon and havent went back, they are awesome, fit in my pocket and sound better the my audio technica $160 headohones.

[@localguy602]

I hope you are ok health wise homie. You seem short on breath. Or maybe nervous?

[@PDot]

You got me. Allergies have been kicking my butt this week! Nose is super stuffy haha

[@yotaiji012]

Welcome to the club! But check out the chi-fi options, insane quality.

[@Miguelrockwell]

Chick-fil-A makes IEMs?

[@MattyniceNJ201]

I just picked up a pair last monday 👍

[@DJSuaveJavier]

I have the cheaper made in china on. In ear seems more healthier for hearing. I would upgrade to higher quality ones in the future. In ear improving my experience when DJing.

[@nourdinh.1450]

Its not for me the hole time that staff in my ears no way and you hear nothing when someone talk to you 😎😎😉😉😉😉

[@DanielleKingdjdinosaur]

i do not like in ears and i like one ear on one off when using my headphones.Half the time with cue points wave forms and other tools i do not need my headphones but some mixes need monitoring and i need the contrast of monitor sound outside and headphones inside,Also they do not make my ears ache or itch like in ears do .One more thing .In ears cut me off from the audience and with headphones when a girl comes for a request i will not be digging one of these in ear things from my ear.No my headphones just slide off and slide back on.Iguess i am just and old fashioned dj but i do use a Rane set up like yours but with the Rane 72 mk 2

[@gaireycollins5564]

i hate clickbaiting, it should be illegal.

[@mwitamathnyamosi7847]

Welcome aboard!

[@questionyourbeliefs]

Hard disagree. I bought very expensive IEMs and have just switched back to HD 25. I don't understand why people think IEMs are safer. They are not. My ears have never rang after using headphones. After using IEMs I started having ringing in my ears. The IEMs place the speakers dangerously close to the eardrum. No matter how much isolation you get, the risk of accidentally blasting them is way higher than headphones. My IEMs are collecting dust in a closet, while I safely enjoy music w/ HD 25's again.

[@VaughnGoy]

They’re safer if u keep them in ur ears all or a majority of the gig, and keep the headphone volume lower than u normally would usually I never go past the 2nd volume line of the headphone monitor volume. And keep the in ear in all the time on the side thats being exposed to the loudest sounds. Have done this for 15+ years and haven’t lost any hearing. Meanwhile more than half my friends that dj are damn near deaf.

[@melange78]

If you get hearing damage you play to loud man. I always bring a pair of hearing plugs with me when I am in the audience but I don't always need them which means there is a culture problem here and not a problem with the idea.

[@DanielleKingdjdinosaur]

oh also those things will make you deaf

[@michaelmula6841]

I only use headphones if I'm not to familiar with the intro

[@triniboyful]

Bro you talking way too much, for what?

[@alexd1965]

I use 9.99 euros Sony IEM's from the grocery store lol

[@Badhabit1962]

I very rarely use headphones