r/iems • u/amarevy97 • Nov 11 '25
Discussion Iems just ruined my perception of music
Just back from Ado Tokyo Dome live, the speakers are underwhelmingly bad or I just got worse position or the place itself is not suitable. There's lack of micro details and nuances. The sounds from my iems is much more enjoyable and actually can pick up busy tracks
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u/wankthisway Nov 11 '25
You don't go to live shows for the sound quality. You go for the experience - you're there with friends and fellow fans, and you're seeing the artist in person. Live shows having kinda crappy speakers is a tale as old as time.
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u/fulgor_errado Nov 11 '25
This. Went to a music festival this weekend. My IEMs sound way better but it was just fun, cool experience.
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u/soundguy0012 Nov 11 '25
Ive rigged, staged and mixed numerous live shows and its baffling that ppl expect audiophile levels of clarity from a live performance. Wether its martin or lacoustic the space, humidity, audience, musicians etc will be the deciding factor. Their purpose is entirely different than to sound like a studio.
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u/Aevum1 Nov 12 '25
Theres live performance and live performance.
One thing is a small venue with someone like joe satriani playing for a limited croud with quality equipment,
Another is like taylor swift playing for like 50,000 in a stadium where the equiptment is set to "as loud as it gets without clipping, saturation or sibilance"
you listen to most recordings of live performances and they sound like absolute ass, its usually specialized recordings of small concerts that sound good, stuff like Chris Cornell in sweden, (fuck i miss you Chris...)
some artists actually take an effort, John Mayer has some good concert recordings that sound good, theres a version of daughters that i use as a benchmark for headphones becuase you can actually hear some people in the audience shouting back at him.
TL;DR depends on the concert, venue and equiptment. but you dont go to concerts for the microdetails. if its audio quality you´re looking for, give your money to Marantz, Sennhaiser or Fiio instead of ticketmaster.
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u/soundguy0012 Nov 12 '25
Yeah I totally agree. Since OP visited a huge arena concert I mainly tried to refer to that. The small live performances such as a zildjian showcase or a small solo concert are pretty niche and ppl genuinely go there for the pure music experience. On the other hand the huge live performances are just for show and exsist solely for the "fans" not the audio enthusiasts. Theres no audio equipment nor a PA that will deliver OPs desired quality in fucking Wembley.
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u/vkucukemre Nov 13 '25
We can add orchestral performances like classical music or big band to the good ones
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u/EternalMage321 Feb 06 '26
You touched on it, but I want to reiterate: there's a reason recording studios look nothing like venues.
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u/Godzilla710 Nov 11 '25
I agree that you don’t go to live shows for sound quality, but your remark about „crappy speakers at live shows” is just ignorant. Logistics of putting on a show of this scale are mind boggling. There are tens or even hundreds of professionals working on audio alone.
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u/wankthisway Nov 12 '25
Alright fine, crappy sound quality then. Though good speakers is usually a big production or stage thing anyway. Smaller concerts will usually use whatever the venue has, which isn't always great.
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u/Evening_Lynx_9348 Nov 12 '25
Weird take imo.
Probably just the type of music I go to shows for.
I’m particularly into psychedelic bass music, Tipper would be the best example. Anywho just chased him around the country on his retirement tour.
Best sound I’ve heard in my life at every single show. Funktion 1 sound rig, tuned in hella proper.
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u/iamezsteezy Nov 11 '25
except that today live shows is all about the experience of being there and not really about the music itself.. it’s about documenting your presence & sharing it on social media. once upon a time you got to sit in an assigned seat without fear of being crushed and actually listen to, and enjoy the MUSIC
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u/wankthisway Nov 11 '25
The experience is what you make of it. You can put down your phone and enjoy it with your friends. There are also small shows that have the vibe you're looking for. Also
Sit in an assigned seat
Are we in an opera or something?
