Travel Technology - Isolating Earbuds?

What is the best value for money out there?

I've centered on either SE310s or SE420s. $165 vs. $195 all-in.

Which would you choose? Is there an option c?

Thanks,

Steven

What is the best value for money out there?

I've centered on either SE310s or SE420s. $165 vs. $195 all-in.

Which would you choose? Is there an option c?


Between those two, the 420. The dual-driver will provide better sound - one driver for the lows, one for the mids/highs. Given the relatively small price gap, might as well go with the better one.

option c: Have you ruled out the Etymotics? The ER4's are claimed to be of 'reference quality'. I'm happy with the ER6i's.

ER4s look very good, too. I'm just more familiar with the Shures. Is there anyone who's actually tried both and can do a comparison?

Between those two, the 420. The dual-driver will provide better sound - one driver for the lows, one for the mids/highs. Given the relatively small price gap, might as well go with the better one.

If you buy them on ebay and connect through live search, you may be able to get a 25% rebate. I just purchased a pair of SSE530PTH for $307 and will get a $77 rebate. You can probablyfind similar savings on the 420 or 310.

I've had a pair of EC3s for awhile and I like them...are they "isolating"? I don't know what that means.

I've had a pair of EC3s for awhile and I like them...are they "isolating"? I don't know what that means.

It means that sound insulation is used to "isolate" your hearing apparatus from ambient noise - usually the airplane noise is what is discussed here, of course.

Earplugs are sound isolation.

The competing technology is "noise cancellation" in which ambient noise is sampled and actively, electronically "whited out".

The noise isolation devices - notably Shure - were developed at first for musicians who needed a monitor source for what they and their fellows were playing while getting some protection against the loud volumes one is exposed to while standing in front of a huge array of speakers. For that reason, attention to the quality of sound was a factor from the get go.

Bose and others used the kind of sound cancellation that has been used in radio headsets in aviation where the primary consideration has been protection from noise and being able merely to hear voice communication from the ground via radio or from people on board via intercom. Sound reproduction to in the full ranges required to enjoy the nuance of music was not a consideration at first.

I first bought a set of Bose. They seemed to "deaden" much of what I like to listen to. I tried a set of Shures in the middle range (E3's I think) side by side during a long flight. I went home and sole the Bose that I had owned less than three months.

I now use a set of E5's - since replaced by the new series - that were at the top of their line when I got them. Heaven!

The sound isolation does not exclude all cabin/engine noise by themselves. But with music at even a low-moderate level, that external noise is gone for me.

I have never tried the Etymonics. I hear they are good, too.

Primary caveat is that the isolating system are typically "in ear". This means inserting the ear buds fairly deeply to get a good seal. Some find that uncomfortable. Some, like me, find that 15 - 20 hours of constant use is just fine.

Primary caveat is that the isolating system are typically "in ear". This means inserting the ear buds fairly deeply to get a good seal. Some find that uncomfortable. Some, like me, find that 15 - 20 hours of constant use is just fine.

I wound up purchasing several different tips for my Etymotics - lg and small 3 baffle, 2 baffle silicone, foam, etc. Finally figured out my left ear preferred the smaller 3 baffle silicone, right ear the large 3 baffle. When fully inserted (takes some courage the first few times!), noise is tremendously reduced. Can't hear PA, FA, neighbor snoring, etc. One plus about the etymotics - the buds are so small that you can actually lie on your ear and its not noticeable. Only a very thin wire protrudes.

I wound up purchasing several different tips for my Etymotics - lg and small 3 baffle, 2 baffle silicone, foam, etc. Finally figured out my left ear preferred the smaller 3 baffle silicone, right ear the large 3 baffle. When fully inserted (takes some courage the first few times!), noise is tremendously reduced. Can't hear PA, FA, neighbor snoring, etc. One plus about the etymotics - the buds are so small that you can actually lie on your ear and its not noticeable. Only a very thin wire protrudes.

Great that you use two different tips! I never thought of that. The thing I like the least about the Shures is that I have to figure each time which bud belongs to which ear! Minor for Shure! But with your idea, identifying the proper side will be much easier. Thanks.

One plus about the etymotics - the buds are so small that you can actually lie on your ear and its not noticeable. Only a very thin wire protrudes.

^^^
Though I wonder about the health effects of sleeping with sealed ear canals. Mrs. ralfp, Dr. of head holes, doesn't have the foggiest idea.

I can imagine one downside: sleeping into descent and waking up with a painful pressure differential (increasing ambient pressure improves the seal).

Ended up with the SE430s. So far, so good, I just hope that I'll be able to stand earbuds for prolonged periods of time. We'll see. I'll report back with results.

I am _extremely_ happy with my custom UE 11. The noise insulation is actually not as thorough as it was with my old Shure E5c, but the sound is astonishingly good. The insulation is not too bad either - the thought of slapping a pair of noise-canceling headphones over the in-ear UE 11 crossed my mind briefly, but if you have music playing you don't really hear anything from the outside world, and when there's no music you're better off with a pair of plain old earplugs anyway.

