Comparing Wireless In Ear Monitors

[hillzz22]

I'm looking for a set of wireless in-ear monitors for live vocals and guitar. I don't really need any extreme range capabilities and am hoping not to break the bank. My primary question is, what are the main differences (if any) in quality/performance between single band (i.e. Galaxy Audio AS-900 or similar) and selectable multi-band (i.e. Galaxy Audio AS-1100 or similar) systems? Obviously, having 120 selectable channels may help if there is some sort of interference issue. However, in practical applications, how often is a multi-band system really required? I typically play in the Hartford, CT (sometimes NY and MA) area so I'm not sure how much interference I would need to deal with here? Also, does anyone have anything good/bad to say about the Galaxy Audio units? They seem to have similar specs to higher priced Audiotechnica and Shure systems; is there a noticeable difference in quality? This is my first wirless system, so any recommendations/guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[teamsterjim]

JHAudio is what we've used, even when it was still Ultimate Ears.
Great design and support, and the dewveloper was a pro audio enginner for years by request, so that explains the zero interferrance w/ police bands, and emergency wireless transmissions.
I first saw them at NAMM in '95 being demo'd by Herbie Hancock and have been into them ever since.
Wedge monitors never worked this well and you can even have an audiograph to check your 4k notch stats.
6 way drivers are insane....

[Andy Hamm]

The Galaxy units are pretty good I am actually considering buying a few myself.

These use an unlicensed band - meaning that you don't need a licence to broadcast on that band - so you can run into all kinds of consumer products that may interfere with them. Being able to change the channel is a good thing, but you may not have to do it very often at all. Also being able to change the frequency band is useful if someone has another transmitter or reciever as you can share a send (put two recievers on one transmitter), or get out of a band occupied by someone else that has a fixed band.

The biggest quality factor with in ears is usually the ear buds themselves. If you don't like the sound of the system, try a different set of buds. Some peopel like cheap ones, some people spend a few hundred on them.

Nady PEM's are in the same price range as the fixed Galaxies - keep clear of them unless someone wants to just give them to you. They work, but just barely - I've worked with a few people that own them and gave up on them.

[hillzz22]

@teamsterjim: wow, the JHAudio stuff looks really nice but $$$$$!

@Andy Hamm: Thanks for the advice! I'm starting to think that the ability to change the frequency band may be pretty nice, and likely worth the extra cost. As I continue to research, I've found that the Shure PSM200 gets very good reviews and is in the mid-range in terms of price. I like the thought of the Shure name and the fact that a much more adequate set of buds is provided. The earbuds that come with the Galaxy Audio units look pretty cheesy...I originally didn't pay much attention to this as I have a very nice set of in-ears (Head-Direct RE0) that I use for reference listening, iPod, etc. I originally figured I could use these, but the only drawback is they don't really work well over-the-ear so I'm afraid they might come out during a performance if I'm moving around a bit. The SE115s that come with the Shure unit look decent enough for now, even if not as flat/true as the RE0s. The PSM200 transmits in the 500MHz range, whereas the Galaxy units are in the 600MHz range; not sure how much this matters, so long as they are not at 700MHz! Does the Shure PSM200 warrant the fact that it is 3x the price of the Galaxy AS-900??

And yes, I'll stay far away from the Nady units...thanks for the heads up!