[moomooemu]

Is there anything I can do? My ears are pretty bad with regards to wax and usually have to use debrox every so often and usually get them flushed out at the doctors.

i want portable headphones to walk around campus/take the bus etc. do you think i could still use IEM's? are there something like those ipod ibuds except better in SQ AND isolate sound better? im thinking something that doenst completely insert into the ear but maybe a little bit so therefore doenst produce as much wax but at the sametime offers more isolation and protects the ear better than regular ibuds.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Would a closed circumaural work for you? You could skip the frequent cleaning that IEMs would require.

 

[RASeymour]

I too used to have bad earwax problems. Once or twice a year I'd have to go into the clinic to have my ears blown out because of a was plug. But since I've been debroxing once a month, including use of that blue syriny type thing, I don't any longer.

My point is, iff you haven't been diligent for long maybe you can clear up your earwax issue as I did.

 

[mvw2]

Buds may work very well, still ultra portable but, you aren't forced to shove anything in your ear. For buds, Yuin is pretty much king, and there's a wide product selection for a wide range of price categories. There's also a big Yuin thread covering the differences between all the PK and OK buds. It's worth a read to which options may be preferable.

 

[zackw419]

Thats why you should clean your ears every night.

Once you do that you should be good with IEM's.

 

[Antony6555]

You could also try canalphones (these are like iems but don't insert as deeply)

 

[ZARIM]

I think Westone 3 doesn't go deep in the ear and they seal pretty good. SF5Pro, IE8 are good because they sit outer in the ear and they all sound great depend on your budget.

 

[moomooemu]

circumaural are still kinda bulky for me imo. and clip-ons look funky on my ears. I have ears that stick out

hmm regarding earwax, have people ran into problems with such frequent cleaning of earwax. I've heard earwax is good for your ear but not in excess. it helps protect your ear. Are there any good medical research out there?

i thought canalphones were the same as IEM's? they insert pretty deeply...

zarim, thanks for the suggestions but those are all pretty expensive. I;m looking for something around $100.

those yuin's look pretty nice...do they offer any more isolation than the crappy ipod buds?

basically im looking for something $100 that offers better SQ and some isolation. Cause ive heard many bad studies saying the ipod buds are very damaging towards hearing.

 

[dnullify]

buds offer no more isolation than any other bud you've tried.

I'd say either bite the bullet and get used to putting something in your ear.

Either that, or consider bulkier on-ear headphones like the sennhesier hd228, or jvc flats (not the cheap ones)

 

[talisman42]

I don't know exactly how waxy your ears are, but you do run the risk of impacting the wax by using an IEM - or anything else like a q-tip. As you mentioned, some research would be good.

hopefully it won't get bad as this guy:
YouTube - ear wax

Quote:

Originally Posted by moomooemu /img/forum/go_quote.gif circumaural are still kinda bulky for me imo. and clip-ons look funky on my ears. I have ears that stick out hmm regarding earwax, have people ran into problems with such frequent cleaning of earwax. I've heard earwax is good for your ear but not in excess. it helps protect your ear. Are there any good medical research out there? i thought canalphones were the same as IEM's? they insert pretty deeply... zarim, thanks for the suggestions but those are all pretty expensive. I;m looking for something around $100. those yuin's look pretty nice...do they offer any more isolation than the crappy ipod buds? basically im looking for something $100 that offers better SQ and some isolation. Cause ive heard many bad studies saying the ipod buds are very damaging towards hearing.

 

[mrarroyo]

Although I clean my ears using a kit purchased at a drug store the OP may not be the best candidate for IEM's. I say so because he has expresed a concern with their use, although as some have mentioned there are some units which do not go deep in the ear canal.

As an option the ear buds like the ones made by Yuin would be a welcome alternative and they sound very good. Of course the closed back headphones like the ESW9 come to mind as another alternative. Good luck.

 

[Zakalwe]

I have somewhat waxy ears, but in my case normal personal hygiene is usually sufficient, and I only need a professional cleaning every few years. When I used IEMs (Shure E4) the wax got troublesome, though - I had to have the ears cleaned once or twice a year for several years in a row. (And cleaning them myself daily would not help, I cannot get that far into the ear without risking damage.)

After the E4 died, I went back to such buds which give some isolation, but which do not get that far into the ears, for example the Sony EX-90 and now the EX-500. While I preferred the IEM sound, the wax problems went away again.

 

[moomooemu]

thanks all for the replies

i think i might just bite the bullet and clean my ears regularly and see how these iems go. im thinking trying the PL50's? would these be good? i heard these are pretty comfy as well, which would be good? also, should i invest in different tips or are the stock ones fine?

also might get some Yuin PK3's as well and just have both! so either way im good haha.

and just curious, how often do you guys clean out your ears and how? do you use debrox?
also, how much more wax production should i be seeing? is it really noticable?

 

[dnullify]

you shouldn't notice all that much more over a few days after cleaning.

I don't have this problem, because i swim regularly, and therefore have reduced earwax (not exactly a plus in any other situation).

You should be able to flush your ears out in the shower. just tilt your head, and allow the water to enter completely into your ear. then let it sit there for a minute or two and then shake it out. Otherwise, i wouldn't go to any other great lengths to thoroughly clean your ears on a regular basis, like using chemicals.

rather, i'd buy some IEMs with removable filters (not too necessary), and just rinse the tips every once and a while. it's much easier, and more comfortable than cleaning your ears every day for IEMs