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In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

soundguys.com

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Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#81

Post by ghostly_s »

wintermutestwin wrote: post #17

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…

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.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#82

Post by Rd6n6 »

Groxx wrote: post #72
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).

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

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#84

Post by ThePadawan »

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.

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.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#85

Post by Rd6n6 »

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.

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

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#86

Post by Rd6n6 »

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 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

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#87

Post by Rd6n6 »

aaaaaaaaaaab wrote: post #27
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.

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).

It helps, but it doesn’t get rid of it

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#88

Post by rectang »

Rd6n6 wrote: post #85
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.

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

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.

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#89

Post by rectang »

ThePadawan wrote: post #84
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.

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.

> 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

Re: In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

#90

Post by cma »

rectang wrote: post #31
aaaaaaaaaaab wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

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…

It still may not be the right word, but microphones predate electricity (ear horns were called microphones).
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