Etymotic vs. Bose QC20i earphones (Negative long term side effect to ears?)

I can't speak to the Bose but the Etymotics are great at passively blocking out sound. However, the triple flange ear pieces that they use are really uncomfortable for many people and their sound is painfully accurate which is not always a good thing.

I have the Etymotic hf5. Noise isolation is very good. That doesn't mean you won't be able to hear anything since these are not actively cancelling out noise.

As for the triple flange ear tips: I find them both comfortable and at times uncomfortable. They fit nicely and go deep in the ear canal; a tight seal is necessary for proper noise isolation and bass response (as the person above said, the sound is very "accurate," which is to say that you won't get loud, dance club–like bass).

Recently I've experienced ear wax impaction. I couldn't use my earphones because it was painful when something touched the ear canal. Was it a result of the ear tips? That, I cannot say. It was the first time that it happened, though.

hajime said:

Thanks for the info. Do those ear pieces have negative long term side effect to the ears? For example, do they push the earwax further to the canals, etc.?

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Like the last poster, I can't say that it does but it always felt like it could. I wasn't really uncomfortable with them but I always felt them in my ears they felt totally different than any other earbuds I have ever used. I also found the cord to be very noisy and a little flimsy so it wasn't good for walking around for me.

I loved the etymotics when I had them (broke quite a few pairs). However, I fly a lot, and after about 3 hours, my ears get pretty tender. On top of that, it is extremely painful when a properly sealed earbud gets ripped out because the cord catches something.

Again, they are pretty darn good headphones, but anyone I recommend etys to, I warn them not to use them for outdoor exercise. You won't hear cars coming.

ToomeyND said:

I loved the etymotics when I had them (broke quite a few pairs). However, I fly a lot, and after about 3 hours, my ears get pretty tender. On top of that, it is extremely painful when a properly sealed earbud gets ripped out because the cord catches something.

Again, they are pretty darn good headphones, but anyone I recommend etys to, I warn them not to use them for outdoor exercise. You won't hear cars coming.

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I used to fly with the Etymotics and they get VERY uncomfortable for me after more than a couple of hours to the point I finally quite using them.

Went to Bose QC15 (big over the ear units) whcih are pretty nice but a pain to carry (the case is BIG)

This last weekend I was at the airport and tried/bought the QC20i. WOW! Just WOW!

Even with no music they make the drone of the 737-800 sound like my living room and make even a lot of voice chatter go away AND they are super comfortable and sound pretty good.

I really like/recommend the QC20i if $300 is within your budget!

Note that you can have custom molds made for the ety's like many other in-ear monitors and that should improve comfort greatly.

I've been using them with the triple-flanges for nearly a decade with no ill effects, but they can get uncomfortable after extended use.

hajime said:

Besides the cost, I am not aware of local store in my city that does custom mold. Getting a refund is also difficult.

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You should be able to get custom molds at any audiologist's office. They will likely have agreements to sell both custom IEM's and high quality ear plugs for protection.

I recently had a set of plugs made and the fit/comfort is excellent. Off topic, but they have interchangeable filters so that I can choose the level of attenuation that I need for increased flexibility.