boom3 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Hi, I have been using the stock iPod in-ear (sort of) phones and they sound good, just not very comfortable and not much noise isolation. I tried a set of $40 Sonys today and they are comfortable but so tinny-no bass-taking them back to WalMart. I'm looking for in-ears that have interchangeable canal cuffs (don't know the actual term). I've tried the kind of on-ear phones with the back of ear clips and they drive me nuts. Any recommendations welcomed.[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Well I have Etymotic ER4 MicroPro in ear...simply reference quality. Not cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 I like the etymotics er6 for the price, they run around 90 dollars online, 120 retail. The er4 run 299 retail, 199 online. Shures are nice when they hit around the ec3, the ec2 just is boominess BTW to get real bass, you need to insert the headphones all the way and make it leakproof, if there is a tiny amount of airleak, expect the bass to be thin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ER4S-Reference-Earphones/dp/B000300Y9O $184 on Amazon w/free shipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted June 10, 2007 Author Share Posted June 10, 2007 Thanks for all the inputs. The Sonys were attractive because they have 3 canal cuff sizes, I tried all three and even with a tight seal they are very tinny. The Apple stock ones have that peculiar shape like half a telephone receiver and no canal cuff, so they don't fit tightly at all, yet bass is superior. Must be larger diaphragms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jheis Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Careful with the in-ear phones guys. They are an excellent way to permanently damage your hearing. With the popularity of iPods & mp3 players, I think we are going to be seeing a lot of people needing hearing aids before they're 40. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Hearing aids with minijacks for listening to music...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Thanks for all the inputs. The Sonys were attractive because they have 3 canal cuff sizes, I tried all three and even with a tight seal they are very tinny. The Apple stock ones have that peculiar shape like half a telephone receiver and no canal cuff, so they don't fit tightly at all, yet bass is superior. Must be larger diaphragms. are you talking about the oem ones that come with it or the other ones that retail for 39.99 and have three different rubber inserts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Careful with the in-ear phones guys. They are an excellent way to permanently damage your hearing. With the popularity of iPods & mp3 players, I think we are going to be seeing a lot of people needing hearing aids before they're 40. James well noted and thanks. I found though with true in ear headphones like the etymotics, they lower the chance you play the music louder. Unlike the in ear headphones that come stock on the ipod that do not seal into the ear, the etymotics seal in the ear with a tight airtight fit that reduces incoming noises, the noises that will likely increase your volume to compensate. Heck true in ear headphones have better noise suppression ratings than any noise reduction headphone ala bose. Some people even use it at gun ranges [] but there is an unsafe side the etymotics too, if you use it on the go, like walking biking etc, it is very dangerous as you cannot hear anything. People can probably rob you alot easier (happening more often in NYC now and thiefs target ipod users) and you can potentially get hit by a car etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 Thanks for all the inputs. The Sonys were attractive because they have 3 canal cuff sizes, I tried all three and even with a tight seal they are very tinny. The Apple stock ones have that peculiar shape like half a telephone receiver and no canal cuff, so they don't fit tightly at all, yet bass is superior. Must be larger diaphragms. are you talking about the oem ones that come with it or the other ones that retail for 39.99 and have three different rubber inserts? Yes, the ones that retail for 39.99, MDR-EX5-1LP and have the three insert sizes About loudness and hearing conservation, it's been noted that an in-ear may be useful at lower volume. Hear, hear. I was at an airport Friday (not caught up in that computer faux pas, thank goodness) and there was some kind of tone that kept repeating at the gate, and the staff was ignoring it. Plus, I was at the end of a seating row with 4 people yakking like maniacs. And the noise from the tarmac (these are commuter gates, so no jetway that connects to the gatehouse) . So I got out the iPod, stuck in the stock phones and screened it all out with some Doors. But that was a bit louder than I would normally listen. In fact, my earphone use is chiefly in bed in hotel rooms, listening to Ravel, Debussy, or some Jerry Goldsmith to get me sleepy, so no great volume required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiser SET say Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Jays suggestion on the Ety 6's are the best for isolation and comfort for the cost. I just bought a pair from one of my vendors for $76.00 bones and they are very good phones and were highly rated by iPod lounge. They sound way better than the boomy Shure E2C's IMHO. Of course between $299.00 and $350.00 you can either pick up a pair of Westone UM2's with dual balanced armatures (seperate drivers) or a pair of the new Shures (I think the model is the SE420) and these are two of the best dual arm in ear cans you can get under 350 once again IMHO[] My latest portable rig consist of a 4GB iPod Mini with a pair of Westone UM2 phones: http://www.westone.com/music/universal.html Being driven by a Ray Samuels Tomahawk portable amp: http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/index2.html scroll to bottom of page for the Tomahawk but the Hornet and SR71's are nice as well[] (check out the battery life on the Tomahawk!) These two units are cable with AOL's cotton & silk docking cable: http://www.aloaudio.com/exotics.html This allows you to use the line out of the pod and not re-amp the headphone out signal plus you save pod power by by-passing the headphone amp[] Now this is pretty much my opinion but for under a grand I'm not sure you could get a better in ear canal portable setup period and this includes the cost of you pod! 30GB iPod $249.00 Tomahawk $295.00 Westone UM2's $299.00 AOL Silk/Cotton Dock $120.00 $963.00 shipping might push you over the G but not much:-0 I have tried many apps and have done cassette, CDP & MD before deciding the iPod product is the best portable music product all the way around although that is JMO. I have also tried various cans from full size (just to let you know this amp will drive the dog out of Senn 650's, Grado RS's and my personal favs of the full size the AKG K 701's) ifin' you want rig room audio for the road[] A rule of thumb for you as I found sound improvement incrementally while working my way up the headphone chain from cheap Koss 11 in ear sparkplugs to the dual arm cans. To me when I got a real jump is when I went from single to dual driver/armatures cans it was like listening in the car vs. listening in the house[] I have no idea if any of this helps Boom but it's what I have found in my quest for killer tunes on the move[8] I'm closing in on a new 30GB iPod U2 model right now as I want to carry photo's, a few movies and more songs with me, good old audiophelia, you just never have enough[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 patience.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiser SET say Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Nice photo Colt, that there may just be the best set of mains on the planet[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 armatures, as in the "reed" driver technology of the 20s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 patience....[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Nice photo Colt, that there may just be the best set of mains on the planet[] thankyewverymuch! They'll be even better when I get some woofers in the MWM's and rig up the PA rack. Lot of work, this hobby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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