This is my 5 cents about comfort
Comfort = ergonomic design of the shell + accessories (foams, hooks and cable)
Most shells consist of two parts:
- the front part of the shell that carries the driver (Head)
- and the rear part (Stem)
Both parts are very important for overall comfort, the shell also has a great influence on the sound, and it primarily depends on the vent system, cavity size and the material of the shell.
We'll start from the "head". One of the most common forms of driver cover is MX500 (for 15.4mm drivers) and another version with metal mesh.
PK cover is used for smaller driver diameters (14.8mm).
Many well-known manufacturers have their own "original" design that deviates to a greater extent from the standard MX500/PK covers. Also they use additional rubber rings or extensions to improve comfort or to provide a connection between the driver and the shell.
Now, the main head part can also have different shapes and cavity size, which is good because different drivers require a different space in which it will work optimally.
I have already mentioned
concave, convex arcs and angular sides of shells and their impact on optimal fit. The vent system located in this part (near the driver) is mainly intended for midrange tuning, while the back of the shell is often used for tuning the bass.
Another case would be when the stem is used as a base for female connector (MMCX, 2-Pin etc.) whereby a "rigid" connection is established between the shell and the cable.
By "elastic" connection is meant when the cable passes freely through the stem and is connected directly to the driver. This type of connection is the most optimal solution
in terms of comfort itself when it comes to shells with a long stem.
In terms of accessories, foams are one of the most important accessories used for better comfort and fit, they do not disturb the sound and protect the driver from moisture.
The foam itself can have different densities. We also often see silicone covers, rings and extensions used instead of foams. In order to achieve the best possible fit, we often see silicone hooks in sports buds or even headband (example Sennheiser MX 685 Sports and Sennheiser PX 685i Adidas).
Finally, we should mention the cables themselves, which endanger the fit with their weight. Based on this fact, many manufacturers use very thin cables to avoid this problem.
Avoiding this problem, they encounter the following: tangling and microphonics. To avoid all common problems, today we often see braided cables with 4,6,8,16 cores.
I will not start the topic of how cables affect sound because it is irrelevant for comfort itself. Many will disagree with me but in my opinion 4-core is enough for any type of earbuds, whether it is replacement cables with connectors or fixed cable, balanced or SE. Why? It's light and elegant that's why
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Joke aside, I'm not a fan of thin cables either, but in terms of comfort, 4-core cable has no competition, of course I'll take 6-core into account.
Most 8-core cables cannot pass through the stem and have a large weight as a replacement cable with a connectors. For models that require wearing over the ear, this is not a problem, but for models with a str8 up cable, well...
16-core cables are total overkill and in addition, apart from aesthetics, they do not have a noticeable difference in sound quality in relation to the previously mentioned cables with less cores.
because every time I take some earbud after listening to BL-03 it seems to me that every model is bad. The good thing is that the brain quickly returns to normal. A really impressive IEM but I still prefer buds
