Can I send my custom in-ear monitors back for a refund if I don’t like them?

Sorry, since in-ear monitors are made custom just for you, we can’t do refunds. We will, however, work with you to make sure everything fits right and sounds like it should. We can help you get the perfect fit with our Sure-Fit Guarantee.

How long will it take to make my custom in-ears?

Your Alclair custom in-ears are made by hand from start to finish. We do our best to get your custom monitors to you within about 3-4 weeks but production time fluctuates. They won’t leave our shop until they look and sound perfect.

How do I know what model of in-ear I should get?

Check out our “Best For…” pages on the main menu above. Or read on to get some ideas…

It can be difficult to select a monitor without hearing them. Try not to look at the number of drivers, but rather ask “Which monitor fits my needs and budget?” If you are using your monitors for everyday or critical music listening, the ST3, RSM, Studio4, and Electro electrostatic hybrid are your monitors. The ST3 will give you balance with a slight bass and upper-mid boost for a fun and exciting listening experience without too much “color”. The RSM is similarly uncolored but has more headroom and lower distortion specs. The Studio4 is the pinnacle of balance with smooth lows and mids and an articulate upper end. While all three monitors are accurate, the Studio4 brings out more of the subtleties and nuances of recordings. For the ultimate in depth, clarity, and wow, the Electro cannot be beaten. If you rely on your ears to make mix decisions, the Electro is the finest available on the market today. If you are using your monitors for front of house or monitor or studio mixing, the ST3, RSM, Studio4 and Electro monitors are for you. The ST3 is a fantastic monitor for churches and small clubs. It has a very even balance that gives you an accurate reproduction of your mix. The RSM model gives you the same accuracy with more power and less distortion, great for louder venues and hearing the subtleties of a studio mix. The Studio4 offers a bit more available low-end with incredible detail and depth. The Electro electrostatic hybrid is perfection in a monitor. With clarity, depth, and a wide soundstage, there is no more accurate monitor available today. If you are a musician who plays large venues, look towards the Tour, RSM, Spire, or RevX. The Tours emphasize the low end with another boost in the mid-high end to bring out vocal and instrument articulation and clarity.  The RSMs are incredibly balanced and have more headroom and lower distortion. The Spire is dynamic and energetic, with incredible headroom that handles all your lows, with an upper mid boost for instruments that need to cut through a mix. The RevX is the ultimate stage monitor with massive amounts of low-end and hyper upper-end detail. If you are a vocalist the Dual XB is a great monitor. It accentuates the vocal range and has plenty of power for church and small-medium venue stages. If you are looking for a bit more overall balance, the RSM and Spire are also great options. If you are a guitar player, the Dual XBs bring out some of the low end of the instrument without sacrificing mids and highs. The Tours are rugged and emphasize the low-end and mid-highs, great for cutting through on loud stages or in front of amplifiers. The Spire gives you massive amounts of headroom and exceptional clarity. For players who want the absolute best, the RevX is your monitor. If you are a keyboard player check out the ST3 and RSMs. ST3 for the smaller stage and RSMs for the larger/louder stage. Both monitors will give you a balanced tone across the whole keyboard and allow you to hear the band evenly as well. If you like a bit of low-end in your mix, go for the Spire. If you are a bass player or a drummer there are five monitors that are particularly well-suited for you. The Dual XBs are a great all-purpose monitor with a bit of lift in the low end. Stepping up to the Tours will give you a solid low and articulate high end, with durability and good headroom. The CMVKs are an exceptional tool with a pronounced low end and plenty of power for those who like to “feel” their music. The Spire has a similar low end to the CMVK with more upper-end clarity and articulation and the RevX is the ultimate stage monitor.

What are the steps to getting custom in-ears? How do I buy my Alclairs?

Ordering your new in-ear monitors is pretty easy.

• Go to our designer to pick the model and colors you would like.
• Order online by placing your design into the CART (top of the designer on mobile or bottom on desktop) or by calling our Minneapolis or Nashville retail shops!
• Get your impressions made by Alclair or an audiologist. When you order you will get instructions on what they need to do and how to send them to us. We can take physical or digital impressions

Our How to Buy page is a great resource to get started! In a few weeks, you will be the envy of your friends with your new Alclair custom in-ear monitors!

Can I use my custom monitors as earbuds for everyday music and podcast listening and stuff?

Absolutely! Alclair Custom and Universal in-ear monitors sound FANTASTIC for everyday listening.

In particular, our ST3, Electro, and ESM are favorites for listening but whatever model you choose, the sound isolation and high-quality components will bring out aspects of your music that you have never heard before.

What is a driver? How many drivers do I need?

