Topic: Your Favorite In-Ear Headphones/Monitors (I hate calling them earbuds)

[stevetoney]

Just curious what people have used and believe in. 

(Please qualify your discussion by telling us what you've tried and rejected because if you've only tried one or two, then you probably can't provide a very informed opinion.)

Personally, I had tried a variety of sub-$100 phones but once I got some $200 Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 5 Pro's, I'll NEVER go back to cheap headphones.

Tried...

Ultimate Ear Super.fi 5 Pro ($249...available for less from the web)
EX+  Easily the best phones I've used...BY FAR.  Great sound...great balance...beautiful tones...beautiful saturation...excellent volume level...no noticeable distortion at peak ipod volume while providing a significantly enhanced SPL over others that I've used.  Good fit too.  Excellent high strength, heavy duty cable with integrated metal stays that form fit over your ears to enhance the fit of the ear pieces onto your head.

Only negative is that I broke one of the ear pieces on my first pair by applying pressure from my knee while the phones were in the airplane seat pocket.  Probably not a knock on the phones, but seems like it didn't take alot for plastic case to break on the ear piece.

Bose In Ear ($99)
Good sound, but HATED the way the ear mold wouldn't stay connected to the plastic speaker part.  Ended up giving them away because they do no good if you can't keep them in.

Skull Candy Smokin' Buds ($32)
I've owned two pairs of these.  The first pair had good and clear sound with nice balance, albeit somewhat less pristine tones than a more expensive pair.  They don't have a right angle plug though and, with heavy use, the cable wore out in less than a year.  The replacement pair had LOUSY sound, muffled and muted.  Pleasing heavy bass though.

Sony MDREX300LP Ear Bud Headphones ($79)
Quite a nice sound, a little weak on the bass and somewhat tinny-er than ideal for my liking, but a clear bell like tone.  A good value at this price but not as good sound as the Bose...although MUCH better fit.

Altec Lansing BackBeat Pro ($79)
Excellent sound to price value, but if you listen to your ipod at full volume, these distort ALOT.  I have a slight hearing loss from birth (not due to listening at peak volume LOL) and these headphones would have been great except they clip like crazy with the ipod at ten.  If you like to listen with your ipod at lower volumes, then these are a great sounding pair of phones for this price.  I really REALLY like the way they fit too.

Final comment.  For those that bash ipods, my first thought is that if you haven't listened through good headphones, then you can't honestly say how the music sounds because lousy in-ear phones are TRULY crappy and can't possibly allow the listener to form an honest opinion of what's coming out of the ipod.  Once I got my super.fi 5 pro's I couldn't believe how nice my ipod sounded.

[tedyun]

I use the Yuin OK-1. I've tried Yuin PK-1, and sonically, I can't really tell the difference. They are both excellent. I actually lost my PK-1s and still am kicking myself for that, especially since I got a deal of a lifetime on those.

For low budget, although not in-ear, I use the Koss KSC75. The best value out there, especially if you mod it.

I also have a pair of Etymotic ER6s, which are in-ear. These were my first pair of mid-fi quality phones. I love the accuracy, but the microphonics of the canal-phones pretty much limit its usage to sitting sessions (which are rare).

So my go to cans are the Yuin OK-1s. These can be converted to in-ears, but apparently, the sound isn't as good as they were designed to be ear buds.

I was tempted by the triple drivers, like the Shure 530s, the Triple fi and the Westone's, but I am more curious about how they sound than actually needing cans that are that expensive. If I was going to plunk down that kind of cash, I'd probably buy a set of full cans, like the AKG 701's.

For the best sound out of an iPod, you have to go line-out and into a good headphone amp. Apparently, for audiophile sound, you have to get an iMod (http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html) and a VCAP dock (http://www.aloaudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_17). I've only heard glowing reviews about these, but don't have the $$$ to test it myself!

[jlykos]

Here are some of my more notable ones:

JVC "mushroom" style: Bought these for $20 in Turkey when my stock earphones broke.  Comfortable and decent isolation, but muffled sound with heavy bass.  Not a bad option for $20, however.

