In-ears headphones fit matters a lot | Hacker News Reader

In-ears headphones fit matters a lot

soundguys.com

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, I still find the foam tips far better than any silicone tip I've tried. Those never feel like they fit right, either being too small or feeling like they're so big that they're trying to pop themselves back out.

I switched to Comply foam, then back to silicon for good. The dealbreaker for me was cleanliness. The downside you mentioned of squishing the foam was the biggest reason; I always aimed to sanitize my hands before rolling the foam (pre-Covid, to prevent colds), so it was an extra hassle to take them out often.

Also, it's easy to clean silicon tips with dish soap and water (alternatively isopropyl), but I found that Comply tips break down really easily with washing. They're also expensive to replace frequently, and I found that cheaper foam alternatives didn't measure up.

If regular cleaning isn't a concern (isn't strictly necessary, it's just a personal preference), Comply tips work, though I would only use them for IEMs that don't fit well for silicon.

I've been using memory foam buds as well and found that given enough time and use, they will start _melting_ from in-ear wax interaction.

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

Can confirm. As others have pointed out, they do not last forever and they pick up grunge if you are not careful about storing the headphones. But they work really well. I prefer moderately priced IEMs with Comply eartips for air travel vs noise cancelling headphones. Just don't drop them on a gross airliner floor.

Thank you for sharing! I’ve been disappointed with my Pro AirPods since I got them at launch. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me to look for third party replacements to improve the fit, but I’ll give these a try- thanks again!

It amazes me people buy those earphones when they’re probably the worst on the market for fit.

Maybe I just have a really big head but the AirPods Pro large tips felt fantastic to me, and are the first in ear headphones I’ve bought that don’t fall out of my ears.

That website is tuned for SEO maximalism, every article, every title, all the keywords and even the affiliate links. Good example for anyone looking to build a good inbound content strategy.

Yes I noticed it too. But the article/graphs are interesting.

Yes. Content marketing can optimize for SEO and engagement more broadly while simultaneously having good content and not being obnoxious about it.

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

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?

I’ve had tinnitus for ~20 years. I’ve tried everything (as far as I can tell), and by far sound therapy has been the most effective. It’s basically the same techniques used to manage chronic pain, but used to teach you how to minimize and even ignore the perception of tinnitus. It’s not a quick fix, but I went from being constantly consumed by my symptoms to not realizing I have a constant ringing in my left hear almost all of the time, and being ok with the ringing when I do notice it.

The other thing that had worked has been tinnitus masking hearing aids. It’s basically noise cancellation for tinnitus. It’s not perfect and I don’t use it anymore, but when I was learning how to deal with tinnitus it was valuable in giving me temporary symptom relief.

I cannot say anything wrt tinnitus, but I do own some aftershockz headphones as well.

They're extremely interesting, mainly because they're so different but there are a few caveats... The sound quality is pretty lack lustre if you don't plug your ears somehow, especially the base is very shallow otherwise. It's a very entertaining experience when you literally plug you ears with your fingers and the sound quality as well as loudness increases, because the sound waves get reflected back by whatever you plugged your ears with. I generally use significantly more expensive headphones though, so maybe I'm just spoiled.

It really doesn't cut through ambient noise in my experience, it's more like background sound unless your ears are plugged, so noisy surroundings will make it impossible to listen to the headphones as well.

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.

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.

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 have Etymotic ER4SRs which came with this clip [1]. It broke, and I soon found out the microphonics (sound traveling through the cable) were strong, and the extra weight the cable put on the drivers in my ears was surprisingly distracting. I bought a new one and, even though it's super nerdy, wear it.

There are cables that are less microphonic, and I think it might be possible that if you wrap the cable around your ear instead of going straight up it's supposed to help also. I don't personally like the around the ear thing--feels like a bridge too far for me look-wise, but I'm not everyone.

But I'll get on my shtick for a second: I love my ER4SRs. They've basically saved my career. They're small, there's no latency, there's infinite battery life, essentially everything is replaceable, the sound _perfect_. I super wish they made a (non-Lightning) cable that had a mic in it (I know there's 3rd party ones but haven't had a lot of success there yet and quit trying), but it's a small inconvenience. I can mostly work anywhere under almost any conditions, which has turned out to be important.

[1]: https://www.etymotic.com/product/shirt-clip-for-er-series-ea...

The effect isn't produced by wire microphonics, but instead by movement of the sealed headphone in the ear canal causing air pressure changes which are large compared to typical sound vibrations in air.

The solution is to ensure that they are never jostled, which I achieved by staying still. Probably going wireless would also eliminate the issue.

