[HN Gopher] In-ears headphones fit matters a lot
___________________________________________________________________
In-ears headphones fit matters a lot
Author : giuliomagnifico
Score : 86 points
Date : 2021-10-02 13:17 UTC (1 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.soundguys.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.soundguys.com)
| infogulch wrote:
| I gave up on both in-ear and over-ear headphones, everything I
| tried would either fall out or become uncomfortable after enough
| time and I _hated_ having to constantly fiddle with it. I finally
| broke down and dropped $160 on the "bone conduction" AfterShoks
| Aeropex that doesn't cover the ear canal, but pushes against and
| conducts sound through the bone right in front of your ear. It's
| been my favorite personal audio purchase ever. It's marketed
| towards athletes, but it works wonderfully even for pedestrian
| use-cases like video calls. This is the first headphones product
| I've ever been able to just put on and just "forget" that they're
| on for a whole day.
|
| I _like_ that it doesn 't block sounds in my environment, it
| means I can remain aware when exercising outside and I don't get
| snuck up on in the office, but I can understand why that would be
| an anti-feature for some people (or maybe use actual ear plugs
| for that purpose?).
|
| https://aftershokz.com/us/products/aeropex
| EvanAnderson wrote:
| I have mild tinnitus. Most of the time I don't notice it. It
| becomes wildly apparent when I'm wearing in-ear headphones.
| I've always assumed this was because outside sounds are blocked
| by in-ear headphones and I get to "hear" my tinnitus more
| effectively. I get the same effect walking down the "foam"
| aisle at a local fabric store where ambient sounds are
| dampened. (That aisle is spooky, makes my entire head feel
| strange, and I avoid it religiously now.)
|
| The worst part is that the awareness of my tinnitus persists
| for hours or even days afterward. I keep hearing it even after
| the earphones are removed. A few minutes of in-ear headphones
| and I have at least hours of awareness of my tinnitus.
|
| I like being able to listen at lower volumes with in-ear
| headphones but I can't stand being aware of my tinnitus. I end
| up listening to earbuds or over-ear headphones at higher
| volumes than I would for the in-ear versions.
|
| With that all said, these bone conduction earphones sound
| interesting. Do they allow you listen at volume levels
| comparable to the sealing-type in-ear headphones? I understand
| that in an environment with loud ambient sound increasing the
| volume would likely be necessary, but I'm wondering if the
| "bone conduction" does a better job cutting thru ambient noise.
|
| Does anybody else have a similar situation with tinnitus as
| I've described here? If so, how do you cope with it?
| y4mi wrote:
| I cannot say anything wrt tinnitus, but I do own some
| aftershockz headphones as well.
|
| They're extremely interesting, mainly because they're so
| different but there are a few caveats... The sound quality is
| pretty lack lustre if you don't plug your ears somehow,
| especially the base is very shallow otherwise. It's a very
| entertaining experience when you literally plug you ears with
| your fingers and the sound quality as well as loudness
| increases, because the sound waves get reflected back by
| whatever you plugged your ears with.
|
| It really doesn't cut through ambient noise in my experience,
| it's more like background sound unless your ears are plugged,
| so noisy surroundings will make it impossible to listen to
| the headphones as well.
| xnyan wrote:
| I've had tinnitus for ~20 years. I've tried everything (as
| far as I can tell), and by far sound therapy has been the
| most effective. It's basically the same techniques used to
| manage chronic pain, but used to teach you how to minimize
| and even ignore the perception of tinnitus. It's not a quick
| fix, but I went from being constantly consumed by my symptoms
| to not realizing I have a constant ringing in my left hear
| almost all of the time, and being ok with the ringing when I
| do notice it.
|
| The other thing that had worked has been tinnitus masking
| hearing aids. It's basically noise cancellation for tinnitus.
| It's not perfect and I don't use it anymore, but when I was
| learning how to deal with tinnitus it was valuable in giving
| me temporary symptom relief.
| BeFlatXIII wrote:
| My pair of Aeropex came with a pair of foam earplugs in the
| package for this exact reason. They're not meant to be musical
| headphones, but they are amazing for listening to podcasts
| while exercising or doing chores around the house. I should
| have bought a pair when they first came out instead of waiting
| until this year to do so.
| benrbray wrote:
| Agreed, I did the same! I do still get fatigued wearing them,
| but it takes a bit longer. I love it for city walks / cycling
| where it's important to be aware of my surroundings.
