Any commuters care to chime in about earbuds?

[RayW]

http://focuscamera.com/sc/main_item.asp?id=964602527

Shure E2C for $72.

They're also availabe on that auction site for ~$54 BIN new or $34 for return/demos. As always, shipping is ridiculous.

Ray

 

[stuartk]

I have a set of these: Sony Fontopia® MDR-EX71SLA (about $50)

They are available in black or white. I use them when I walk with a little portable Sony stereo and also with my little desktop AM/FM/SW Sony (plays FM Stereo).

I find them to be comfortable and sound quite good (balanced bass and treble).

I have a pair of these too. I found out about them on Linkwitz's site. They sound excellent and they can be had for somewhere around $30 pr.

I got an adaptor to plug them into my preamp on my stereo system and they sound great there too, as well as with my iPod.

 

[MatthewK]

If you get the Shures, get the soft flex sleeves available separately for about $5-$10. They are an order of magnitude more comfortable and give a proper seal for the low bass, it's like night and day. I bought e2c's after my Sony MDR-71EXs broke (fairly good sound, nasty spike around 8kHz, appalling build quality) and I was disappointed with the sound. Then I got the flex sleeves for comfort, and suddenly the sound was great. The Shures have fantastic build quality and a robust case, too.

 

[nickrobotron]

I know you didn't ask about headphones, but earbuds suck man. There are some that sound good, but at that price-range, probably not worth it.

I use PX-100's for my portables. Like the 200, but open instead of closed. They sound much better than 200's, but since you're commuting, sealed headphones would be better for you AND them. The AKG 27i is a closed can too.

 

[uofmtiger]

I have a pair of Etymotic ER-4s I use with my iPod. They are in a whole other league than the $30 - $60 'buds, but cost a lot more, too. Totally worth it if you care about the sound quality.

The ER-4Ps can be converted to ER-4S with an adapter. The ER-4Ps are made to sound good without an amp, but the adaptor will give you great sound with an amp if you are interested in both.

I stepped away from earbuds for the most part, and now commute with a pair of Grado SR-60s and Sennheiser 497s, and am much happier overall

The SR-60s are great if you do not mind having sound leak out and don't mind the size when communting. I have a pair and love them.

 

[SpeakerLabFan]

I know you didn't ask about headphones, but earbuds suck man. There are some that sound good, but at that price-range, probably not worth it.

If you're talking about sound quality, I think Shure (and Ety's anecdotally) are dollar for dollar a better value than headphones. I think the key when auditioning Shure or Etys is proper placement / seal in the ear canal, as noted in the thread. With the right seal, I think it's nirvana that I don't hear in headphones until I step into $150 models (sennheiser, etc - which I use in my office - different scenario than commuting). But if you don't have the right sleeve to get the right placement, you might as well be listening to a 1960's transitor radio

Of course there are other scenarios where earphones might suck - definitely not good for workouts or walking near in traffic.

 

[Beobloke]

I've found nothing better than my Bang & Olufsen A8s for my daily 1 hour train journey to/from work.

I can't stand those ones that you have to stuff in your ears, as they're uncomfortable to me and always fall out after about 5 minutes. The B&O's hook over the ear and are easily adjustable, very comfortable and sound great.

 

[uofmtiger]

If you do not want the kind you stuff in your ears, the Koss KSC75 wrap around the ears, sound great, and can be found for around $10. I think they are the best bargain in headphones.:thmbsp:

 

[meggy]

I had a pair of etymotics (4p?) and the wires were incredibly microphonic. You could hear the cables rubbing on your clothes so little movement was noisy and using them while working out was impossible. When absolutely still, the sound was really pretty incredible...but I didn't want to have to be absolutely still to listen to music...the point of portable is to be able to move.

That's a deal-killer. Anybody else get this and is it cure-able? Would wrapping the cable with something/ shrink tube, ??, help (i dunno why it would exactly).

 

[MatthewK]

I had a pair of etymotics (4p?) and the wires were incredibly microphonic. You could hear the cables rubbing on your clothes so little movement was noisy and using them while working out was impossible.