Well, yeah I guess that's an absolute solution. But the clip more or less makes it such that any jostling below it is muted, so you only have to worry about the individual wires going to each driver. I find those don't get touched that often. That said, my use is practically always sitting in front of a computer. If I were doing other physical activity I'd probably get the cheapest Airpods and forget about it.

I bought some Etymotics last year and I was frankly disappointing given the price. They broke not too long after getting them. The right earpiece seems to have bad contact with the cable and don't cant get any sound in that ear.

It may be as simple as replacing the cable though, I'm not entirely sure.

I had a similar problem, and the solution was to change out the filter in the non-functioning earpiece [0] with the tool and replacement filters that came with the device.

I also bought a replacement cable, which didn't work, then contacted support for a replacement. Their suggested fix of changing the filter worked. I suspect the reason may have been moisture; I washed the silicon tip with soap and water, then put it back on the earpiece and filter without waiting for it to fully dry.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbDgTa8Htzo

Ah damn, I immediately recognized the bag containing the tool and filter replacements. Now I have to see if I can find it.

They sell replacements for cheap; I had basically the same experience as you and had a very sad moment, then yeah, (re)discovered filters and everything worked again. They also come in different tunings if you want to try and tweak things.

I loved my etymotics ER when I had them. Forgot which one it was. I have yet to find a quality sounding in-ears( tried a few without success) . I have moved to AirPods Pro for their convenience but those etymotics were great.

I also loved my Etys. Problem for me is that they would only last a year before failing. I’ve since switch over to RHAs which are not quite as good but they have a 3 year warranty.

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

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).

Oh definitely get the replacement cable, I'm on my 3rd. I picked up their bluetooth neckbuds thing (this is the depth of my commitment haha) to try, but as soon as I confirmed the wires weren't replaceable I sent it straight back--instantly limited the lifetime to < 1 year.

I loved my Etys, too. But they were very fragile.

I’ve ended up switching to Shure IEMs, but I use the Etymotic triple-flange silicone ear tips. I’ve tried everything else I can find, and nothing else works as well to keep them in my ears.

Comply foam ear tips are a good idea, but don’t work nearly so well as my 32dB NRR earplugs at staying in my ears. And the triple flange silicone tips actually let me hear something instead of just blocking out noise.

I’ve recently discovered that Shure now has a couple of different “totally wireless” devices that you can plug into whatever modern Shure IEMs you have, so I’m trying those out now, both as a way to actively block out the sound of my wife snoring with white noise from my iPhone, and I’m also going to try them in combination with a Røde Wireless Go II lavalier mic setup for Zoom and Chime teleconferences.

Oh, yeah that's a good point. If you _really_ need legit sound isolation (e.g. your hearing is at stake) or have tricky ears you'll have to venture into the pro audio realm--or just straight up get quality ear plugs. I'm lucky enough to have an OK fit with the stock tips, but even so I look at the custom ear tip companies from time to time.

Something else to really pay attention to is listening to music all day. 85 dB might not "sound" (hehe) like much, but more than a couple hours of that and you'll damage your hearing [1]. Do that for a year, say, and it adds up. And 85 dB doesn't sound that loud, especially if you work up to it.

This is where I'm jealous of Apple's Airpods ecosystem, where they know the SPL of the drivers and what volume you're driving them at, so they can avoid damaging your hearing. I really wish more laptop/phone/etc. manufacturers would post more detailed headphone jack stats so you could just plug in your SPL and set the volume accordingly. I had a hell of a time figuring it out for my 2018 MBP; I can only imagine what it's like for less ubiquitous hardware.

[1]: https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss

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 an undesired electrical signal (noise).

There's no electricity involved in this phenomenon, which arises through pure mechanical coupling when the wire causes the sealed earpiece to move and air pressure in the ear canal to swing wildly.

But that's like complaining about URL vs. URI...

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

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

It depends on the material the wire is made of and the way it's coupled to the ear piece. Try braided ones, for example. I've had a pair with "anti-tangle" plastic wire that transmitted remarkably little movement noise. Fixing the wire to the clothing, with a clip at shoulder height, also helps reducing vibratons.

I bought a pair of jaybird in ear wireless headphones for listening to music while running. But even without wires the bass disturbance caused by even the slightest step makes them completely unusable. I don't understand how people are able to use in ear headphones. I realized I can't.

It started off the same for me, but I found best fitting of the 3 or 4 tips it comes with, which weren't the ones I thought were best while standing still, and got used to it, and ended up liking my jaybirds.