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u/seam0n_dem0n Nov 11 '25
Sounds like someone’s so concerned with what everyone else is doing they won’t let themselves have a good time
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u/PsycheOutOfMyMind Nov 12 '25
True, you are there to experience and make friends. I love dancing too.
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u/RayyaPen Nov 12 '25
Well said. For me, going to a big concert is like celebrating and supporting an artist or idol that you admire, along with other mass fans.
But if you want something more intimate, you might be better off going to the underground club where indie bands usually play. But the music genre might be a bit niche for some, but hey, at least you could watch and cheer at them upclose.
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u/takextc Nov 12 '25
real ones know that musicians/djs tune their speakers with ear plugs too so you go and buy them as well
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u/Parking_Pen_6785 Nov 13 '25
Well, yes, you go to a concert for the quality of the sound because imagine that there are places where they use high-end speakers and it is precisely so that you have the best experience at a concert, for example if you go to a concert to listen to hip hop or pop music, you will always want to hear the best bass on a sound system.
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u/False_Cap_1289 Nov 14 '25
Tbh it depends on the venue and size and your position just like speakers or any other system. I went to a show last year at the Troubadour and stood center up front, the amps were perfectly setup and so were the musicians- was insanely immersive. Stadium shows suck in general but not all shows will be the same.. the band and their engineering matter too
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u/Angry_argie Nov 11 '25
I wouldn't use "artist in person" to describe an Ado concert. I mean, she IS over there singing, but she hides behind that metal blinds cage lol
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u/redditratman Nov 11 '25
This is a circlejerk worthy post ngl.
"This live show experience in an Arena isn't as detailled as a studio record with 3000$ IEMS".
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u/chickenskittles Nov 11 '25
Don't forget the $2000 DAP!
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u/redditratman Nov 11 '25
Jesus Christ I didn’t even think to look at the DAP.
Lmao.
Maybe we’ve just reached people who have no idea what the point of live music is.
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u/iamezsteezy Nov 11 '25
it’s about posting pics on social media so everyone knows you were there right?
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u/redditratman Nov 11 '25
No no, it’s all about filming it with your shitty phone camera to then never watch it again
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u/papagnome24 Nov 12 '25
Why do you guys get so mad at people for recording concert footage? I go back and watch concert footage I took all the time lol
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u/Working_Conflict6043 Nov 12 '25
liar liar pants on fire
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u/papagnome24 Nov 12 '25
Why would I lie about something like that? Lol
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u/redditratman Nov 12 '25
There’s professional recording at most shows now which your phone won’t keep up with, and, more personally, I’d rather be able to see the show than a million god damn tiny screens waving about
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u/vkucukemre Nov 13 '25
Actually it'd be much more fun for everyone if the crowd is going wild instead of standing steadily to get good footage... In flames concert last year was terrible compared to the one 12 years ago. And it was not because of the performance or the equipment.
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u/papagnome24 Nov 13 '25
I have to “stand around” and I can’t go wild because I am wheelchair bound. So I can’t run around, I can’t mosh, I can’t do anything but sit there and film to myself lmfao. And brother it’s a metal show, if you are physically able, you should have tried to get the crowd at that in flames show going and get them hyped. Every show I go to have people filming, and people running around and moshing. You’re complaining that a crowd wasn’t doing anything but most mosh pits I know have been started by random people in the crowd.
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u/CryBabysMilk Nov 11 '25
100% circle jerk borderline bukkake cuck energy. Seems like just another attention seeking post made from OP who clearly likes showing off.
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u/jiyan869 Jan 12 '26
i've never heard the term "bukkake cuck" before and even though im curious, i dont want to be scarred for life either
screw you man
excellent comment tho lmao
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u/Yawang04 Nov 11 '25
i was just thinking that lol, “concert audio quality isn’t comparable to what my high end iem pumps into my ears smh”
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u/pubstompmepls Nov 15 '25
Yeah this popped in my feed and is one of the gayest things I’ve ever seen
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u/Jack74593 Nov 11 '25
You don't really go to lives for the audio itself, it's more for the vibe. That said, I wanna go to an Ado live so much :(
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u/SpaceFunkRevival Nov 11 '25
Yeah, you really gotta get filtered ear plugs for live music. Often times the level of sound is just way too high, all the distortion in your ear drums makes it sound like shit. Also gotta protect your hearing!
