Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with earphones

Earphones for a person with sensitive skin who travels on a bus

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:50:49 -0800

How can I keep listening to music on the bus without exacerbating my easily irritable skin with earbuds, or causing hearing loss? The skin in the bowl of my ear and ear canal is easily irritable, which leads to flaking and ear infections. I had this under control, and then I got an iPod Shuffle. Being able to listen to music on my many bus trips makes me much happier, but it is surely irritating my skin. Also, trying to keep the music audible on a loud bus means I have to turn the volume up probably more than is healthy.

I'm planning to get a iPod Shuffle remote-replacement dongle so that I can replace the earbuds. I have some Sennheiser PXC-250 noise-canceling supraural earphones that work pretty well. They avoid the skin irritation that earbuds cause and the noise cancellation means I don't have to turn them up too loud. But they only work when I have a bag with me to store them in. One of the key advantages of the iPod Shuffle was that I could just put them in my jeans pocket and use them even when I didn't have a bag with me. So I'm looking for something more compact if possible. Even if I can't fit them in my pants, something I could more easily fit in my jacket pocket would be good. Something inexpensive would also be ideal I you can't always keep my jacket within view and expensive stuff might get stolen.

I've heard of bone conduction headphones (Outi, Audio Bone), but they seem to get poor reviews, and are apparently loud enough for others nearby to hear (not so great on the bus).

Thus far I have avoided canalphones (which seem apppealing for their noise-isolating characteristics) for fear that they will irritate my skin further, much as earplugs do.

Anonymous because, hey, not everyone needs to identify me with my health issues.

Sing Me To Sleep

xingcat — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:48:49 -0800

What kinds of earphones/earbuds can I wear to bed? I like to listen to music and podcasts as I'm falling asleep. I don't like to have speakers on, as that would disturb people in adjoining rooms, so I wear my iPod earbuds. They're okay as long as I'm lying on my back, but I tend to fall asleep better if I'm lying on my side.

The problem is that earbuds dig into my ears when I lie on my side, and headphones press too hard against my head and the pillow. I sometimes take one earbud out, but that means it's harder to hear, plus I turn over quite often.

Is there a product that would work better to help me listen and snooze?

What is the best in-ear headphone under $100 for use on long airplane flight?

Pastabagel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:25:31 -0800

I am in urgent need of in-ear earphones for use on a number of long flights I have to take in the coming months. I've narrowed down my choices to the Shure e2c or the Sony MDRNC22. The Shure is noise isolating, the Sony is noise cancelling. Which is better? The shure's seem to go deeper into the ear. Will that get uncomfortable?

Oh nos! My favorite headphones are dying!

photomusic86 — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:29:10 -0800

I love these headphones because the cord retracts. Brilliant, right? Yeah, Sony stopped making them. What other headphones can do this too? I asked this question before, but didn't get my point across before the question got stale and forgotten. I went out and bought several of them after learning of their discontinuation, but I'm finally on my last pair, and they're on their way out...
I love the concept, and hate in-ear buds. Oh please help me!!

I need new headphones - Any suggestions?

Rendus — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:12:26 -0800

What are the right headphones for me? Big head, normal ears, likes loud noises, $100-$200 budget. Mostly for listening to music on my iPod Touch, occasionally playing games on my computer using it's (reasonably competent) onboard audio. I understand the listening experience is subjective, but if I can narrow it down to a short list, I can work on getting my head on various items to see how they work for me. My Sennheiser HD212 headphones recently died, and I'm looking for a new pair. For those familiar with the particular combination of equipment, I usually used these phones at about 75% volume on my iPod Touch, although I do occasionally go up to 100%.

The HD212s just barely fit around my ears, and I found them to be reasonably comfortable - Larger cups would be fine, smaller is probably not feasible.

My normal listening environment is riding on the bus, so noise cancellation wouldn't be an unwelcome feature, but it's far from necessary.

