Let's talk earbuds and in-ear headphones *

living in New York City I spend a lot of time walking and in subways, and for that reason I tend to prefer earbuds to full-on cans. when not in the studio, frankly, bulky on-ear or around the ear cans are just too cumbersome and I'd prefer to have something I can easily stuff in my pocket.

for the last several years I've used the Sennheiser CX300II. they have been surprisingly durable and sound good enough but the abnormally short left ear cord is a major problem. I've never fully understood the thought process behind having mismatched lengths of wire going to the two buds but basically if you're wearing clothing and or moving, the short left ear is constantly going to be dislodged. (that they're worn behind the neck doesn't help, either.) as you folks who use earbuds know all too well, earbuds sound like crap when they don't seat/seal properly, so using these things I now end up spending most of my time pushing the left ear back in.

in short, I'd like something that's designed better than the CX300II. mostly I use earbuds with an iPod or iPhone, but on occasion I'll take my Pono with me so I'm content to spend more than the $33 the CX300II currently sells for on Amazon. in addition, I'd like something with bass response at the very least comparable to the Sennheisers.

what do you recommend?

 

You are supposed to wear the longer cord around the back of your neck. Do that and your problem will likely be solved.

 

middle of the second paragraph

 

Ah, never mind then, I missed the part you had in parenthesis.

 

I've been happy with the HiFiman RE-400. At first they sound a little thin, but once I switched the tips to another set that came with them and got a better seal, the bass impoved enough that they sound great to me. The trade-off with the tighter seal is that I don't hear much around me, so if that would be a safety issue for you you might want to look elsewhere. I bought them for $99 about a year ago, but they are currently on sale at Amazon for $59.

 

Have you tried using Comply tips? The Comply tips are a sort of foam that is like the foam used for foam ear plugs. You compress the foam before inserting it into the ear. Once in the ear canal the foam expands to create a tight fit that is less likely to get pulled out of your ear.

Comply tips for the CX 300 II

 

I've been using Etymotic hf5 IEM for over a year, probably closer to two. In short, I get a great seal and they sound great. I'm not a big headphone user at all although I do have Sennheiser HD598s that I use with my iPad. The Etymotics I use with my Pono when I take walks and other mobile applications. The co. give you three ways to get a good seal and if you want to get personal they will connect you with a doctor in your area that will create the molds that Etymotic uses to create your personal monitor covers. I don't think you are out more than your time and the price of the ear pieces. SQ is very good imo and so far I haven't felt a need to go personal. They clean easily with soap and water.
I'm pretty confident you would get a fit with or without needing a personal fit and the SQ would be up to you of course but they get good marks on the headphone sights and as I said, I like them.

 

just to be clear, I am looking only for earbuds and not IEM. thanks for the suggestion, though.

 

The CX300II is an IEM. It's not an earbud.

Earbuds sit outside the ear canal and don't seal the ear canal. Like the original Apple earbuds. Even the new Apple earpods are earbuds in disguise.
IEMs get fit in the ear canal and create a seal in the ear canal. IEMs can have foam ear tips, silicone ear tips with flanges that create a seal, and the customs that are custom fit and need an ear mold made by an audiologist.

 

Sennheiser considers them earbuds so I dunno, really. I always took earbuds to be anything that doesn't go over or around the ear.

 

Subscribed. I have a pair of horrible, annoying earbuds and I'm looking at getting a new pair soonish.

 

I just started to post asking about this. My understanding has always been what you posted here, Ham Sandwich.

What gets me confused is people and manufactors seem to use the term earbud very loosely.

 

People and manufacturers do call anything that fits in the ear an earbud. Especially for anything that costs under $100. Which does create confusion. At the same time, it's not the manufacturers job to educate the public. If you're going to sell an under $100 IEM to consumers you had best call it an earbud if you want anyone to look at it. So I don't blame the manufacturers like Sennheiser for calling an inexpensive IEM and earbud. Still, it doesn't change the fact that it isn't technically an earbud.

 

ok, so whatever you call it, I want something that seals in the ear (without going too deep) and doesn't have the silly left-side short cord design

 

It may be that you're not getting the IEM inserted fully. There is a technique for getting an IEM inserted in a way that gets a good seal and is less likely to fall out. Here's a video that demonstrates the technique. At the end of the video they demonstrate how to use foam tips. It helps to compress the tips before inserting them in the ear. Then let the foam expand once it is in the ear.

It's also possible that the tips included with the Sennheisers are too small in diameter for your ear canals. It's also possible that one ear canal is larger than the other. Getting after-market tips that are the right size for your ears will help greatly if that's the case.

 

as I have stated previously, it's not the ear piece, specifically, but the design of the wire. if you can imagine a wire snagging on something and a slight movement of the head causing the wire to pull on the ear, the piece is going to come loose. having the short cord on the left is just not a good design for me.

 

besides behind the neck, are you also draping behind and over the top of ear?
{like this? sometimes they stay in earholes better this way when actively moving around}

 

Thanks for the suggestion. The shape of the CX300II doesn't lend too well to this and the cord is extremely short but it's certainly worth a try.

 

If you want something that seals without going too deep, check out the Philips Fidelio S2. They go in the ear and are quite secure when they do, but they do not extend too deeply in. They sound fantastic as well. Cost is around $100 to $120.

 

I use the Grado iGi.

They are the the only earbuds I've tried over the years that I don't have to EQ to death to get a decent sound from.

Usually have everything flat.

Most other earbuds I have to drop the bass by a ridiculous amount.

 

Oops, I kind of lumped those two designs together, mea culpa.

 

and evidently, so did I. for some reason I assumed the IEM went far deeper than earbuds, but according to people in this thread, earbuds are ones that sit against the outer concha ridge (look the old white Apple earbuds) whereas only IEM get pushed into the ear. it would seem the distinction is that some IEM, like the Etymotics, go deeper into the ear canal than do ones like my Sennheisers. I don't really want anything that has to get pushed deep into the ear canal.

 

I have been using the RHA T20i buds and they are fantastic. Comfortable, great sound, and a surprising amount of noise isolation. I use these on plane flights; I travel a lot for work. I bought the black edition ones that the Apple store sells. $249.

 

Yeah, I don't know too many people who do want that type of IEM. I don't have any issues with them and my anatomy and I don't use them daily though three or four times a week at least and for over an hour of listening. I like the isolation and the SQ, particularly the bass is really good, not that I'm a bass freak or anything. I want real bass, nothing punched up. Etymotics recommends changing out the parts exposed to wax and cleaning every few years I think. The ear wax thing has a yuck factor for some but I've worked in medicine almost my entire adult life so it doesn't bother me at all. You have to clean those things, that's all there is to it.

 

Do you have the regular model, or the iphone/Android model? The theme of the on line feedback is great sound quality but terrible build quality.