Try wearing them with an imperfect seal. The sound will be quite sub par but it will be consistent. It works for me, because I'm out for a run not an audiophile experience. You'll also get to hear some of the ambient noise which helps with balance, safety etc...

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

Just making sure I understand you! (I genuinely don't think I encounter this noise, but that's alright)

Try looping each side of the cable over and behind your ear, with the little plastic splitter tab positioned relatively snugly under your chin. That should stabilize 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.

They sell them without wires

Yes, of course. I'm still amazed on some level that the wired versions are considered acceptable, because the thumping is so prominent — as far as I'm concerned, it's a fatally flawed design. But that's the human perceptual mechanism for you — highly optimized for filtering out unwanted sensory input.

I have a bunch of cheap in-ears (each comes with a bag of different seals) and none of them have the issue you describe. Sure, you can hear it when the cables bump against something, but it's not a "massive bass thump".

Stick your forefinger in your ear, well enough to form a bit of a seal. Then move your finger around a little bit. That causes a ton of rumbling/thumping noise as the air in the ear canal moves much more dramatically than it does when encountering sound waves in open air.

The same effect happens when you jostle a sealed in-ear monitor. I don't doubt that you are not perceiving this rumble, but my explanation is that your brain is filtering it out.

EDIT: It occurs to me now that if you listen at consistently high volume (which many in-ear headphone users do), jostling rumble will be relatively lower.

I don't listen at high volume and my hearing is quite excellent. I'm guessing that there's something about your ear canal that causes a really good seal (maybe wet ears), or maybe something about my ear canal that I don't get these perfect air-tight bass-thumping seals. FWIW I don't force in-ears deeply into my ear canal, because that's uncomfortable as heck (and tends to make the bass way to boomy and overpronounced in my experience). I only stick the soft rubber part in.

The situation seems a bit more complicated now given that only wired headphones can support the best lossless codecs, as I understand it. I wouldn't currently by anything that couldn't plug in with a wire, at least optionally.

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

> a massive bass thump in my ear

Definitely a no-no for audiophiles.

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

> One of the major problems is that you can’t really try in ear headphones before you buy them.

Your right as a consumer is that you can return items within a certain period after purchase. Make use of it!

Beware: buying as a company often does not give you this right.

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.

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 (https://www.soundguys.com/finding-ear-tips-17148/) didn't talk about this problem.

This feels very familiar. I have tried many pods, foams, silicon bits, and sizes. Whatever I do, those damn things fall out of my left ear. The right is fine, the left won't keep anything in it. So I'm using over-ear because that's my only viable option

Yes - I have the same issue where one ear canal is smaller.

When you say "over-ear" I assume you mean traditional over ear headphones with a strap. And yes, I have a decent pair, but they are big and not good for a number of common situations:

1. Lifting weights at the gym - when I lie down on a bench they fall off.

2. When I am out jogging, they bounce around too much and get very sweaty in hot weather.

3. In cold or sunny weather, I can't wear a hat with them.

I actually returned my Airpods Pro because I simply could not get them to fit. iOS even tells you if they don't have a good seal and I could never make it happy.

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.

Ordered. Fingers crossed that they fit.

Best of luck!

Have you considered making the jump to over-ear?

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).

I've been using my CIEMs with Fiio's UTWS3[0] and it's been great, pretty decent sound quality with APT-X tho sadly no LDAC. Also no ANC but imo the isolation of customs is good enough already. The software is also a joke, but basicly nothing has a proper parametric EQ anyways.

Also recently learned about UE FITS[1] which are TWS and mold to your ears at home.

[0] https://www.fiio.com/utws3 [1] https://custom.ultimateears.com/products/ue-fits

Pretty neat. Do either have a pass-through mode?

I have sensaphonics custom sleeves for Shure universals (specifically the se-535's, but fit the 215's just fine). I've used them with Shure bluetooth wireless adapters for a few years. Now with Shure's new Aonic TWS adapter, I can pop them on my 535's with my custom sleeves and voila!

That Aonic TWS is pretty interesring! It's almost exactly what I'm looking for. It'd be nice to also have the mic used for calls also be able to pump in sound from the outside. I like IEMs, but I don't want to wear something at work that I have to pull out all of the time.

Rather agree with the article, having done a lot of trial and error on earbuds - fit really does matter. Good fit actually seems more important to the sound than the underlying speaker tech, also determines how long they stay comfortable for.

