I have a pair of RE2's and while it's possible to get used to it while listening, I found the microphonic effect incredibly irritating in a quiet environment or between tracks.
The problem is that any movement of the cable near the ears, particularly against the casing or the neck, appears to be transmitted directly along the stiff plastic to the diaphragm - tapping anywhere above the Y-connector produces an equivalent sound to tapping hard on the casing, and any movement of the rest of the cable will have those wires moving against your neck/clothing incessantly. Put pressure on the cables so that they don't vibrate freely, and any vibration below that point no longer reaches your ears
Fortunately, I found a workaround that works for my ears. If you put them in normally (with the wire pointing downwards), and curl the wire around back behind your ears, then over and around to your source, microphonics are completely eliminated. The cable's connection to the earbud is immobilized, and that fixes things. There's not quite enough wire above the Y connector to make this stylish or 100% comfortable, but enough to make it workable hanging at about your shirt's neckline and occasionally in contact with your jaw/neck.
