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My favourite [semi-]wired in-ear headphones are from Shure. The way the cable molds and wraps around your ears means they don’t get out easily if you accidenta

My favourite [semi-]wired in-ear headphones are from Shure. The way the cable molds and wraps around your ears means they don’t get out easily if you accidentally pull it. The cable itself (the weakest link in any wired headphones) is replaceable, no special tools needed, with third-party options available. One cable I used to have, and I think some units come with it by default as an option now, has a Bluetooth receiver-transmitter rather than the 3.5 jack. This avoids the need to draw the cable directly to your device and the risk of accidentally pulling on it. Resting the receiver on your clothing rather than skin of the back of your neck directly would drastically reduce the impact from any potential explosion, I imagine. Since the Bluetooth-enabled cable connects both in-ears, they never get lost like a pod would. Naturally, this version of the cable also has a mic (arguably better positioned relative to your mouth than one in a tiny bud, in terms of outgoing audio quality). If you like noise isolation, their black EABKF sleeve passively isolate measurably (and in my personal experience) on par with active isolation from top-of-the-line Bluetooth buds and cans (you should make sure you clean and swap the sleeves regularly to avoid ear infection, but in-ear buds like AirPods Pro generally require the same). (Connoisseurs will note that the thing to watch out for in case of cheaper IEMs is cable rattle. Rattle is a deal-breaker for me as I wear them outside. Shures don’t suffer from it, though it would be unfair to omit that compared to buds with active noise isolation there is indeed a floor of consistent background hum in the lows if you are moving around actively.) Finally, they are capable of much higher quality audio (obviously) and cost less than $100. (If you pay the equivalent of AirPods Pro, you can get a version with two drivers in each, promising in theory even better sound, and a chunk of leftover change.)

maccard 2y ago
I use se215’s for my band (probably 3 hours a week), and they’re fine. The problem isn’t the 215’s it’s that I’m tethered to something. Thankfully I bought a wireless receiver pack which negates that problem. I use the AirPods pretty much every day as my main device. The sound quality is poorer, but not enough to make a meaningful difference when I’m listening to music that was mixed for consumers, or podcasts recorded in a closet somewhere - which let’s face it, we mostly are.
- strogonoff 2y ago
  No matter how things are mastered, I hate the booming sound of AirPods Pro and how it skews my perception of highs and lows. (Regular AirPods are not fit for my purposes due to lacking NC.) Their saving grace is that ANC means they don’t irritate my ears after prolonged wearing as much as Shure’s sleeves do (passive isolation requires a stricter fit).

maccard 2y ago

I use se215’s for my band (probably 3 hours a week), and they’re fine. The problem isn’t the 215’s it’s that I’m tethered to something. Thankfully I bought a wireless receiver pack which negates that problem. I use the AirPods pretty much every day as my main device. The sound quality is poorer, but not enough to make a meaningful difference when I’m listening to music that was mixed for consumers, or podcasts recorded in a closet somewhere - which let’s face it, we mostly are.

strogonoff 2y ago
No matter how things are mastered, I hate the booming sound of AirPods Pro and how it skews my perception of highs and lows. (Regular AirPods are not fit for my purposes due to lacking NC.) Their saving grace is that ANC means they don’t irritate my ears after prolonged wearing as much as Shure’s sleeves do (passive isolation requires a stricter fit).