4 ms·

Are they not _fantastic_? The insertion depth can be uncomfortable at first, but the experience of listening to 'loud' music, then removing the earphones and no

by turaw 11y ago

Are they not _fantastic_? The insertion depth can be uncomfortable at first, but the experience of listening to 'loud' music, then removing the earphones and noticing that the ambient noise was even louder is just amazing.

newman314 11y ago
The only things that bother me are the fact that sometimes the earplugs get stuck and come loose as well as the microphonics caused by the wires. I'm considering custom ear molds. Have you tried them? http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/custom-fit/faq http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/custom-fit/faq
- turaw 11y ago
  I've had custom ear_plugs_ by a company that also produces compatible molds for etymotics IEMs. After a suitable break-in period (for which you're literally supplied with ear lubricant) they fit perfectly. I've never had the earplugs come out unintentionally, though they don't have cables to get snagged.
- lhl 11y ago
  Most over-ear IEMs usually have better microphonics (the ER4's microphonics are notoriously bad). Shures and Westones both have good isolation and low microphonics (and start at reasonable prices). If you are considering customs (CIEMs), I'd strongly recommend you audition some other headsets first - ERs were my first pair of IEMs, and I loved them, but they have poor bass, and there are sets w/ better detail, instrument separation, soundstage/imaging at the same price range. IMO, for the price, the UM Pro 30s w/ Comply tips are hard to beat. Another set you might want to check out might be the LEAR LHF-AE1d, a dynamic driver (vs balanced armature) IEM w/ balanced sound, and the ability to cheaply add a custom-fit nozzle. The IEM market is undergoing a sort of cambrian explosion right now, with design approaches, quality (and also sadly, price).
  - turaw 11y ago
    I know you're responding to newman, but those look really cool (despite their being well outside my price range)! Definitely a long-term goal :) Btw, completely unrelated to IEMs, there was a neat article [1] involving a fossil that predates the cambrian explosion which might be of interest to you. Not sure how that affects your simile. [1]: http://phys.org/news/2015-07-tiny-sponge-fossil-evolutionary.html http://phys.org/news/2015-07-tiny-sponge-fossil-evolutionary...
    - lhl 11y ago
      If you're happy with your IEMs I might just skip the rest - it can be an expensive hobby. If you are looking for an upgrade I'd recommend heading to an event like CanJam, try out a bunch, and trust your ears. There's no point in paying for what you can't hear. Still, be prepared to either fortify your will or be ready to sacrifice your wallet. Neat article. When talking about a Cambrian explosion, I really mean how the market has exploded - you're seeing so many new companies, designs, and approaches. While the high-end has gone a bit crazy, the perf/$ has basically increased above the board as well (heck, the ER4s sold for like $300+ (close to $500 in today's buying power) 15 years ago, so the fact that you can get them now for ~$200 is pretty great.
  - newman314 11y ago
    I went down the rabbit hole looking at JH13s. =) But realistically speaking my ears are not that good, I can somewhat tell the difference between the 6i (which is what I have in my pocket at all times) and ER4s but it's probably diminishing returns beyond that for me given that much of my source material are 128kbps MP3s, iTunes Radio etc. That LEAR looks quite interesting though and I'll make a note to try to attend a CanJam sometime. PS. That's said, I can tell that my AVR + bass setup is pretty muddy so I need figure out how to fix that.

by turaw 11y ago

newman314 11y ago

The only things that bother me are the fact that sometimes the earplugs get stuck and come loose as well as the microphonics caused by the wires. I'm considering custom ear molds. Have you tried them? http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/custom-fit/faq http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/custom-fit/faq

turaw 11y ago
I've had custom ear_plugs_ by a company that also produces compatible molds for etymotics IEMs. After a suitable break-in period (for which you're literally supplied with ear lubricant) they fit perfectly. I've never had the earplugs come out unintentionally, though they don't have cables to get snagged.
lhl 11y ago
Most over-ear IEMs usually have better microphonics (the ER4's microphonics are notoriously bad). Shures and Westones both have good isolation and low microphonics (and start at reasonable prices). If you are considering customs (CIEMs), I'd strongly recommend you audition some other headsets first - ERs were my first pair of IEMs, and I loved them, but they have poor bass, and there are sets w/ better detail, instrument separation, soundstage/imaging at the same price range. IMO, for the price, the UM Pro 30s w/ Comply tips are hard to beat. Another set you might want to check out might be the LEAR LHF-AE1d, a dynamic driver (vs balanced armature) IEM w/ balanced sound, and the ability to cheaply add a custom-fit nozzle. The IEM market is undergoing a sort of cambrian explosion right now, with design approaches, quality (and also sadly, price).
- turaw 11y ago
  I know you're responding to newman, but those look really cool (despite their being well outside my price range)! Definitely a long-term goal :) Btw, completely unrelated to IEMs, there was a neat article [1] involving a fossil that predates the cambrian explosion which might be of interest to you. Not sure how that affects your simile. [1]: http://phys.org/news/2015-07-tiny-sponge-fossil-evolutionary.html http://phys.org/news/2015-07-tiny-sponge-fossil-evolutionary...
  - lhl 11y ago
    If you're happy with your IEMs I might just skip the rest - it can be an expensive hobby. If you are looking for an upgrade I'd recommend heading to an event like CanJam, try out a bunch, and trust your ears. There's no point in paying for what you can't hear. Still, be prepared to either fortify your will or be ready to sacrifice your wallet. Neat article. When talking about a Cambrian explosion, I really mean how the market has exploded - you're seeing so many new companies, designs, and approaches. While the high-end has gone a bit crazy, the perf/$ has basically increased above the board as well (heck, the ER4s sold for like $300+ (close to $500 in today's buying power) 15 years ago, so the fact that you can get them now for ~$200 is pretty great.
- newman314 11y ago
  I went down the rabbit hole looking at JH13s. =) But realistically speaking my ears are not that good, I can somewhat tell the difference between the 6i (which is what I have in my pocket at all times) and ER4s but it's probably diminishing returns beyond that for me given that much of my source material are 128kbps MP3s, iTunes Radio etc. That LEAR looks quite interesting though and I'll make a note to try to attend a CanJam sometime. PS. That's said, I can tell that my AVR + bass setup is pretty muddy so I need figure out how to fix that.