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iPod I guess I have small ears (headphone rec?)

katie ta achoo said:
I've always worried about the caps of the apple in-ear headphones popping off IN my ear...

and then it's stuck there, and you have to go to the ER to get it removed...

Are these fears unfounded? Am I worrying about nothing?
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I must be the odd one out here,I've had the Shure E3c cones come off in my ear quite a few times,usually when I yank them when someone talks to me.Fortunately they come out easily when the phones are not attached.I use the smallest ones so I guess I've got mouses ears.Someone asked about E2c's,I've not heard them but the construction is very similar to the E3c and would be a very rugged headphone.I believe not as good sound as the E3c but still excellent.
 
Here are my thoughts:

Apple In-Ear : Seem to produce good sound quality when sealed, but I can never get them to stay sealed regardless of which sleeve size I use. When they lose their seal, the sound quality is absolutely dreadful so, on the whole, I'm very disappointed with these.

Sony MDR-EX71 : I find that these are a comfortable fit, and the sound quality is very good for the price. Sonic isolation is important to me, and I find that these perform very well in that respect. My only critism is that I don't like the way the cable between the left and right buds goes around the back of the neck, as it tends to create a tugging effect when you turn your head. Others have critisized the EX71s for poor construction quality, but I haven't had mine long enough to make my own judgement on this.

Shure e2c : I've never used these, but I intend to buy a pair if/when my EX71s are worn out. The e2cs seem to be attracting excellent reviews.
 
Man, who would have thought this would be so damn tough. I've been to:

circuit city: nothing but crappy headphones
best buy: only a couple of choices
apple: somewhat limited choices and no apple in ear buds
virgin mobile: decent selection; need to go back tomorrow
radioshack: had a pair I wanted to see, but they were locked up and the sales person was such an ass that he wouldn't unlock them and let me look at the package

Basically, I've decided I don't want to spend the $100 for the E2C's. They seem a little...invasive compared to other models. The Sony ones look nice, but after reading so many complaints about the wires being flimsy, I don't really want them either.

Anyone know of a lesser known brand thats good? How about a store in manhattan where they have a decent selection and sales people who are complete jerks?
 
I purchased a pair of apple in-ear headphones today, but before I open them (and lose my 10%), I wanted to see if anyone had used these:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...ql15FLZvPK/2.SLID?mco=37CA92C1&nplm=TB957LL/A

I'm intrigued by the dual ipod/cell phone connectors, but I can't decide it it will be a pain in the butt to have to pull both items out of my pocket to use either one or if it will be convenient to have them connected to one set of headphones.

I'm also a little worried about the apple headphones falling out too easily. I need to be able to wear them around town without them falling out easily.
 
I just got the shure e2c's on Black Friday ($78), and believe me, they are worth it :D

I had to try around 3 different tips before finding the ones that fit my ears comfortably. I just used them for around 5 hours on a flight from New York to Seattle, and I can tell you that they are comfortable, the noise cancelation you get is as good as it gets without active NC, and the sound is incredible.
 
Well, I'm THOROUGHLY disappointed. I purchased a pair of apple in-ears this afternoon. I got home and decided to hold off and do a bit more reading before opening the box and losing my 10%. After a lot of reading, I came to the simple conclusion that the only way to see what works will be to try them. So I opened the in-ears and they STINK (for me).

The left ear fits fine. The right ear I can't make fit with any of the different sizes. No, my right ear is not oddly deformed or otherwise notably different than my left. The slightest tug dislodges the earphones and makes these utterly useless for me.

I'm also extremely disappointed at the amount of sound that gets transferred up the wire as it moves. I don't see how these could be useful for anyone walking around town.

I guess my next try will be a pair of sony phones. Probably the 51 or 81's. I'm heavily debating the 81's with the clip over the ear because the added stability while wearing them is attractive, although I am worried about being able to put them in my pocket when not in use. I'm also worried about the durability issue that seems to be rampant with the sony earphones.

Another question: does anyone know of an ear bud style earphone (rather than an "in-ear") that has a smaller "bud" than the stock ipod headphones?
 
munckee said:
Another question: does anyone know of an ear bud style earphone (rather than an "in-ear") that has a smaller "bud" than the stock ipod headphones?
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if you want quality then no. I would recommend those sony in ears and get a added 2 year warrenty for 20 bux..and you can just take em back for 3 years if you ever have any problems
 
Konradx said:
if you want quality then no. I would recommend those sony in ears and get a added 2 year warrenty for 20 bux..and you can just take em back for 3 years if you ever have any problems
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I'm not an audiophile by any stretch, but I want something decent.

My primarily concerns are comfort, stability, and portability (all about equally). I need something that will stay in my ear while I'm walking around town with no problems, that can be tossed in my jeans pocket when I'm not listening to them (and not get crushed and preferably not require a bulky case), and that won't make my ears hurt.

Sound quality, as long as it isn't pathetic, is actually kind of a distant fourth. As long as I can hear my music, I'm pretty happy. It's a soundtrack for me to bob my head to more than a drowning out of the world around me.
 
