In-ear headphones

Leo

Well-known member
Anyone have recommendations about good in-ear headphones for an iPod? I can't seem to get the standard iPod phones to fit correctly, keep slipping loose. Had an old pair of Sony in-ears that fit really well but they aren't very hi-fi (cost only about $35). Tried the $95 Bose in-ears, which sound OK but don't block hardly any ambient outside noise, making it nearly impossible to hear music on the subway or a busy city street, etc.

The Apple store has JBL Reference 220s for $75 but I haven't been able to find any reviews of them on the web.

Any suggestions appreciated.
 

Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
I've got the Etymotic 6i and I have nothing but praise for them after having had them for a year (and they now come in black). Cable looks a bit weak and cheap compared to the Shures though, so you might want to have a look at those as well.

With the foam eartips you block out pretty much everything, although you end
up with something resembling part of a toy first-aid kit.
er6i-13e.jpg
 
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D

droid

Guest
Id recommend these:

http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cach...MDR-W08+sony+mdr-wo8&hl=en&gl=ie&ct=clnk&cd=9

Sony MDR-WO8. Theyre cheap and cheerful, remarkably resilient and reasonable sound quality (except for bass). Definitely the best budget headphones ever made, Ive been using variations on them for walkmans/minidiscs/discmans/mp3 players for about 8 years.

Make sure you avoid the model with the volume control, as they break a lot quicker, though if you take care of them, a pair can last over 12 months - or if you squash them into your pocket every day youll get about 6-8 months out of them before the lead starts to go.

8-16 euro in most Sony shops.
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Shure E2s, fucking amazing. Once you work out how to put them in your ear!

The best thing, total insulation without being completely sealed off from external noise, clarity and bass excellent, no need to ever have headphones on loud again, I wish i'd got them 5 years ago.
 

soundslike1981

Well-known member
I have Etymotic ER-4p's and Shure E2-C's. The Etys are the most amazing sounding headphones I've ever heard, simply astonishing with some sources--but they're also pretty pricey and not at all portable, so I use them fairly infrequently (long flights, in-house listening). The Shure's sound really great for their cost, and I use them with an ear-piece that is one size small so that they don't block as much sound, hence safer to use around town, on buses, etc. I've had each for about two years now and they've served me quite well.
 

Canada J Soup

Monkey Man
Co-sign on the Sure E2s. They sound great, provide an amazing level of external noise attenuation (which, as pointed out above by mistersloane, allows you to listen to music clearly at non-tinnitus generating volumes) yet don't cost so much that you're reluctant to leave the house with them. They're durable too, I've had mine for well over two years and they're still going strong. Just be sure to get plenty of extra foam sleeves once you've found the size that fits you best. They could get pretty nasty if you used the same ones for too long.
 
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soundslike1981

Well-known member
I seem to be in the minority in my preference for the rubber/plastic flanges over the foam inserts (both the Etys triple-flange design and the Shure's singles). I've wished there were foam inserts that were more like earplugs rather than the rawer feel of those shipped with the 'phones.
 

Leo

Well-known member
thanks for all your help here. maybe i'll look into the shures, although the reviews on amazon often mention a lack of bass. no one here has mentioned that as a problem, and to be honest i trust you lot more than a bunch of amazon folks :)

any other thoughts are still appreciated.
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Lack of bass for me on the Shure's isn't a problem, if I wanna hear more bass ( and as it is because the sound is so in your head, I find I don't require as much bass as I do when it's 'external' ) is simply shove the earphones further into my ear and you get more resonance that way. Sounds gross eh? Probably is. And picking out all the wax bits out of the phones is really gross as well.

BUT they hold your ears back really well if you've got pointy out ears, which I personally think is a good thing, and cheaper than surgery.
 

soundslike1981

Well-known member
I think complaints of "lack of bass" reflect ears accustomed to bass-boosted eq'ed subwoofer thumping, which in my book isn't really bass in a musical sense, more of a cinema special effect. In fact, compared to that sort of bass, you'll actually hear more bass with quality canal-phones--you'll actually hear it defined musically, rather than simply felt.
 

