[Closed] The "what headphones?" question - a fresh approach

Etymotic.

"[i]this last sentence may provoke some forumites to make smutty innuendoes - so please feel free to insert yours here[/i]"

The forum has a glory hole now?

The best sealing earphone i owned (and i've owned a few different types and brands) was the Etymotic ER4-P but i guess they'll be out of your price range - the Etymotic MC-5 has exactly the same isolation and is regarded as the best isolation in it's price range of approx £50.

Might be worth trying something like this

http://www.howtogeek.com/57481/how-to-make-custom-silicone-ear-molds-for-your-in-ear-monitors/

[url= https://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=custom+ear+plugs#q=custom+ear+plugs&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=HaGRUNKDMo2Thgei4oDYDQ&ved=0CF8QrQQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=1fcd0e2fdf354bc&bpcl=36601534&biw=1214&bih=850 ]using some custom ear plugs[/url]

Thanks all - the etymotics are fugly, but seem well liked so may give them a go.

[url= http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-262-iems-compared-ultimate-ears-ue-900-added-10-28-12 ]which IEM[/url]

I bought Etymotics some years ago, because lots of people raved about them. I never use them now. I find them to be far too bass-light for what I listen to*, and I'm just not that impressed by the sound overall. These, at $35, will knock spots off them, and using the triple flange eartips, not only will nobody else hear them, they have -26dB of background noise attenuation. Once burned-in, the bass is very deep indeed, and they handle vocals and other details well. They're also very comfortable, and sit right inside the ear, so they don't get knocked easily. You wear them with the cable at the top, wrapping over and around your ear, like pro IEM'S. I've got two pairs, they did a holiday, 10% off, BOGOF deal last year, and I wear them a lot, particularly at work using noisy machinery.
You could also go for Shure SE215's, which are more expensive, at about £75 on Amazon, but they have replaceable cables, unique at that price, and really worth having. Top-notch sound, mine are two years old now, and work just fine. Again, I use triple-flange eartips on mine, for the best seal in the ear canal. Fantastic sound quality, if you want better, you have to go up to Westone, UE or Shure at around £400.
*A whole range of rock, Indy, folk, country, metal, punk...

+1 for shure, I bought the 400 level and they are bloody fabulous. Leak no sound and sound quality is top notch

I've had some UE SuperFi 5 Pros for about 4 years now and absolutely love them. They don't make them now, but you can pick up in the sale.

From steven's link above:

Accessories (5/5) -Single-flange silicone tips (3 sizes), Comply foam tips (2 sets), cleaning tool, inline volume attenuator, and crushproof metal carrying case
Build Quality (4/5) - The build of the SF5Pro is very similar to those of the lower-end SF3 and flagship TF10. The large housings are made out of thick plastics and the cable is detachable. The newer version comes with a softer plastic cable similar to the one now used by the TF10. Unfortunately the newer cable is terminated with the same wimpy 3.5mm I-plug as all other UE models. The older (clear) SF5Pro cable has more memory but feels much sturdier
Isolation (4/5) - Quite good with well-fitting tips
Microphonics (4.5/5) - Low due to over-the-ear fit but not absent completely. A bit poorer with the older (clear) cable
Comfort (3.5/5) - The shells are similar in shape to those of the TF10 but slimmer towards the front and a bit more easy-going in terms of fit. Maintaining a seal can be difficult with stock UE tips. Included Comply foams seal well

Sound (8.2/10) - The SuperFi 5 Pro is a two-way dual-BA setup slotted next to the bass-monster SuperFi 5 EB and below the TripleFi 10 in the original Ultimate Ears lineup. Now-discontinued but still available from several online retailers, the SF5Pro still performs very well next to its replacement, the SuperFi5. The subbass, for one, is stronger than that of the new SF5. It is still not as tight as that of the UE700 or TripleFi 10 but accuracy is very good on the whole. The low end is a bit soft in character for an armature-based earphone but impact is ahead of all of the other SuperFi models with the exception of the SF5EB.

Whichever ones you end up buying (I prefer Klipsch) make sure you buy some Comply foam tips to replace the ones which come with the phones. Better fit, more comfy and much better isolation.

Countzero,what are you talking about? Did you miss a link out?

Ultimate Ears 400vi. Comes with 5 silicon tips & a set of comply foam ones as well. mine have been through the wash & still work fine.

I use Sennheiser PX200s on my laptop and they're find for wearing for a while. Sound is reasonably good too.

CZ I'll take those Etymotics of your hands if you like, I need some clinical headphones for some music production I'm doing. And yes, did you miss out a link there old boy?

thejesmonddingo - Member
Countzero,what are you talking about? Did you miss a link out?

Oops! Damn, thought I'd have a quick look back, and read this! Sorry, I'd copied the link, and forgotten to paste it in, what a dumbkopf! 😳
http://www.meelec.com/M6_Series_earphones_s/246.htm
MrNutt, I'll dig them out, and give them a quick check over. It's been ages since I even looked at them, I'd even gone as far as getting custom eartips made, but I just never got on with them at all. I love my Shures, and those Mee M6 are stunning for the money, and the triple-flange eartips are almost as good as custom ones, certainly [i]very[/i] much cheaper, and far better than Comply foam ones, can't get on with those at all!

Nice one CZ, my emails alexD()TnuttATgmailD()Tcom

Okey dokey, Alex, I'll disinter them from their resting place, and I'll see if I can find the standard eartips, I've got a bag full of the damned things from various 'phones over the years, it's just finding the right ones! I'll drop you a line tomorrow. 😀

Thanks for the ideas. I would never have thought of making silicone casts of my ears, so maybe I've been using the wrong size earbuds. Will try fitting a larger pair over them at the weekend to see if this disturbs the family less.