I'm 6 feet tall, and prefer to keep my music player in my front left pocket - Cables long enough to do this are preferred. 4+ feet is great. If all else fails, though, I can use extensions without a problem.

My attention to detail in music is rather lacking, really - 192kbps LAME-encoded MP3s sound perfectly reasonable to me, although I prefer higher bitrates. I just as often listen to Pandora (which I believe is 128kbps), and it only occasionally causes me to grit my teeth at the audio quality. This may bias your answers in one of two ways - Low end phones, or phones that sound absolutely fantastic and should show me what I've been missing. Feel free to take either approach.

I'm generally more concerned with clear sound than deep bass. According to iTunes, I listen to Nightwish, Within Temptation, After Forever, Blackmoore's Night, Lacuna Coil and the like much more than Metallica, Rammstein, Stone Sour, etc.

If there's anything else you need to know, ask and I'll answer.

iPhone OS 3.0 Questions

Effigy2000 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:37:22 -0800

With the release of iPhone OS 3.0, I have some questions that I'd like answered. One relates to Stereo Bluetooth headphone recommendations, and the others relate to internet tethering. Firstly, let's get to my questions about the new ability to tether devices to your iPhone in iPhone 0S 3.0.

1. Most reports suggest that those carriers that do end up allowing tethering will charge you for it. Why? I ask because I don't understand their reasoning for charging for tethering and would like to know if there is a legitimate reason to do so aside from profiteering. Tethering a device to your iPhone won't allow you to get any more data than you already pay for in your data packs, right? If so, there's no data you're getting for free and theoretically no extra strain on their network. So what is the phone companies justification for essentially charging you twice for the same data allocation?
2. How would a phone company even know that a device has been tethered to your phone and is using the data? How do they differentiate between your iPhone using data and your tethered device using data?
3. Would it be possible to tether an iPod Touch (2G) to an iPhone?
4. Has anyone read anything about Telstra (Australia) enabling tethering? My Google-fu has failed me.

And now onto my final question, which is much simpler. Stereo Bluetooth headset recommendations. iPhone 0S 3.0 has unlocked the iPod Touch's Bluetooth capabilities to allow for stereo Bluetooth headsets to be used to listen to music. I've done some research and found a few possible headphones that might be worth buying but some have weird form factors, others are 'in-ear' buds which I find uncomfortable and others are great but otherwise too expensive.

Does anyone here have any personal recommendations for a good set of stereo Bluetooth headphones, compatible with an iPod Touch, that are comfortable to wear, deliver good (or even decent) sound and don't cost the Earth?

shure bet?

soy_renfield — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:32:04 -0800

What in-ear earphones should I buy for a cold weather climate? I have been using Shure e2c earphones for a few years, but I have grown frustrated at how the cable housing seems to crack every year in the winter due to the cold weather.

What in-ear earphones in the ~$100 range should I buy that will give me similar sound and will not be so easily damaged by normal wear and tear? Bonus points for models that have a microphone/click button built in for use with a blackberry/iphone.

WOOOSHHHHHHHHHHH

zazerr — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:55:44 -0800

Wind proof headphones for running and biking? I've tried many a "sports" headphone, but they all seem to increase the sound of the wind loudly wooshing past my ears. If I put my hands, or even just a finger, directly in front of my ears (around my temples), the sound goes away. Does anyone make quality head/earphones that do this?

For normal use, I love in-ear sealed type earphones, but they won't work because all I'll hear is the sound of my feet hitting the ground and the cord hitting me. Plus they're expensive.

I bet over-the-head, big-ear-pad headphones would work OK, but I suspect they'd make my ears very hot and sweaty.

Or do I just have oddly shaped ears?

Make Apple in-ear phones work better with T-Mobile G1?

Mo Nickels — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:32:14 -0800

How can I get my Apple iPhone/iPod/iTouch in-ear headphones to work easily with my T-Mobile G1 phone? The headphones are great--the best in-ear headphones I've used, except for ones I cobbled together using parts of two different models.

