IEMs - advice on replacements

I have a pair of Mee Audio M6 Pro IEMs which have been great but they're damaged and so I want to replace them. There's no way I can afford anything like 64 audio or Ultimate Ears, so what would you recommend as the best in ears for under £100?

I have some shure se215,   originally bought as a back up for my moulded iem's but I really like them.    Probably other out there now that might be better or cheaper but I've been happy with the Shure's 

urbanmyth said:

I really like the quality of my se215 but I had to switch away from them for playing bass as I had some trouble with not getting a good low frequency reproduction ( https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/4009646/#Comment_4009646 ) . But if you're not relying on that frequency range you're probably fine, I still use them just not for playing bass on stage.

Whilst I switched out to some westones (that aren't in this price bracket, unless the coming black friday sales are kind to you) I hear such good things about the ZS10 IEMs that I was considering getting a set to try out as a backup.

Thanks. I've heard good things about the ZZ10s too. £46 on amazon so might be worth a try and if they're no good they can go back

I have sets of Shure SE215s.  Very reliable and swappable cables are great.

lincolnblue said:

Thanks. I've heard good things about the ZZ10s too. £46 on amazon so might be worth a try and if they're no good they can go back

I think the only reason I didn't buy a set was I got confused by all the different types with subtly different part numbers, at least with the big brands they are more obvious

It's so confusing as there's so many available in the £50-£100 range but you start looking at reviews and I do the typical thing of focusing on the few negative reviews and then think I must be able to get better. It's a minefield!

Just get the Shure 215s.. loads of musos use them before paying big bucks 

Another plus for the Shure 215s

I've had 3 sets of 215's and  also have the Zs10's. The 215's don't have a an extended low end or top and but do have a great mid range which is non fatiguing over long gigs. The low end really does depend on how well they seal and I recommend taping them in if they move around a lot in your ears. 

The ZS10 pro has more low end, more top end but are more fatiguing over longer gigs and the supplied cable is a bit cheap in comparison to the Shures  

Danny1969 said:

The ZS10 pro has more low end, more top end but are more fatiguing over longer gigs

This was my experience.  They are typical of anything designed for consumer listening, with a classic 'smile curve' EQ.  As a guitarist / backing vocalist I needed to hear the mid range.  I also found that they really messed up my ability to pitch my vocals.

Before I used 215s I used some KZs

I have 315s and ZS10s and almost always use the ZS10s 

I see there's now a ZS 10 Pro2. Any users of that compared to the ZS10 ProX?

lincolnblue said:

I see there's now a ZS 10 Pro2. Any users of that compared to the ZS10 ProX?

this relates to the issue @urbanmyth encountered...  is there a comparison guide?

I was in touch with a custom IEM company who, at my budget, recommended any of the ZS IEMS so I've gone for the ZS 10 Pro2 a they were reduced to £44 on Amazon Black Friday deal. Will report back with how they are. 

Cool - getting a recommendation from someone with a broad range of experience is a smart choice, will be interested to hear how you get on

The ZS10s are fine for the price. They're not a patch on proper professional kit, but they'll do a decent job for not a lot of cash. 

I'd echo the comments from @Danny1969 about the frequency response. I have a pair as an emergency backup set in my backpack, and I find that they exaggerate the upper midrange and there's a harshness to it that can get a bit much. If you directly A/B them against something nicer it's extremely clear to see. They do the job in a pinch, or for casual listening while I'm out and about, but on the occasions I've had to use them live I've not enjoyed it one bit!

Over the years I've had multiple flavours of Shure (215, 315, 425, 535) and currently use Cosmic Ears CE6P. If you can save up the cash to go for a nicer set of Shures, the difference from the single driver 215/315 to the dual driver 425 and triple driver 535 is huge - the 425 are double your current budget but they're a massive leap in quality from the Mee M6 and KZ range. 

So i have been able to try out my ZS 10 Pros. I obviously can't comment on how they compare to better quality IEMS (I'm sure there is a big difference) but compared to the MEE Audio M6 Pros that I was using, there is such an improvement. The extra drivers really help and they are louder too which is a good thig. One day I might be able to afford something custom but for now I'm very pleased.

That’s great news - thanks for the update!

The only annoying thing is the cable doesn't come with one of the cable tightener/tensioners to keep the cable tight behind the neck. Seems quite a few budget IEMs miss out this no doubt very cheap addition. I know I can buy a new cable with one on, but for now a white cable tie wrapped round it is working.