Custom In Earphones for listening to music and audio books

@sadsack99
[Abacus]
Joined: 24 Apr 2009
Posts: 2

24 April 2009, 11:34 am

Ok bit of a dilemma. I listen to music (not hard rock or classical if it helps when giving advice), but spend more time listening to audiobooks and podcasts and other forms of speech. At present i use a pair of JVC NC250, Sennheiser CX95 and white iphone buds for down the gym. Now i know Etymotic are launching custom fitted hf2 earphones just for the iphone. However, i am not sure i want a pair that are just specific to the phone and not sure if they are better than the ER6i etc. What i do know is that i think that i am going to go down the custom ear bud route as i dont like putting earbuds all the way into my canal and the better ones seem to want you to really shove them in. So not sure what earphones/brand to put on the end of a pair of custom made ones. Any suggestions ?

thanks

jasonquinn351
[Deep Thought]
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 587

24 April 2009, 07:15 pm

Hve you considered something like the Klipsch X5's which you do have to stick in pretty far but they are the most comfortable earphones I've ever used, you nearly forget you have them in. I bought a pair last week and they really are excellent. I'm sure there's a review on here somewhere if you want to take a look.

weetanhops
[Moderator]
Joined: 20 Nov 2007
Posts: 1,675

25 April 2009, 01:49 pm

jasonquinn351 says:
Hve you considered something like the Klipsch X5's which you do have to stick in pretty far but they are the most comfortable earphones I've ever used, you nearly forget you have them in. I bought a pair last week and they really are excellent. I'm sure there's a review on here somewhere if you want to take a look.

they are recommended more highly than the X10s, which on paper are better, but you get pretty much the same experience (if not a more comfortable one) with the cheaper X5s

eblique
[Abacus]
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Posts: 1

19 May 2009, 04:59 pm

How bout the Creative Aurvana Air? The design is pretty neat and seems pretty comfortable.. Also, it does not require you to stick the buds deep into the ear.

More details abt the earphones below.
http://uk.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=437&subcategory=862&product=18506&utm_source=sg.creative.com&utm_medium=Banner&utm_content=FeaturePg_AurvanaAirProductInfo&utm_campaign=FeaturePage

weetanhops
[Moderator]
Joined: 20 Nov 2007
Posts: 1,675

19 May 2009, 10:54 pm

You'll find more info here about getting yourself some totally custom-fit earphones, unique to your ears:

Clicky

Nate Lanxon
[Administrator]
Joined: 20 Jul 2007
Posts: 2,122

12 June 2009, 05:21 pm

I thought I should weigh in on this, having had custom moulds made and also often use both Etymotic pairs mentioned in this thread.

Let me assure you that if you don't like the regular sound-isolating tips as used on the Sennheiser CX 95s, you'll hate custom moulds. They're far more intrusive. However, they do provide an unmatched isolation of sound.

Here are my thoughts. The hf2s do not need to be used with an iPhone. They're designed to be, but they work with most other players (not all, so tell me what player you have and I might be able to test it for you here).

The Etymotic er6i model offers the same sound quality, and offers excellent sound isolation. You can get them with or without custom moulds. Additionally, there are other types of silicone or foam tips on the market that fit the er6is, should you find the ones in the box uncomfortable for some reason. They're a good choice for spoken word, and are one of the clearest pairs on the market by far.

You could also consider on of Sennheiser's IE range. That's its pro range of earphones, and a big step up from the CX 95s. Consider the IE6, which I have reviewed alongside the IE 7 and IE 8.