Having run through a lot of earbuds, for me personally I've found the Panasonic RP-HJE-125's best (despite the throwaway price). Probably a bit rough on things, I do break stuff a lot and there's really quite little to be had between well-fitting cheap buds and much more expensive offerings (the HJE's come with 3 sizes of tips, don't be afraid to use different sizes each side).

Edit: For more bass try JVC HA-FX10's - too much more bass for me, horses for course etc.

I primarily use in-ear headphones for running. I find that headphones with a good seal mean that I can hear every step I take thumping in my ears, and after running I can hear my heartbeat. Both are extremely uncomfortable sensations. Apple AirPods, despite not fitting with a seal, work perfectly. They don't fall out, and I can't hear my own body. Can't really ask for more, except a black option and better software support on Android.

One of Logitech's brands (Ultimate Ears) makes an "at home" semi-custom molding eartip for their true wireless earbuds. The "UE Fits". I bought a pair, honestly was super comfortable, they are molded via a UV light in the earbud in a one time setup process. I went with another pair of wireless earbuds for other features, but thinking back I kind of miss them already.

But, would be cool if a company made a product that let you make semi-custom earbud tips like this for a variety of different earbuds -- without requiring ACTUAL ear molding and extended process of true custom IEMs. Sorta like the comply foam/spinfit aftermarket tips.

Certainly, and I wonder why custom fit earphones are not more popular. They are a bit expensive but many people don't mind paying more than $200 on headphones and that's about how much entry level custom molded earphones cost.

I didn't try them but I have custom molded earplugs, and there is no comparison to anything else I have tried. They are comfortable and they stay in place. They are the kind that musicians use and they are optimized for low distortion, but you can use a different filter, because they seal so well, you really get the sound you want, and not whatever is allowed to leak.

I've been looking for something like this, would you mind sharing the name of the product you've been using?

There is a subreddit for DIY in ear monitors. Pay close attention to the first post on this page in particular: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/comments/kfdwf5/made_my_first...

However, you do not need a 3D printer at all to make wonderful in ear monitors. Also, I prefer clear shells (as a color for the headphones) by far. It is also not difficult to make proper ear impressions, too. See this for example: http://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/910150509.pdf

However, this was my basic search technique to find this document about making your own ear impressions: "impressions" AND "ear" AND "bite block" AND "make" filetype:pdf

I made a post that is lower down on this thread that gives the 411 on everything you need to know including using them with a phone that does not have a 3.5 mm jack. This includes for microphone use, like making phone calls.

Ahh thank you so much!

A bit tangential, does anyone here have any thoughts/comments/reviews about the Nura[0] headphones?

From what I understand, they put a microphone next to the speaker to measure your ear’s response to sound. Based on that, a companion software builds a personalized sound profile, which then allows the headphones to auto-equalize the sound to the specifics of your ears.

Do they make a big difference? Are they worth it? How do they compare to other headphones?

0: https://www.nuraphone.com/

I haven’t tried the Nura but I’m a bit skeptical because a microphone is another digital “thing” that can be good or bad in measure the sound, and I don’t think the quality of a micro microphone is superb. So I prefer to rely on my ears but surely for “not trained” ear is not a bad thing to understand how really a (headphone) tip works compared to the bigger or smaller.

Apple’s AirPods Pro and Max do the same thing, but they don’t have any settings you can tinker with. They’re for measuring fit and seal.

I have a small ear canal on one side I wish there was a product that could cater to my one ear is different in size issue. I haven’t found any that fit. My ear canal is small but not abnormal or anything surely there has to be a brand that has dealt with this before?

yes. personalization has taken over information products and is coming for real world objects. there are physical goods where custom size or features are so important that they in essence make it a new product category.

Slightly tangential: can anyone recommend a good _wired_ noise cancelling headset (with mic) that is powered off the cable (or is USB). That is, it doesn't need batteries at all.

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.

Have you tried bose earphones? They are the most comfortable I've tried so far. Admittedly, I haven't tried many.

They look similar to the ones you linked, they stay very well in my ears thanks to the hook thingy.

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Acoustic-Cancelling...

+1 for Bose IEMs, the "tip" form factor is in his own tier for comfort, I can barely tolerate wearing other in ears now.

I have bose sound sport. They work and sound great, but the build quality is atrocious. Every glued on rubber bit came off.

Isn't Bose famously overpriced and poor quality? That's what I always hear from audio circles.

That’s the wrong crowd to listen to TBH. Bose products are far from perfect and are expensive, but I’ve also found them to be extremely comfortable and have certainly adequate sound quality for every day use. Im no audiophile but i mixed live music for ten years and do pay attention to details.