Sony MDR-EX85LP (~$60): Bought these at Best Buy when my Westones went into the shop.  Good range across the harmonic spectrum, but veiled sound, particularly in the midrange.  Excellent bass, however.  The cord royally sucks and gets really tangled if you look at it.  Comfortable, but they can use some adjusting in your ears.  Overpriced in my opinion at $60; I should have bought another pair of the JVCs instead.

Westone UM1 (~$100): My current earphones.  I really like these a lot.  Not the deepest bass in the world (only go down to around 40hz), but excellent midrange and presence.  Great cord, with next to no sound when you touch something with it.  Also the most comfortable earphones I have ever used.  Use with the Shure "olives" for best fit and comfort.  Westone customer service is also the best in the business.  Two-year warranty and have had them repaired twice, both for free, including one out-of-warranty repair.  Can't ask for any more than that.

Ultimate Ears Super.fi.5 Pro: (~$180): These had the best sound quality of any earphone I used, but they were not very comfortable and their isolation was not as good as that of the Westones.  The cord is also stiff, tangles easily, and makes noise when it beats against your chest when moving around.  I liked them, but the convenience of the Westones won me over.  Unfortunately, the Armenian airport officials didn't like them either, as I emerged from their airport with them completely destroyed.

I'm saving my pennies for the Westone UM2, which should give me all the comfort of the UM1 with the sound quality of the Super.fi.5 Pro.  Hopefully this will become a reality one day.

[stevetoney]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.  Interesting feedback...I was curious about what people were using just so if I ever lose or break my super.fi 5 and find myself searching again, I wouldn't have to go through another frustrating (and money wasting) trial and error research project.  Probably the most frustrating thing (although wasting money is pretty dang frustrating) is not have a good pair of listening devices during the time that you're conducting your search.

[tedyun]

I went through the same search for headphones, and I got hooked by head-fi.org (their For Sale section is almost as dangerous as the Yard Sale here). When I lost my PK-1s, I was contemplating what to get next, and the Koss KSC75s were a pretty good substitute.

Surprisingly, I'm almost embarrassed to say, but these Philips perform pretty well:

http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/en/us/consumer/cc/_language_us/_productid_SHE2850_27_US_CONSUMER

They have these little plastic wraps on them, that if you take them off, it really improves the high-end. My wife bought them for me at CVS because she had these store coupons that were expiring, and she needed to use them or lose them. Their construction is flakey -- there's a loose connection in the wire now -- but for $15 (free if you use these coupons), they are good if you're "between cans" or if you need a cheap set during non critical listening situations, like the gym.

Thanks for the replies so far guys.  Interesting feedback...I was curious about what people were using just so if I ever lose or break my super.fi 5 and find myself searching again, I wouldn't have to go through another frustrating (and money wasting) trial and error research project.  Probably the most frustrating thing (although wasting money is pretty dang frustrating) is not have a good pair of listening devices during the time that you're conducting your search.

[anodyne33]

I'm pretty happy with my Sure E2s that I got for about $100. They're comfortable and sound great for recreational listening. I have a set of Microsonic Music's customs, but I don't get nearly the isolation, although they're build like a brick shithouse.

[George]

I've only used and own two:

Shure e2c:  I paid $65 for them on sale at buy.com several years ago.  I'm on my third pair as the wiring or plastic housing would break apart after winter rolled in every year.  At first I hated them.  They sounded dull and lifeless.  No bass, no treble.  Once I figured out which tips to use (medium foamies), they sounded a little better and a bit more comfortable.  They surprisingly sound great if you get a good seal with them. 

SEAL is key.  You must have them inserted in right and deep to get a good bass response and treble too.  It seems that different tips also affect the sound.  I just started using them for the heck of it and tried the clear plastic tips and they have some incredible bass response.  Very deep and fluid, the impact is just good, albeit a little two dimensional.  However, I find the treble response to be a little too sharp for my tastes now.

