Ashton IEM200 inEAR Monitoring System

PRODUCT: ASHTON IEM-200 IN EAR MONITORING SYSTEM
REVIEWER: CRAIG MCDONALD

This edition I was more than pleased to test the Ashton
IEM-200 In-Ear-Monitor Wireless System. In-ear monitoring systems have now become an integral part of being a modern musician. Wherever you see a professional musician performing, be that a singer, guitarist or any other musician, no doubt you will see some wires coming from their ears resembling some type of hearing-aids. For any musician, whether you are performing live or rehearsing, you need to be able to hear yourself and the rest of the band to be at your best. That�s what monitoring is all about. Some performers still struggle with booming floor wedge monitors and loud stage volumes. But now there�s a more comfortable and accurate way to monitor what you are producing; in-ear-monitors. Ashton�s in-ear-monitors offer each performer freedom of movement and an ease of portability far greater than the old fashioned bulky floor wedge monitors as well as protecting your hearing from extremely loud stage volumes.
The Ashton �IEM-200�system is totally wireless and comes with the three major components: transmitter, receiver, in-ear monitors, as well as the power-adaptor, batteries and manual all safely packaged in a padded and very professional looking aluminum briefcase. This is a great way to present and look after your investment. It is very strong and durable and will give your equipment long-term usability.
The system is Australian designed and when setting it up I was pleased by the excellent quality of the unit. The front panel of the transmitter has an LCD screen that indicates the frequency/channel used with the minimum amount of controls. On the rear panel you have a single antenna input, stereo XLR inputs with corresponding audio-level adjustments, a mono/stereo switch and the adaptor input jack. The body-pack-receiver has another audio-level adjustment, an LED to indicate signal being received, a single stereo earphone jack and an LCD screen indicating battery level and frequency/channel selected. Both screen displays are straight forward and easy to read.
Setting up is as easy as attaching the antenna, connecting the output of your mixer (stereo or mono) to the transmitter using the XLR stereo inputs, switch on the body-pack-receiver, dialling in a corresponding frequency/channel between the body-pack and transmitter, adjust both audio-levels to a safe volume and you are ready to go. Obviously you would make further adjustments when the full band mix was going, but really there is no need for concern if you are reluctant about setting up a wireless system, or have no experience in audio.
The transmitter and receiver transfer audio wirelessly via UHF radio-frequency; UHF systems being far superior to the older VHF systems. You get exceptional sound quality, quiet and crystal clear with no signal dropout and interference. The unit has a distance of 50 metres from the transmitter and a battery life of 5 hours, which would easily cover most gigs, just remember to switch the body pack receiver off during your breaks.
The actual in-ear monitor part of this system is supplied with two different sized rubber attachments to plug onto the earphones for maximum comfort. They are marked left and right, and when fitted correctly are very comfortable, easy to wear for long periods and also provide a higher level of noise reduction (usually between 25 - 40db).
It is recommended that the wire from the monitors runs directly down your back and plugs into the body pack receiver that is clipped onto your belt.
As mentioned above, one of the key benefits of the IEM-200 is the fact that the performer's ears can be protected from high sound pressure levels that exist on stage. The other benefit offered by these monitors is that the performers only hear what is added to their mix, providing a higher level of clarity. When a stereo-mix is done correctly, each individual instrument and voice can be heard more clearly since they are panned out to their own individual space in the stereo image. When a musician, is hearing themselves clearly and with an artistic amount of effects, they are inspired and encouraged to perform at their best, resulting in a much more enjoyable performance for the audience.
So, if you desire a reliable wireless system for clear, consistent monitor mixes every day and night in a variety of situations, you couldn�t do much better than the IEM-200. Designed for performers who are tired of the limits of floor wedges, the IEM-200 offers control and freedom to musicians who have a limited budget for gear but still want a quality unit. It features solid construction with well thought out and simple set-up operation, front panel layouts, easy to access and use frequency/channel mode and most importantly a good professional sound. Even more attractive is the price tag of merely $499. An expansion pack is available too, so that the whole band can be monitored-up for just . This is truly a great package.

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Ashton IEM200 inEAR Monitoring System

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