| wintermutestwin wrote:
| I have Air Pods Pro and I bought an aftermarket silicone ear tip
| that was slightly smaller than Apple's small. The damn things
| still fall out, albeit after a longer time. They are always
| uncomfortable and I am constantly having to shove them in. I
| tried foam and they didn't fit either. I must have freakishly
| small ear canals. I wish I could find something that works for
| me. The article linked in the original article
| (https://www.soundguys.com/finding-ear-tips-17148/) didn't talk
| about this problem.
| ghostly_s wrote:
| I've just, I hope, arrived at the end-point of a similarly
| frustrating adventure into wireless earbuds that don't fit in
| my ears. I tried the Airpod Pros first, and like you the only
| way I got them to stay in for longer than a full minute was by
| jamming them in so hard it was painful to wear.
|
| After trying several alternatives with similarly unworkable
| results, I just recently picked up the Anker Soundcore Life A2
| NC and finally have wireless earbuds that are usable. The
| feature set is somewhat lacking vs. the Airpods Pro but is good
| enough for me. The sound quality is also a bit disappointing
| but still better than the frankly awful Airpods. I think there
| may be other options out there worth looking at for us small-
| eared folk with similar designs -- the key is rather than a big
| 'bulb' right behind the tip for the drivers and electronics,
| the bulky bit is set a ways out from the tip and is suspended
| without touching your ear in use, allowing you much more
| freedom in getting the angle and depth of the part in your ear
| canal just right. Instead of attempting to nestle that big bulb
| in your external ear cavity like the airpods do, it has a
| little stabilizer wing that is flexible and comes in 2 sizes,
| and they come with _five_ sizes of silicone tips. I 've been
| wearing them basically all day for the past week with almost no
| discomfort.
| wintermutestwin wrote:
| Ordered. Fingers crossed that they fit.
| charles_f wrote:
| This feels very familiar. I have tried many pods, foams,
| silicon bits, and sizes. Whatever I do, those damn things fall
| out of my left ear. The right is fine, the left won't keep
| anything in it. So I'm using over-ear because that's my only
| viable option
| wintermutestwin wrote:
| Yes - I have the same issue where one ear canal is smaller.
|
| When you say "over-ear" I assume you mean traditional over
| ear headphones with a strap. And yes, I have a decent pair,
| but they are big and not good for a number of common
| situations:
|
| 1. Lifting weights at the gym - when I lie down on a bench
| they fall off.
|
| 2. When I am out jogging, they bounce around too much and get
| very sweaty in hot weather.
|
| 3. In cold or sunny weather, I can't wear a hat with them.
| LeoPanthera wrote:
| I actually returned my Airpods Pro because I simply could not
| get them to fit. iOS even tells you if they don't have a good
| seal and I could never make it happy.
| jimmaswell wrote:
| Have you considered making the jump to over-ear?
| GuB-42 wrote:
| Certainly, and I wonder why custom fit earphones are not more
| popular. They are a bit expensive but many people don't mind
| paying more than $200 on headphones and that's about how much
| entry level custom molded earphones cost.
|
| I didn't try them but I have custom molded earplugs, and there is
| no comparison to anything else I have tried. They are comfortable
| and they stay in place. They are the kind that musicians use and
| they are optimized for low distortion, but you can use a
| different filter, because they seal so well, you really get the
| sound you want, and not whatever is allowed to leak.
| jimkleiber wrote:
| I've been looking for something like this, would you mind
| sharing the name of the product you've been using?
| disabled wrote:
| There is a subreddit for DIY in ear monitors. Pay close
| attention to the first post on this page in particular: https
| ://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/comments/kfdwf5/made_my_first...
|
| However, you do not need a 3D printer at all to make
| wonderful in ear monitors. Also, I prefer clear shells (as a
| color for the headphones) by far. It is also not difficult to
| make proper ear impressions, too. See this for example:
| http://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/910150509.pdf
|
| However, this was my basic search technique to find this
| document about making your own ear impressions: "impressions"
| AND "ear" AND "bite block" AND "make" filetype:pdf
|
| I made a post that is lower down on this thread that gives
| the 411 on everything you need to know including using them
| with a phone that does not have a 3.5 mm jack. This includes
| for microphone use, like making phone calls.