Shure SE530 PTH - $500 or so.  I got the 530's in a trade of a lifetime.  I owned a custom built tube amp that had a wood chassis (oak?).  Anyway, the amp was okay and I had been pining for the 530's for a while.  Someone on head-fi had sent in his E500's (the 530's predecessor) and he got the 530's as a replacement since the e500's were discontinued.  The 530's are a world apart from the e2c's.  The first thing I noticed was how smoooooth they sounded.  Billy Joel sounds downright graceful like a ballerina whether he's crooning or bee-bopping.  The imaging and soundstage on these iem's (yep, in ear monitors is the right term to use) is just magical.  The midrange is lush and fun.  Cymbals crash effortlessly.  Vocals sound like silk. The treble response is good...shures are known to be warm sounding and forgiving.  Kind of like the Sennheiser line of headphones.  I frequently catch myself tapping my feet along to whatever I'm listening to. 

The black olive tips are fantastic.  Very comfortable and easy to insert and remove without any pain.  I don't even notice their in my ears sometimes.  The seal is quite effective too.  I ride mass transit every day to and from work and I don't flinch at all when the E train comes screeching into Chambers street every 3-4 minutes. 

To back track, I've owned about a dozen headphones over the last 9 years, from the Sennheiser HE60 electrostatic headphones which retailed for $800 to the Koss ksc75's.  The HE60's are in a world of their own and I have some regret for selling them.  I hope in the future I can find a iem that can match its finesse.  They are truly a headphone to behold (seriously!). 

[Gutbucket]

Still love my Etymotic ER4S for straight accuracy (and isolation).

All in-ear canal phones need a tight seal for bass especially those single driver Etys.  I use a leather punch to adapt the highest attenuating foam earplugs I can find which improve the fit, sound and isolation dramatically. 

Other in-ears? I didn't care for the Ety ER6s. Listened briefly to the full line of the Shure's, UE's and Klipsh's at a headphone meet.  Quality improved with price as expected.  The make that stood out there for me were the Sleek's due to mostly their tunable sound and good design- small interchangeable port plugs allow for tuning the bass and treble to your ear response and preference.  I think that is a great innovation as earphones are like shoes and fit everyone and every ear-response differently.

I also have a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 noise canceling in-ears which are interesting.  The sound is nothing great but the noise cancellation is very good.  I bought them to try to get even better isolation and boom reduction over fully inserted foam earplugs, using them  with my leather punched foam plug mod.  They are promising and sound very natural by actively reducing the bass that bypasses even a fully inserted, treble-killing earplug, but they don't have enough headroom for the super loud stuff I need it for and distort.  Promising experiment though.

[javertim]

Oddly enough, I prefer the Shure SE420s to the 530s, as I find the latter have way too much bass.  I tend to listen almost exclusively to classical and opera, so the more balanced sound of the 420s works better for me.  I would imagine the 530s are much better for rock and pop.

[George]

Oddly enough, I prefer the Shure SE420s to the 530s, as I find the latter have way too much bass.  I tend to listen almost exclusively to classical and opera, so the more balanced sound of the 420s works better for me.  I would imagine the 530s are much better for rock and pop.

Also depends on what device is driving them.  My blackberry (8830) drives them okay, not much bass there.  My Rio Karma is probably the most well balanced mp3 player and drives them effortlessly with the right amount of bass.  Of course, eq also comes into play. 

[page]

Bump:

background: I used a set of ER-6s (not the "i"s, but the regular ER-6) for a long long time. Big fan of the bi-flange silicon tip. I agree that the microphonics of the cable reduced it to sitting (which I primarily did) and it's sort of a bright listening device. That said, my left channel seems to have died, so I picked up a set of UM3Xs from Westone.

