[erotavlas]

I was looking for a pair of in ear headphones to replace the ones that came with my nokia cell phone. I only use them for work since I wanted something relatively inconspicuous and portable.  They sound ok but I could not stand how they amplify the sound whenever I rub against the wires.  Every time I move I hear the deep rustling in my ears. Anyway so my hunt for headphones brought me to the Sony XBA-2 - these were on sale recently for 70% off so I picked them up.  I like the sound quality compared to some other phones that I tried   But right away I noticed they suffered from the exact same defect that the ones I'm trying to replace.  That is whenever the wires rub against my clothes I hear it in my ear.  I hate that and wonder if all earbuds suffer from this. 
 
Is there anyway to minimize this problem (other than being completely motionless!)? like something I clamp to the wire to stop the sound from reaching the actual earbud?
 
Or can you recommend another pair that does not have this problem?
 
Otherwise I'll just use my sennheiser momentums and forget the earbuds entirely and save my ears the discomfort.
 
thanks in advance 

 

[Spyro]

A braided cable dramatically reduces this.  The braiding and space between the cables absorbs any movement or vibration.  I think all other non-braided cables will suffer from what you describe.

 

[Eddie C]

Cable over ear and worn behind head with chin slider pulled up reduces microphonics too

 

[linglingjr]

You could clip the wire to your clothes at neck level leaving slack in wire above your neck so all the movement is "absorbed" by the clip.

 

[hkppl]

Haven't got any microphonic since I changed to Westone IEMs. Yes the braided and over the ear cable greatly reduce microphonc problems. There is no microphonic even when I use them while running/working out.

 

[ender323]

I loop the cable over my ears, pull the slider up to the back of my head, and clip the wire to the back of my shirt collar. I really, really hate microphonics, if you can't tell. Completely silent though.

 

[amraam]

Essentially all wires plugged directly to your ears will carry microphonics, but some can hide it more than others.  A twisted or braided cable will produce hardly any noticeable cable noise.  'Earthing' the noise by clipping the cable to your shirt will help also. 
 
 
Depends very much on the tips used, how well they seal etc also.

 

[arjuna93]

Will some sort of isolated cable help? I got all sorts of electronics on my table, and my IEMs are sensitive enough to incur this rustling issue.