| jimkleiber wrote:
| Ahh thank you so much!
| zh3 wrote:
| Rather agree with the article, having done a lot of trial and
| error on earbuds - fit really does matter. Good fit actually
| seems more important to the sound than the underlying speaker
| tech, also determines how long they stay comfortable for.
|
| Having run through a lot of earbuds, for me personally I've found
| the Panasonic RP-HJE-125's best (despite the throwaway price).
| Probably a bit rough on things, I do break stuff a lot and
| there's really quite little to be had between well-fitting cheap
| buds and much more expensive offerings (the HJE's come with 3
| sizes of tips, don't be afraid to use different sizes each side).
|
| Edit: For more bass try JVC HA-FX10's - too much more bass for
| me, horses for course etc.
| ghoul2 wrote:
| Slightly tangential: can anyone recommend a good _wired_ noise
| cancelling headset (with mic) that is powered off the cable (or
| is USB). That is, it doesn't need batteries at all.
| ta1234567890 wrote:
| A bit tangential, does anyone here have any
| thoughts/comments/reviews about the Nura[0] headphones?
|
| From what I understand, they put a microphone next to the speaker
| to measure your ear's response to sound. Based on that, a
| companion software builds a personalized sound profile, which
| then allows the headphones to auto-equalize the sound to the
| specifics of your ears.
|
| Do they make a big difference? Are they worth it? How do they
| compare to other headphones?
|
| 0: https://www.nuraphone.com/
| radicaldreamer wrote:
| Apple's AirPods Pro and Max do the same thing, but they don't
| have any settings you can tinker with. They're for measuring
| fit and seal.
| giuliomagnifico wrote:
| I haven't tried the Nura but I'm a bit skeptical because a
| microphone is another digital "thing" that can be good or bad
| in measure the sound, and I don't think the quality of a micro
| microphone is superb. So I prefer to rely on my ears but surely
| for "not trained" ear is not a bad thing to understand how
| really a (headphone) tip works compared to the bigger or
| smaller.
| yosito wrote:
| I primarily use in-ear headphones for running. I find that
| headphones with a good seal mean that I can hear every step I
| take thumping in my ears, and after running I can hear my
| heartbeat. Both are extremely uncomfortable sensations. Apple
| AirPods, despite not fitting with a seal, work perfectly. They
| don't fall out, and I can't hear my own body. Can't really ask
| for more, except a black option and better software support on
| Android.
| awinter-py wrote:
| _yes_. personalization has taken over information products and is
| coming for real world objects. there are physical goods where
| custom size or features are so important that they in essence
| make it a new product category.
| vijucat wrote:
| I feel nauseated when I use in-ear earphones that reach deep
| inside. This entire article is not relevant to me. The earphones
| that I can bear are these :
| https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y4S55RC/. The design reaches
| inside a little bit, but not too much, and they sound quite
| decent. I suppose the AirPods (but not the Pro) are similar in
| design.
| Tarsul wrote:
| I can tell you that you are not alone :)
|
| However, most of newer in-ear headphones are like plugs
| nowadays (don't listen to the bose suggestion in sibling
| comment). What you're looking for are in-ears that Geizhals[1]
| calls earbuds (although brands themselves usually don't
| differentiate in names. Which makes it difficult to find). My
| personal favorite are Marshall Minor II (although the 12h
| bluetooth are exaggerated, more like 6h.). But still, I got to
| admit that sound comes through more easily/better when the
| headphone fits like a plug (that's why new in-ears are usually
| of the plug type) - but what is it worth if you don't feel
| comfortable? Not much.
|
| [1]https://geizhals.de/?cat=sphd&xf=6546_Ohrh%F6rer+(Earbuds)
| monsieurbanana wrote:
| Have you tried bose earphones? They are the most comfortable
| I've tried so far. Admittedly, I haven't tried many.
|
| They look similar to the ones you linked, they stay very well
| in my ears thanks to the hook thingy.
|
| https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Acoustic-Cancelling...
| jimmaswell wrote:
| Isn't Bose famously overpriced and poor quality? That's what
| I always hear from audio circles.
| tedunangst wrote:
| Well, of course, the muggles know about Bose, you can't be
| better than them wearing the same headphones.