Alclair in-ear monitors use a technology called a balanced armature driver instead of a traditional moving coil speaker. A balanced armature driver is harder to “blow” in the same way a speaker would blow and has some slightly different sound characteristics. One of the ways they are similar is that there are many “flavors” and sizes of balanced armature drivers. Because of this, its not always appropriate to compare models just by the number of drivers. It would be like comparing guitar amp speakers, or toms in a drum kit. Saying “I have 2 speakers in my guitar amp,” or “I play with three toms,” is not very descriptive. What kind of speaker, what size is it? Or how deep are your toms, how wide, what kind of wood, etc.

This makes for many possible variations in monitor design. One triple driver might be the sonic equivalent of three 8″ speakers, while one might be the equivalent of a 12″ and 10″ and an 8″. Also, it’s tempting to think that more drivers = better. This is not always the case. What’s most important is to get a monitor that fits your budget and your musical needs. We’ve got loads of information on this over on our Resources page.

What is the turn around time?

Your Alclair custom in ear monitors are handcrafted from start to finish. We are currently at about a 3-4 week turnaround time. We do our best to get your custom monitors to you in the time estimated but production time does fluctuate, especially during holidays.

Do you have a RUSH option?

The rush option is for those who need their in-ear monitors faster than our typical turnaround time. Rush service guarantees shipment in 7-10 business days from when we receive your impressions. If you want to rush your order, please call or email the shop to determine the cost and RUSH availability. Rush service may not be available during peak build times.

RUSH STATUS: RUSH orders are currently AVAILABLE.

Do you have a pay monthly or payment plan?

We do! We offer financing through Affirm. At checkout, select Affirm and you can apply for a low monthly payment on your custom in-ear monitors! Affirm is available to US customers only at this time.

Can you send pictures of my monitors throughout the process?

Due to the volume of monitors in the shop, we can’t send you pictures of your custom ears in various stages. Make sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages though as we plan to show the whole process!

Do I need an appointment to come in to get free impressions?

You do not need an appointment to come into the Minneapolis or Nashville shop to get impressions made. If you are in the Nashville area calling for an appointment is helpful to manage traffic. Visit our Contact page for information on retail shop hours.

What connector/cable type do you use?

Alclair in-ear monitors come standard with recessed jacks. This protects the pins of the cable as the termination point is supported by the monitor shell. We do offer flush jacks on request. The flush jack offers less pin protection but can be used with a wider variety of aftermarket cables.

Will you let me know when you get my impressions?

Absolutely. We will send you an email to let you know that we have received your impressions.

Where do I get my impression made?

You’ll need to visit a hearing professional in your area to take impressions of your ears. If you are in the Minneapolis or Nashville area, you’re in luck!

If you are in Minneapolis or Nashville, stop by during our office hours for free impressions (no appointment needed). Refer to our Contact page for contact information. If you’re outside those areas, most hearing professionals can take your impressions for a minimal fee. Do a web search for Hearing Aid Center or Audiologist and make a couple of calls to get the best pricing. They are typically in the range of $75-100 per set. Please let us know if you need help finding someone and we may be able to assist you. Download the instructions for the audiologist here.

Can you send out an impression kit so I can do my own?

We do not offer impression kits. It is very difficult to get a deep enough impression with no voids safely without the help of a trained professional. Audiologists and our own staff are trained on how to safely take ear-impressions. We are happy to help you find an audiologist or take your impressions for free if you live in the Nashville or Minneapolis areas.

Will you keep my impressions or return them?

Once we get your impressions we will scan them and keep the scans on file. Once they are checked in, they will not be returned.

Do I need a Headphone Vacuum? What model should I get?

If you are maintaining more than 5 in-ear monitors (especially when used every day), the Pro will be the better option. The rugged case, replaceable hose, and increased suction rate on the Pro model are designed for heavy use.

The Jr. model is perfect for personal use or for those who are cleaning a handful of monitors a week.

Can I use the premium copper and silver cables on stage?

Absolutely! Our premium cables are robust and can be used in nearly any application. All cables wear over time and stage use can increase that wear. When on stage, we tend to move more putting stress on the cable joints. We don’t recommend using our premium cables on stage simply because they are more expensive to replace. Some musicians tend to wear out cables faster and replacing our standard cable is much cheaper.

How do I clean my custom in-ear monitors and hearing protection?

Dirt or wax in the ports of your in-ear monitors can cause loss of sound, distortion, or other artifacts in your audio. Each custom in-ear set comes with a cleaning tool. We recommend using only the cleaning tool to clean your monitors. Using non-recommend instruments or liquids may void the warranty or cause further damage to your monitors.

Replacement tools can be ordered online.

My monitors keep getting wax in them. What can I do?

You can purchase various ear-cleaning kits from most drugstores. Q-tips may push wax further back into your ear and is not recommended. We recommend letting warm water flush your ear canals a few times a week while showering.

How long is Alclair’s warranty?

Alclair’s 2-year warranty covers the custom monitors and hearing protection against manufacturer’s defects. Standard cables have a 30-day warranty that covers defects in manufacturing. Premium and Pro cables have a six-month warranty that covers defects in manufacturing.