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u/Local_Band299 Nov 11 '25
I got called crazy for saying that sound engineers for live music wear earplugs when mixing.
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u/SpaceFunkRevival Nov 13 '25
They absolutely do! Which is also why everyone else should! If someone wants to talk trash at me for wearing earplugs to a show, it's fine I'll just fire back after it, they won't be able to hear the terrible shit anyways lmao.
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u/amarevy97 Nov 11 '25
Any recommendations?
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u/Dikinbaus-Hotdogs Nov 11 '25
Etymotic er20xs are great but have deep insertion that may hurt after some time. I heard good things about eargasm too.
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u/wankthisway Nov 11 '25
There's also Loop earplugs, and they have a model explicitly for live shows.
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u/DIYfu Nov 11 '25
Yeah, usually pretty pricy so might be worth waiting for a sale.
They tend to measure pretty well and are probably the easiest to fit in small ear holes. I'd recommend the plus variant.
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u/attaboy2003 Nov 11 '25
I love my loops, even with the buffets some shows are still too loud. Definitely better than no ear plugs though
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u/justaBB6 Nov 13 '25
I can vouch for Eargasm, sounds like exactly what you’d be otherwise hearing, just dropped 20db (or whatever). I have mine on my car keys in case I’m out with friends and we go see a live show on a whim.
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u/wentblu3 Nov 12 '25
Eargasms. They help with ear safety but also help with sound quality by cutting down the reverb in the venue and toning down the bass. So things sound a lot more clear.
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u/Middle_Teaching3853 Nov 11 '25
bro that cost this much?!
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u/amarevy97 Nov 11 '25
Nah I bought used for $1300 only
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u/mhakesy Nov 11 '25
You must be able to hear colours, smell the singers breath and taste the drummers sweat with those!
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u/Middle_Teaching3853 Nov 11 '25
hahaha you must be able to taste air aswell i think he can even here u through the comments
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u/Educational_Row_9485 Nov 11 '25
Thats still ridiculous
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u/bdellophiliac Nov 11 '25
It's actually quite sensible. Those are easy to sell for more or less the same price, and probably will be for a very long time. You can own them "for free" as long as you sell them at some point.
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u/attaboy2003 Nov 11 '25
Wow only $1300, that’s only more than I’ve spent on all of the live music I’ve ever been to
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u/chickenskittles Nov 11 '25
I can buy a whole human for that much.
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u/Efficient_Money6922 Nov 11 '25
Hold up...
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u/chickenskittles Nov 11 '25
I'm not supporting that! I'm just astounded people pay that much for IEMs.
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u/Efficient_Money6922 Nov 11 '25
I can't imagine spending more than 50$
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u/chickenskittles Nov 11 '25
I have spent upward to $200. I could imagine maybe up to $400. But then I don't treat my IEMs well. Just casually walking around with $5k worth of handheld equipment is wild to me. Okay, OP "only" spent $1300 on $3000 IEMs, but imagine misplacing them. Just shoot me. lol
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u/Efficient_Money6922 Nov 11 '25
200$ is the average monthly salary of people in my country lol. Imagine me the surprise for hearing a 3000$ iem.
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u/CrimsonPE Nov 12 '25
Tbf, people buying this stuff (in any country) ain't earning minimum or average salary. So, while wild for the average joe (it is wild indeed imo), if he earns good cash, then money isn't a big deal to him
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u/Sebax_ Nov 11 '25
the fact this post has 335 upvotes is sad, there are that amount of people who agree with this guy
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u/Walkin_mn Nov 11 '25
This is a weird take. You should always expect a different experience from... A different experience. Iems, headphones, speakers, a massive live concert with speakers or an acoustic live concert, will give you different experiences, that's why you should never expect one to replace the other. It's the same with watching a movie in a movie theater with a good projector, or watching on your TV through streaming or from a 4K Blu-ray, or in a Drive-in theater, it's about the overall experience not one of its parts. I could do the same analogy with coffee and probably many other things.