| jimmaswell wrote:
| There are a lot of things where I do think the "snobs"
| are full of hot air, like percolated coffee being bad and
| "burned" or vertical photos/videos being automatically
| wrong, but it's been night and day listening on some
| higher quality headphones compared to the bose or any of
| the other brands I used to have.
| jcims wrote:
| That's the wrong crowd to listen to TBH. Bose products are
| far from perfect and are expensive, but I've also found
| them to be extremely comfortable and have certainly
| adequate sound quality for every day use. Im no audiophile
| but i mixed live music for ten years and do pay attention
| to details.
|
| For example, I just compared Bose's qc 35 ear buds to
| Sony's new wf1000xm4 budd. The latter gets a lot of rave
| reviews, but i found them to be terrible. The high center
| of gravity with no support causes them to bounce loudly if
| you move around with them in, and the noise cancellation is
| constantly ringing with artifacts regardless of ambient
| sound level. The Bose have a pretty disappointing battery
| life, but beyond that are rocksolid compared to the Sonys.
|
| If you want to really lose faith in those circles, try some
| Beats by Dr. Dre. They clown them but IMHO the Solo 3 was
| an excellent product for ~$100. Good sound, fantastic
| battery life and Bluetooth range.
| jimmaswell wrote:
| My understanding is that Beats sound good right away
| through the way they boost the bass and such, but they
| have a wonky response curve that misses a lot and you can
| generally get better for the same money.
|
| But nothing in the $100 range is going to be outstanding
| anyway. I recently finally decided to try spending some
| more, did some research, and landed at the MMX 300 for
| around $270. It's been amazing how much I was missing out
| on with all the cheaper stuff I'd previously had, from
| $20 to $90. Just all the stuff I'm hearing (hearing at
| all or more clearly) for the first time in very familiar
| tracks.
| aalam wrote:
| My perception of Bose, as a former regular audio forum
| reader, is that they are great for sport earphones (though
| this was before the Airpods were released, so this might be
| outdated). They also last a long time and are excellent for
| noise cancellation, which I learned when looking for ways
| to block noise during work (ultimately I stuck to
| Etymotic's ER4XR to block out noise via isolation, versus
| noise cancellation).
|
| For audio quality, however, there are definitely better
| alternatives at the same/lower price (but not necessarily
| as good for exercise or noise cancellation). I also heard
| that the AirPods Pro are comparable to Bose's QC35s for
| noise cancellation, but not as good (though the AirPods are
| far more portable), and their batteries don't last as long
| in the long-term.
| anonymousab wrote:
| The poor quality of an audiophile can still be great
| quality compared to the average. But any headphones that
| fit or feel well are better than ones that fall out all the
| time, even if they're overpriced from some cost/sound
| quality equation.
| Guillaume86 wrote:
| +1 for Bose IEMs, the "tip" form factor is in his own tier
| for comfort, I can barely tolerate wearing other in ears now.
| rapsey wrote:
| I have bose sound sport. They work and sound great, but the
| build quality is atrocious. Every glued on rubber bit came
| off.
| bosie wrote:
| Haved you tried custom IEMs like UE or JH Audio? Had a similar
| problem with off-the-shelf ones but the custom ones both seal
| much better and yet seem to reach in differently.
| 14 wrote:
| I have a small ear canal on one side I wish there was a product
| that could cater to my one ear is different in size issue. I
| haven't found any that fit. My ear canal is small but not
| abnormal or anything surely there has to be a brand that has
| dealt with this before?
| willis936 wrote:
| I'm glad to see attention drawn here. The only way to get any
| reasonable sub 500 Hz response out of tiny in-ear transducers is
| to have a good seal. The standing waves go a long way.
|
| Molded in-ear monitors are best, but they're speciality items. It
| would be cool to see a modern true wireless earbud you can order
| and ship them your ear molds.
| disabled wrote:
| There is actually a subreddit called DIY in ear monitors.
|
| https://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/
|
| You will be quite impressed and I suggest you take notes and
| dump great posts into OneNote or something similar to index, so
| when you make your own, you have a great reference and cheat
| sheet.
| willis936 wrote:
| I actually have already gone pretty deep. A few years ago I
| got a teensy, molded shells, specced out a nice set of 3
| transducers, modeled passive and DSP crossover networks
| (tradeoffs of low latency IIR mode and high quality FIR mode
| on the DSP side), and a measurement apparatus. I got to the
| point in the project where I had to manually solder tiny
| wires onto tiny surface mount connectors and put the project
| down. Idk if I'll ever be able to finish it, but it was a fun
| project.
