Why IEMs?

[ZiggyManSaad]

Simple question. Why do people keep calling them IEMs? It stands for In Ear Microphone. Shouldn't it be IEH (Headphone) or IES (Speaker)? A microphone records sound. It just doesn't make sense.

 

[MrYuriy]

No, sir, it does not stand for Microphone. IEM stands for In Ear Monitor.

 

 

To be honest, I'm not sure why that term ever even went mainstream. It was really a term used by musicians, particularly on stage. IEMs were used on stage to monitor different mixes of audio sources. They also helped cancel out their own voice.

 

However, it is what it is; but there's your answer.

[Langdon]

In Ear Monitors.

I just had a vision of someone trying to put microphones in his ears.

[ZiggyManSaad]

Huh. Didn't know that. Thank you!

[ZiggyManSaad]

In Ear Monitors.

I just had a vision of someone trying to put microphones in his ears.

They have Bin-aural Microphones you put in your ears. They're pretty cool.

[CoolBeans]

In ear monitors, they are closed, ear buds are open

[creatip123]

No, sir, it does not stand for Microphone. IEM stands for In Ear Monitor.

 

 

To be honest, I'm not sure why that term ever even went mainstream. It was really a term used by musicians, particularly on stage. IEMs were used on stage to monitor different mixes of audio sources. They also helped cancel out their own voice.

 

However, it is what it is; but there's your answer.

 

Maybe because the musicians used it widely first. I'd imagine some guy asked a musician, 'what's that thing you stick in your ears called?', he answered 'IEM', and so it's known by that name among common consumers, and became mainstream. Also helps in differentiating from regular earphone, which doesn't stick into the ear holes.