I'm trying to get headphones that work for me... I have a pair of Sennheiser earbuds that don't totally suck in the comfort department... and sound pretty good IF I push them into my ears pretty hard.
I have these:
(http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/9661/9661315_sb.jpg)
They came with 3 sets of doughnuts that go around the earpiece but I can't seem to figure out what they do or how.
If I don't push them in fairly hard, they sound similar to a telephone speaker, not worth more than a dollar... I tried the iPhone's included earbuds and they won't fit in my ear at all, they just fall out. What I could hear sounded pretty bad also... I don't know how so many can use these. My ears look fairly normal to me.. but apparently they are not. I have tried other earbuds over the years and would really like to find something that really fits and seals well. How can I accomplish this?
I'd like to use these primarily for biking or treadmill, with occasional use at airports and such.
EDIT: I found a review (http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63062) that talked about some foam pads... I went and found the original packaging stuff... and LO! there is better sound. :) Unfortunately I lost 1 little dougnut, the smallest, which in combination with the foam seems to do a good job sealing and being comfy. These are what they are, comfortable workout earbuds (or iem's) but they will do for their intended purpose... I think the review link above is pretty accurate from my experience.. and he has more experience than I with headphones... I have yet to hear a good, comfortable headphone.
-C
Hi Carl!
I have the same problem, nothing fits into my small ear canals comfortably. If you don't need to hear outside noises, not worried about cars, babies, etc, then think about investing in molded earpieces. Best sound, best comfort.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/415562/custom-molds
Short of custom-molded earbuds, I've tried a lot of different ones and have yet to find something I'd want to use for more than 30 minutes at a time. As Carl said, most don't sound very good unless placed well within the ear canal and then they become quite uncomfortable regardless of the size of the pad I use.
For exercising or soaking in the tub, they're acceptable, but for long term listening - whether in the office or in my living room, I prefer the more conventional headphones. The Sennheiser PX-100 over the ear headphones are great for the office because they sound fairly decent yet they don't break the bank and I can hear when the phone rings or someone sneaks up on me.
For home, I still love my Sennheiser HD-600s, but one of these days will upgrade to a good headphone amp (Schiit anyone ;-)
But I would love to hear from folks that have invested in custom-molded headphones. It's a non-trivial investment and I'm curious to know if it's worth it. So far, my experience with ear-canal phones just hasn't been that good.
I had the same problem with nothing ever staying in my ears until I tried the new Bose IE2 earbuds.
(http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/1114/1114791_sb.jpg)
These things don't come out unless you twist and turn then out. No matter how hard I pull on the cord (which by the way is reinforced with Kevlar thread for strength), these things stay right in my ear.
Here is a link to the Best Buy page on the IE@s (which by the bat are on sale this week.)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Bose%26%23174%3B+-+IE2+Audio+Headphones/1114791.p?id=1218221912874&skuId=1114791&st=bose%20ie2&cp=1&lp=1
Tom,
I was going to buy those IE2's but they were $130 sitting right next to a pair of $60 Sennheiser's designed to do exactly what I was going to use them for.. and I just couldn't do the Bose. But with that link, it would've been a no brainer.. $90?
I don't have a problem with them falling out of my ear... my issue is more that they don't sound good unless I press them into the canal... basically making a sealed enclosure for them. The fit has always seemed unnatural.. which I guess is to be expected... your ears don't naturally have speakers in them.
-C
Quote from: Carlman on May 29, 2011, 05:28:05 AM
Tom,
I was going to buy those IE2's but they were $130 sitting right next to a pair of $60 Sennheiser's designed to do exactly what I was going to use them for.. and I just couldn't do the Bose. But with that link, it would've been a no brainer.. $90?
I don't have a problem with them falling out of my ear... my issue is more that they don't sound good unless I press them into the canal... basically making a sealed enclosure for them. The fit has always seemed unnatural.. which I guess is to be expected... your ears don't naturally have speakers in them.
