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

[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.