|
| Edit: Oh I forgot to add that I also got tiny microphones and
| lodged them into the IEM blackplates for ANC or pass-through.
| It's an ambitious hobby project. I'd be happy to see a proper
| company do it (or at least incorporate elements of it).
| Rd6n6 wrote:
| One of the major problems is that you can't really try in ear
| headphones before you buy them. This makes it impossible to try a
| wide range of them for fit, sound quality, comfort, cable noise,
| etc. There is a company or two with a few with disposable ear
| tips in store for you to try, but that limits your options pretty
| dramatically since it's so rare
| bryan0 wrote:
| I think any decent IEM uses replaceable / custom tips. Many
| come with an assortment to try out and there are many more you
| can order online. For example the Comply foam tips are very
| popular.
| noneeeed wrote:
| Yeah, I use a pair of Shure IEMs, they came with at least
| half a dozen different sets of tips, in different sizes and
| types.
| amelius wrote:
| > One of the major problems is that you can't really try in ear
| headphones before you buy them.
|
| Your right as a consumer is that you can return items within a
| certain period after purchase. Make use of it!
|
| Beware: buying as a company often does not give you this right.
| rectang wrote:
| The main thing I can't stand about many sealed in-ear headphones
| is that lightly jostling the wire causes a massive bass thump in
| my ear. Regardless of fit, effectively this means I can't move at
| all while listening to them. The effect is so loud that I marvel
| that anybody can ignore it.
| noisem4ker wrote:
| It depends on the material the wire is made of and the way it's
| coupled to the ear piece. Try braided ones, for example. I've
| had a pair with "anti-tangle" plastic wire that transmitted
| remarkably little movement noise. Fixing the wire to the
| clothing, with a clip at shoulder height, also helps reducing
| vibratons.
| flotzam wrote:
| Try looping each side of the cable over and behind your ear,
| with the little plastic splitter tab positioned relatively
| snugly under your chin. That should stabilize it.
| ThePadawan wrote:
| Jostling how?
|
| I have been wearing in-ears for years, running the wire down my
| spine and into my pants pockets.
|
| That limits the parts of the cable that can still move to
| between the device and my beltline, which doesn't cause any
| noise whatsoever.
| rectang wrote:
| > _Jostling how?_
|
| I've already explained this multiple times elsethread:
|
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28738098
|
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28738221
|
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28738280
| Rd6n6 wrote:
| I aimed for noise isolating headphones so I could listen at
| lower volumes and keep my hearing safe. However, to cover up
| that wire noise I end up having to turn them up pretty loud
| when walking my dogs. I just gave up after a bunch of expensive
| iems broke and just use cheap EarPods now. They're good for the
| price and they're open back, so there is no cord noise or
| movement noise
| rectang wrote:
| I totally agree with your take on EarPods, they're a great
| value.
|
| EarPods have rolled off bass response, but to me the full
| experience is superior to what I get with in-ear, at least as
| soon as I start moving. They don't deliver that "sealed off
| from the world" effect, but I don't actually want that most
| of the time.
|
| For better fidelity, I prefer my old Grado SR-80 headphones,
| but they're an open air ear-cup design, so not good in an
| office environment or similar.
| worldsayshi wrote:
| I bought a pair of jaybird in ear wireless headphones for
| listening to music while running. But even without wires the
| bass disturbance caused by even the slightest step makes them
| completely unusable. I don't understand how people are able to
| use in ear headphones. I realized I can't.
| benatkin wrote:
| It started off the same for me, but I found best fitting of
| the 3 or 4 tips it comes with, which weren't the ones I
| thought were best while standing still, and got used to it,
| and ended up liking my jaybirds.
| mertd wrote:
| Try wearing them with an imperfect seal. The sound will be
| quite sub par but it will be consistent. It works for me,
| because I'm out for a run not an audiophile experience.
| You'll also get to hear some of the ambient noise which helps
| with balance, safety etc...
| camgunz wrote:
| I have Etymotic ER4SRs which came with this clip [1]. It broke,
| and I soon found out the microphonics (sound traveling through
| the cable) were strong, and the extra weight the cable put on
| the drivers in my ears was surprisingly distracting. I bought a
| new one and, even though it's super nerdy, wear it.
