CApreppie

I was on a short vacation to Toronto and put my triple flange tipped Shures in my ear. Well I was taking the right ear one out during the flight and felt incredible pain and a bit of blood in the ear. For the rest of the trip, I had ringing, reduced hearing and a sore ear.

Went to the doctor when I got back and found out I had a tympanic membrane rupture, a performation of the ear drum. It can happen from physically touching the ear drum or from pressure issues. It heals in 1-3 months.

My doctor said I have short ear canals and I should avoid using these types of earphones now. I think it was a combo with that and airplane pressure changes. I am so bummed. I love these headphones for traveling!

Just my sad sob story. Hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

stevenshev

Well, that sucks, especially since I love mine, too. Try one of the other earpieces once you heal?

6Strong

Try a set of custom phones from Ultimate Ears. The price tag is steep, but worth every single penny. Choose a low or zero bleed level (how much external sound comes in...not a reference to your recent injury) and you will never complain about engine noise, crying babies or anything else ever again.

www.ultimateears.com

NM

Perhaps you need to use the foam inserts or have an audiologist make a set if custom inserts for your ears for your Shure phones.

bdjohns1

Ask your doc if the foam tips would be acceptable, since they don't go so deep.

Also +1 on the custom molds. I went in and got a pair for my Shures. It did make a difference, plus no more consumable foamies. As it turns out the audiologist who made my impressions said that I have a odd little "hitch" in one ear canal, and that as a result, I'd get a better seal with my customs.

UAVirgin

Once the eardrum heals go to an audiologist and get a mold made for custom ear pieces. This is what all the professional musicians use. You can use your Shure's for this custom ear piece.

CApreppie

Thanks for the tips (pun intended). The foam tips may be the answer but I'll try them after my ear heals. No need to prolong the issue.

alanh

Although bulky, another option is the over-the-ear headphones like the Bose QC2s. These won't affect the ear canal at all.

I have fairly large ear canals, so most ear buds just fall out. I haven't tried customized buds -- too expensive for my tastes, and I can tolerate the over the ear headphones fine.

joanek

was this in flight? If so, don't be so quick to blame the shures---in flight pressure changes, along with congestion from allergies, a cold, sinus, etc could be to blame. Many of us fly with some form of congestion, even if we are feeling perfectly well. After one ear issue, my ENT advised always taking a decongestant (either oral, or spray) for 24 hrs before flights ---I'm just prone to issues.

And I second the suggest for custom tips. They make all the difference. Both in comfort level and sound.

CApreppie

In-flight about 1/2 way through. I didn't have any congestion at the time and wasn't sick.

I'm using my Sennheiser PXC-250s until my ear heals.

ralfp

My ENT recommended Sinus Rinse. Well, she didn't recommend it; she brought home some sample kits. It's amazing how much gunk it can get out of your head. It has the added benefit of not drying out your mucus membranes (unlike pseudoephedrine; BTW: phenylephrine is garbage).

RA-wannabe

I had a raptured ear drum on a flight from new york to hong kong with my favourite Shure in-ear headphones. There was a bit of blood flowing out and a humming noise when I alighted the plane. My doctor told me NOT to use a in-ear headphone when I have sinus problems. Ever since then, I've been using a Senniheiser, though I yearn for the quiet tat my Shure gave me.

So guys... If you are sick, please switch to normal ear phones. It took around 4-5 months for my ear drum to recover.

masonp123

I'll second the suggestion to use the foam tips. They also provide add'l sound dampening. But they need to be changed quite often as they can get pretty funky pretty quick. I find them much more comfortable, also.

pb3

Gosh - I'm afraid the OP has put me off purchasing ear canal type headphones

I was worried about the possibility of ear drum damage as well as the collars detaching and remaining stuck in the ear canal. I'm willing to put up with the discomfort of "cans" to avoid these possibilities.

I started out with the Bose QC2 which sadly disintegrated after a few years usage. I replace these with the QC3 (very nice sound and size) and I've very recently added a pair of Sennheiser PXC450s.

I haven't yet had the chance to "prove" the PXC450s on a flight, but should be doing so in a couple of weeks. The PXC450s are HUGE - even larger than the Bose QC2s. They also require a lot of power to drive them - I was forced to to turn the volume of my Ipod Touch to near maximum - and even then the sound was rather weak. They only reach their true potential when driven by a headphone amp. I got very good results from a pocket CMOY amp and acceptable results from a small el-cheap FiiO E5 headphone amp.

The FiiO E5 pocket amp is actually a pretty neat bit of equipment for the price range. It is small and non obtrusive and certainly enhances the listening experience. I have to give it two thumbs up ^^

ralfp

If you use headphones often, in-the-canal types are probably a better bet for protecting your ears. I find that I use the same volume level on an aircraft and in my [usually] quiet apartment. No ANC set (e.q. Bose QC2) is that good; you still have to use high volume to mask babies, loud talkers, etc.

The use of lower volume levels will do a great deal to prevent hearing loss.

As far as the collars detaching and remaining stuck in the ear canal goes, it happens, and it's not an issue. If you are pushing them so far in that you cannot extract the collars with your fingers, you're pushing the headphones in too far.