For those of you who are familiar with the ety sound, the UM3X is designed as a stage monitor, and has much more of a flat or unhyped response then it's cousin the W3. Over the evening, I noticed that there is less 6-12khz response compared to the ER-6s and there is bass (lets say, +4db worth and the extension is lower as well). Midrange is recessed a bit comparatively, with the lower the khz, the less recessed. It would bother me since I like that laser precession of the etys, if this wasn't so good... The soundstage is the other general difference. The etys have a flat or in-your-face soundstage. If your into that sort of thing, there you go. The UM3Xs have a much bigger soundstage. The easiest example is setup a band on stage. Half on your left and half on the right. Now stand on stage between them and listen. Thats the etys. Now step back into the audience by about 10 ft (so maybe 3rd or 5th row in a small club), thats the UM3X soundstage.

Couple of general points:

1) The etys have laser precision. The westones are detailed, but not in a precise manner. There are things I hear on some recordings, that were more difficult to hear on the etys. Overall, comparing the two, the westones appear slightly veiled, but less so then regular headphones would sound veiled. The UM3X does seem to have a neutral sound, slightly warm, slightly dark compared to the etys which were generally regarded as bright and sterile. Areas where I don't recall hearing much bass, I don't hear in the UM3X listenings, while tapes that were bass heavy, *are* bass heavy IMHO.

2) If you like foam tips, the UM3X is great, if you hate comply, then when you buy them, look at getting the $120 UM-56 custom mold adaptor (these don't fit your musicians plugs like the ER-6s). There are no other tips delivered stock, but supposedly the same aftermarket tips for the Shure 530 will work as they use a similar nozzle end.


This is ultimately why I think I'll keep the UM3X and get the UM-56 adaptors:

3) When I wear my musicians plugs, I get a little more bass then I would otherwise. I'm glad to wear the plugs and things are fine, but i get a little more bass then otherwise. This IEM generally replicates that better then the ety ER-6 did. Now, I liked the ety, it was a great IEM, however this is closer to what I hear at a show while taping (for better or worse).


edit:

I hate comply. f'ing foam BS... I get a consistent fit or balanced sound about once every 10 or 11 tries. I called my audiologist today and will get impressions when I get back to town on Monday.

[Terps]

buy the best shures you can and be happy

[bobbygeeWOW]

I still think these are great bang-for-buck: http://www.fidelitycustomearphones.com/

[KenH]

Still love my Etymotic ER4S for straight accuracy (and isolation).

All in-ear canal phones need a tight seal for bass especially those single driver Etys.  I use a leather punch to adapt the highest attenuating foam earplugs I can find which improve the fit, sound and isolation dramatically. 

I like this idea and would like to try it w/ my ety's.   Do you need to use an adhesive to get the foam earplugs to stick to the center post ?

[Gutbucket]

Nope. Just punch a hole axially through the ear plug.  It will conform to the post like it does the inside of your ear.  It sort of crunches the foam when you punch the hole and takes the plug a good bit of time to recover its shape. The best isolating foam plugs are pretty long, so all of the narrow tube and most of the driver ends up inside the plug.  Punch the hole to fit the smaller tube part and it slips on there pretty easily, then you need to kind of stretch it over the larger diameter driver section.  Once on there correctly, the tube opening is nearly flush with the ear end of the plug and the cable end sticks out just a bit. 

They stay on there fine but you can pull them off easily to change them once your GF freaks out about the earwax discoloration.  If you don't have extra punched plugs ready to go just throw the dirty plugs in your pocket when you wash your jeans. Squeeze the water out when they come out of the wash, let 'em dry and they're bright blue and good as new.

[KenH]

Great! Thanks.

[Kevin Straker]

I need a set of these to use when I play acoustic-electric. I am currently using a cheap Shure set that does not fit well. I constantly have to shove it in my ear. I frequently cannot hear myself over the rest of the band. I need a semi-custom fit, without the expense of custom moldable.

[Brian E.]

buy the best shures you can and be happy

I've got them (Shure 530's)

[Brian Skalinder]

I've got them (Shure 530's)

Tough to tell from the pic:  do the 530s actually seat -in- the ear canal to attenuate external sounds?  From the pic, they look more like earbuds, i.e. they simply rest on the inner portion of the outer ear (which wouldn't attenuate external sounds much).

[Brian E.]

they do insert into the ear canal and hold relatively tight and comfortable.  They're not professional IEM fit obviously, but they definitely plug up very well with the foam tips.







