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In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

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Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#71

Post by willis936 »

disabled wrote: post #65
willis936 wrote: post #41

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.

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.

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).

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#72

Post by Groxx »

ziml77 wrote: post #10

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…

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).

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#73

Post by infogulch »

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

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#74

Post by noneeeed »

bryan0 wrote: post #35
Rd6n6 wrote: post #23

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

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.

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.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#75

Post by Tarsul »

vijucat wrote: post #3

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.

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)

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#76

Post by aalam »

bryan0 wrote: post #62
aalam wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

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.

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).

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#77

Post by BeFlatXIII »

infogulch wrote: post #73

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 pu…

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.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#78

Post by benrbray »

infogulch wrote: post #73

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 pu…

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.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#79

Post by initplus »

bluedino wrote: post #9
rectang wrote: post #7

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.

They sell them without wires

Microphonics can be just as much of an issue with wireless headphones.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#80

Post by EvanAnderson »

infogulch wrote: post #73

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 pu…

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?

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