[kezi]

Hi everyone,

As you can see from my signature i only own wireless headphones/earphones and im about to buy my first wired IEMs. I commute a lot via airplane and trains therefore my primary concern is to find an IEM with good passive isolation (no ANC without bluetooth, right?).
Can someone suggest what are the best IEMs when it comes to sound isolation?
I’ve been considering some DD such Beyerdynamic Xelento 2 and Hifiman Svanar and some tribrids such UM MEST mk3, Monarch mk3.
Any other option will be taken into consideration as long as you have good experience with noise isolation.

Than you!

 

[msing539]

I fly a lot and have used all... all DD, all BA, and hybrid/tribrid. They all isolate very well. Tips are a big factor though.

 

[earmonger]

The deep fit of Etymotics makes for good isolation IF that fit doesn't bother you. It does bother some people -- depends on your ear shape. I have ER3XR that I use with the gray foamies and they're very comfortable for me. I hate the triple flange typically shown in the photos.

ER2XR are dynamic drivers, and I usually prefer those to BA, but the ER3XR were a great deal at the time. The Etys with XR have a little (not extreme at all) bass boost that makes them a little warmer.

Look at the shells of whatever IEM you're considering. Some have vents to relieve pressure, and those will be less isolating. Otherwise it comes down to the tips. You need a good seal -- and will get isolation -- in order to get decent fidelity with an IEM.

 

[kezi]

I fly a lot and have used all... all DD, all BA, and hybrid/tribrid. They all isolate very well. Tips are a big factor though.

Thank you for the reply. From hundreds of reviews i read/watched, it seems that xelento 2 has some ear tips (mixed materials) that isolates the noise better than the others. Any impression in that regard? Also the form factor was considered suitable in a way that it helps to fit better and isolate better.

The deep fit of Etymotics makes for good isolation IF that fit doesn't bother you. It does bother some people -- depends on your ear shape. I have ER3XR that I use with the gray foamies and they're very comfortable for me. I hate the triple flange typically shown in the photos.

Look at the shells of whatever IEM you're considering. Some have vents to relieve pressure, and those will be less isolating. Otherwise it comes down to the tips. You need a good seal -- and will get isolation -- in order to get decent fidelity with an IEM.

Gonna consider that, at least so i can have a pair of earphones when traveling.
Thanks a lot for the suggestion

 

[msing539]

Thank you for the reply. From hundreds of reviews i read/watched, it seems that xelento 2 has some ear tips (mixed materials) that isolates the noise better than the others. Any impression in that regard? Also the form factor was considered suitable in a way that it helps to fit better and isolate better.

No direct experience with the Xelento/2, but I have tried many tips. There's not a specific one I can recommend because all our ears are different.

I like Final E tips and Dunu S&S.

Not a fan of Azla Sedna or Spinfits, but you'll see that people love those.

I just had to buy them and try them and you should do the same. On many iems, they also change the sound... some for the better, some worse, depends on the iem, tips, your ear canals, and personal preference. Like my Final E tips don't work on every iem.

 

[Cabbages]

Hi everyone,

As you can see from my signature i only own wireless headphones/earphones and im about to buy my first wired IEMs. I commute a lot via airplane and trains therefore my primary concern is to find an IEM with good passive isolation (no ANC without bluetooth, right?).
Can someone suggest what are the best IEMs when it comes to sound isolation?
I’ve been considering some DD such Beyerdynamic Xelento 2 and Hifiman Svanar and some tribrids such UM MEST mk3, Monarch mk3.
Any other option will be taken into consideration as long as you have good experience with noise isolation.

Than you!

Fit and tips used are the most important when it comes to noise isolation imo in IEMs - unless the iems are semi open in design. I'd reccomend demoing if you can as fit varies greatly from person to person.

 

[dunring]

I really liked the Sennheiser IE600, stock tips are good, but Sonicfoam isolate better. They're very low profile and comfortable for traveling. The solid metal design will usually isolate much better than the vented planar magnetic models. The Seeaudio Yume II had the biggest soundstage, but the IE600 has such good imaging, really accurate placement of instruments. Stick with metal designs that aren't vented. Foam tips are a must try, but they come in different sizes depending on the nozzle of the IEM. For something less expensive you might feel better roaming with, the Simgot EA500 doesn't disappoint, and a good seal keeps noise out really well. I use one of them for a daily driver. Even with them off, you can barely hear them.