(not my pics)

[jerryfreak]

ive had the etymotic ER4P for close to 10 years, they are the shit. i imagine the sub -$100 er6 are pretty damn good.

[George]

I also have the SE530's.  Riding on the A and F trains in Brooklyn and Manhattan have never been so pleasant.  I hear very little noise and I don't have to blast them. 

[Brian E.]

I also have the SE530's.  Riding on the A and F trains in Brooklyn and Manhattan have never been so pleasant.  I hear very little noise and I don't have to blast them. 

agreed.  I ride the Red to the Brown every morning and I use them.  I only have my iPhone up about 3/4 of the volume and it's loud.

[KenH]

ijwts that the custom ETY earplug mod, with an earplug used as the foam, works great!  It's much easier to get a good seal!  Thanks gutbucket!

[Gutbucket]

No problem and good to hear, I wouldn't use mine any other way.

Any of you ER4 users know the word on replacing the tiny green filters?  I've never replaced mine and I think one is getting clogged since I noticed a significant balance mismatch the last few times I've used them.  The highs have probably slowly been attenuated over the years too, even tough the filters still appear clean & green.  At least I don't hear the same 'air' that I remember being impressed with.  I've long ago misplaced the case with the extra filters and the little extractor tool that came with them, but I assume replacements are available from Etymotic.

[KenH]

> ETY filters

I've never changed mine, don't use them all that much, but, I recently checked how to do it.

The removal tool is basically a long, thin screw that screws into the existing filter which then pulls out (ruining it, I presume). The new one just pushes in.  I'm sure you could order replacements.

[page]

> ETY filters

I've never changed mine, don't use them all that much, but, I recently checked how to do it.

The removal tool is basically a long, thin screw that screws into the existing filter which then pulls out (ruining it, I presume). The new one just pushes in.  I'm sure you could order replacements.

thats how it works for the er6 model.

[page]

follow up to my original post: I've got my um56 adaptor tips back for the um3x, and thats just about the shizz. I loved my ety ER-6s behind a dark tube amp, but these can sit behind just about anything close to neutral and be happy. The comply tips that are stock suck, but the um56 tips which are molded are nice.

It seams they recommend the vinyl ones, but I'd almost be tempted to get the ottoblast tips next time. I have one musicians plug done in ottoblast from them (reshelled), and it's slightly more comfortable but probably isn't as accurate.

All told, it's like $500 (inc impressions, phones, and tips), but I'm rather happy with them.

[spyder9]

Shure E4c's.  I stole a pair on ebay for $80.00 shipped.  Very happy. 

[Tim]

new grados... the iGi ($89) and GR8 ($299)

shot of the GR8,,

[Gutbucket]

new grados... the iGi ($89) and GR8 ($299)

Intentional that the naming implies the $90 ones sound icky and the $300 ones sound great?

[George]

I really wish they'd stop using a lower case i to signify it's somehow meant to work best with an Apple product   

[Idle Wind]

anyone try the Klipsch S4s?  they make a set that integrates w/the iPhone 3GS as well.

[mosquito]

Favorite?  Etymotic ER4.  I'd buy another set.  I use the 3-ring rubber (latex?) tips.  I had heard of them and couldn't justify the price for a while... until I got a deal from them at a trade show.  For me they come off as very clear and clean.  When I first got them I was really astonished that I could hear new things in recordings I'd heard dozens of times over decades.  (Of course, that last bit could prolly be said anytime someone moves over to high quality.)

Others: 

Shure  E2c -- They're OK.  They have moderate sound isolation.  I'm currently using these 'cause my Etymotics are broken.  They don't stay positioned well in my ears.  (Maybe too much wax?)

Skull Candy somethings... picked them up at a motorcycle gear store, of all places.  For the price (maybe $20) I've been very happy with them.

--

A separate question for folks:  what do you do to attenuate sounds when you want to monitor your recording at a loud show?  None of my earbud... err... in-ear monitors reduce other sounds enough for me.  I've wondered about getting some 'hearing protector muffs' that they use at shooting ranges, but don't really think that'll do what I want.  Suggestions?

