[PlantsmanTX]

Allegedly, Brainwavz originally planned to price the B400 at $400. Nomen est omen?

And yes, my colleague likes a more neutral tuning and may have therefore preferred the bass of the B200 over the B400.

I am presently waiting for the B200 to drop to $100. In Canada, we didn't get your previous deals.

They would still be a bit over $100, but 10% off HEADFI discount code still works.

 

[Otto Motor]

Yeah, using this method the Apple earbuds are surprisingly good. Like really good.

I almost wonder if Apple intended people to wear the earbuds like this from the get go, and just did an extremely poor job at explaining to people the proper way to wear earbuds.

Who knows? It’s like the best kept secret in audio!

Your 2005 Apple earbuds were better than the, let's say, 2010 ones - wearing them the conventional way. But the newer ones were thinner - and therefore better for the "Tragic" method. Next, Apple came out with the EarPods that combine both methods: conventional fit but music streaming right into your ear. So, yeah, one could think some Apple dude had figured it out...

 

[pauliunas]

Yeah, that guy above had it sticking out in an unrealistic way.

When you get them positioned properly, pretty much all of the sound shoots right into the ear canal, as seen in this photo of my PT15 (click for closeup view):



The other way to wear them in the manner I recommend is to wear them up like a behind the ear IEM. You still insert them into the same spot in the ear, you just point the cables up instead of down. This still gives the same huge sound, but provides much more stability to the earbud when moving around (also getting rid of microphonics). This is a great way to wear the lightweight all-plastic earbuds, as those always want to fall out of the ear (when worn down) due to being so light. Here’s a photo of that method (click for larger view):

sorry but it looks like the sound runs straight into your tragus and then has to make a 90 degree turn to go into your ear canal... Maybe you just like the effect of sound resonating with your tragus? Also, that earbud you're showing is very unusually... deep, if you get what I mean. Usually earbuds are almost flat, and they would sit in a different position. Maybe our ear shapes are different, but I still wear my earbuds the "normal" way and sound goes straight into my ear canal, without hitting the tragus first.

 

[pauliunas]

EDIT: sorry for double post

 

[Otto Motor]

Headroom MS 16 after in-ear rotation
The Headroom MS 16 sound great now (and they are well built with an intelligently designed 3-button remote: volume and start/stop are on opposite sides). And the diverse Joyrooms are now secret favs...very refined sounding. The Monk Plus have been upgraded from listening to AM radio to listening to FM radio. The FAAEL can only go into the hazardous waste bin. But the old Sennheiser MX-560 are head and shoulders above all: a much more mature sound with more presence in the voice department, albeit carrying the classic Sennheiser veil and with possibly not the tightest bass around.

As a consequence of this in-ear rotation these treacherous foam covers had to go - would not fit otherwise.

Focal Spark
As to the previously mentioned Focal Spark iems: spark is exactly what they lack. Average and a bit of a sellout of a premium brand! Wonder whether they are rebranded Chifi iems.

 

[Slater]

sorry but it looks like the sound runs straight into your tragus and then has to make a 90 degree turn to go into your ear canal... Maybe you just like the effect of sound resonating with your tragus? Also, that earbud you're showing is very unusually... deep, if you get what I mean. Usually earbuds are almost flat, and they would sit in a different position. Maybe our ear shapes are different, but I still wear my earbuds the "normal" way and sound goes straight into my ear canal, without hitting the tragus first.

Have you ever had a chance to check out a stethoscope up close? The ear tubes point forward, into the ear canal, not perpendicular to the ear (ie not directed to the meatus).

Curious, is it not?

No ones twisting your arm though. If the “normal” method works for you and you like it, I would stick with it.

Also, this method works with every earbud I’ve ever tried since 1st discovering this method in 2005. Countless earbuds from about 2 dozen cellphones, numerous MP3 players, handheld video game systems, multiple portable voice recorders, Apple earbuds, and now ChiFi earbuds. They all have the same basic shape, but with various levels of flatness. These include most that are much more shallow than the **** PT15.

Just like IEMs though, your ear anatomy may be different (and thus the method may not tuck into your tragus).

 

[Slater]

Headroom MS 16 after in-ear rotation
The Headroom MS 16 sound great now (and they are well built with an intelligently designed 3-button remote: volume and start/stop are on opposite sides). And the diverse Joyrooms are now secret favs...very refined sounding. The Monk Plus have been upgraded from listening to AM radio to listening to FM radio. The FAAEL can only go into hazardous waste bin. But the old Sennheiser MX-560 are head and shoulders above all: a much more mature sound with more presence in the voice department, albeit carrying the classic Sennheiser veil and with possibly not the tightest bass around.