|
| There are cables that are less microphonic, and I think it
| might be possible that if you wrap the cable around your ear
| instead of going straight up it's supposed to help also. I
| don't personally like the around the ear thing--feels like a
| bridge too far for me look-wise, but I'm not everyone.
|
| But I'll get on my shtick for a second: I love my ER4SRs.
| They've basically saved my career. They're small, there's no
| latency, there's infinite battery life, essentially everything
| is replaceable, the sound _perfect_. I super wish they made a
| (non-Lightning) cable that had a mic in it (I know there's 3rd
| party ones but haven't had a lot of success there yet and quit
| trying), but it's a small inconvenience. I can mostly work
| anywhere under almost any conditions, which has turned out to
| be important.
|
| [1]: https://www.etymotic.com/product/shirt-clip-for-er-series-
| ea...
| bryan0 wrote:
| I also loved my Etys. Problem for me is that they would only
| last a year before failing. I've since switch over to RHAs
| which are not quite as good but they have a 3 year warranty.
| aalam wrote:
| If you haven't already tried it, a filter replacement with
| the tool and filters that come with the device could do the
| trick [0] (fixed a problem I experienced myself). Another
| common fix is to switch out the cable, though I've only
| experienced failure due to old filters (3 years usage).
|
| [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbDgTa8Htzo
| bryan0 wrote:
| Yeah my issues were due to failing cables e.g. fraying
| insulation and exposed wires. I would use them heavily on
| daily commutes. Now since I primarily work from home it
| might be less of an issue.
| Rd6n6 wrote:
| I avoid (non-cheap) headphones without replaceable cables
| these days. There's no good reason to have to replace an
| entire headphone pair/headset because of a bad wire
| aalam wrote:
| I actually experienced a similar issue between the jack
| and the cable with exposed wires. It didn't affect audio
| quality for me, so it was just cosmetic; I wrapped
| electrical tape around the exposure as a fix.
|
| This shouldn't happen considering the price, but it
| wasn't a dealbreaker for my personal preferences (as the
| fix wasn't too noticeable, and I enjoy the noise
| isolation and sound quality).
| the_only_law wrote:
| I bought some Etymotics last year and I was frankly
| disappointing given the price. They broke not too long after
| getting them. The right earpiece seems to have bad contact
| with the cable and don't cant get any sound in that ear.
|
| It may be as simple as replacing the cable though, I'm not
| entirely sure.
| aalam wrote:
| I had a similar problem, and the solution was to change out
| the filter in the non-functioning earpiece [0] with the
| tool and replacement filters that came with the device.
|
| I also bought a replacement cable, which didn't work, then
| contacted support for a replacement. Their suggested fix of
| changing the filter worked. I suspect the reason may have
| been moisture; I washed the silicon tip with soap and
| water, then put it back on the earpiece and filter without
| waiting for it to fully dry.
|
| [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbDgTa8Htzo
| the_only_law wrote:
| Ah damn, I immediately recognized the bag containing the
| tool and filter replacements. Now I have to see if I can
| find it.
| rectang wrote:
| The effect isn't produced by wire microphonics, but instead
| by movement of the sealed headphone in the ear canal causing
| air pressure changes which are large compared to typical
| sound vibrations in air.
|
| The solution is to ensure that they are never jostled, which
| I achieved by staying still. Probably going wireless would
| also eliminate the issue.
| SNosTrAnDbLe wrote:
| I loved my etymotics ER when I had them. Forgot which one it
| was. I have yet to find a quality sounding in-ears( tried a
| few without success) . I have moved to AirPods Pro for their
| convenience but those etymotics were great.
| amelius wrote:
| > a massive bass thump in my ear
|
| Definitely a no-no for audiophiles.
| aaaaaaaaaaab wrote:
| This phenomenon is called "microphonics". It can he mitigated
| by wrapping the cable around your ear from the top. Indeed,
| this is how professional in-ear monitors are worn (e.g. Shure).
| Rd6n6 wrote:
| It helps, but it doesn't get rid of it
| rectang wrote:
| I see that "microphonics" is indeed the popular term for this
| phenomenon. To be pedantic, microphonics was originally used
| to describe inducement of electrical signals in wires,
| similar to how a microphone works.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphonics
|
| > _Microphonics, microphony, or microphonism[1][2][3]
| describes the phenomenon wherein certain components in
| electronic devices transform mechanical vibrations into an
| undesired electrical signal (noise)._
|
| There's no electricity involved in this phenomenon, which
| arises through pure mechanical coupling when the wire causes
| the sealed earpiece to move and air pressure in the ear canal
| to swing wildly.