[stevetoney]

^ It's less a function of how much the headphones attenuate sound, and more a function of how much your recorder can amplify the signal.  The only recorder I've had that has a decent headphone amp is the Sound Devices 7XX.  All the rest of them suck in comparison and don't amplify nearly enough to be able to offer decent monitoring capability during a show.

[page]

Yeah, when applied properly, the etys (and other sealing IEMs) can achieve close to 25 or 30db of attenuation, but after about 35, it's coming through your skull and not the ears. So you can wear the shooting range headsets (I've thought about it), in addition, but that will probably only garner another 5 or 7db, and after that it's hiding behind a seat or something as you arn't "hearing" it through conventional means. To overcome that, you have to just turn the headphone amp up which isn't a healthy idea.

[Gutbucket]

I've worn shooter hearing protectors over the Ety ER4s (ety's installed in -30db blue foam earplugs) and it does increase isolation.. but honestly it's a bit too ridiculous to do regularly.

I think the ultimate answer will be active cancellation.  I've tested some AT in-ears with active cancellation as 'reverse hearing aids' - not plugged into any source, used only for cancellation - and they worked really well for lower volume, FOH amp'ed acoustic performances.  The sound of those phones is nothing to write home about, but using them that way was the most balanced sound attenuation I've heard.  They don't have nearly enough headroom for bass-heavy loud material where it is really needed though, otherwise I'd wear them all the time.  I've though of trying to hack them to use the mics & cancellation circuit with a portable headphone amp and the etys, but that's a bit beyond my electronics skills.  Let me know if any of you have applicable insight into doing that you'd care to share.

[jamesmcn]

Bump:

background: I used a set of ER-6s (not the "i"s, but the regular ER-6) for a long long time. Big fan of the bi-flange silicon tip. I agree that the microphonics of the cable reduced it to sitting (which I primarily did) and it's sort of a bright listening device. That said, my left channel seems to have died, so I picked up a set of UM3Xs from Westone.

I've found that microphonics on my ER-6is are significantly reduced if I run the cables forward out of my ear, and then up and back, tucking the cables behind my earlobes.

[page]

Bump:

background: I used a set of ER-6s (not the "i"s, but the regular ER-6) for a long long time. Big fan of the bi-flange silicon tip. I agree that the microphonics of the cable reduced it to sitting (which I primarily did) and it's sort of a bright listening device. That said, my left channel seems to have died, so I picked up a set of UM3Xs from Westone.

I've found that microphonics on my ER-6is are significantly reduced if I run the cables forward out of my ear, and then up and back, tucking the cables behind my earlobes.

Yeah, thats how my westones are designed for. I don't like it as much since I wear glasses, but it did reduce the microphonics.

[Gutbucket]

Cable material makes a big difference too.  I recabled my Er4's with smoother, more flexible cable and the microphonics are greatly reduced.

[tedyun]

What kind of cable did you use? I just got a pair of triple driver UE Triple.fi 10 pros. Although I swore off IEMS after my Ety6's because of the microphonics, I got a great deal on a used pair, and man these sound unbelievable.

I'd be interested in recabling if I could find a source for the pins.

Cable material makes a big difference too.  I recabled my Er4's with smoother, more flexible cable and the microphonics are greatly reduced.

[Gutbucket]

Bought them from Xin when he was making them inexpensively.  Here's his DIY page, scroll to the bottom of the page to the section titled Enhancement cords to see the version I have. The cords themselves appear to be simple, cheapo headphone cord, but is smooth and pliable with little noise transfer.  I much prefer these to the standard Ety cords.

[tedyun]

Very cool. Thanks for the link. I wonder if I can use the same pins through a circuit board to make the cable for the triple.fi's.

Bought them from Xin when he was making them inexpensively.  Here's his DIY page, scroll to the bottom of the page to the section titled Enhancement cords to see the version I have. The cords themselves appear to be simple, cheapo headphone cord, but is smooth and pliable with little noise transfer.  I much prefer these to the standard Ety cords.