I realize it's a lot of hassle to get, what with the ear impressions and all, and there's absolutely no way to try before you buy - and they're not the cheapest either, to say the least. But if somebody wants to treat himself nice, these earphones are not going to disappoint. I was like a child in a candy store, going through my music hours upon hours, weeks after weeks. All this after having been used to the admittedly very good E5c.

Started with ER6's, went to ER4's, found both way too bright and fatiguing. Moved on to Shure E2's and E3's and was underwhelmed. Tried the E5's but they dug in and create a pressure point in one ear making them painful to wear. Finally splurged on some Westone UM2's 2 1/2 years ago when a sale popped up ($250 shipped.) Couldn't be happier with them, not even tempted buy the new Westone 3's. I tried some custom IEM's but they never fit right so I returned them for a refund. I'd recommend the dual driver Shures or Westones, on a budget the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 pro sound good (but I don't like the Shrek form factor.)

Anyone try the Etymotic Hf2 - made to work with iPhone?
And the new apple-in-ear headphones?

The Etymotic HF2 is apparently 90% of the sound signature of the ER-4 in a smaller footprint. The new $80 Apple buds just came out but the reviews seem suggest they are comparable to other earphones in that price range. Gizmodo preferred the Shure SE110 but I have not found a single driver earphone that had sufficient bass (the Apple buds had less bass than the SE110's according to the review.) If you can swing $150-200 you can get some Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 pros or Shure SE420's (check ebay.) You'll be in a whole different league as far as sound quality.

http://gizmodo.com/5102091/lightning-review-new-apple-in+ear-headphones

ER4s look very good, too. I'm just more familiar with the Shures. Is there anyone who's actually tried both and can do a comparison?

I had ER6's, then ER4P's. Bought the Shure E500's and gave the ER4P's to my wife. She still loves me and loves the ER4's. I find the Shure E500's far superior (I've got some Bose QC2's I'd sell you cheap!).

Guess this is as good a place as any to post
Ripped from Slick Deals

Shure Isolating Earphones (white only): SCL3 $59.00 or SCL4 $79.00 after IR Musician's Friend

SCL3 (http://www.fatwallet.com/redirect/bounce.php?afsrc=1&mid=13213159&url=http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-SCL3-Sound-Isolating-Earphones?sku=270696) Was 149
SCL4 (http://www.fatwallet.com/redirect/bounce.php?afsrc=1&mid=13213159&url=http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-SCL4-Sound-Isolating-Earphones-wBass-Port?sku=270697) Was 249

Usually I'm happy with my BOSE QC3 noise cancelling headphones. But there are times when I need to carry less bulkiness as possible.

So I started looking into those in-ear headphones. Seeing that I was pleased with my BOSE QC3, I naturally started looking at the BOSE TriPort In-Ear headphones, but cnet didn't give any good reviews on them (http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/bose-triport-in-ear/4505-7877_7-32150146.html)

I was wondering if anyone here could give me their personal reviews or suggestions on in-ear headphones. And if it's really good, I don't mind spending $100~$200 on them :)

I have the Shure SE530s and they blow away anything else I've ever owned. I used to be in the noise canceling camp (my first NC earbuds, a pair of Sony MDR-NC10s, lasted 10 years and are still good, but I retired them) but sound isolation is the way to go.

The SE530 is pricy but if you can stretch your budget a bit I think it's a really amazing product. Shure also offers a full range of products, including several in your stated budget range, some of which are discussed in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/895666-isolating-earbuds.html

I just purchased the Shure SC210s in that price range and couldn't be happier. The replaced my Sennheiser 250s which I left on a plane somewhere.

Riding the subways in NYC I don't notice the background noise. They are that good.

I just purchased the Shure SC210s in that price range and couldn't be happier. The replaced my Sennheiser 250s which I left on a plane somewhere.

Riding the subways in NYC I don't notice the background noise. They are that good.

Do you mean Shure SE210? Where and how much?:)

I'm an admitted tech addict (hello, my name is.... hehe)

This thread seems to be focusing on the higher end or pricier models of earbuds, so just putting an option out there for the travelers on a tighter budget.

I although I have shelled out the coin for both Bose & Sony over the head noise reduction headphones, I haven't spent a lot of money on earbuds yet, but I haven't really had a motivation to... primarily because I've had such a great experience with Koss's "The Plug" or "SparkPlug" ($10-$20) earbuds.

The Plug is an noise "isolating" earbud, rather than active noise "reduction", but I really like them anyway. They come with a few sizes of the squishy earbuds that expand in your ear and are very comfortable to wear for long periods. (for whatever reason, the non-squishy type of earbuds tend to make my ears sore)

I picked them up at the last minute at RadioShack one day as I ran to the airport and couldn't find my Sony's. Didn't want to spend much money as I knew I'd locate my "good ones" when I got home again. I grabbed these and was so happy with them, that they never leave my travel bag now.