|
| But that's like complaining about URL vs. URI...
| cma wrote:
| It still may not be the right word, but microphones predate
| electricity (ear horns were called microphones).
| bluedino wrote:
| They sell them without wires
| initplus wrote:
| Microphonics can be just as much of an issue with wireless
| headphones.
| rectang wrote:
| Yes, of course. I'm still amazed on some level that the wired
| versions are considered acceptable, because the thumping is
| so prominent -- as far as I'm concerned, it's a fatally
| flawed design. But that's the human perceptual mechanism for
| you -- highly optimized for filtering out unwanted sensory
| input.
| formerly_proven wrote:
| I have a bunch of cheap in-ears (each comes with a bag of
| different seals) and none of them have the issue you
| describe. Sure, you can hear it when the cables bump
| against something, but it's not a "massive bass thump".
| rectang wrote:
| Stick your forefinger in your ear, well enough to form a
| bit of a seal. Then move your finger around a little bit.
| That causes a ton of rumbling/thumping noise as the air
| in the ear canal moves much more dramatically than it
| does when encountering sound waves in open air.
|
| The same effect happens when you jostle a sealed in-ear
| monitor. I don't doubt that you are not perceiving this
| rumble, but my explanation is that your brain is
| filtering it out.
|
| EDIT: It occurs to me now that if you listen at
| consistently high volume (which many in-ear headphone
| users do), jostling rumble will be relatively lower.
| formerly_proven wrote:
| I don't listen at high volume and my hearing is quite
| excellent. I'm guessing that there's something about your
| ear canal that causes a really good seal (maybe wet
| ears), or maybe something about my ear canal that I don't
| get these perfect air-tight bass-thumping seals. FWIW I
| don't force in-ears deeply into my ear canal, because
| that's uncomfortable as heck (and tends to make the bass
| way to boomy and overpronounced in my experience). I only
| stick the soft rubber part in.
| thom wrote:
| The situation seems a bit more complicated now given that
| only wired headphones can support the best lossless codecs,
| as I understand it. I wouldn't currently by anything that
| couldn't plug in with a wire, at least optionally.
| bitzlab wrote:
| It is very important to have a good fit in-ears headphones,
| especially if you use to do gym trainings. Myself, I own a pair
| of Sound Core Liberty Air-2 and they fit very nice in to my ears.
| Those replaceable foam bits make the difference. I admit the fact
| that in my opinion, they are too expensive for the quality they
| offer, but .. This is it now.. They are my daily music gadget.
|
| https://natrmd.com
| ziml77 wrote:
| I've been using Comply foam tips on in-ears for years. Most
| recently got some for my Air Pods Pro. They give a good seal, and
| they help keep the earbuds from slipping out. The downsides are
| that they aren't quite as easy to pop in (since you need to
| squish the foam and then let it expand inside), they can be
| irritating over long periods of time, and you will need to
| replace them every few months.
|
| Despite those issues, I still find the foam tips far better than
| any silicone tip I've tried. Those never feel like they fit
| right, either being too small or feeling like they're so big that
| they're trying to pop themselves back out.
| Groxx wrote:
| Not Comply specifically, but Shure's foam tips are _excellent_
| - denser, smooth outside that cleans easier, and it doesn 't
| leave Comply's crumbly dust all over. Plus they last several
| times longer - I've used pairs almost daily for a couple years
| and they were still fine (though they softened after several
| months).
| Rd6n6 wrote:
| I liked my shures while they lasted, but they broke less than
| 6 months after purchase because of a crappy connection
| between two components. I even kept them in a protective case
| aalam wrote:
| I switched to Comply foam, then back to silicon for good. The
| dealbreaker for me was cleanliness. The downside you mentioned
| of squishing the foam was the biggest reason; I always aimed to
| sanitize my hands before rolling the foam (pre-Covid, to
| prevent colds), so it was an extra hassle to take them out
| often.