Physical damping is the key - you have to pass the cables forward from the ear canal, up over the top of the pinna (external ear) and rest them in the groove between the upper ear and the head. Then cinch them together with a rubber band behind the head so that the cable is snug to the nape of your neck and held against your head in slight tension. The Shures are designed to be worn this way and have a sliding plastic cinch on the cables.

When I had the Sonys I had to figure this out piece by piece because they were dreadfully microphonic - although the cable arrangement was somewhat different. Never had a problem with the Shures once I learned to fit them correctly.

 

[SpeakerLabFan]

Physical damping is the key - you have to pass the cables forward from the ear canal, up over the top of the pinna (external ear) and rest them in the groove between the upper ear and the head. Then cinch them together with a rubber band behind the head so that the cable is snug to the nape of your neck and held against your head in slight tension. The Shures are designed to be worn this way and have a sliding plastic cinch on the cables.

Yes as you mention, the Shure e-series design and instructions are fairly explicit. It also helps to keep the cable out of the way which is good because no matter what the headphone/earphone solution is, I have to be extra careful with the wires -- because I have a pretty lousy past track record for yanking, cutting, and generally wearing out the wires through abuse.

On a positive note, I've learned from these experiences that both Shure and Koss have really great warranties and product support - free replacement in both cases.

 

[Tapehead47]

You can't go wrong with these...

This is a good thread, eunomi. I've been using earbuds since about 1986. I've never had really good ones, like the Shures or Sennheisers.

My favorites are Sony. For everyday use you can't beat them for sound/price. I bought a pair for my daughter to use with her iPod, but she didn't like them (they were black). So instead of returning them I used them for my Sony am/fm walkman.

They have soft rubber cushions that seal very well in the ear canal and help block off outside noise. Very comfortable, too. For about $39 at Circuit City.

As others say you can spend way more and get better quality sound. Then you have to worry about damaging those expensive ones! I don't think you could go wrong with these. Can't remember the model number, so I'm sending a picture.

Good Luck,
Rick

 

[hamblis]

Shure E2C's - rubber sleeves

If you get the Shures, get the soft flex sleeves available separately for about $5-$10........I bought e2c's......Then I got the flex sleeves for comfort, and suddenly the sound was great.....

Could you specify which soft flex sleeves you have for the e2c's? I have foam and silicon rubber sleeves but I'm wondering if you mean the triple flange ones - I understand they only work with e3c's and above, though

 

[MatthewK]

They're called "Ultra Soft Flex Sleeves" and are black silicone rubber. The phones I bought were supplied with pinkish foam sleeves and clear rubber sleeves which were much less flexible.

Have a look at http://www.sfm.ca/ears/accessories.html - they're the black sleeves about 3/4 the way down the list.

 

[hamblis]

Thanks a lot. I have some already - interestingly, my phones were supplied with all 3 types.

 

[uofmtiger]

Physical damping is the key - you have to pass the cables forward from the ear canal, up over the top of the pinna (external ear) and rest them in the groove between the upper ear and the head. Then cinch them together with a rubber band behind the head so that the cable is snug to the nape of your neck and held against your head in slight tension. The Shures are designed to be worn this way and have a sliding plastic cinch on the cables.

This works like a charm with the ER-4Ps. I am not using the rubber band, but I am sliding the cable over the top of the ear and it really helps.:thmbsp:

 

[eunomi]

If any one's curious how this ended, I wound up getting the Shure E2Cs. It seemed like it's the next step up in quality, and I'm still not sure what kind of damage my commute's doing to my listening devices. I figure $71 isn't a huge loss if something goes awry for the time being.

So far, I'm happy with the results. The cables do make noise when you move, but it's a question of experimentation for finding a good placement. The sound quality is pretty good, and totally acceptable for a commuting situation. The isolation is also a huge plus; my ears are thanking me for turning down the SPL, and my brain's thanking me for blocking out some of the outside conversations you hear...

 

[MatthewK]

Nice one - and you will find the sound continues to improve as you get more used to sitting them in exactly the right part of the ear canal. I find it takes some practice to avoid trapping air uncomfortably!

 

[jimmymagick]

When I was buying my Etymotics, Buy.com had the best price online.

FYI

 

[Sluggo]

I would like to Second the B&O A8 Earphones!
Great fit with Great sound,Good build quality for
around half your budget!
Amazon is a good place to look~