Great information! I haven't finished sorting through it all, but are there effective ways to filter this sort of white noise with even spatial distribution across all frequencies? Again my electronics is lacking and I've only constructed high, low and band pass filters which all cut out...

If you plug into anything you hear a hiss. I hear a hiss from my portable amp, my laptop audio out, my desktop audio outs, my portable media player. So if it's not too complicated, I'd like to learn about all sources of hiss.

First, some background: I am a mechanical engineer who has some experience with electronics, circuits, etc so I can understand basics but simple things like this elude me. What causes the hiss you hear from audio outs? The source is circuitry because as soon as the component is powered it...

Quote: Originally Posted by ClieOS Technically speaking, volume is pressure. Volume, by definition, is 'sound pressure level (SPL)' measured in decibel. When your ear canal is sealed by the IEM, the volume of air remains constant as long as the seal is maintained (unless your...

Thanks for the help (and the welcoming). I missed out on the Yuin OK options but it seems they aren't amazing as IEMs. I'll probably go PK3 but I am looking a bit more into the OK3 (possibly OK2 but they are pricey). Again, thanks!

Great information. The links on their safety was a little less than satisfying and I am still struggling with whether or not they are as safe as other styles. I feel like the pressure build-up is more of an issue than the volume. Thoughts?

I'm a bit of a newbie but looking to get into things more. Most of my music is flac or ogg 320 kbps avg with some mp3's mixed in and I have some decent headphones but I lack anything good at the portable level. I'll be on a 9 week bike tour across Europe this summer and want something portable...