earphones for wife

My wife uses her iRiver player every day on the bus and in the gym. She doesn't use the stock earbuds because they don't stay in, so she uses a relatively cheap pair of Sony over-the-head in-the-ear headphones (kind of like this ).

I'm thinking it might be better for her to use REAL earphones like the Shure E2C or Etymotic ER-6i which provide isolation so that she will be able to block out unwanted ambient noise without having to listen at loud volumes. I assume this would be much better for her hearing. Suggestions?

Y'know, unless she is really into how something sounds, those cans might be fine. They are black so they match her DAP, and they look like they say in place so she doesn't have to worry about buds and clips popping off the ear.

Its not really sound quality that I'm concerned with, but rather good isolation which allows a lower listening volume. Both the earbuds and the ones she uses are more or less open. I know she listens at loud volumes to drown out ambient noise. I'm concerned about her hearing being damaged.

The earbuds falling out problem should be a non-issue because I assume that properly inserted sealed canalphones shouldn't fall out.

Shures do have better isolation than etymiotic, the shure e2c seems the best/cheapest option for you.

Something like the EX71 would be a lot better IMO, there are lots of people who shy away from having proper IEMs stuck in their ears and there's no denying that semi-canalphones such as the EX71 are more comfortable and easier to use, still with decent isolation. I'd have a look into the earbuds like these - Panasonic, Sharp, and I think Audio-Technica now make them too.

IEMs can be a bit futzy for folks who aren't used to them. Maybe an IEM using foamies, and a nice shirt clip to avoid microphonics while she's at the gym...but then she might get annoyed by how the IEM allows you to hear internal sounds like breathing and organ gurgling and the rest.

So are IEMs and canalphones synonymous? Are the Sony EX51/71/81 considered canalphones? Is the only difference that they don't insert as deep and don't isolate as much? The Sony website says that EX51 and EX81 are closed-type (but doesn't explicity say so for EX71). I understand that closed-type in the context of headphones means more isolation, but in the case that you have a plug in your ear, I'm not sure what "closed" means. Either way, you have a plug in your ear which blocks outside noise.

Go with the e2c if isolation is your top priority. They are cheaper than the er6, but have that famous treble recession. Which can be a good or bad thing depending on her sonic preferences.

Stay away from the sony EX51/71. Its my oppinion that they do not offer enough isolation to be of any value as a canal phone. My DT770 and MDRV6 isolate better than my EX51, and the EX51 isolation seems to be frequency dependent. That is, it does not block all frequencies evenly. IMHO midrange and treble frequencies pass through pretty easily.

Might want to consider the shure soft tips right off the bat. IMHO the OEM clear tips exert a lot of pressure on the ear canal.

Heres how i see it...
IEMs are purpose built ear monitors designed for gigging musicians. They offer extreme levels of isolation, to help the musician zero-in on his/her tone and mentally focus on their playing/timing with other musicians.

Canal phone is any kind of phone you stuff into your ear canal. So this includes IEMs and the cheaper consumer grade Koss plug, EX51 and MD33 types of phones that dont offer the same level of isolation as an IEM.

IEMs are a sub-set or specific type of canal phone. I would consider the e2c more of an IEM due to its extreme levels of isolation. IMHO it clearly offers more isolation than my EX51.


Garrett

Yes IEMs are essentially canal phones. I consider EX51/71 as canal phones, although they don't go in as deep as others (Shure or Ety). I think you should consider EX51/71 for potential work out phones since canal phones are very microphonic (when the cord rubs against something, you will hear it LOUD and CLEAR... very distracting). EX51/71 are fairly good for their price, little microphonic (but not major), super comfortable, yet cheap enough for you to careless if your wife damage them during exercise.

I also use a water resistant vertical in-ear Sony phones for jogging. It picks up wind noises, ut it lets you hear out side and still manage to stay on your head/ears.

EX51/71 and 81 are closed type. Actually I don't know if there are any non-closed canal phones out there? Typically closed or open applies to full size phones whether ear cubs are solid (sealed/closed) or mesh type (open). As far as noise isolation goes, EX51/71 provide approximately 10-12db of isolation where deeper/tighter fitting IEMs do provide more isolation. IMHO, EX51/71 provide descent enough isolation for typical work out senario to block outside noise.

Any downsides to ER-6i vs E2C other than higher cost?

They're less comfortable (IMO, but lots of people seem to share it) and some people just don't like things going that far into their ear canals.

Possibly comfort, very different sound signiture (ER-6i's can seem quite low on the bass section and also seem quite sterile, but the E2C's are muddy in comparison, with "too much" bass (IMO))

The ER-6i's are great once you get used to them, they might seem a bit "booring" to start with.