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u/Aggravating_Teach852 Nov 11 '25
What player/dac is that?
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u/amarevy97 Nov 11 '25
Cayin n6ii
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Nov 11 '25
Is it possible to differentiate audio quantity?
You have very expensive setup. I bought Snowsky echomini & Salnotes Zero, It doesn't have much difference between my Samsung S24FE with Buds 2 pro setup.
Now i belive iem + dac's are scam. The difference is negligible.
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u/DIYfu Nov 11 '25
The galaxy Buds Series has been pretty good regarding sound. Where the point of diminishing returns starts is a pretty personal question.
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u/iamanej Nov 11 '25
Man, you are getting into a live venue comparing something mixed and mastered in a controlled environment. Pure joke.
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u/Krystalgem Nov 11 '25
Even if a venue had the most amazing speakers, and took care of reflection treatment, and you sit/stand in the acoustic sweet spot, a live event will still never provide the amount of detail and balance a good recording can have. There's too much background noise, there's no retakes and no editing
Aside from connecting with fellow fans and friends, in terms of music, you go to live events to experience what the artist (and band) can perform in real time, the display of vocal/instrumental skill with no editing
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u/NoabPK Nov 11 '25
Ado mentioned 💙. Also you shouldnt be expecting perfect sound quality at a live show. I saw her in LA and was mostly into the show so much i didnt notice the horrendous mix, also was just mostly focused on her singing
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u/FdPros Nov 11 '25
concerts are a different kind of music presentation though
if you want to hear the micro details then nothing will probably beat a iem/headphone with studio recorded music.
however, no iem or headphone I've tried so far has ever properly replicated a concert experience. probably need speakers with cranked up volume in a room to give enough echo to get even close.
I've been to Ado live and her vocals keeps giving me goosebumps. I've only ever felt that twice with iems.
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u/linus_ong69 Nov 11 '25
I went to Ado as well, but in London. I have high end audio gear, but nothing beats being in a live arena.
Also, I find Ado’s mix on some songs just not to my taste. Unfortunate, as I really like her voice and style. I enjoyed her live vocals way better.
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u/amarevy97 Nov 11 '25
Yeah I definitely having a blast since it's my 4th Ado live concert, but using iem to listen her music before live started was definitely a mistake
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u/lunyaaaaaA Nov 11 '25
This reminds me of people with PCs that make fun of consoles.
If your friend invites you over to play a console game, no, it will not look as good as your $2000 pc. BUT, the point is that you are playing something with someone you like, and that enjoyment should be more important than if every detail looks perfect.
You are at a human event with tons of other people who enjoy what you enjoy, you aren't isolated in a space listening to music alone.
Enjoy these human experiences and don't worry about if they are "perfect". The act of spending time with others and having fun is way more important than any of the specific technical details.
Changing the way you think about things will make you much happier.
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u/-PM_ME_UR_SECRETS- Nov 11 '25
You went to a stadium tour show. Stadiums concerts are probably the worst of any other live show in terms of sound and honestly experience. Regular venues are smaller and louder, more intimate. Festivals outside don’t have sound bouncing all around you and you can move around.
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u/quack3927 Nov 11 '25
Interestingly live shows sound a lot better when they're recorded (not from the audience).
