Or more accurately reworded (but less exciting) loud music is bad for your hearing. Many people choose earbuds that are not isolating intentionally because they want to be aware of their surroundings and thus don't increase the volume to compensate.
That might be true, but I'd bet good money most people chose non-isolating earbuds because they don't know any better (or know of the existence of isolating earbuds).
I don't really feel comfortable walking in the woods. I basically can't imagine walking in a city with earphones in.
My Audio Technica ATH-IM02 earbuds in comparison require very careful positioning, even though it offers far superior quality in a quiet environment.
Custom IEMs can isolate noise almost as well as fully inserted foam earplugs, and they take only a second to insert or remove. The convenience and sound-blocking consistency are why I prefer them to "universal" tipped IEMs.
Cheapo shure se215 with triple flange or foam tips and you're golden. I have them on all day and I even manage to sleep with them (when I accidentally fall asleep while listening to a podcast)
I'm confident there's a healthy set of users who understand this as well.
So i mean that i can't really tell what will work for you. This channel can help, he has some decent reviews https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIw1An1OUp4XIv_h6si2etQ/vid...
I had couple KZ back in 2016-17 and they were pretty much the same as 15-30$ sennheisers, wasn't impressed, but the headphones industry is changing way too fast, so even today i would have to make a market research myself for a new pair if i wanted another sound signature.
Btw my first kinda decent pair was Sony Xba-C10 (got them for 25$ on sale) and it was my 1-st single armature driver iem and i still think that they can play classical solo piano music (like Chopin or Debussy) equally well as any of my 100-200$ headphones (even better then Pinnacle). Yes they have 0 bass and you can't play any modern music on them.
I've had a couple pairs of midrange Sony earbuds (MDR-E821V) that I've used for the last 10+ years. I've replaced the padding with some silicone ones, but other than that, they work great for me.
i chose those earbuds for 3 reasons:
i can't stand having something stuck in my ears (makes me gag)
huge headphones that cover the ears look out of place, and i'd have to take them off if i actually do want to talk to someone. they also signal very much a "do not bother me" and "i don't care about my surroundings" message that i fear can come off as rude.
my kids play with the rubbers and pull them off because it's interesting. (they are explorers, that's their job)
at least this article makes me reconsider alternative options.
However I do believe that Apple did a lot of research to find a good basic shape, and I and quite a few other dolls I know prefer them for their breathability (your ear isn’t designed to be sealed up) and sound awareness.
You can set an iOS volume limit of no more than 50% on your phone to get a head start at protecting your hearing, but most people will find this unacceptable in the short-term due to perceived “quietness”.
Active noise canceling is a valid option, but only for either headphones over the ears or earbuds that are molded to fit your ear canal, at which point you likely won’t need ANC assuming that it stills works at all after the molds are attached!
Where does one get those and how much does it cost?
Examples:
https://custom.ultimateears.com/products/earphones
The Etymotics are $150 for the custom ear molds, and the price of the headphones which range from $60 to a few $hundred.
Though according to the map on their website the nearest place to me that does the molds is a 5 hour drive away. I guess you could probably get most audiologists to do it for you anyway?
The weird sound doesn't come from the earbud per say, it comes from the cables brushing against your clothes. Try flat cables it removes most of it. Or use earbuds that run the cables behind your ears / down your back.
The only other earbuds I've tried that have such a good seal are models with memory-foam type surrounds you compress before you insert, but they're a bit of work to put in.
Sure, but the study that's discussed showed that most people don't do that. They do indeed turn the volume up to dangerous levels, mediated by the type of earphones they're using. You and I are not the norm, and so it's something that's worth looking into, no?
> don’t increase the volume to compensate
Anecdotally, the number of people whose music I can hear from meters away suggests that many people do increase the volume to compensate.
With that said, I googled and came up blank looking for these studies, so you could be right. Without the studies to back it up, what I wrote is kinda meaningless.