I find that these are always what I reach for when I am listening to my mp3 player and trying to sleep on my transatlantic flights... the larger headphones just get in the way of me being comfortable. They do a remarkable job at blocking out the snoring seatmate or the chatty kids in the seats behind me.

Do you mean Shure SE210? Where and how much?:)

I'm s(h)ure I did. ;) I got them at J&R for $150 (http://www.jr.com/sound-isolating-earphones-se210k/pe/SHU_SE210A_hy_K/) and that seemed to be in the ballpark of what they were selling for in other places but I needed to pick them up that day (along with my Acer and a few other things).

I'm an admitted tech addict (hello, my name is.... hehe)

This thread seems to be focusing on the higher end or pricier models of earbuds, so just putting an option out there for the travelers on a tighter budget.

I although I have shelled out the coin for both Bose & Sony over the head noise reduction headphones, I haven't spent a lot of money on earbuds yet, but I haven't really had a motivation to... primarily because I've had such a great experience with Koss's "The Plug" or "SparkPlug" ($10-$20) earbuds.

The Plug is an noise "isolating" earbud, rather than active noise "reduction", but I really like them anyway. They come with a few sizes of the squishy earbuds that expand in your ear and are very comfortable to wear for long periods. (for whatever reason, the non-squishy type of earbuds tend to make my ears sore)

I picked them up at the last minute at RadioShack one day as I ran to the airport and couldn't find my Sony's. Didn't want to spend much money as I knew I'd locate my "good ones" when I got home again. I grabbed these and was so happy with them, that they never leave my travel bag now.

I find that these are always what I reach for when I am listening to my mp3 player and trying to sleep on my transatlantic flights... the larger headphones just get in the way of me being comfortable. They do a remarkable job at blocking out the snoring seatmate or the chatty kids in the seats behind me.

In the lower price range I am a big fan of the Sennheiser CX300s. Which by the way Amazon has today for $22. That is an absolute steal.

After giving careful thought and reading all the reviews, I decided to get the Shure SE530. A retailer on Amazon.com was selling these for $319.95 + $4.95 shipping ^

I hope it arrives by next weekend before my trip to Albuquerque! I'd love to try them out in the plane!

Did you go for the SE530PTH?

It is worth paying the extra to get the Push To Hear Module as if travelling you have to keep popping the IEMs out to talk to crew, hear announcements etc whereas the PTH module lets you flick a switch and hear external noise through your earphones.

You can also buy it on its own if needed. I have these headphones and they really are superb.

For those not wanting to spend so much then the main thing is to get good isolation. Higher end IEMs come with a range of tips such as silicon flanges, foam etc. If you want to just improve your existing IEMs then check out Comply (http://www.comply.com) and pick up some of their foam tips for your earphones, if supported.

A couple of weeks ago I had to endure a night with bog-standard ipod phones. For a side sleeper, that was torture.

I have looked into the higher end shures, by they all seem to protrude to long to offer comfort when sleeping on the side. But for you are awake, I am sure they offer better isolation and sound. I would like to have a tiny speaker element that you could fit in an for ear plug and add a silicone mouldable (I use the US brand Mack's) earplug as a cover.

The SE530s tuck in to the ear cavity so are good for falling asleep with.

In the lower price range I am a big fan of the Sennheiser CX300s. Which by the way Amazon has today for $22. That is an absolute steal.

Hey, thanks for the heads up! I'm going to try these.

The SE530s tuck in to the ear cavity so are good for falling asleep with.

I concur. I can't side-sleep with my Etymotics, and I sure as heck can't with the Bose QC3. But sleeping with the SE530s are actually quite OK.

Did you go for the SE530PTH?

It is worth paying the extra to get the Push To Hear Module as if travelling you have to keep popping the IEMs out to talk to crew, hear announcements etc whereas the PTH module lets you flick a switch and hear external noise through your earphones.

You can also buy it on its own if needed. I have these headphones and they really are superb.

For those not wanting to spend so much then the main thing is to get good isolation. Higher end IEMs come with a range of tips such as silicon flanges, foam etc. If you want to just improve your existing IEMs then check out Comply (http://www.comply.com) and pick up some of their foam tips for your earphones, if supported.

I got mine with the PTH module. I used to use it, but I didn't find that it really did a great job in airplane environments - the microphone seemed to be more sensitive to airplane noise than to people actually talking.

What I actually use (since I have an iPhone) is the Music Phone Adapter. With that, you get a very good inline mic (this is Shure after all - microphones are their bread and butter), and the clicker button that the Apple earbuds has for answering calls, pausing/skipping tracks when listening to music, etc.

I'm taking the plunge and getting custom tips made for my 530s - I've got an appointment to get ear impressions taken next week. Once I've got them in a few weeks, i'll report in on how good the audio and isolation is.