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Earbuds, finding a balance between decent / disposable...I guess.

penkosey

penkosey

Well-Known Member
I'm a little embarrassed to make this thread, although I shouldn't be, as I'm sure this is a common issue.

I've started going to the gym, and to block out all the distractions around me, need to wear earbuds. Immediately, I've been getting some annoyances and problems:

* First of all, having wires coming from my ears to an MP3 player....no matter how I try to arrange them...there's still always that irritating surprise when they somehow catch on something or get accidentally pulled, and suddenly my music is ripped rudely from my ears. It's almost like having a glass of cold water thrown at you, the sudden surprise. I've never figured out how to overcome this.

* This was the somewhat embarrassing thing, I guess. I've been through a lot of earbuds of different brands/makes, and almost never found any with a reliable fit/seal. The gym experience has turned into putting them in, having good full sound for maybe a minute while they're optimally in place, then noticing the sound quality quickly begin suffering as they start to slip/shift away, with all the bass disappearing.

^ I think the reason why none of them stay in place is, well, my ears seem to produce a *lot* of sweat and oils. I'm a clean person but anytime I take my earbuds out, the rubber part is not matte looking at all...it's all shiny. Sorry if that's TMI. Also every time I take them out, there's, well, excessive ear wax all in the speaker area. (I'm aware that many brands come with a cleaning tool specifically for this purpose, or that even something like a toothpick can be used for cleaning, but, I'm mentioning that in my case it's a bit of a losing battle).

The other part of the dilemma is, I know that some of the higher end/costlier earbuds are going to have a more precise fit. However, I can't spend that much money on something I'm apparently going to ruin quickly by being drenched in sweat. I was on the treadmill the other day and was quickly completely drenched. I knew as a result the little $25 Koss 'buds I'd bought at Wal-Mart were going to be destroyed...and yes, they're pretty much ruined. And they're just a notch on an endless list of cheap-to-fairly expensive earbuds I've tried, and killed off.

I guess I'm wondering if my options remain as follows: Either (A) Continue periodically buying the $20-$40ish options available at WalMart/Target/Ebay, or (B) Find something serious that is designed to address these issues, that are, I don't know, tough and waterproof....?

I might add that while I don't demand snobby audiophile quality from a gym-type situation, it's definitely not enough for me just to have tinny, trebly music blasted into my ears. I have to have bass to enjoy it, and I'm from the camp that would rather accept bloated/overblown low end, than to have none at all.

Some examples of earbuds I've ruined include just about anything you'd see on the shelf at your local big box store, all the way to Shure E3-C's (which I wasn't terribly impressed with, and accidentally stepped on anyway, so...another reason why I'd like to find a balance of not spending too much, since I'm likely to break them). I had some Skullcandy Titans which, sound-quality-wise, seemed like an OK compromise between musicality & price. But, whatever, they've all suffered the same fate.

Anyway, sorry if this topic has been run into the ground before; I've definitely tried to read up on the issue. I really appreciate input/suggestions....thanks!
 
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Oh, thought I'd mention: A couple times I've tried wearing my Yamaha RH-5Ma cans over a ball cap, with OK results. A little clunky, although the RH-5Ma are on the small side of over-the-ear headphones. And, although they're not insanely expensive, they still seem too nice to deserve being ruined by soaking them in sweat.
 
These are pretty cheap and have optional ear hooks to help keep them in and sealed. I have also read good things about the sound of them.

http://www.amazon.com/SoundMAGIC-Is...UTF8&coliid=I1C9BRFE6U2AN6&colid=O1SNZ04WDJQ3

I'm not sure how these will stand up to sweat, but for the price they might be worth a shot.

I highly recommend running the cord under your shirt to keep it out of the way.