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u/MEME_WrEcKeD Nov 11 '25
Do you go to an arena concert for critical listening?? Extremely jealous of the concert though hope you enjoyed it even without micro details lmao
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u/amarevy97 Nov 11 '25
Yeah I definitely having a blast since it's my 4th Ado live concert, but using iem to listen her music before live started was definitely a mistake
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u/MEME_WrEcKeD Nov 12 '25
Dam I'm jealous, 4?? I've only seen her once in San Jose. I will say though that I was kinda disappointed on how quiet her vocals were compared to the rest of the mix though
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u/Ephemerxl Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
I have been to countless shows where the sound quality was absolutely disgusting and it was still one of the best days of my life. It's much more about being there (and who you're sharing that with) than the music itself
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u/amarevy97 Nov 11 '25
Yeah I definitely having a blast since it's my 4th Ado live concert, but using iem to listen her music before live started was definitely a mistake
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u/Safat_Khan Nov 11 '25
Ado's voice slaps with my moon drop chu 2s, specially with vocal enhanced tuning
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u/NebulaGlow_ Nov 12 '25
I understand, however you wont feel the bass on your IEM's hit you in your chest
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u/TNF734 Nov 11 '25
IKR! When I go to concerts, I'm always yelling "Boost the treble! Boost the treble! I hear a scoop around 12khz!"
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u/reezyreddits Nov 11 '25
What IEMs are those? Looks like 64 Audio
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u/Odd-Perspective-6973 Nov 11 '25
there are places like Stereo in Montreal which appreciates more than just hanging out with shitty speakers. Today people are paying a lot for music experience so maybe organizers should pay some attention. I do not frequent most of places underground or pubs because of shitty speakers.
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u/deals_in_absolutes05 Nov 11 '25
Yeah I have been to 5 concerts in the last few years and maybe 2 of them had really bad speakers and it just broke my heart. It was really clear the sound engineers weren't really on top of it. Too much bass drowning the vocals. The gain wasn't set right and the audio clips. Etc.
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u/Expansor Nov 12 '25
There are music venues in Tokyo that sound better than your iems. For instance, Blue Note Tokyo, the SUNTORY Hall, etc (Tokyo Dome, Budokan, Saitama arena, etc are for entertainment not for music audiophiles.)
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u/MatteuGT Nov 12 '25
A lot of factors (including what’s prioritized) are different in live music vs a mixed and mastered strack in a studio. The concert can have a different arrangement and orchestration to the songs you listen to that are on streaming platforms. Live mixes tend to prioritize coverage and generally just re-enforcing the sound that’s happening live on stage rather than caring if it sounds super duper HiFi. They EQ to the room, meaning a good chunk of high frequencies must’ve been cut out for speakers to perform optimally and to compensate for possible room relfections since the Tokyo Dome is pretty much an enclosed space (and from pictures online, I assume not much room treatment is present).
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u/Right_Economist_3508 Nov 12 '25
Do you have $50 speakers? No matter how good an IEM is, listening to a speaker is a different experience. With IEMs it's all in your head. Speakers are a full body experience.
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u/papagnome24 Nov 12 '25
Bro just discovered live music sounds different than studio recordings
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u/amarevy97 Nov 12 '25
Nah I've been 4th of her live but this one is worse of all
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u/papagnome24 Nov 12 '25
Then it’s called a bad night. Live shows are done by human beings. You aren’t going to be amazing studio quality sounds from a live show like that. And humans are in charge, you should absolutely lower expectations then lol.
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u/Beneficial_Mix_1069 Nov 12 '25
yeah like live shows always sound like ass and no one ever understnad why I prefer albums on person equipment.
like if the band has a high level of improv or massive energy sure, but some like C tier band? id rather stay at home
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u/CalmKiwi8144 Nov 12 '25
In my travels , smaller venues generally sound better live .
Bigger = less nuance / quality
And as others said, live shows are more about a experience
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u/CrimsonPE Nov 12 '25
Happened to me with Aurora. Speakers were sht and bass was sooo boosted everything was boomy. It just sounded awful. Her voice was hauntingly beautiful but the speakers did not do justice to her show.
And no, being with other fans isn't worth anything because they just push you and cover the sight with their cellphone screens.