|
| Also, it's easy to clean silicon tips with dish soap and water
| (alternatively isopropyl), but I found that Comply tips break
| down really easily with washing. They're also expensive to
| replace frequently, and I found that cheaper foam alternatives
| didn't measure up.
|
| If regular cleaning isn't a concern (isn't strictly necessary,
| it's just a personal preference), Comply tips work, though I
| would only use them for IEMs that don't fit well for silicon.
| iszomer wrote:
| I've been using memory foam buds as well and found that given
| enough time and use, they will start _melting_ from in-ear
| wax interaction.
| Zigurd wrote:
| Can confirm. As others have pointed out, they do not last
| forever and they pick up grunge if you are not careful about
| storing the headphones. But they work really well. I prefer
| moderately priced IEMs with Comply eartips for air travel vs
| noise cancelling headphones. Just don't drop them on a gross
| airliner floor.
| floydnoel wrote:
| Thank you for sharing! I've been disappointed with my Pro
| AirPods since I got them at launch. I'm not sure why it didn't
| occur to me to look for third party replacements to improve the
| fit, but I'll give these a try- thanks again!
| laumars wrote:
| It amazes me people buy those earphones when they're probably
| the worst on the market for fit.
| wincy wrote:
| Maybe I just have a really big head but the AirPods Pro
| large tips felt fantastic to me, and are the first in ear
| headphones I've bought that don't fall out of my ears.
| costcofries wrote:
| That website is tuned for SEO maximalism, every article, every
| title, all the keywords and even the affiliate links. Good
| example for anyone looking to build a good inbound content
| strategy.
| giuliomagnifico wrote:
| Yes I noticed it too. But the article/graphs are interesting.
| ghaff wrote:
| Yes. Content marketing can optimize for SEO and engagement
| more broadly while simultaneously having good content and not
| being obnoxious about it.
| disabled wrote:
| Instead of shelling out a ton of money ($1,000+) for custom
| molded in ear monitor headphones, check out the subReddit DIY In
| Ear Monitors: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/
|
| By the way, you can even 3D print your in ear monitors, but this
| is absolutely not necessary, and especially so if you are cheap.
|
| Getting ear impressions from an audiologist generally costs
| $50-100 but I prefer to do it myself.
|
| It is also not difficult to make proper ear impressions, too. See
| this for example:
| http://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/910150509.pdf
|
| However, this was my basic search technique to find this document
| about making your own ear impressions: "impressions" AND "ear"
| AND "bite block" AND "make" filetype:pdf (I hope this allows you
| to do more research)
|
| There is a great guide on making basically perfect DIY in ear
| monitors, pay attention to the first comment (however it involves
| 3D printing...also I much prefer clear shells for the in ear
| monitors...) on this Reddit page:
| https://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/comments/kfdwf5/made_my_first...
|
| Anyways, one should really take a look.
|
| When it comes to audio quality and listening on a Bluetooth phone
| without a 3.5 mm jack, you use a DAC (digital to analog
| converter) which allows you to enjoy the music on a totally new
| level. I would recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-
| Balanced-Amplifier-Windows-Porta...
|
| There are also Bluetooth DACs that may be preferable too. I
| recommend the FiiO brand. Here is an example of a Bluetooth DAC:
| https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-BTR3K-Bluetooth-Headphone-Unbala...
|
| If you enjoy music a ton just in general and love wired
| headphones, I strongly recommend getting a DAC that is compatible
| with mobile phones even if you are not interested in DIY in ear
| monitors...
|
| When it comes to making phone calls (or even microphone use) with
| DIY in ear monitors, you need to be observant of the type of 3.5
| mm plug that you use. ONLY plugs with 3 indentation lines (NOT
| 2!!!) are capable of microphone use. Anyways, here is an example
| of what I am talking about so we are clear on this issue:
| https://duckduckgo.com/?q=3.5.+mm+plug+microphone&t=fpas&iax...
|
| When it comes to using your in ear monitors for phone calls or
| microphone use you need to:
|
| 1. Get a Bluetooth transceiver that is mic capable, such as this:
| https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-RollingStone-Headphones-Str...
|
| 2. Get an in-line microphone which plugs in directly to your DAC
| and gives it instant microphone capabilities
|
| * Android version: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-
| Headphones-Samsung-...
|
| * iPhone version: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-Comfort-Headphones-
| Inline-device...
|
| I hope this post helps.
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(page generated 2021-10-03 23:01 UTC)