Wireless In-Ear Monitor Set for Bassists (and Other Musicians)

For years, customers have asked for a wireless (or wired) in-ear solution for monitoring themselves onstage. I've long resisted the idea of offering a high-dollar option, as that's something that most bands will "go in together on" - it's a band purchase, not something each member would get for him or herself. And most of the lower dollar options have been either too cheesy, or have earbuds that are totally insufficient for use with bass instruments.

We've carried the NU-X wireless instrument systems for several years now, and they work really well. I recently got in their wireless headphone monitoring package to test; however, it does not include headphones/earbuds. But I also recently came across a nice set of professional in-ear monitors (see bundle option!) from another one of my suppliers, and they have excellent bass response. So now having tested both together, I can confirm that they are a very good option for small to mid-size venues and stages, to help either self-monitor (when plugged directly into your amp) or monitor the whole band (when plugged into the mixing board.) It's a great, low cost, very portable solution for road warriors like you and me.

The Wireless Setup

The NU-X B-7PSM is a wireless in-ear monitoring system that comes in its own charging hard case. A mini receiver and transmitter are included, and the case has a built-in battery, which you can charge up so that it, in turn, charges the RX and TX units inside the case. (They can also be charged independently with the included dual charge cable, which plugs into a standard USB power brick or jack).

The RX and TX are paired from the factory, and yes - you can get multiple units and pair each receiver to the same transmitter, so the whole band can be on the same setup. The transmitter has a built-in mini stereo plug and it comes with a 1/4" adapter that screws on.

Using the System

There are definitely several different ways you could use this system, depending on your needs.

• Self-monitoring - you can connect to your amplifier or preamp output to hear just your own signal, so that you can better hear yourself on a loud stage, and monitor your timing, pitch, and sound. Simply plug the transmitter into a "line out," a "headphone out" or a parallel effects send. Now you can year yourself better!
  • Note: Most of these amp and preamp outputs will be mono - the B-7PSM is a STEREO IEM solution, so you might only get output in one ear if you use the included stereo adapter. You can use it in a mono environment as well if needed. Simply use a 1/4" MONO to 1/8" STEREO adapter (to split the mono signal from a 1/4" Output into both channels of B-7PSM's 1/8" Stereo Input), then you can get a mono signal that can be heard in both the left and right channels.
• Band monitoring - you can have your sound engineer plug the transmitter into an output on the board (options vary depending on the equipment) so you can get a monitor feed in your earbuds. You can also invest in several more kits and link them all to the same transmitter, so your whole band can use these!
• Click track/other use - if your band plays to a click, or your drummer plays an electronic kit, you can connect to the output of that device to hear that in your ears without having to have it be heard onstage.

Basic usage:

Plug in the TX (Transmitter) to a live or personal mixer and turn on the TX (LED indicator will show GREEN.) Then connect your in-ear buds into the RX (Receiver), turn on the RX to pair with the TX. The LED indicator will be solid GREEN. Now it’s ready to go. Caution: Do not put the in-ear buds in your ears before you start to adjust the volume, it may hurt your ears if the volume is too loud.

You can adjust the RX volume in 0.5db increments with the + and – buttons. The maximum volume is 0dB, and the minimum is -64dB. Holding down the + or – button can increase or decrease the volume quickly.

The B-7PSM offers STEREO audio transmission, so it’s perfect to work with professional personal mixers to pan the tracks as you want on stage during rehearsals and live performances. The B-7PSM features premium sound quality with a 92dBA dynamic range and 20~19K Hz frequency response.

Note: Short press the power button of the RX to return to the default volume setting. It may be too loud if the in-ear buds are very sensitive. Please turn down the mixer’s volume and increase it carefully.

Specifications (Wireless Unit):

• Output Volume Adjustment   -64dB~0dB (0.5dB step)
• Operating Frequency Band    5.8 GHz
• Operation Length    < 100 feet (30m) outdoor unobstructed, < 33 feet (10m) outdoor with obstructions
• Sampling Rate    24bit / 40 kHz
• Frequency Response     20~19kHz
• Latency    < 5.5ms
• Dynamic Range    92 dB
• THD+ Noise    <0.6%@1kHz
• Built-in Battery Capacity (TX & RX)    450mAh / 3.7V
• Battery Running Time    > 4 hours
• Battery Charging Time    around 1.5 hours
• Power Consumption    TX <90mA，RX < 45mA
• TX Impedance    3.5kΩ
• Maximum Input Level    7.6Vpp (8.6dBV or 2.7Vrms)
• RX Suggestion Phone Impedance    16~32Ω
• Maximum Output Power    57mWrms (RLOAD =16Ω, 1 kHz).