This link may be some help as well
http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/sports-headphones-buying-guide.html

These look interesting too. Not sure about sound quality, but their waterproof/sweatproof.
http://www.h2oaudio.com/store/waterproof-headphones/trax-custom-fit-headphones.html
 
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I have had a pair of Sony's that look a lot like this http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+...&skuId=8703389&st=sony earphones&cp=1&lp=1but cost me around $15 and I have beat the crap out of them working out with sweat and also goin into the sauna and what not and they still work and sound great. I had bought a pair of phillips for $60 thinking they would sound better and they sounded horrible and then I bought some other set costing near that of some other brand and they sounded just as bad as the phillips way to shrill and treble heavy. weird that the sonys cost a lot less and kill them in sound. I also got a set with my samsung Galaxsy S that sound really good for coming with the phone but they dont wrap around the ear which is a must if I am working out.
 
cubdog said:
See my thread on the Monoprice 8320s.

cubdog
Click to expand...

Hi there, I'm not sure I was able to find your thread. All that came up was a single post in which you mentioned you'd bought them and would give your impressions later.

I'd definitely be interested in reading through it; maybe I'm not using the search function properly...

Thanks.
 
penkosey said:
Hi there, I'm not sure I was able to find your thread. All that came up was a single post in which you mentioned you'd bought them and would give your impressions later.

I'd definitely be interested in reading through it; maybe I'm not using the search function properly...

Thanks.
Click to expand...

That's all that's here but I mentioned that there is over 100 pages about it on the Head Fi Forum. Go there for all the info.

cubdog
 
I like the meelectronic m6. The way they go over your ears keeps them in place nicely.

On sale they are under $20 and they sound pretty darn good to me.
 
These have been my gym earbuds for years, and they come with extra ear cushions.
JVC Marshmallows available on the bay for under $10.00 No affiliation BTW

Regards,
Jim
 
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I would look on head-fi to find out info. about maybe some IEM's that might stand up to your "abuse" or at least for dozens of options in that price range that will sound better than what you'll get at big box stores. Here are some threads on there that review IEM's based on all sorts of criteria:


http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/541204/concise-multi-iem-comparison-klipsch-s4-added-1st-march-2011

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-115-iems-compared-monster-miles-davis-tribute-added-10-17

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/450407/multiple-iem-shootout-v-3

For $30 there is the Head Direct RE2's that I have and have found to be nice SQ and comfortwise and do well against the more expensive IEM's I now have (the RE2's were over $100 for awhile when they first came out actually). They can be slightly thin or hollow sounding, but they do everything well if nothing spectacularly. I use them for cutting the grass (so they get hit with sweat and grass debris) and never have treated them well but they still are holding up after 2 years or so. Not sure if they are still sold however.
 
I have the same issue with the wax build up on my earbuds. Which is why I never bought good ones.

I am going to suggest Sony MDR J10 headphones. They clip over your ear so they will not fall out, are very durable, easy to find, and don't stick so far into your ear as to get all waxy. Everyone I know has had a pair at one point (they were packed in with almost everything in the early 00's). You can find them for $5 if you look. The sound is decent, though no great.

Oh, and the catching the cord on everything. Put the earbuds on so the wire runs down your back and then run the wire under your shirt and right into your pocket. :yes:
 
First of all, kudos for you getting out to the gym. I had a similar situation a few years ago, where I decided that I better get my butt to the gym 2-3 times per week.

The end-all-be-all solution would be some Ultimate Ears Custom In Ear Monitors. These are custom molded to your ear (you have to visit an audiologist and get impressions done). And then of course, the cheapest in this line start at $400.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/ue/custom-in-ear-monitors/devices/4-Pro
 
I've had good success buying earbuds of the semi-disposable variety at discount stores like TJ Max or Big Lots. For 5 or so dollars, it's difficult to argue... In my case careful selection of the rubber ear canal "gaskets" is very important. Maybe I have non-standard ears...
 
I am currently using a pair of Klipsch, and while a bit bright, they fit and seem to be of quality. They weren't cheap though, about $80. I have had decent luck with buds at $50 or above.

Your problems aren't do to your sweating, they are do to you not getting a good fit. Decent buds have changeable inserts and it's absolutely critical that you swap them until you find the right fit. I take mine to the gym almost daily and my clothes are literally drenched when I leave - no problems with buds.

Some tips on not snagging them:

1. When I use weights, I put my ipod in my front pocket and run the wires underneath my shirt. This avoids almost all snags, except when laying on my back and positioning heavy weights.

2. On the cardio machines, I put my ipod in a tray and route the wires through the center, away from my arms. Haven't had a snag in months.
 
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