Recently I switched to custom in-ears. Let me offer you a few quick tips and explain the process of getting your very own custom ear molds.
Depending on the venue there are still times I monitor through a floor wedge however most often I'm monitoring with in-ears now days. I'm often asked which in-ears are the best. I've tried several brands and models and found perhaps the two largest factors to consider are 1) drivers and 2) full-isolation molds. Regarding drivers, pay attention to how many drivers your in-ears have and their frequency range. As a rule of thumb you'll want dual or triple drivers which allow a wider frequency spectrum. Watch out if you move towards triple drivers. While they can sound promising they sometimes come in larger form factors. This can make them bulky and slip out of the ear canal. I'll explain next why a tight seal within your ear matters.
In-ear monitoring only works well when the device properly seals within your ear. One of the more obvious signs you'll notice with an improper seal is a lack of bass response. Custom plastic molds are a great way to guarantee you get a great seal every time. They work well at keeping noise out while maximizing the effectiveness of your drivers. Because in-ear molds are not a common, every-day purchase it can be a bit intimidating to know where to start.
I called my favorite production-house in Nashville and asked the guys at Zod Lounge what they'd recommend. They turned me onto a company here in California called LiveWires which is a division of EarPeace Technologies. They have an impressive list of clients and satisfied customers with a sticker price below anything else I've seen. I was able to order triple drivers right from their website.
The second step, after ordering, was to meet with Jon, head of LiveWires, and get my ear impressions made. Jon takes the equivalent of a caulking gun, points it into your ear, and then squeezes a solution into each ear that will harden after a few minutes. In my case, after about 5 minutes the solution had hardened to a soft rubber type of consistency. At that point Jon took out each mold and sent them off for fabrication. It took about 4 weeks to get mine back from the manufacture but they have been worth it. Because they seal so well, I can actually monitor at a lower volume. Equally important the quality of the sound is much richer. Once you hear them you'll have a hard time wanting to monitor through anything else. The only difficulty I had was learning how to get the ear buds in and out!
If you're interested in in-ears I'd highly encourage you to check out LiveWires. If you do, please tell Jon or Martha that Andy sent you! Hopefully this gives you a quick look at in-ears. Happy gigging!
