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A/V In ear headphones

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Ljs, 20 Nov 2013.

  1. Ljs

    Ljs Modder

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    I bought some in ear headphones (RHA MA-350) to spare my trusty old HD555s some wear and tear while I'm mobile but I'm really not sure about the whole thing as I find all these types of plugs a little uncomfortable.

    Will foam tips help this at all? Anyone had any experience with them?

    I tried all the size tips with the headphones but that made no difference to comfort. As well as being a bit uncomfortable, do you ever get used to the sensation of having something jammed in your ear?!

    I haven't worn these types of headphones for a long time so can't really remember.
     
  2. saspro

    saspro IT monkey

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    Foam tips may help with the comfort issue.
    You can get in ear moulds made as well which are more comfy
     
  3. Margo Baggins

    Margo Baggins I'm good at Soldering Super Moderator

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    I use comply tips, which are memory foam. I much prefer them to the oem "buds" that come with iem's. However, I would say, initially this increases the sensation of something being stuffed in your ear, but overall I find them more comfortable.
     
  4. Ljs

    Ljs Modder

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    Ouch, it seems they would cost more than the headphones! I did see a how to article on how to DIY some but I'm not sure I fancy getting silicon stuck in my ears, that would be a pretty embarrassing trip to A&E.

    Might try out some of these Comply buds. I did look at them a while ago but wanted to try and get some second opinions. Seem a fairly inexpensive purchase to test out.

    Cheers guys.
     
  5. David164v8

    David164v8 Minimodder

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    How long do they typically last for you? I'm waiting for my 3 pack to come and I'm hearing that they might only last a few weeks each :(
     
  6. Margo Baggins

    Margo Baggins I'm good at Soldering Super Moderator

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    I've had some on my iem's since the beginning of september and they are still going strong. I keep my iem's in a little pouch in my bag though, they live a charmed existence, I have heard tha for some people they don't last long.
     
  7. Shirty

    Shirty W*nker! Super Moderator

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    Comply buds are awesome, but they can get a bit grubby if used a lot.

    I personally don't mind some of the better rubber plugs, the most common problem with these is that they have a habit of slipping slightly and breaking the seal in one ear or the other,m which kills the sound quality.

    I won a decent pair of Goldring in-ears a few years back, and I'm sure they came with comply tips as standard fit.
     
  8. Rofl_Waffle

    Rofl_Waffle What's a Dremel?

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    I love the Comply foam tips. They don't really wear down or disintegrate unless used for many months. However the memory foam will lose the memory effect over the course of 1-2 months. I swap mine every 2 months. Of course it all depends on how much you use them per day.

    I personally use the smalls. They put less pressure on my ears so I don't really notice them. The only drawback is that the smalls don't stay in as good as the larger ones. Still better than those crappy plastic or rubber tips so as long you aren't running around. Regardless, I have TF10's which have the "over the ear" cable design which keeps the monitor in place regardless of which tips I use.
     
  9. Ljs

    Ljs Modder

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    I didn't realise they were essentially consumable althought that would make a lot of sense and I was wondering why they come in packs of 3 (2 sets spare?!). Still think I'll give them a try and see how long they all last.

    Getting a bit more used to them now from only wearing them a hour or two a day althought it still a little weird after wearing nice soft comfy cans over your ears which is like wearing a pillow strapped to your head.
     
  10. adrock

    adrock Caninus Nervous Rex

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    i found comply are good in some situations, but i find them less comfortable if i'm moving about/walking than the double-flanged silicone tips i got with my RE-0s, so i currently use those on my ue900s. That said, i picked up comply tips for the re0s in DFW and had the most pleasantly quiet flight of my life a couple of years back.

    It's not ideal, but try a bunch of different sizes, material and shape of tips that fit your IEMs, and go with the ones you like best. ears are one of those things where there's enough variety between people that there's never going to be a universal best solution.
     
  11. boiled_elephant

    boiled_elephant Merom Celeron 4 lyfe

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    Are those basically the same material/texture as the protective earplugs they use at shooting ranges et al, that you can squeeze and deform and that gradually expand again?

    The idea of IEMs made of that stuff is quite appealing.
     
  12. Ficky Pucker

    Ficky Pucker I

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    yes, but they won't last forever, i replace mine every 3 months or so :)
     
  13. hamza_tm

    hamza_tm Modder

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    There's an alternative Ljs, you can get ear buds (which don't get stuffed in your ears, they sit outside the canals) rather than IEMs which you have now (that basically seal your holes). Most cheap earphones you get are actually horrendous quality earbuds, but what most people don't know is that you can get very high quality earbuds too.

    I find them more comfy, and I heard the body isn't designed to play well with stuffing stuff in your ears, people with small ear canals tend to have issues. At least that's what my research upturned.

    Anyway Blue Ever Blue make a killer budget earbud, http://blueeverblue.com/product-black.html, sounds better than many in-ear models I've tried (Sennheiser CX 250, Klipsch Image S4, etc). I got free delivery to the UK ordering from them directly. Got charged £6-7 customs, but overall pleased with them.

    Then there's the infamous Yuin series, the PK1, PK2, PK3 depending on your budget.
     
    Last edited: 25 Nov 2013
  14. David164v8

    David164v8 Minimodder

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    If you want to go for earbuds, these are well reviewed and I think the price is good.

    https://www.massdrop.com/buy/yuin-pk3
     

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