[zhianosatch]

er4 - worth it? i had a pair of er-6i and was super impressed with the isolation, though they somehow seemed to sound a little cheap and less detailed than even mdr-7506s. would love to get much better sound with the same excellent isolation. i have to admit, though, that falling asleep with the etymotics in your ears can be incredibly uncomfortable when you wake up.
any way i could give them a trial somehow?

[jamesmcn]

er4 - worth it? i had a pair of er-6i and was super impressed with the isolation, though they somehow seemed to sound a little cheap and less detailed than even mdr-7506s. would love to get much better sound with the same excellent isolation. i have to admit, though, that falling asleep with the etymotics in your ears can be incredibly uncomfortable when you wake up.
any way i could give them a trial somehow?

Which tips are you using with your ER6is? I used the triple-flange tips for about a year before I finally tried the smaller double-flange tips. The doubles fit my ears a lot better, and sound quality improved dramatically.

[zhianosatch]

er4 - worth it? i had a pair of er-6i and was super impressed with the isolation, though they somehow seemed to sound a little cheap and less detailed than even mdr-7506s. would love to get much better sound with the same excellent isolation. i have to admit, though, that falling asleep with the etymotics in your ears can be incredibly uncomfortable when you wake up.
any way i could give them a trial somehow?

Which tips are you using with your ER6is? I used the triple-flange tips for about a year before I finally tried the smaller double-flange tips. The doubles fit my ears a lot better, and sound quality improved dramatically.

they were in a backpack that got stolen almost three years ago, unfortunately. but i used to use both the triple-flanged and the orange foam tips. the orange foam seemed to put a slightly stronger but duller pressure on the earhole but were ultimately more useful, from what i can remember.

[Gutbucket]

Personally, I love the ER4 and didn't care for the ER6 sound at all, but I know others love the 6's and are very happy with them.

[mosquito]

MUAAHAHAHAHA!  HA! HA!

Thanks for the ER4 page, so much!  Mine are currently busted from a bit too much abuse and there's a loose connection in one wire plug assembly.  I'd been waiting until I could justify spending the cash to send them in, but now I know there's nothing in there I can cut the puppy open and do my own surgery!  Many times I've spent 30 minutes or more fiddling with it to get sound in both ears so I could edit something.  Soon fixed!

--

For the monitoring, I've got ER4Ps with the P-to-S adaptor from Etymotic, so I pop off the adaptor and can turn them up loud enough to hear what I'm recording, I just can't carefully listen at that volume and I'm certainly not a Chicken of the Spring so I don't really like getting it that loud either.

Noise cancellation... Hmm.  Anyone tried over-the-ear active noise canceling headphones just for the isolation over in-ears?  One thing I want to be able to do is choose the precise height and orientation of my mics as most of the time I don't have a lot of choices for position in the room.

And since I'm going to do modifications, I think I'm going to try out some sort of shock absorber to minimize the microphonics.  (That does bug me about them, but I've found it a small price.)

[zhianosatch]

bought a pair of er-4p, should be arriving today. i can't wait to be alone in the crowd again

[jlykos]

Bought a set of the new Westone 2 earphones that arrived last week.  I love these.  As comfortable as the Westone UM1 IEMs but with a wider soundstage and more bass extension.  I like the bass extension the best: not boomy and over-pronounced like the Ultimate Ears but tight and well-presented like it should be.  Midrange detail is also outstanding.

Anybody looking to put down the money for Shures, Etymotics, or the like should take a listen to these.

[zhianosatch]

er-4p: starting to think my ear canals might be smaller than normal. a fair amount of pain with the flanged eartips, so the foams it is for now. much better detail with the er-4p than i remember with the er-6i, but i'm definitely missing some bass response when compared to my mdr-7506s (obviously). i guess a better-fitting eartip could help with it.
but i'm in my own world in a loud office. unbeatable.

[s1rrah]

Shure SE530's for me.

