All hail the Etymotic ER-20!!! An absolute MUST for any audiophile.

Mar 21, 2007 at 3:37 PM Post #46 of 61
I have always found that trip-flanges isolate better than foamies for me anyway.

Foamies keep falling out of my ear. And the SQ is shot to hell with them in too.
 
Mar 21, 2007 at 3:50 PM Post #47 of 61
Is it possible to mod these into biflanges or will it break the seal? I feel that triflanges are way too long and that the smallest flinge is there in vain.
 
Mar 21, 2007 at 3:54 PM Post #48 of 61
i just ordered a pair last night. After i was standing really close to a speaker at a show on monday i decided that if im going to have thousands of dollars worth of audio equipment i should be able to hear it!

my left ear still has a small amount of tinnitus from that show too!

If the show is still loud with them in i can live with it, i just dont want to suffer!
 
Mar 21, 2007 at 5:49 PM Post #49 of 61
Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaques /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Is it possible to mod these into biflanges or will it break the seal? I feel that triflanges are way too long and that the smallest flinge is there in vain.


If you haven't bought ER-20's already I suggest you look for Alpine Musicsafe earplugs. They are biflanges and use similar acoustic filters as ER-20. I use these and have been happy with the isolation, although can't compare to ER-20 since I don't own them. I don't like wearing triflanges because my earcanal bends so sharply and I just don't want to use excessive force to shove them in.

You can also try experimenting with the filters and different tips, these fit into complys and the rest. I found the best compromise with sound and isolation when the filter was half inserted into short complys. I can still take them out of my ears with my fingers this way.
 
Mar 24, 2007 at 2:50 PM Post #51 of 61
Quote:

Originally Posted by cindyk /img/forum/go_quote.gif
How about custom foamies or even better molds?


Well - you can get ER to make custom ear plugs for you, but they are a little more expensive.

It's a geometric scale when we're talking about dB and hearing damage. If you're anything like me and rave all weekend, DJ all weekdays and go to every concert, with no protection, my ears would probably only last till I'm 25. With 9dB of protection, they may last till I'm 35, and with 20dB, hopefully they will last a lifetime.

Like I said, my only regret in life is that I didn't discover these when I was 16.
 
Mar 24, 2007 at 6:38 PM Post #52 of 61
Am I the only one who has some difficulty putting these things in? I have to pull my ear up and back and twist them in, and then my ears are all red from the pulling. I get the attention of the people around me when I had to use both hands to put these things in... just not as convenient as I thought.
 
Mar 29, 2007 at 6:06 AM Post #54 of 61
Quote:

Originally Posted by KrooLism /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Like I said, my only regret in life is that I didn't discover these when I was 16.


i hear that! (get it? get it? lol... ahh...*sigh*... i know)

i'm only 24 and i think i've already suffered slight, but permanent damage to my right ear. i would estimate the imbalance to be around 2 or 3 decibels between right and left ear. in general. i can only hear up to ~17,800Hz in either ear
frown.gif


i think this has been exacerbated by DJing (most right-handed DJs use their right ear to monitor with their headphones cupped up close to their ears), but i remember one particularly bad night when i went to see a DJ and stood near the front by the horns and subs. stupid stupid stupid. the folly of youth.

i also believe i have sinusitis that afflicts my right sinus cavity/ear, so this may be a factor in my perceived hearing loss. or maybe this was brought on by the hearing trauma somehow?

Quote:

Originally Posted by parrot5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Am I the only one who has some difficulty putting these things in? I have to pull my ear up and back and twist them in, and then my ears are all red from the pulling. I get the attention of the people around me when I had to use both hands to put these things in... just not as convenient as I thought.


it takes some getting used to, but it does get easier and less noticeable the more you use them. they take practice to get the right fit! if you're adjusting them all night, you either did something wrong, or you're obsessive-compulsive. or your ears just don't work with their one-size-fits-most design.

i got some custom plugs made, but i think i need to get them refitted. the left ear seals very well on the outside, but seems to shift when i talk and dance and causes this extremely annoying oscillation of volume and sound quality. the right ear is mostly good, but maybe doesn't go deep enough. i can tell that if i got just the perfect seal, they would sound AMAZING. and i mean FREAKING AMAZING. i've gotten them positioned perfectly before and it was simply unbelievable; everything was so clean and clear, just less LOUD and muddy. you can really tell if the sound man is doing his job with these things in.

if only they could make a foamy/ER filter hybrid to get around the fit issues. maybe i'll try to make one
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Mar 29, 2007 at 10:29 AM Post #55 of 61
Quote:

Originally Posted by parrot5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Am I the only one who has some difficulty putting these things in? I have to pull my ear up and back and twist them in, and then my ears are all red from the pulling. I get the attention of the people around me when I had to use both hands to put these things in... just not as convenient as I thought.


Like anything, it takes practice.

But you may have small ear canals like some of us. Try some foam ones if the harder plugs are irritating or hurting your ears. Unfortunately, the foam plugs are even more difficult to insert, but after a few attempts it should work out just fine.

As a tip with the foam plugs, flatten them like a pancake and roll then roll them up tightly for a few minutes. This will prevent them from expanding before you insert them. Then, pull back and lift up your ear and insert the plugs. Use a finger to block the entrance to your ear canal while they expand. It's almost like rolling a joint.
biggrin.gif


If you're concerned about earwax, you can always use something like an Ototek loop a day before the concert to get most of it out.
 
Mar 29, 2007 at 8:00 PM Post #56 of 61
Quote:

Originally Posted by Borg166 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Try some foam ones if the harder plugs are irritating or hurting your ears.


foam are really comfy, but it defeats the purpose if you can't hear the music. that's why i don't use foamies anymore.

now that i've been thinking about it, why couldn't you make ER-20s out of foam? isn't the soft rubber comparable to foam in terms of application? couldn't they just make a foam plug with a semi-rigid plastic tube (airway) in the middle and one of the filters/resonators connected at the end? i know it might not isolate as well as the rubber tri-flange, but i think it would be inconsequential.
 
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