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Do IEMs feel like earplugs? Should I buy some to know before buying?

post #1 of 12
12/18/06 at 3:15am
Thread Starter 
I was wondering if IEMs feel like those foam earplugs you can buy?

I ask because I'm interested in IEMs, but I'm not sure if I'll find them comfortable. So I was thiinking maybe if earplugs give one a similar experience, I could go out and buy some and decide if I find the sensation comfortable,

Thoughts? Ideas?

THANKS
Matt
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post #2 of 12
12/18/06 at 3:35am
Nah, not at all.. Much more comfortable
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post #3 of 12
12/18/06 at 3:45am
I find both iem and earplug intollerable. Walking around with a seal in my ear is very uncomfortable.
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post #4 of 12
12/18/06 at 3:46am
Those foam earplugs aren't quite as comfortable as IEM foamies, Then again, if you experiment with different earpieces, you may end up with different reactions. So much may depend on the architecture of your middle ear; mine is fairly large, so even the largest foam earplugs seem comfy.
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post #5 of 12
12/18/06 at 3:55am
For me, the foamies feel just like foam earplugs. I find the soft rubber ones more tolerable, though. I don't know about the other brands, but my Shure eC3s came with a variety of tips to try.
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post #6 of 12
12/18/06 at 4:22am
Check out my sig for a link to a picture of my modded JVC ear buds. I find that the earplugs I used as tips are MORE comfortable than stock... They are pretty darn comfortable, imo. I've tried rubber/silicon alternatives, and they've proven to be just as comfy. There is a certain amount of time it takes your ear canal to "break in" to the feeling of having something jammed up there, but afterwards, IEM's can be fairly rewarding. I highly recommend you give at least a cheap-o pair a try.
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post #7 of 12
12/18/06 at 6:32am
have you guys ever used those "q-tips"? you know, those cotton swabs that some people use to clean their ears? if you compared THAT with IEM's, how would you describe it? just on the outside? midway?
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post #8 of 12
12/18/06 at 8:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by uraflit View Post
have you guys ever used those "q-tips"? you know, those cotton swabs that some people use to clean their ears? if you compared THAT with IEM's, how would you describe it? just on the outside? midway?
Completely different thing. A q-tip is tiny and doesn't fill the ear at all, where an IEM attempts to seal the ear canal entirely. Not the same thing at all.
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post #9 of 12
12/18/06 at 11:03am
I hate anything being shoved up my ears - so I use Sony EX71 tips with my UM2's - they sound better to boot too.
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post #10 of 12
12/18/06 at 12:09pm
stick your pinky into your ear canal, thats pretty close imo (but I guess it might depend on how big your ears/pinky are).

I shove my Ex71's all the way into my ear, feels great to me and I cant hear anything going on outside. Only problem is sometimes they get kind of waxy.
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post #11 of 12
12/18/06 at 12:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by naldo View Post
stick your pinky into your ear canal, thats pretty close imo (but I guess it might depend on how big your ears/pinky are).

I shove my Ex71's all the way into my ear, feels great to me and I cant hear anything going on outside. Only problem is sometimes they get kind of waxy.
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post #12 of 12
12/18/06 at 1:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelyfallin View Post
I was wondering if IEMs feel like those foam earplugs you can buy?

I ask because I'm interested in IEMs, but I'm not sure if I'll find them comfortable. So I was thiinking maybe if earplugs give one a similar experience, I could go out and buy some and decide if I find the sensation comfortable,

Thoughts? Ideas?

THANKS
Matt

This is no small thing. If you find anything in your ear uncomfortable, IEMs may not be for you. Even the most comfortable still leave some plugged sensation in your ear, I'd experiment with some ear plugs before I spent $$$ on IEMs. Also note that the kind of tips you may prefer is also very personal, depending on fit and sound. Good luck.
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