The problem is that when they're plugged into any of the four adapters I have for my T-Mobile G1 phone, they don't work properly. I have to pull the plug out a little bit, to just the right spot, to have full audio in both ears. This is probably due to the nonstandard, four-part nature of the plug: there are four metal places on it that probably don't line up well and my G1 doesn't/can't use the ones for the volume or the microphone.

Does anyone have an adapter that they know for certain works with these earphones? Or a simple hack or trick for making them work easily?

DJ Headphones for The Big-Eared?

awesomebrad — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:44:10 -0800

I'm an earbud guy who needs a recommendation for DJ headphones...that won't hurt my ears. I gave up on over-the-ear headphones years ago, because after wearing them for as little as a half hour, my ears start to hurt (and they're not even that big!). It's something to do with the way that they're shaped: there's a little cartilaginous ridge that sticks out just a millimeter too far. Or maybe they're just being bent back too much. I can't figure it out, but the problem is there, and the solution is earbuds.

Hence I have an amazing pair of UltimateEars SuperFi 5 Pros. But I've finally decided to get serious about DJing, just bought some equipment, and as per the conclusion of this question, it seems like I'm going to need to get traditional headphones.

I would really appreciate any recommendations that you have for very comfortable headphones that won't make my ears sore when I wear them. Bonus points if it's under $100. Triple bonus points if it's under $75 - I've already spent all the money I need to on equipment to pump music into my ears. Thanks everyone!

Are headphones, in principle, bad for your ears

dicetumbler — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:56:13 -0800

Are headphones and earphones inherently worse for your ears? In other words, is there a difference between listening to something live or through speakers, and listening to something through headphones or earphones at the same volume, in terms of damage done to your ears? I've noticed that after listening to music on headphones for a while, my ears will occasionally hurt. I have noise-canceling headphones that do a passable job.

I'm wondering if the very fact that my ears are covered, or that the source of the sound is closer to my eardrums, is worse for my ears.

Or does it have more to do with the fact that people who listen to music on headphones will listen to it longer? In other words, is it the prolonged usage that poses a risk?

Help me choose some good earbuds!

nafrance — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:55:19 -0800

Help me choose some good earbuds! I need a new pair of earbuds for my iPhone. I would like some new earbuds. I seem to go through almost two pairs a year, no matter how much I spend or research!
I do have a couple of special requests, which I hope the HiveMind can help with...

* iPhone-compatible mic & track-change clicker
* If at all possible NO rubber-tip things. I know they have their advantages, and all my last few pairs have had them - except they regularly get lost, replacements are a pain.
* Strong / reinforced plug. I keep my iPhone in my pocket, and find some plugs end up getting cable damage. A right-angled plug might be better.

My 'earbud history':
UltimateEars Super.Fi 4 - very nice, but the rubber bits don't seem to stay on well enough. Cable near the plug seems to be damaged after ~6mo. use.
Bose Triports - awesome sound, rubber parts stay on. Just a little large to fit in ears, plus no iPhone clicker.
Sony MDR-EX somethings - nice buds, rubber parts again don't seem to stay on too well! No clicker again.
Apples iPhone buds - didn't mind them too much, except they break easily for me.
V-Moda Vibes - again with the rubber parts! Loved the rope-style cable, although it eventually broke at the plug :(

Etymotics? Some other UE? Another make? How are the Apple in-ear buds?

Help!

What are the best headphones to use for running?

mdwiffle — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:39:50 -0800

What are the best headphones to use for running? I have been using the ear buds that have clips and they have not been working well for me. Can anyone recommend a good set of ear phones that will stay put in my ears even during a long workout where I am producing a good amount of sweat?

Earphones for little ears?

bluefly — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:56:38 -0800

Can you recommend some ear/headphones for someone with small ears? The ones that came with my old ipod always fall out because the earbuds are a bit too big. I read some previous threads here that recommended the kind that loop over your ear, but I wear glasses, so those never fit properly and fall off. I'd prefer some cheapies, as I'm not looking for superior sound quality; I just like to listen to pop music when I jog.