-C
Carl,
I think what you were lookinmg at was the
MIE2 which is an IE2 with ans added microphone so it can be used as a handsfree calling device with a cell phone a in addition to being used for music. The MIE2 lists for somewhere in the area of $130. As I have mentioned in other treads the IE2s do not form a tight seal in the ear and as such do not provide as much isolation from ambient noise aqs other models, but I did not feel that the lack of a good seal had an adversw impact on thier SQ.
Tom
Ah, thanks for solving that mystery! And hearing ambient noise is more preferred to not hearing ambient noise for my purposes with these. When I get a minute, I'll trade them out if I can.
-C
Quote from: Carlman on May 31, 2011, 05:23:46 AM
hearing ambient noise is more preferred to not hearing ambient noise for my purposes with these.
Then forget the molded. Toms cans are a very intriguing design, especially for athletes.
Bose saves the day ?????????? :shock:
charles
When it comes to Joe Everyday tasks like jogging, bike riding, or books on tape, then yes, Bose saves the day... :) However, I have yet to do the swap, so time will tell if there is a real improvement over what I'm using now. (The Senn's)
-C
Another option is the ultimate ears phones (now owned by logitech) which all have an over the ear moldable cable attachment that reduces the microphonics and keeps them without stress on the earpiece. I used to use the super.fi 5 pro for running which worked well. I wouldn't recommend the Triple.fi because of their fit.
Can't do much about the sweat though (disgusting as that is). Earbuds are popular probably because of this, so maybe some Yuin PK2's would do well. They sound darn good for being earbuds.
I promised my wife (and self) that if I didn't like or use the Sennheiser's I would take them back and get something I would actually use. BB wasn't nuts about giving me pure money for something I bought 3+ months ago so... I picked up the Bose IE2's. Thanks for the recommendation, Tom.. that really helped solidify the decision.
At first listen, they are indeed a good step up from the Sennheiser Addidas buds I had... both in SQ and comfort. Bose gets it right in design... just cheaps out in implementation generally. We'll see what the longevity is.. but so far, these are exactly what I'd hoped for.
-C
Cool!! i want to check those out.
I never liked ear buds becuase they are just damn uncomfortable. I'm always pulling them out and trying to scratch inside my ear canal.
I like the Koss Sportapro's for convenience, comfort and good sound for very little $.
Quote from: Carlman on July 22, 2011, 11:29:31 AM
I promised my wife (and self) that if I didn't like or use the Sennheiser's I would take them back and get something I would actually use. BB wasn't nuts about giving me pure money for something I bought 3+ months ago so... I picked up the Bose IE2's. Thanks for the recommendation, Tom.. that really helped solidify the decision.
At first listen, they are indeed a good step up from the Sennheiser Addidas buds I had... both in SQ and comfort. Bose gets it right in design... just cheaps out in implementation generally. We'll see what the longevity is.. but so far, these are exactly what I'd hoped for.
-C
Glad you like them. While I was very happy with the fit and SQ and can't comment on the longevity because mine didn't last too long. but I can't blame their demise on Bose since they fell out of my pocket and I backed over them with the car. :duh
But I do remember the Bose Rep I spoke with saying that all the wires were reinforces with Kevlar thread to prevent breakage. I hope my next pair lasts long enough to see if that is true. :roll:
That is one reason I bought the extended warranty... I figured I might break them. For $15 I figure it's worth a shot. Sorry about your buds, bud. ;)
Quote from: Carlman on July 22, 2011, 05:32:45 PM
That is one reason I bought the extended warranty... I figured I might break them. For $15 I figure it's worth a shot. Sorry about your buds, bud. ;)
At the place I bought them the extended warranty only covered manufacturing defects, not random acts of stupidity. If the Best Buy service plan also covers accidental breakage that would be a good reason to buy the next pare from them.
They said it was covered but we'll see what happens if it happens... Sometimes just buying the warranty gets you a little farther from a customer service perspective... I would still try to take them back to the place you bought it and give it a shot...