[Trollheart]

I know I probably didn't express that right.
Basically, the question is: for outdoor listening (MP3 etc) what are the advantages/disadvantages of wearing IEM or canalphones compared to larger, what I would call (but probably aren't called) on-head phones?
In other words, if I enjoy the comfort of headphones on my, well, head, rather than in my ears, am I to expect the sound quality to suffer?
The only comparison I can make is that I had the Creative buds that came with my Zen Vision:M, and for a while switched to Sennheiser PX-200s. I found the music level dropped significantly when I put on the Senns (duh!) and was really disappointed.
But is this the same with all in-ear/canalphones? Can any reasonably-priced "on-head" phone compare to the sound, on the move, of in-ears? Or do you have to expect a drop in sound level (that maybe you'd get used to over time) when you "take the phones out of your ears and put them on your head"?
I know I'm probably trying to simplify it way too much, but a general idea would be good. Do I go for "outer" or "inner" headphones, to best complement my ZVM and give me the best possible enjoyment of my music on the move?

 

[MrWhite]

If you don't mind the relative negatives of using over-the-ear headphones on the go then by all means use them.

Some disadvantages of using over-the-ear vs in-ear on the go are:

1. The look / size factor. Not everyone wants to go truckin down the road with large headphones on. In-ears are obviously much more smaller and stand out less. Many in-ears also fit in helmets, under hats, etc etc.

2. Low Efficiency / sensitivity of many over-the-ear phones makes them not mate well with portable players' built-in amps. In-ears are generally just fine when used with a portable player's built-in amp. Solutions to the problem if you want over-the-ear phones are to either find efficient / high sensitivity headphones or use a portable amp along with your portable player.

3. Heat. Some over-the-ears can get warm and make your ears sweat if you are running about and/or are in a warm place for a while when listening.

4. Sound leakage. Over-the-ears leak sound when played at higher volumes. Open backed headphones especially leak sound. No in-ear I have used ever leaked a bit of sound.

As far as cost is concerned, I believe the nod goes to the over-the-ears. In-ears are smaller and therefore require more expensive parts and engineering costs go up. Typically, if you compare similarly priced in-ears and over-the-ears, the over-the-ears in the same range offer much better performance.

Aside from the heat issue, I also think over-the-ears win in the comfort department. Custom in-ears are a step in the right direction, though. Many wear them for very long periods of time without much fuss.

I could go on and on but hopefully that helps some.

 

[Trollheart]

Thx for that.
Seens there are more cons than pros against wearing the on-head variety. I take what you say about heat: some of my larger headphones have gotten quite warm, uncomfortable across the crown of the head (where the band digs in after a while) and also sweaty.
I guess in-ear or canal are the way to go.
Thx again
TH

 

[mminutel]

It's not necessarily true that there are more cons than pros. He just listed all of the cons he could possibly think of; however, you are at Head-fi so the majority of the people are going to say that the increased price to performance ratio of over-the-ear phones are going to outweigh the cons of them.

I like IEMs for the bus to school and back, but when I am just walking and such, I prefer over-the-ear. The only real advantage I have with IEMs is that it blocks out the chatter on the bus. If I rode a quiet bus, I would chose my K81DJs any day of the week.

 

[krc2]

on IEMS:

I found that in noisy environments they gave superb isolation, especially on the bus like mminutel mentioned
But I kept getting loud resonant thuds in my head when I walked around with them in.

Some IEMs can have sound quality and imaging that are on par with fullsize cans. Although you will not have the soundstage or feeling of an open air can, IEMs can still give you tons of accurate musical enjoyment.

 

[slattikarma]

Big difference in bass.

Only top range IEMs seem to be able to match fullsize cans in the low end department, and even so, seem unable to fully replicate the bass slam of fullsize cans.

 

[captian73]

IMHO, there's a lot more hit and miss with IEM's, there's too much movement, even if they ease out of your ear slightly, you can miss an awful lot.

IEM's do make a good job of isolation as a whole, but other than the size and weight factor, i prefer to use closed headphones like the HD25-1's for out door use.

 

[Ethelred]

I don't believe that what Cans have more cons than IEMs, it simply a matter of preference.

Cans are far more conspicuous than IEMs, in some cases rather uncomfortable, more difficult to drive off of particular DACs and will require the use of an amp to realise the full potential.