For example, I just compared Bose’s qc 35 ear buds to Sony’s new wf1000xm4 budd. The latter gets a lot of rave reviews, but i found them to be terrible. The high center of gravity with no support causes them to bounce loudly if you move around with them in, and the noise cancellation is constantly ringing with artifacts regardless of ambient sound level. The Bose have a pretty disappointing battery life, but beyond that are rocksolid compared to the Sonys.

If you want to really lose faith in those circles, try some Beats by Dr. Dre. They clown them but IMHO the Solo 3 was an excellent product for ~$100. Good sound, fantastic battery life and Bluetooth range.

My understanding is that Beats sound good right away through the way they boost the bass and such, but they have a wonky response curve that misses a lot and you can generally get better for the same money.

But nothing in the $100 range is going to be outstanding anyway. I recently finally decided to try spending some more, did some research, and landed at the MMX 300 for around $270. It's been amazing how much I was missing out on with all the cheaper stuff I'd previously had, from $20 to $90. Just all the stuff I'm hearing (hearing at all or more clearly) for the first time in very familiar tracks.

My perception of Bose, as a former regular audio forum reader, is that they are great for sport earphones (though this was before the Airpods were released, so this might be outdated). They also last a long time and are excellent for noise cancellation, which I learned when looking for ways to block noise during work (ultimately I stuck to Etymotic's ER4XR to block out noise via isolation, versus noise cancellation).

For audio quality, however, there are definitely better alternatives at the same/lower price (but not necessarily as good for exercise or noise cancellation). I also heard that the AirPods Pro are comparable to Bose's QC35s for noise cancellation, but not as good (though the AirPods are far more portable), and their batteries don't last as long in the long-term.

Well, of course, the muggles know about Bose, you can't be better than them wearing the same headphones.

There are a lot of things where I do think the "snobs" are full of hot air, like percolated coffee being bad and "burned" or vertical photos/videos being automatically wrong, but it's been night and day listening on some higher quality headphones compared to the bose or any of the other brands I used to have.

The poor quality of an audiophile can still be great quality compared to the average. But any headphones that fit or feel well are better than ones that fall out all the time, even if they're overpriced from some cost/sound quality equation.

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)

Haved you tried custom IEMs like UE or JH Audio? Had a similar problem with off-the-shelf ones but the custom ones both seal much better and yet seem to reach in differently.

Instead of shelling out a ton of money ($1,000+) for custom molded in ear monitor headphones, check out the subReddit DIY In Ear Monitors: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/

By the way, you can even 3D print your in ear monitors, but this is absolutely not necessary, and especially so if you are cheap.

Getting ear impressions from an audiologist generally costs $50-100 but I prefer to do it myself.

It is also not difficult to make proper ear impressions, too. See this for example: http://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/910150509.pdf

However, this was my basic search technique to find this document about making your own ear impressions: "impressions" AND "ear" AND "bite block" AND "make" filetype:pdf (I hope this allows you to do more research)

There is a great guide on making basically perfect DIY in ear monitors, pay attention to the first comment (however it involves 3D printing...also I much prefer clear shells for the in ear monitors...) on this Reddit page: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIEMs/comments/kfdwf5/made_my_first...

Anyways, one should really take a look.

When it comes to audio quality and listening on a Bluetooth phone without a 3.5 mm jack, you use a DAC (digital to analog converter) which allows you to enjoy the music on a totally new level. I would recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Balanced-Amplifier-Windows-Porta...

There are also Bluetooth DACs that may be preferable too. I recommend the FiiO brand. Here is an example of a Bluetooth DAC: https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-BTR3K-Bluetooth-Headphone-Unbala...

If you enjoy music a ton just in general and love wired headphones, I strongly recommend getting a DAC that is compatible with mobile phones even if you are not interested in DIY in ear monitors...

When it comes to making phone calls (or even microphone use) with DIY in ear monitors, you need to be observant of the type of 3.5 mm plug that you use. ONLY plugs with 3 indentation lines (NOT 2!!!) are capable of microphone use. Anyways, here is an example of what I am talking about so we are clear on this issue: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=3.5.+mm+plug+microphone&t=fpas&iax...

When it comes to using your in ear monitors for phone calls or microphone use you need to:

1. Get a Bluetooth transceiver that is mic capable, such as this: https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-RollingStone-Headphones-Str...

2. Get an in-line microphone which plugs in directly to your DAC and gives it instant microphone capabilities

* Android version: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Headphones-Samsung-...

* iPhone version: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-Comfort-Headphones-Inline-device...

I hope this post helps.

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