You all seriously need to check out some Ultimate Ears. If you think Sony in ear monitors sound good you will think they sound muddy after listening to any pair of UE's.

A great pair for the price are the Super.Fi 3 Studio for a $100. They come in white, black and you can also get the clear version at the Guitar Center.

Seriously, they are very nice and with the foam tips they don't kill your small ear canals (which I have and can attest to). In fact, after a while you completely forget they are there. Also, the build quality is great (made from basically a rubberized plastic, ie. not a cheap plastic shell) so you can toss them in your pants and truly not worry about crushing them.
 
QuarterSwede said:
You all seriously need to check out some Ultimate Ears. If you think Sony in ear monitors sound good you will think they sound muddy after listening to any pair of UE's.

A great pair for the price are the Super.Fi 3 Studio for a $100. They come in white, black and you can also get the clear version at the Guitar Center.

Seriously, they are very nice and with the foam tips they don't kill your small ear canals (which I have and can attest to). In fact, after a while you completely forget they are there. Also, the build quality is great (made from basically a rubberized plastic, ie. not a cheap plastic shell) so you can toss them in your pants and truly not worry about crushing them.
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I'll keep them in mind, but at the moment I'm not ready to spend $100 on a pair of headphones.
 
munckee said:
Well, I'm THOROUGHLY disappointed. I purchased a pair of apple in-ears this afternoon. I got home and decided to hold off and do a bit more reading before opening the box and losing my 10%. After a lot of reading, I came to the simple conclusion that the only way to see what works will be to try them. So I opened the in-ears and they STINK (for me).

The left ear fits fine. The right ear I can't make fit with any of the different sizes. No, my right ear is not oddly deformed or otherwise notably different than my left. The slightest tug dislodges the earphones and makes these utterly useless for me.

I'm also extremely disappointed at the amount of sound that gets transferred up the wire as it moves. I don't see how these could be useful for anyone walking around town.

I guess my next try will be a pair of sony phones. Probably the 51 or 81's. I'm heavily debating the 81's with the clip over the ear because the added stability while wearing them is attractive, although I am worried about being able to put them in my pocket when not in use. I'm also worried about the durability issue that seems to be rampant with the sony earphones.

Another question: does anyone know of an ear bud style earphone (rather than an "in-ear") that has a smaller "bud" than the stock ipod headphones?
Click to expand...
These are the exact same complaints that I had with both the Sony EX71 and the Shure e2c earphones. I could get one side to fit fairly well, but not the other, no matter what I did. They sounded pretty good if I could manage to get a good seal, but even a slight movement of my head or tug on the wires broke the seal. I also noticed the loud noise when even touching the wires; very annoying. I came to the conclusion that no in-ear phones are ever going to work for me. After wasting so much money on two sets of earphones that are both worthless to me, I am loathe to spend any money on any other in-ears. So, based on your complaints about the Apple in-ears, I would not recommend either the Sony or the Shure phones unless you want to experiment and have lots of money to burn.
 
danny_w said:
These are the exact same complaints that I had with both the Sony EX71 and the Shure e2c earphones. I could get one side to fit fairly well, but not the other, no matter what I did. They sounded pretty good if I could manage to get a good seal, but even a slight movement of my head or tug on the wires broke the seal.
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Hmmm, my experience is quite different to this. I have found that the cone shaped sleeves on the Apple In-Ears is an extremely poor design and I could never get them to maintain a seal. The EX71s, on the other hand, have sleeves that are shaped more like a cylinder, and I find that these stay firmly seated in my ears as long as I used the correct size (in my case, the small sleeve is definitely the best).
 
You can find the e2c phones online for 65-70ish bucks - they aren't actually 100.

Also, VERY important with any new headphones. The first you should do when you get them home is listen to them quickly - remember how they sound - and then put them in a pair of clean socks in your drawer. More specifically, have music playing through them at about 60% volume for at least 24 hours while they are in the drawer or something. After this, you will be amazed at how much better they will sound.

All phones need the drivers to be "broken in" for awhile before they reach their true sonic character.
 
Thanks guys. I bought a pair of Sony EX-81's today with the over-ear clips. So far I'm pretty darn happy with them. They stay put pretty well. I haven't tried switching out the ear-pieces yet to try the various sizes, but the ones that were on there in the box aren't too bad. I can wear them with sunglasses, which I was worried about. I also bought circuit city's replacement plan for $10 (2 year coverage; if they break, I mail them in and get a store credit for the original purchase price).

I'm gonna fiddle with them more tomorrow, but they might stick around for a little while.
 
debroglie said:
You can find the e2c phones online for 65-70ish bucks - they aren't actually 100.

Also, VERY important with any new headphones. The first you should do when you get them home is listen to them quickly - remember how they sound - and then put them in a pair of clean socks in your drawer. More specifically, have music playing through them at about 60% volume for at least 24 hours while they are in the drawer or something. After this, you will be amazed at how much better they will sound.