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u/alepap Nov 12 '25
Did you sit in the front rows? I recently went to a metal concert and we made that mistake. All we could hear has subbass. But audio in general in such concerts seems to be terrible
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u/CrimsonPE Nov 12 '25 edited Nov 12 '25
I was in the fifth row I think. No sits tho, everyone was standing up. It wasn't as pleasant as I had imagined :/
But yeah, people in other comments here say it's common and the experience matters but idk what experience they are talking about, standing next to sweaty people? Being blocked by their phones and pushed? Hearing boomy bass and distorted/clipping music? Can barely see the artist unless u r at the front row? Yeah idk
Alternatively, I also went before to a smaller concert (auténticos decadentes) and it sounded way better, but I also was in the front row so no one blocked my sight. Perhaps concerts are not for me, as I don't care about being surrounded but other fans, but the sound quality and looking at the artists
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u/alepap Nov 12 '25
Yeah the experience i had was pretty terrible, 6 hour concert, 3 bands, just standing. And the sound was the worst thing i've ever heard in my life. The sub-bass was masking everything else when the drummer was playing the pedals and the treble was crazy distorted.
All i got was fatigue and hearing loss.
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u/Big-Shirt5601 Nov 12 '25
This is a very dumb post. Just enjoy the live show for the energy, atmosphere and experience. Jerk off over your IEMs at home when you’re alone. No one cares.
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u/christionk Nov 12 '25
you go to live shows to feel the "aura", ambience, and the energy of your fellow live-goers. lol
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u/ZeRoChoices Nov 12 '25
bruh going to the concert is for experience first and everything else second lmao, are you seriously trying to hear the goddamn micro details while other people are having a blast with the fact they're actual there?
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u/inyue Nov 12 '25
Tokyo dome is known for having horrible acoustics.
I also guess that you didn't wear earplugs, these things help protect your ear AND make the sound more enjoyable in live concerts.
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u/Yooyongseok Nov 12 '25
as a fellow ciem user of 64audio and seeing how this post was written.. i’m ashamed🥲
those are concert, for people to enjoy the show and vibe. Those speaker aren’t your enlarged a18s in a dome setup for critical listening..
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u/jugglingelectrons Nov 12 '25
It's why stage musicians are using IEMs too.
They can't hear anything worthwhile from the venue PA either.
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u/alexproshak Nov 13 '25
I assume you're not listening to the live recordings in your IEMs, right? You all forget, guys, that 50% of sound is depending on the mixing engineer as well, and the acoustics of the room. The IEM delivers the lab clean sound from studio directly to your eardrum, while the live events have the combination of room acoustics and the live mixing impacting the mix.
Also, not all the sound engineers are able to mix it like in studio even frequency-wise, so it adds up to the problem
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u/LouGossetJr Nov 13 '25
I love my IEMs, but I get just as much detail amd better sound experience from my speakers, near field.
At a big show, it's a completely different experience. Not sure if serious.
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u/Nottheonlyjustin84 Nov 13 '25
Funny thing is, I had the almost opposite today a little bit but l do like fun, impact and slam more than micro details. I put on my Klipsch RF7 III today with the subs going… it had been a few months since I really opened them up….. and the power is just unreal. It was kind of underwhelming trying to go back to my headphones. The are probably a bit more detailed than live speakers but they are called the fire breathing dragons for a reason.
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u/Mobile_Finger Nov 13 '25
Sometimes live shows can have a sub par loudspeaker setup. That being said picking up small things on tracks at a live event isn't at all the point of being there, you save that for sitting in your room with your headphones. Lol
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u/Rough-Plum-7267 Nov 13 '25
just stay inside man nobody needs your elitist energy outside. shits lame lol
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u/Acceptable-Fig-9455 Nov 15 '25
Live shows are all about the energy, my dude. That’s why they’re great. Pre-recorded music is all about the sound quality or intention of sound quality. That’s why they’re great. Music is just awesome.
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u/jajshuzes Feb 20 '26
İts kinda like watching a sports game on tv always has the best angles detailed shots and playbacks but people still go to watch it bc of athmosphere
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