 

[halcyon]

Anything with a 2-3mm tip/nozzle (like Shure, Westone, original Audiosense) and MUST BE fitted with either Comply P Professional series (longest foam tips) OR Westone Univeral Foam Tips (longest, 15.5mm). These will give you SUPERIOR sound isolation (yes, incl. deep inserted Etys with tri-flanges), which will work with almost any ear canal shape, regardless whether you are mouth open, chewing, running, bicycling or sleeping on your side. Downsides: your canals may need getting some used to (they may hurt a while, until ear canals get used to them). May not work with the tiniest/most narrow canals : will provide superior isolation in that case, but may not bee deep enough inserting OR may be too painful to wear (as narrower long foam tips that really do isolate are not available).

None of the dozens and dozens of wide bore silicone (and derivative, incl. hybrid) tips that are shallow and hollow come anywhere near the above combination. Both in terms of frequencies damped down (Hz) and amount of isolation provided (dB). If you think there's something superior (yes, I have Etys with dozens of tips, and no), I'd love to hear about them, esp. if they are currently available and you've personally tested them against the above combo, and are not custom molded IEMs.
.

 

[BS5711]

A non vented IEM will isolate better than a vented one.

Most DD or hybrid or tribrid with a DD will be vented.

Many all BA sets won’t be vented.

The fit in the ear and nozzle insertion depth will all make a difference as will tips to some extent. A really well sealing tip is not going to make a vented, small and shallow fitting IEM isolate well.

For example my AuR Audio Neon Pro are a non vented 10 x BA set and being relatively large and having a somewhat deep fit really fill/seal the ear and isolate exceptionally well regardless of the tips used.

The downside of non vented IEM is they can be uncomfortable for some people due to pressure differences. I don’t have any issue with that and I very much prefer the sense of being well isolated.

 

[halcyon]

This is pretty much dead.

All the best isolating IEMs are mostly gone from the market. What remains are the thin nozzle (2mm) units from Westone, Shure and Etymotic. That's it. Almost everything else is wide bore, shallow inserting IEMs with very thin/short tips. These have much worse passive sound isolation, both in terms of amplitude (dB) and in terms of frequenzy (Hz). They are nowhwere near the thing nozzle BA IEMs with deep inserting and long foam tips (like Comply P series). Unfortunately the whole of the industry has massively moved into thick nozzles and shallow inserts, killing the passive isolation. I have a drawer full of $50-$200 IEMs with all sorts of bigger nozzle and housing designes and more than hundred different types of tips. They all fail in passive isolation. So, if you need really good passive isolation and can put with the other failings (not the best SQ or too high relative price), your best bet is Shure SE215, SE425, SE535 and the Westone Pro X-series (X20-X50), and the Etymotics.

 

[kezi]

This is pretty much dead.

All the best isolating IEMs are mostly gone from the market. What remains are the thin nozzle (2mm) units from Westone, Shure and Etymotic. That's it. Almost everything else is wide bore, shallow inserting IEMs with very thin/short tips. These have much worse passive sound isolation, both in terms of amplitude (dB) and in terms of frequenzy (Hz). They are nowhwere near the thing nozzle BA IEMs with deep inserting and long foam tips (like Comply P series). Unfortunately the whole of the industry has massively moved into thick nozzles and shallow inserts, killing the passive isolation. I have a drawer full of $50-$200 IEMs with all sorts of bigger nozzle and housing designes and more than hundred different types of tips. They all fail in passive isolation. So, if you need really good passive isolation and can put with the other failings (not the best SQ or too high relative price), your best bet is Shure SE215, SE425, SE535 and the Westone Pro X-series (X20-X50), and the Etymotics.

Thank you for the professional response. From the ones you mentioned, which are the latest to be released? I definitely wouldn’t want a pair of IEM that are old and outdated

 

[earmonger]

Old doesn't necessarily mean outdated. Some designs keep selling because they got it right the first time. If you are comfortable with the deep insertion fit, the Etymotic ER series are great for isolation and very crisp sounding. The XR versions have an analytically flat response with a tiny bit of bass boost so they don't sound too sterile like the SE or SR versions.

ER2XR are dynamic drivers, ER3XR are balanced armature, ER4XR are precision-matched balanced armature, an extra price leap you don't need for use on an airplane.

https://www.adorama.com/etyer2xr.html

I use ER3XR when I want maximum isolation. They are almost always photographed with triple-flange tips but I find the included gray foamies more comfortable.

 

[greener78]

I like my Shure SE846 IEMs, the 535s are pretty good too.

 

[creamkit]

I like my Shure SE846 IEMs, the 535s are pretty good too.

My first thought. It's also more about the tips fitting. By design I think it's as isolating as IEMs can be

 

[earmonger]

One thing I forgot to mention about Etymotics -- they stick out of your ears, so if you're trying to sleep on your side on the plane, they're not gonna work. Shures are better for that.