The Problem with IEM's....Earwax....

I think your ears are reacting to the hip hop.  Try music that isn't so aggressive. Maybe some smoooth lounge jazz?

This is my 1000th post! Celbrated with an anti-hip hop vibe! Way to go me!

Seriously, if your ears are making that much wax, it's a real shame but it might be time to ditch the idea of iems altogether and get some over-ear phones?

I clean my ears 1-3 times a week; so I haven't run into that problem yet.

Edit: By the way, I use an ear pick (an Asian thing). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_pick

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bennyboy71 

This is my 1000th post! Celbrated with an anti-hip hop vibe! Way to go me!

 

Seriously, if your ears are making that much wax, it's a real shame but it might be time to ditch the idea of iems altogether and get some over-ear phones?

 

*Slow clap*

The second part, however, is sage advice.

Or you could look into the water-resistant H2O 'phones which (according to Joker's epic review thread) provide pretty good bass. The Surge are a little below your budget at $60, but the more balanced (supposedly) Surge Pro Mini are just right at $99. The reason I mention these at all is because you can simply clean them by running them under a tap with warm water, rather than trickier cleaning methods.

Seems like you should try some over the ear headphones. However, over-ear phones aren't all bad, there ARE some headphones out there that aren't bulky or look strange to walk around in. I'll probably get flamed for this but look at Beats by Dr Dre Solos, sure they're a little over priced for the sound that they make but they sure are sexy... http://beatsbydre.com/products/Products.aspx?pid=B5800&cat=1

Good luck with the earwax. 

Be careful: asians tend to have the dry type of earwax, while africans and europeans tend towards the wet, and different approaches are probably warranted.  From wikipedia:

"There are two distinct genetically determined types of earwax: the wet type, which is dominant, and the dry type, which is recessive. East Asians and Native Americans are more likely to have the dry type of cerumen (grey and flaky), whereas Caucasians and Africans are more likely to have the wet type (honey-brown to dark-brown and moist).[6] Cerumen type has been used by anthropologists to track human migratory patterns, such as those of the Inuit.[7] The consistency of wet type earwax is due to the higher concentration of lipid and pigment granules (50% lipid) in the substance than the dry type (30% lipid).[3]

The difference in cerumen type has been tracked to a single base change (a single nucleotide polymorphism) in a gene known as "ATP-binding cassette C11 gene."[8] In addition to affecting cerumen type, this mutation also reduces sweat production. The researchers conjecture that the reduction in sweat was beneficial to the ancestors of East Asians and Native Americans who are thought to have lived in cold climates.[9]"

Quote:

Originally Posted by XTTX 

I clean my ears 1-3 times a week; so I haven't run into that problem yet.

 

Edit: By the way, I use an ear pick (an Asian thing). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_pick

Asian guy here, just dripped some H2O2 3% V/V into my ears yesterday. Felt very nice afterward, hearing may have improved a bit but that's perhaps due to placebo effect.

Yeah, I probably should have mentioned that YMMV. I do indeed have dry type of earwax, and I only mentioned this method because it's what I've done for my entire life. Also, I don't actually advocate sticking sharp things in your ears.

Quote:

Originally Posted by falis 

Be careful: asians tend to have the dry type of earwax, while africans and europeans tend towards the wet, and different approaches are probably warranted.  From wikipedia:

 

"There are two distinct genetically determined types of earwax: the wet type, which is dominant, and the dry type, which is recessive. East Asians and Native Americans are more likely to have the dry type of cerumen (grey and flaky), whereas Caucasians and Africans are more likely to have the wet type (honey-brown to dark-brown and moist).[6] Cerumen type has been used by anthropologists to track human migratory patterns, such as those of the Inuit.[7] The consistency of wet type earwax is due to the higher concentration of lipid and pigment granules (50% lipid) in the substance than the dry type (30% lipid).[3]

The difference in cerumen type has been tracked to a single base change (a single nucleotide polymorphism) in a gene known as "ATP-binding cassette C11 gene."[8] In addition to affecting cerumen type, this mutation also reduces sweat production. The researchers conjecture that the reduction in sweat was beneficial to the ancestors of East Asians and Native Americans who are thought to have lived in cold climates.[9]"