Leo

Well-known member
ok, well, i picked up a pair of shure e2s this afternoon. a few questions:

- do you really wear them with the cord flipped over your ear? seems weird and awkward. in general, these seem like they will take some practice to put in correctly, i get all confused on which goes in where, etc.

- do they "break in" over time? on first listen, they seem kind of one dimensional, not very rich, very little depth on acoustic guitars/piano.

- what EQ setting do you use? i've tried a few and they seem either flat or brash.

help!
 

Gido

night tripper
i have a pair of etymotics too, they sound nice 'n' clear. and i love the outside noise isolation!

but if you have got an ipod i've got to warn you, the ipod is not going to use the full potential of these headphones. the ipods sound is really shit i think, and apparently not only because the headphones suck.

what are the opinions on other mp3 players?
are there any really small players around that actually sound great?
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
ok, well, i picked up a pair of shure e2s this afternoon. a few questions:

- do you really wear them with the cord flipped over your ear? seems weird and awkward. in general, these seem like they will take some practice to put in correctly, i get all confused on which goes in where, etc.

- do they "break in" over time? on first listen, they seem kind of one dimensional, not very rich, very little depth on acoustic guitars/piano.

- what EQ setting do you use? i've tried a few and they seem either flat or brash.

help!

Oh dear, I hope having recommended them you like them....you kinda put them in backwards, over the back of your ear and then insert the stethyscope type thing. It takes a while, there is a 'correct' way to do it such that you get full benefit....
 

Leo

Well-known member
Oh dear, I hope having recommended them you like them....you kinda put them in backwards, over the back of your ear and then insert the stethyscope type thing. It takes a while, there is a 'correct' way to do it such that you get full benefit....

no worries, i actually quite like them now after a month or so of getting the hang of it. still keep switching EQ settings trying to find the best one, any thought sin that area?
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
no worries, i actually quite like them now after a month or so of getting the hang of it. still keep switching EQ settings trying to find the best one, any thought sin that area?

can't help much there, i'm afraid, i keep all of them off, i find all the i-pods settings really intrusive. Plus my ears ain't what they used to be...that high pitched sound? that's a frequency dying...
 

Canada J Soup

Monkey Man
ok, well, i picked up a pair of shure e2s this afternoon. a few questions:

- do you really wear them with the cord flipped over your ear? seems weird and awkward. in general, these seem like they will take some practice to put in correctly, i get all confused on which goes in where, etc.
It's a little awkward at first, but you do get used to wearing them this way. Make sure that - as well as being flipped over your ears - you have the cord going down the back of your neck. When you do this with the little plastic thing pulled all the way up to create tension on the cords going to each earphone it makes them much more comfortable and secure. Particularly good for use when running if you are so inclined. (Although obviously it's not a great idea to use earphones that block out external noise if you run where there might be traffic of any kind.)


- do they "break in" over time? on first listen, they seem kind of one dimensional, not very rich, very little depth on acoustic guitars/piano.
You probably just need to find the right sleeve for your ears. I remember that it took me a while to figure out which ones worked best for me. (I use the larger sized foam ones. While the silicone ones provided a better seal and better sound, they started to hurt after about 30 mins use) Once the earphones are properly sealed you'll notice a huge difference.
 
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withnail

Active member
Echoing what Soup said, you should have the cord running behind your neck. Try the foam inserts - I too find the rubber ones remarkably uncomfortable. Took me a month or so to get the hang of it. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. But be sure to watch when you cross roads etc!
 

leamas

Well-known member
Recently picked up a pair of Sennheiser C300s which can be found for less than 15 quid new on ebay (normally around 40). They're great, good noise cancellation, good bass response, not too expensive, cable's a bit flimsy but at that price you can't really complain.
 
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