We also offer a 30-day fit guarantee to make sure your custom monitors fit well.

If you DO need to get them fixed, we offer a $99 flat repair fee. No matter what and no questions asked (unless they are just begging for a story). As long as you have parts left, we can fix them for $99. Of course, if you drop them into a lake or they get stolen, we can’t cover that but any breakage, we’ve got you covered.

Can you reshell my universal or non-Alclair in-ears?

Sorry, we don’t offer a recasing service at this time. There is always a risk that the internal components might break in the process and we won’t be able to restore them. We’d be happy to make you a custom set of Alclair in-ears with Alclair components though!

Can my IEMS be repaired? How much does it cost to repair my Alclair In Ears?

Absolutely! We have a flat repair fee of $99 that covers everything from wax buildup to the infamous in-ears vs. washing machine match-up.

Do you do endorsements or sponsorships? How do I get endorsed by Alclair?

In ear monitors are tools for live musicians and studio artists. Because of this, most of our customers play on live stages and are in bands. Instead of offering discounts to most of our customers, we have built artist pricing into our basic pricing. That is why our pricing is much more reasonable than the competitors.

We do have an artist program for very influential artists who qualify. A typical artist in the program has around 250K social media followers on the low end and over 1M on the upper end. They are signed to a major label,  have at least one record released, and tour to support it. Since they are endorsing us to their fans and supporters, they usually already have a set of Alclair in-ears so they know what they are endorsing. We do have an Indie Alley program where we help promote high-quality bands who are just getting started. Through Indie Alley, artists and bands can get some extra exposure. There is no discount with the Indie Alley program, but it is a great opportunity to get some promotion through our social media channels. Indie Alley bands are reviewed with a different set of criteria. To inquire about an application for the program,  please contact Artist Relations at artistrelations@alclair.com

Do you do group discounts?

We do have some options for groups. If you have 3 or more folks ready to buy, email us at sales@alclair.com and we can set you up.

Do the EXP Active Hearing Protection models have Bluetooth?

The Alclair EXP PRO and EXP CURVE active hearing protection models do not currently have Bluetooth functionality.

Are the EXP hearing protection models rechargeable?

The Alclair EXP PRO and EXP CURVE active hearing protection models use A13 batteries and come with multiple replacement batteries. You should get about 150 hours of use from a set of batteries. This will result in the longest life for your Alclair EXPs and insure that they are always ready to go when you need them.

Are the EXP hearing protection models tuned for different pursuits like waterfowl, upland, deer, or turkey?

Each Alclair EXP active hearing protection model offers 3 separate programs so that you can select the program that works best for you. The reality is, when you are out hunting, you need to hear naturally. The Alclair EXP programs are designed to help you hear more naturally, working WITH your existing hearing to give you an awesome experience.

Do I need active earplugs or passive earplugs? Which is better?

Both active and passive earplugs will protect your hearing. With our Impact Defense™ filter system, our passive earplugs let you hear the world around you while blocking harmful loud sounds.

Active hearing protection will amplify the world around you while protecting your ears with Impact Defense. Both provide different experiences so you can get the one that best matches what you need. If you need ALWAYS ON hearing protection, our passive acrylic or silicone earplugs are perfect for you. If you will be spending time in a blind or in fields, you might want our passive protection with Impact Defense filters. Trap and range shooters might want active earplugs so that they can hear conversations while blocking loud sounds. It all comes down to your needs and budget.

What is the difference between the silicone and acrylic hearing protection earplugs?

Silicone hearing protection can be fitted with our Impact Defense™ filters and Impact Defense Switch. For people with hard cartilage in their ears, the silicone earplugs might be a more comfortable, more forgiving fit.

Acrylic earplugs can be made in a variety of color combinations and can also be printed with custom logos and artwork. They are filled with our proprietary sound dampening material so offer incredible noise reduction. Both acrylic and silicone earplugs offer all-day comfort and at least 26dB of noise reduction.

How long will the batteries last on the EXP hearing protection?

A set of new A13 batteries will last around 150 hours. Open the battery door during storage for the best battery life.

What kind of batteries do the EXP models use?

The Alclair EXP PRO and EXP CURVE active hearing protection models use an A13 battery. These are readily available and very inexpensive.

I’m getting feedback on my EXP active hearing protection, what do I do?

Feedback can happen if there is not a great seal or sound leakage from the active hearing protection. We may need to do a fit adjustment for you.

Contact our team at support@alclair.com and we can work with you to make sure they are not feeding back.

Do any of the EXP models block the wind?

Our Alclair EXP PRO active hearing protection offers automatic wind noise reduction.

How long should my hearing protection last?

Your acrylic hearing protection or earplugs should last over 10 years. Silicone earplugs might experience some degradation over time, but generally last over 5 years.