All phones need the drivers to be "broken in" for awhile before they reach their true sonic character.
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how would you do with with an ipod when the batter lasts for 10 hours?
 
Konradx said:
how would you do with with an ipod when the batter lasts for 10 hours?
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You could have your iPod charging... you could plug the ear phone into your computer and have that playing... you could plug it into your stereo and have that playing...
 
Can anyone recommend the cheapest place to get shure headphones? I'm still not sold on the sony ones yet, and since I paid $65 for them with the warranty, I'm debating trying out the e2c's if I can get them for about the same price.

The cheapest I've found them so far is $75 shipped. I know people have mentioned finding them for $50-65 and I'm wondering where and if that includes shipping. I'd also really like to be able to return them if they don't work out.

I'd also be interested in the UE Studio 3's if I can find them for a comparable price.
 
Koss Spark Plug Stereophones

Thanks, all of you, for all the info given in this discussion! I also have small ears. I just bought Koss Spark Plug Stereophones at Best Buy for $20.99. These are earplug-earbuds. They're working really well for me.

Advantages:
+ Great bass! (Treble's not bad either.)
+ Great at blocking ambient noise (they're basically foam earplugs just hooked up to sound)
+ Soft foam cushion is comfortable in both ears (my left canal is smaller than my right canal.)
+ They stay in even when I'm moving briskly.
+ 4-ft. cord is a convenient length for working at a desk.
+ GREAT price.
+ The package comes with a backup pair of plugs.

Disadvantages:
- These earbuds are a bit of a pain to put in: they require both hands to put in each earbud. When I wanted to get up from my desk, I found it was just easier to unplug the cord than to remove the earbuds. Maybe I look silly walking around with unconnected earbuds, but whatever.
- You can hear yourself breathing when the sound is quiet enough, which is a little weird, but I got used to it quickly.
- Since these earbuds work so well as earplugs, other people have to work a little harder to get your attention.
 
kaylenns said:
Thanks, all of you, for all the info given in this discussion! I also have small ears. I just bought Koss Spark Plug Stereophones at Best Buy for $20.99. These are earplug-earbuds. They're working really well for me.

Advantages:
+ Great bass! (Treble's not bad either.)
+ Great at blocking ambient noise (they're basically foam earplugs just hooked up to sound)
+ Soft foam cushion is comfortable in both ears (my left canal is smaller than my right canal.)
+ They stay in even when I'm moving briskly.
+ 4-ft. cord is a convenient length for working at a desk.
+ GREAT price.
+ The package comes with a backup pair of plugs.

Disadvantages:
- These earbuds are a bit of a pain to put in: they require both hands to put in each earbud. When I wanted to get up from my desk, I found it was just easier to unplug the cord than to remove the earbuds. Maybe I look silly walking around with unconnected earbuds, but whatever.
- You can hear yourself breathing when the sound is quiet enough, which is a little weird, but I got used to it quickly.
- Since these earbuds work so well as earplugs, other people have to work a little harder to get your attention.
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Thanks for the recommendation, I may have to look into these. I recently bought the Sony 828 earbuds at Best Buy based on several reviews stating that they are the best sounding inexpensive earbuds. That may be so, but they are by far the most uncomfortable earbuds I have ever used. I don't know if it is their odd shape or not, but they plain HURT! The Apple earbuds by comparison are extremenly comfy; just hang them in the ears and they are great (just very shrill).
 
munckee said:
Can anyone recommend the cheapest place to get shure headphones? I'm still not sold on the sony ones yet, and since I paid $65 for them with the warranty, I'm debating trying out the e2c's if I can get them for about the same price.

The cheapest I've found them so far is $75 shipped. I know people have mentioned finding them for $50-65 and I'm wondering where and if that includes shipping. I'd also really like to be able to return them if they don't work out.

I'd also be interested in the UE Studio 3's if I can find them for a comparable price.
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I bought mine from provantage.com The price has since gone up about 8 dollars because of the holiday season, but they still have a great price of about 73 shipped. They also ship extremely quickly and are great to work with.

Definitely try out the e2cs. I am listening to mine right now, and they are WONDERFUL. Better than any sony phones I've ever tried.

As far as the comment about how to play music through them for more than 10 hours.... just think about it:p

*Grooves to the Flaming Lips on with his e2c phones...*:D
 
I've been using a pair of Sony EX-81's for about three weeks now. They're not bad and stay in reasonably well, but I'm still kind of interested in the sound cancelling aspects of the shure's. I still have about a week to return the sony ones if I want, but $75 is a lot for headphones too. I also have a warranty on the sony's, so I might use them until they croak then see what hits me.

debroglie said:
I bought mine from provantage.com The price has since gone up about 8 dollars because of the holiday season, but they still have a great price of about 73 shipped. They also ship extremely quickly and are great to work with.

Definitely try out the e2cs. I am listening to mine right now, and they are WONDERFUL. Better than any sony phones I've ever tried.

As far as the comment about how to play music through them for more than 10 hours.... just think about it:p

*Grooves to the Flaming Lips on with his e2c phones...*:D
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