In-ear headphones -
In-ear buds and In-ear monitors
IN-EAR BUD
You know these - they keep falling out of your ear when you move. They are uncomfortable and usually sound bad because they fit poorly and they are cheaply made.
Still, there are a few worthy contenders, and the iPod in-ear-buds are not bad. If these are your standard, then read on, especially into the IN-EAR-MONITOR section below - you might be surprised how much better it can be.
Underlined links will take you to more information on select headphones and an opportunity to purchase them at great prices through our affiliation with Amazon.com
Sliding volume control Step Up from the $2 ones that comes with that CD player. Some people kvetch about various aspects of the sound, but generally recommend them.
Suggested as the solution for people with small ears. Some concern about cord length and extension cord fit. You might find them as "MDREX71SL Fontopia earbud headphones." (Who thinks this stuff up?) They come with two sizes of soft silicon earbuds to accommodate a full range of ears. Fit them tightly for full bass response.
At about $50 street - The Sony MDR- E888Sony steps up to improve their image with better sound and build quality. Probably too good for a low powered MP3 player. Need break-in, reveal weakness in gear or recordings (low bitrate especially) Highs are bright and clear. Mids niiiice. Distortion low at sane levels provided your equipment can put it out there.
Wouldn't you spend that on yourself for all the hours you hang out in your music? Dude!
That's chump change in headphone land.
IN-EAR MONITORS
In-ear-buds are to in-ear-monitors what a Yugo is to an R series Jaguar. IEMs are expensive to very expensive, very good sounding headphones, while earbuds mostly suck. Why is that, you ask? It's the Seal - not the singer - not the mammal with fish breath - but the tight fit! (Remember - the fit assures good bass and even wonderful outside-world isolation?)
Have you noticed that some rock stars don't use stage monitors anymore? Look closely and you might spot the wireless receiver/amplifier just above their butt (butt-watchers have wondered for years about those little boxes.) Plugged into that box are IEMs.
The more expensive of these bad boys are custom molded to your ears.
In-ear-monitors provide the best seal from outside sound of any other headphone, even better than noise canceling headphones. The least expensive is around $100; the most expensive are custom fit and yes, they ARE that good! Clarity, resolution are redefined by this state of the art. Some say the image seems smaller, but maybe that's because of that seal - it's all ALL in your head. The clarity can make up for it, though.
Fit and comfort is the key to your enjoyment of in-ear-monitors.
Welcome to the world of Etymotic
Perfect for business travelers; hiking, workouts at the gym; and any other application where small size and isolation from external noise are desired, the ER6 seal the ear canal with 15-20db isolation from the world around you. The tips are pliable silicon rubber or expanding foam. Consider an amp to get the best out of them. Overall performance: excellent.
The Etymotic headphone specifically for the iPod. Slightly warmer sounding than the normal ER6, the ER6i is a wonderful headphone; well balanced and coherent, punchy and articulate.
Obtaining a good seal with the Etymotics is very important.
Open and airy. THIS IS THE ONE FOR PORTABLE PLAYERS AND OTHER LOW POWER SOURCES. Higher volume, stronger bass.
Punchy and warmer.
Tight punchy bass and great mids - no glare. Good looking. Just RESIST singing out loud in Starbucks - you won't pickup the girl/guy you are sneaking glances at. You will be banned. Remember, the IEM seals out the shrieking you are making and the comments of the assembled cafe. So don't destroy the image you cut wearing these. And by the way, nobody can sing falsetto.
They come with a variety of ear tips - after you discover the one that fits you best, you can order more. Also a 5 foot long cord with a 90 degree mini plug with symmetrical "Y" cord going to the ear pieces. Wear with the cords looping over the top of your ears and the slider on the "Y" snugging things up at the back of the neck.
Now for the expensive stuff: custom IEMs.You have to visit your local audiologist to get impressions made of your ears in order to get a pair of these custom fit IEMs. Don't go near this without really good source material and I suggest an excellent Headphone amp. You plug your source into the amp and it makes everything sweet and much higher quality.
But I know what you're thinking - how do I get them in and out safely?
To get the drivers into your ears, you have to learn to use a "twist" motion, first aligning the canal opening of the earphones to your canal, and then slowly doing a "twist" that goes upward and toward your head to get them situated properly. This will require practice to get it right, and you will be tugging your ear to get all the parts to fit right if you didn't get it on first try.
To get the drivers out, you do the same motion, but in reverse: twist them forward and down to get them out. Never pull them out by the wires. They are too snug to be pulled out by that small wire, and you risk pulling the wires off that way.
At $950 - The Ultimate Ears UE10Yeah, yeah, it IS a lot of cash but what'd you pay for that silly bling? So treat yourself. This is way WAY cool - you can say it's the best IEM made. Your friends won't know what an IEM is and they'll say "What?" Then you'll say "What?" because you can't hear them due to the excellent isolation of the monitors. Just like that - you are living a part of the Chappelle Show as you trade "What?" back and forth like a tennis match. Then when you DO take them out you can explain IEM, the whole deal about these are best in the world - and then add, "NO you can't try them cause you've got ear cooties, fool! And these were CUSTOM made for my ears!" and that'll make them even more jealous. See? This is serious bling-a-tude. Plus you get elimination of the world of noise outside; and a completely natural envelopment of a world of music inside. Bliss out.
Here's how it works: You go to your local audiologist; have deep, full ear impressions made; and then send them to Ultimate Ears. Once Ultimate Ears has your impressions, they build molds, and then cast in the crossover network and triple drivers.
At about $900 - The Sensaphonics ProPhonic Soft 2X
(Clear Soft Silicon) They call it comfort gel. With 26db isolation (major!) - that's why musicians use these - they can stand in front of screaming amps and actually hear the mix without becoming deaf on one tour! There are actually TWO speakers in each ear.
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