I need new earphones

Perpetual Seeker — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:47:40 -0800

Looking for durable, preferably in-ear, earphones. I've been having bad luck with earphones. I just recently purchased Shure SE530PTH earphones. I found a discount on them that was only about $325, I think.

Now, the right ear is starting to cut in and out, depending on the position of the wire. It started to happen when I was dozing off the other night, with my earphones in.

I doubt these have a warranty though, since they were so cheap. I just realized that after I purchased them. Further, I don't have time to send them away, because I need them for when I go back to college in about a week and a half.

So I'm looking for a replacement, I guess. I prefer the in-ear type, because they are just more comfortable. Also, I use them while in class, since I type notes on my laptop, so usually have one side in and one side out. There's just no easy way to do that with over-the-head headphones. I'm open to other types, though.

They need to be comfortable, because most days, I am either wearing them in class, or wearing them at home while on the computer, doing homework, etc. Basically I use them for at least 80% of the day.

Obviously because of the above, they also need to be durable, and last a while. I'd like to not have to replace them for at least a year.

Finally, I would like decent quality, for the occasions when I do actually listen to music with both earpieces in.

My price range is flexible. I'd prefer no more than $150-200, but can spend as much as I need to.

Phone+music stereo headset?

jckll — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:43:13 -0800

I’ve just started using my first PDA/Smartphone (Blackberry 8820) and I need some recommendations for a headset. I know there are tons of questions already—and even more online resources—for finding the best Bluetooth earpiece, but I’m not looking specifically for your standard Bluetooth. I want an iPhone-style headphone plus microphone combination. I’ve looked around a lot, and there are a bunch of stereo headphones, but scant information on them. There are of course the wired stereo phones—exactly like the iPhone headset. There are models that look exactly like the iPhone headset, with standard, earbud, wired earpieces, but they are connected to a Bluetooth dongle that hangs from your ears or clips to your belt. (1,2,3) Then there are your standard Bluetooth earpieces with a connectible earpiece for your other ear. Finally, there are over-the-ear headphones, which I don’t want.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a particular style of stereo headsets with mics? Am I better off just getting a pair of wired headphones with a microphone attached? Are the Bluetooth models any good? (Bonus points for a model recommended—or advised against—by personal experience, and double bonus points if I can connect my SHURE e3c bud headphones instead of relying on crappy Plantronics acoustics!)

Running without headphone cord SMACKSMACKSMACK

chesty_a_arthur — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:29:07 -0800

Help me solve my ipod earphone problem (specifically, the cord smacksmacksmack while running.) I run with an ipod. I have a couple different sets of relatively inexpensive headphones, which are fine; I am a total Philistine when it comes to sound quality. But I am a delicate flower, and the smacksmacksmack of the headphone cord on my arm or neck drives me so crazy that I sometimes wind up stopping just to mess around with it. I know about wireless Bluetooth headphones, which I would like, but cannot justify the expense right now. Has anyone come up with an awesome solution to this problem?

I know there are various cord-winding solutions available that seem like they'd make sense for a device in a coat pocket, but my device is in its foam-rubber arm sleeve (which incidentally has an elastic loop that is maybe to secure headphones but damned if I can figure out how) on my arm, and I'm running. I don't want to hold anything in my hands.

Monobuds - clever or stupid?

happyturtle — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:43:38 -0800

I mostly listen to audiobooks on my mp3 player using only one earbud. I thought of just snipping off the second earbud to keep it from being in the way. Is there any reason this is a bad idea? I can't imagine there would be enough power flowing through them to make any danger of shock, but would the leftover earbud still work?

Will my head explode if I wear my earphones the wrong way round?

grumblebee — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:01:43 -0800

stupid question: why are there left and right stereo speakers? Okay, I understand (and appreciate) that there are two sets of sounds and that they're separated in space. But I don't get the specificity of left and right. On my headphones, one speaker is labeled L and the other is labeled R.