I've heard all the Shure's, the Seins, the UM's, etc. ... even the (truly fabulous) JH Audio JH-13's ... and even though I think the JH-13's, technically, are a bit better than the SE530's? I still can't help but feel the SE530's are the more valuable, *extensible* kit considering the relative prices. JH-Audio JH-13's for $1300 or the SE500's for $300 or so (used/ebay) ...

But that's just me.

I've used Shure's mic's for years and perhaps I'm biased ... maybe a bit fan-boi-ish ...

But I really love the SE530's ...

Have fun.

 

[George]

The only problem I have with my 530's is that the damn wiring keeps giving on one one side and I keep sending them in for warranty exchanges...wish Shure would use better wiring.  I'm on my third pair and guess what?  The left ear is going out (same thing happened to my last pair).

[MattD]

Phonak Audéo. I've written about them before. I used to own a pair of Etymotic ER-6 and I like these better, both for their sonic characteristics and their fit.

[s1rrah]

The only problem I have with my 530's is that the damn wiring keeps giving on one one side and I keep sending them in for warranty exchanges...wish Shure would use better wiring.  I'm on my third pair and guess what?  The left ear is going out (same thing happened to my last pair).

I've read horror stories similar to yours and I don't envy you the trouble.

Myself? I've not had any problems. I wear them in really nasty outdoor conditions too ... working outdoors in dusty, damp and pretty unforgiving locales along the Port of Houston ... daily use, etc.

I have, however, every few months or so, moistened the cabling with a damp cloth or even rubber conditioner every now and then (because, again, of stories like your own) ... but I've had no problems for a year or so.

I will say this ...

They are sort of source dependent ... I find they are at their best only after being amp'd and only after careful EQ'ing ... but again, that same versatility is why I like them for the money.

I really want a pair of JH Audio JH-13's but I don't have a spare 1300 bucks laying around for new IEM's.

LOL.

BTW:

Shure is set to release (mid 2010) the SE535's which will feature detachable/replaceable cables; apparently, the same drivers, but the replaceable cable is nice and it also opens wide the doors for 3rd party custom cables to be made ...

Check it!

http://www.trustedreviews.com/mp3/news/2010/01/07/CES-2010--New-High-End-Shure-Earphones/p1

[Brian E.]

Shure SE530's for me.

I've heard all the Shure's, the Seins, the UM's, etc. ... even the (truly fabulous) JH Audio JH-13's ... and even though I think the JH-13's, technically, are a bit better than the SE530's? I still can't help but feel the SE530's are the more valuable, *extensible* kit considering the relative prices. JH-Audio JH-13's for $1300 or the SE500's for $300 or so (used/ebay) ...

But that's just me.

I've used Shure's mic's for years and perhaps I'm biased ... maybe a bit fan-boi-ish ...

But I really love the SE530's ...

Have fun.

 

me too!

It's not specific to them, but I hate how the foam inserts collect wax like WHOA.  I always have to wash them off, even if I use Q-tips a lot.

[George]

The only problem I have with my 530's is that the damn wiring keeps giving on one one side and I keep sending them in for warranty exchanges...wish Shure would use better wiring.  I'm on my third pair and guess what?  The left ear is going out (same thing happened to my last pair).

They are sort of source dependent ... I find they are at their best only after being amp'd and only after careful EQ'ing ... but again, that same versatility is why I like them for the money.

Thanks for the info! 

Btw, have you ever listened to your shures on a Rio Karma.  If not, you have no clue what you're missing...it makes them sound godly (no joke).  This is coming from someone who once owned the Baby O's (Sennheiser Baby Orpheus, aka HE60) and sold them off since the 530's+Karma did the trick. 

I wish my karma was working   

[crossthreaded]

anyone have any experience with the AKG IP2 headphones?

I won a pair for a very decent price on ebay, and they have pretty decent reviews, but not many of them.  I'm just looking for something to upgrade my iphone headphones that I carry to class with me.  My senns are too big to carry to class and walk around with.  I've got 2 hours in between each of my classes on tu tr this year so I have been using my ipod headphones a lot and they are really shitty.