However, the same can be said about IEMs, some are incredibly uncomfortable and require much work to get the right fit/isolation. The sound quality is not on par with full size cans at the same price point (subjective and not always the case).

It really comes down to what you want. And preference.

Performance <> Looks

Comfort can be had in both cases it simply takes the right fit.

 

[Trollheart]

D'oh! So now I'm back in the land of indecision (where I have a nice little summer villa that I visit often...) --- open "cans" are looking more like a possibility than IEMs.
I have to say, from what I've read I'm unsure I'd like the "total silence" aspect of IEMs. As I've never experienced this before, it might be hard to get used to. I certainly wouldn't want to be hearing my footsteps, breathing etc (is this only when music isn't playing/between tracks? Surely you can't hear sounds like that when the music is playing?)
Fashion-wise (hah!) I couldn't care. I wouldn't go around with a huge set of stereo-style phones with big rubber pads like mickey mouse ears on my head, but I've no problem wearing a not-too-obtrusive set of "outer" phones. As long as I can hear well, and they'll stay on that's grand. It does bring up one more (small) problem though, in that outer phones have to be put away when you get to work, unlike inner phones, which can be wound up and stuffed into the pocket with your player. Once, I went off home without the phones, and had to use another set the next morning until I got back into the office.
I just want to get the best enjoyment from my music that I can. Comfort is an issue certainly, the look is generally not.
If I was to go for outer phones then, for about EUR 100, what suggestions would people have?
Thx
TH

 

[P.F. Jo]

Let me now give you a point-of-view of the IEM's cons against Headphones [which by the way splits to two categories, Full Size ( Circum Aural ) And On-Ear (Supra Aural), the latter being smaller of course, I will talk about circum aural for the matter]

Headphones usually has more sound stage and far more details than IEMs at the same price.

Usually, Headphones compared to IEMs at the same price point has more accurate sound in terms of bass, mids and highs. that is because of the ability to put bigger transducers and drivers.

Headphones are more durable in the right care [Obviously they don't stick in the pocket very well LOL], and easier to mod and fix in case of no warranty, pretty much everything is mod able in them depending on your knowledge.

Right now im pretty tired and can't recall more, but oh you've got a whole lot of more pros for the Head-phones over IEMs, eventually however it evens out and you need to make a choice depending on your preference, generaly speaking if a little leakage [for circum aural closed cans] and more visible headphones does not bother you, than I'd suggest you to go with headphones, because in sound quality for the price, headphones win over IEMs in 90% of the time.

-Jo

 

[RIDE]

...I say get one of each!

Probably not what you or your wallet wanted to hear, but that is where I am headed. I think that they all have their merrits and can be used best in particular environments.

For me, whenever I am going to be in a noisy, public are such as on a plane or public transit (BART out here in the S.F. Bay Area), I always go with IEMs. I love how they totally close me out from the world around me, and I can crank up the music to my heart's content without bothering those around me. Not to mention, they are much more discreet.

For home, I am going to pick up some HD650s for pure listening pleasure. If I want to crank it up and the sound leaks...so be it.

And for more quiet times, where I want some deeper sound, but don't want those around me to be bothered (such as the office), I would use a closed can.

So that is my take...FWIW

Good luck!

RIDE

 

[P.F. Jo]

Actually that is a good idea lol.. I'm kinda striving for that too.. but IEMs are [in my prespective] better only for sport related stuff like... running or bicycling , while for train trips or flights, or bus trips I rather have headphones, due to the higher quality I can achieve with my budget

.

-Jo

 

[LaBreaHead]

"for train trips or flights, or bus trips I rather have headphones"

Keep in mind, then, that open headphones would let in a lot of surrounding noise on various forms of transport. For "real" headphones on an airplane, for example, closed headphones would provide a degree of passive isolation that open headphones could not.

Then there's the issue of clamping -- on-ear headphones have to press firmly (some say diabolically after a while) against the ears to provide any isolation; while larger/less portable, around-the-ear closed headphones at least surround the ear to provide some passive isolation.

I won't even go into active noise-cancelling headphones ...

The biggest advantages of IEMs would be the extreme portability and the degree to which they passively isolate ... traits that come in handy on planes, trains, etc.