Several times a day, I start to put them on without first checking that I'm matching the speakers to the correct ears. Then I realize what I'm doing and check the labels. Part of me feels like it's a good thing I'm doing this; another part of me feels like a lemming, mindlessly following directions to march off a cliff.

Would it make any difference if I listened to L with my right ear and R with my left ear? When I've boldly (and guiltily) done this, I haven't noticed any difference. Is this because L and R are bullshit labels? Or is it because I'm not a sophisticated enough listener to appreciate L and R? Would a real audiophile exclaim, "What's going on? Why is the string section on the right?!?"

Shure SE310 vs. Etymotic ER6 with a catch.

Evstar — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 13:21:11 -0800

I've been given a pair of Shure SE310 earphones for Christmas. This is fantastic. However, Etymotic makes the ER6s which can be fitted into custom earplug molds. I happen to already have the custom earplug molds for my musician's earplugs. Should I keep the Shures or exchange them for ER6s? The impression I'm under is that the Shures are probably superior earphones. Also, my musician's earplugs are kind of offset. By that I mean that the tunnel from the attenuators to the inside of my ear isn't straight, they extend outside the ear canal and fit into the upper part of my ear lobe. Will that have an effect on how the sound travels to my inner ear? (If you can't make sense of that description I can supply pictures.)

I would appreciate any input on this, thanks.

Save my earphones!

PhatLobley — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:00:55 -0800

Can I fix my expensive earphones? Please note: I am clumsy and not inclined to fixing anything, let alone small, expensive things. I have a pair of Etymotic i6 Isolators that will be two years old shortly after Christmas. Recently (in the past couple of weeks) the left side has stopped working periodically. No sound will come out, but I can normally fix it by wiggling/ twisting/ bending the wire right where it enters the plug. I fear this means they'll be toast soon. Is there anything I can do to avoid having to replace the earphones I love so much? If you have step by step instructions that do not involve any surgical precision, I might be able to do what you suggest. Thanks!

Please help my find a pair of headphones that won't hurt my head or ears.

Afroblanco — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:45:16 -0800

Please help my find a pair of headphones that won't hurt my head or ears. I used the same pair of Radioshack headphones for at least two years. They weren't great headphones, but were very comfortable - lightweight, with a nice, loose fit. They died recently, and I am forced to find new ones.

Unfortunately, every pair I've tried has been way too tight. I've tried both circumaural (around the ear) and supraural (on top of the ear) types. Neither have made me happy. The circumaural ones give me headaches, and the supraural ones made my ears hurt. I'm not a fan of the in-ear or earbud type - they're leaky, the sound quality tends to be poor, and I don't really think they're that comfortable.

Do they still make headphones that don't hurt? I should mention that I wear them for close to 8 hours a day, so comfort is really really important. I've returned, like, 5 pairs at this point, and am beginning to feel a bit discouraged.

All the pairs I've tried have been in the $50 range, and that's about as much as I'd like to spend. I could go as high as $75 - $100, but they'd have to be *really really* good.

I am a special snowflake and I need eveyone to be quiet

grumblebee — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:50:59 -0800

I have to share an office with a "percussionist." He drums on his desk, taps his foot, etc. It drives me crazy, and I feel like my head is about to explode. Is it rude for me to ask him to stop? If so, what else can I do? To be honest, I almost didn't post. I've been thinking about this for so long, it's hard for me to believe that anyone here can offer something better than, "you're screwed, dude." But maybe the hive mind will surprise me.

Here are the specifics: I'm SUPER-sensitive to noise. I have Aspergers, so that's probably the reason. But whatever the reason, it's true. I'm also a computer programmer, and I work on an extremely complex application. Basically, my job is like doing mind-bending Calculus problems all day, and they require 100% of my concentration. Every time I lose focus, it takes me a really long time to find my way back into the problem. Sometimes, when the guy drums, I wind up going over the same line of code 40 times.

