[Bob A (SD)]

Much has been made of canalphone/earphone fit. There are no local dealers where I can try before I buy. (Yes I know that I could always return a set to Headroom if they were problematic but I really don't want to cycle a dealer.)

I use a Jabra mic/earpiece with my cellphone and have found that the small sized eargells are the only ones I can tolerate. The small fit quite nicely and are very comfortable. So... looking at the Shure (and Ety's too) am I one of those with ear size too small for these cans to fit right?

The only other reference besides the Jabra I have is an ancient pair of Sony MDR-E557 earbuds (sans the little thin stretch fit foam surrounds) which are among the only earbuds I've found that fit well. Unfortunately one side has cracked with the driver and housing seperating. As an example for giggles I recently picked up a pair of MDR-847SPs and aside from finding their sound deplorable they were too big (with their raised bump on the "grill") to fit comfortably.

As an aside I find the way the soft pliable eargells "lock" into ones ears to be a very effective coupling that also provides decent sound isolation. Too bad such a design isn't employed by earphone manufacturers.

Any help here would be most appreciated.

--Bob

Senn HD-580II w/Headroom Supreme

 

[Digital-Monk]

It's a completely different system with the ety's. My pal has the jabra headset, and it's an earphone, not a canalphone. The ER-6 goes into your ear canal. I really don't think that you should have too much of an issue with it. It may take a day or two before it's comfortable (read: small pain first or second time for me), but now I often forget that I have them in.

 

[Bob A (SD)]

I appreciate the response. Understand the differences between earphones and canalphones but the design alone doesn't convey the ability to fit comfortably. There have been numerous posts here, most recently about the Shure E2C, where folks simply have been unable to wear them with any of the supplied sleeves. It appears that the Ety E4s are about the same size as the Shure E1/E5, and the the Ety E6 and Shure E2 are both bigger with the nozzle on the Ety going deeper. *Foam and flex sleeve sizes vis-a-vis the examples I've provided above are really my concern.* They anchor the phone to the ear. The nozzle insertion size ought not to be an issue if the phone can be anchored period. Maybe I'm missing something here but that's my perspective. Or are you saying the sleeves themselves anchor *inside* the canal where the earphones anchor outside the canal? My thoughts were that if the smallest earphone/canalphone sleeves on the phone housing/nozzle are significantly bigger than the small size Jabra eargell or bare Sony E557, I will most likely be in for some disappointment trying to wear an Ety or Shure can. Hell those cheap Sony MDR-E847SPs just fall out because I can't seat them properly. It'd be a waste to buy an Ety or Shure and have the same thing happen with even the smallest supplied sleeves -

But if I'm all wet here and it is apples and oranges how do I find out short of buying whether the sleeves will work for me? Is there something else to compare to?

The foam plugs sold for sound isolation when shooting firearms are *very* difficult if not impossible for me to get to fit and they go into the canal. No matter how tightly I roll them before insertion when they expand they fall out so I end up having to use a conventional cups/headband sound isolation set.

--Bob

 

[Digital-Monk]

Quote:

Or are you saying the sleeves themselves anchor *inside* the canal where the earphones anchor outside the canal?

That's exactly what I'm saying. The ER-6 gets burried into my ear. You can't see it from the front, and can barely see more than the black end from any other angle.

How about this? The ER-6 larger dome on the rubber sleeve is about the same diameter as a BIC pen. But since they're silicon they compress in your ear to make a good seal. The tip is the largest part of the phone. The driver is max 1/2" x 3/4" and about 1" long.

Hope that helps. I think the shure system is different, it doesn't go straight in like the ety's do. Because of the angled driver I would suspect that it would be more difficult to find a good fit.

 

[Bob A (SD)]

LOL! Guess I need to find a BIC and try to see if it fits in my ear (gently of course)! I'm a fountain pen type and don't have any BICs on hand -

Seriously I appreciate the input but am still nervous about whether I'll have problems given my past history with earbuds and foam isolation plugs.

--Bob

 

[Digital-Monk]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob A (SD) LOL! Guess I need to find a BIC and try to see if it fits in my ear (gently of course)! I'm a fountain pen type and don't have any BICs on hand - Seriously I appreciate the input but am still nervous about whether I'll have problems given my past history with earbuds and foam isolation plugs. --Bob

Don't forget the vasoline!

Like you said you can return them to Headroom, or sell them on Head-Fi. You should be able to get about $100 for them if they don't work out for you.

One other thing you could try. Etymotic sells earplug, the ER-20. They have the exact same tips as the ER-4 series phone. I think they're $10 at headroom. Might be worth getting those and wearing them for a few hours to help you decide. You may be able to find something similar at your local drug store as well.

Check out the pictures, it'll help you make your decision.

 

[Bob A (SD)]

Mmmm... the ER-20s are just $10 but only provide the flanged rubber tips and no foamies to try. Might just be half a loaf but worthy of consideration. Thanks!

--Bob

 

[redshifter]

i tried the jabra gels with the ety er6. it simply does not work. the jabras have a slit down the side that prevents a seal, and without a tight seal the er6 has no bass.