[dreamkid]

So I spent around $200+ for a pair of Jays q-Jays along with Comply Tx-100 tips for them.
 
First of all, the Comply tips last like a month before they start to get "stale" and hard, and pieces start ripping off from them.
 
But my main concern is that these are very uncomfortable...I tried using the rubber tips that came with the q-Jays, but after a few hours they start to irritate the inside of my ears. Same thing with the Comply tips, after trying different sizes for both. I even tried wearing them in different positions, and I find over the ear slightly more comfortable though the inside of my ears still get red and hurts after several hours of wearing them.
 
I was under the impression these were the most comfortable earphones I could get without having to get custom IEM molds.
 
Are there any other earphones that are actually comfortable for less than $500?

 

[steampunk]

Go for Audeo Phonak series.
IMO, its the most comfortable universal fit IEM.

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

Go for Audeo Phonak series.
IMO, its the most comfortable universal fit IEM.

+1 on this...  Phonak makes some of the most comfortable IEMs on the planet   If you had 100 more bucks, the 232s are among the best universals available right up there with the Westone 4 and Earsonics SM3s (SM3s are from what I've heard, I own both 232s and 4s).  The 0xx and 1xx series of Phonak PFEs are the same except for hte filters.  1xx has two filters available, one that boosts highs and lows, and one that boosts the mids.  The 0xx comes with bass filters that boost lows along with a slight increase in highs.

 

[dreamkid]

Sound quality to me isn't as important as comfort. Do you know how comfortable the Westone 4s are in comparison with the Phonaks? I'd also like to know how comfortable the SM3s are, if anyone has them. Money isn't really a concern, so if the 232 is worth it I have the money to spend. So $500 isn't really an actual budget, just a preference.
 
I'm also reading a lot of reviews of some Phonaks breaking down after a year (the wires cracking, etc.). Which ones should I avoid?

 

[tomscy2000]

I honestly think you're just not used to in-ears... I'm presuming the q-Jays are your first pair of IEMs?
 
Switching to PFEs or Westones are not going to solve the problem --- even switching to customs won't solve anything; you're reporting irritation in your ear canals, not on the pinna of the ear, so this isn't a fit problem.
 
You may be too hasty with thinking that your ears are irritated. All people, when they first use IEMs, will get irritated ears, but some people will feel more irritation than others. It's possible that you're in the minority whose ear canals just don't like foreign objects within them. In that case, you'll have to switch to earbuds (which don't isolate), supraaural headphones, or circumaural headphones.

 

[fleasbaby]

I have tried pretty hard to find an IEM that agrees with my ears personally...and I am quite willing to let them go now...they just start to feel uncomfortable, and I do not like the microphonics, even when they are mitigated by wearing over the ears, etc.
 
I haven't regretted the pair of Yuin PK2 earbuds I recently bought. There are options out there for the non-IEM crowd ...next on my list to try are the Yuin PK1, the Blox M2C, the Sennheiser MX470...you might do well to look at some of these too?

 

[dreamkid]

I'm normally a headphones guy but it looks funny wearing huge cans in public, plus headphones irritate the outside of my ears (right behind the ears, near the nape of the neck where the lower part of the headphones sit/press against, and also near my temples) and it also becomes painful after several hours of wearing.
 
The only in-ears I've worn are those cheap $10 ones you can get on airline flights or an office supply store, which are terrible and fall out even when I don't move my head. So I thought buying more expensive earphones would be better for comfort.
 
I'm not very anatomically educated on the physiology of the ear so I can't really say whether it's the canal or the pinna of the ear, but it's that cartilage area right where you can stick your fingers into, but not actually inside the ear where the tips go into (can't fit my finger in there!).
 
I don't really care about isolation either...I thought what I was wearing were earbuds? Sorry if I sound ignorant...what are the differences between earphones and earbuds? Don't they both go into your ears in the same manner?

 

[Xinn3r]

Quote:

I'm normally a headphones guy but it looks funny wearing huge cans in public, plus headphones irritate the outside of my ears (right behind the ears, near the nape of the neck where the lower part of the headphones sit/press against, and also near my temples) and it also becomes painful after several hours of wearing.
 
The only in-ears I've worn are those cheap $10 ones you can get on airline flights or an office supply store, which are terrible and fall out even when I don't move my head. So I thought buying more expensive earphones would be better for comfort.
 
I'm not very anatomically educated on the physiology of the ear so I can't really say whether it's the canal or the pinna of the ear, but it's that cartilage area right where you can stick your fingers into, but not actually inside the ear where the tips go into (can't fit my finger in there!).
 
I don't really care about isolation either...I thought what I was wearing were earbuds? Sorry if I sound ignorant...what are the differences between earphones and earbuds? Don't they both go into your ears in the same manner?

Earphones has two types:
Earbuds: only "sits" on the outside of your ears, they don't actually go in....
Canalphones (IEM's) : They create a seal using sleeves (silicon/foam) to immerse the sound
 

 

[dreamkid]

Ah, anywhere I can get good suggestions for earbuds? I bought the q-Jays because of some big review thread on here I think, saying they had a comfort level of maximum possible...which obviously wasn't the case for me personally

 

[fleasbaby]

The ones I listed are classified as "earbuds"...I can personally vouch for the Yuin PK2...really liking them....currently have the amped using a PA2V2...used to have them on a FiiO E7...ta little overkill though. They sounded great straight out of my iPod....

 

[dascoo1]

Phonak Audeo's PFE. You must use the ear glides, they are wonderful. I know that q-jays are marketed as the smallest or lighest IEMs, but the PFE's are close to being small, light, and robust.

 

[dreamkid]

I've been reading a ton of negative reviews for the Yuin PK2 saying they don't last for more than a few months to a year. I might just try the Phonak Audeo PFE 232 and if they are still uncomfortable, I'll probably have to return/resell them and try something that's not IEM and just earbuds

 

[PolliSoft]

Hi,
 
Do you still own the q-jays? If you do, would you consider selling them to me?