Data points:

-- my boss is FUNDAMENTALLY opposed to people working at home. I've tried to get him to let me do that. He won't. The end. I could get another job, I guess, but in all other ways, I love this job. And besides, I'd probably have to deal with this issue in other jobs. (I didn't have to deal with it in the past, because I was a teacher, not a developer. But I don't want to teach any more.)

-- there is no space I can go in my office to get away from the noise.

-- there are four other people in the office, and none of them are even slightly bothered by the drumming. It's the sort of noise that doesn't bother "normal" people. He's not hammering on the desk, just lightly tapping it. But I'm the sort of guy who can't concentrate on a movie if people in the theatre are whispering really quietly. I realize that it's a communal space and that we all have to compromise. It's his office, too.

-- even if he agreed to stop, I'm not sure he could. It looks like he does this unconsciously.

-- I've tried earphones, but I can't listen to music (even instrumental only) and work at the same time. Same noise issue. I've tried ambient noise. It's either too distracting or not-loud-enough to mask the percussion. (I can feel the percussion as-well-as hear it.)

-- I've tried earplugs. I even bought these industrial ones, used by people in factories. They were really expensive. They didn't help. They muffled the noise, but I could still hear it. For me (as crazy as this sounds) muffled noise is as-bad-as loud noise.

Okay, I understand that this is largely MY problem. But what can I do? Should I resign myself to being a person who should never work around other people (at least not on complex stuff that requires lots of extended concentration)? Should I get on some sort of meds? This is too petty a problem to take up as much of my energy as it does.

Deep in-the-ear earbuds that don't leak sound.

grumblebee — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:01:41 -0800

I'm looking for cheap, deep-in-the-ear earbuds for listening to audiobooks. The sound quality doesn't have to be great, because I won't use them to listen to music. I want cheap ones, because I inevitably break headphones, and I don't want to have to spend $100 every month. On the other hand, I'm willing to spend $20 a month if I have to. In-the-ear, because I don't want to keep my wife awake with "leaking" sound. I listen audiobooks when I have insomnia, which is way too often. But if there's even a tiny bit of noise leakage, my wife complains. The only solution I've found is that sort of earbud that sticks way in your ear canal. There's no leakage, and I can keep the volume really low and still hear.

My full-bodied (enclose-the-ear) headphones don't leak, but they're too uncomfortable when I'm lying on my side, which is what I mostly do in bed. Only earbuds seem to allow me to lie on my side.

For whatever reason, I'm finding it harder and harder to find earbuds that go deep inside your ear. I live in NYC, and all the ones I see are those ones with the little round buds on the end. Those leak too much.

I've tried expensive ones, but they're not worth the $ if you're just listening to audiobooks. Also, I'm careless with them. I break them and lose them.

I thought I found EXACTLY what I was looking for at Radio Shack. Deep-in-the-ear headphones for $10 (I got a better deal than what you'll see via the above link). I figured they'd be crappy and that I'd have to replace them, but I'm fine with $10 a month. So I bought about five of them. And -- no joke -- they lasted about three days each! After that point, the sound kept cutting off, and I had to constantly bend them and put rubber bands around them to get any sound out of them at all. I guess you get what you pay for.

Feel free to suggest other solutions or talk me into expensive headphones. I want a solution, and I'm willing to think outside my box.

Requirements: no leakage. comfortable when lying on side. inexpensive (in the long term).

Replacement earphones wanted

Lotto — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 05:15:13 -0800

I like these earphones but they're no longer available. What do you recommend as a substitute? These are the characteristics I am looking for, assuming that reasonable sound quality is a given:

* Same earphone type - neither right in the ear nor huge cans

* The design I think they call "neckchain" or perhaps "asymmetrical" where it has a long and a short side, and you are meant to wear it with the input cable coming up one side then the feed to the other ear going round the back

* Nice textured cloth-like finish on the cable

I don't mind whether they're made by Sony or not.

I'm in the UK.

Thanks!