As a consequence of this in-ear rotation these treacherous foam covers had to go - would not fit otherwise.

Focal Spark
As to the previously mentioned Focal Spark iems: spark is exactly what they lack. Average and a bit of a sellout of a premium brand! Wonder whether they are rebranded Chifi iems.

So glad your gear is getting new life and newfound enjoyment after you tried the sideways method!

 

[paulindss]

Exactly! I wish more people would try this method - once you do you’ll never go back to the “old way”.

I was readind off the method earlier and thinking It Would be impossible to wear It.

Just tried Putting them over ear before i saw your picture, and Its the only way to put my vidos in that position.

It sound a tad bettter indeed. A small Shell woud fit better my ears tought. I will listen like that for now on. And considering the **** only because of the way they fit in the above pictures.

EDIT: Only the J cable can ruins It. They keep falling from the ear.

 

[Slater]

I was readind off the method earlier and thinking It Would be impossible to wear It.

Just tried Putting them over ear before i saw your picture, and Its the only way to put my vidos in that position.



It sound a tad bettter indeed. A small Shell woud fit better my ears tought. I will listen like that for now on. And considering the **** only because of the way they fit in the above pictures.

EDIT: Only the J cable can ruins It. They keep falling from the ear.

Nice buddy! Glad you gave them a try.

Welcome to “Sideways Earbuds Club” haha

 

[pauliunas]

Have you ever had a chance to check out a stethoscope up close? The ear tubes point forward, into the ear canal, not perpendicular to the ear (ie not directed to the meatus).

Curious, is it not?

No ones twisting your arm though. If the “normal” method works for you and you like it, I would stick with it.

Also, this method works with every earbud I’ve ever tried since 1st discovering this method in 2005. Countless earbuds from about 2 dozen cellphones, numerous MP3 players, handheld video game systems, multiple portable voice recorders, Apple earbuds, and now ChiFi earbuds. They all have the same basic shape, but with various levels of flatness. These include most that are much more shallow than the **** PT15.

Just like IEMs though, your ear anatomy may be different (and thus the method may not tuck into your tragus).

Yes I've seen one closely. No they don't point forward. They point right into the ear canal, which is "almost" perpendicular. They're slightly angled to the front side, right. But nowhere near 90 degree, more like 15. So yeah, the regular way of wearing earbuds means sound waves do make that 15 degree turn... and the idea of compensating that is not bad by itself, but your method overcompensates. It just results in a 75 degree turn instead of a 15 degree one to the opposite direction.

 

[Otto Motor]

So glad your gear is getting new life and newfound enjoyment after you tried the sideways method!

Trying out the sideways method saved my marriage...just kidding.

 

[Slater]

Yes I've seen one closely. No they don't point forward. They point right into the ear canal, which is "almost" perpendicular. They're slightly angled to the front side, right. But nowhere near 90 degree, more like 15. So yeah, the regular way of wearing earbuds means sound waves do make that 15 degree turn... and the idea of compensating that is not bad by itself, but your method overcompensates. It just results in a 75 degree turn instead of a 15 degree one to the opposite direction.

I don’t know bud. I just go with my ears, not the math of it. And my ears tells me it sounds better doing it sideways vs flat. Others apparently agree.

I’d say go with whatever sounds best to you.

 

[Otto Motor]

I was readind off the method earlier and thinking It Would be impossible to wear It.

Just tried Putting them over ear before i saw your picture, and Its the only way to put my vidos in that position.



It sound a tad bettter indeed. A small Shell woud fit better my ears tought. I will listen like that for now on. And considering the **** only because of the way they fit in the above pictures.

EDIT: Only the J cable can ruins It. They keep falling from the ear.

You may want to take the cover off the buds...works better.

 

[groucho69]

I don’t know bud. I just go with my ears, not the math of it. And my ears tells me it sounds better doing it sideways vs flat. Others apparently agree.

I’d say go with whatever sounds best to you.

Already loved my PK2 but even better from the side. Tried a few others and the only disappointment for me is the MS 16, but I haven't liked those at all. YMMV.

 

[groucho69]

PK 2 playing Jeff Beck Ain't Superstitious, PK 2, wearing sideways, the opening actually rattles around vibrating in my head. The lows are amazing.