[iluvvgwar]

ive been trying for quite some time now. and still these rubber tips feel so strange. the foamies are mad easy to use correctly in comparison. and i can use them much longer without feeling like my brain is caving in.

fellow etymotic er4 users, when you attemp your seal, any tips/methods on aquiring a good one? as soon as it seals, is that considered good? or do you try to get it as far as possible before your ears start to hurt?

(well actually this question is kind of useless for me, because id prefer not to go any further than the as soon as seal. but it seems like it is possible to get a better seal than that. )

id like to be comfortable with the rubbers, just because its cheaper. but i dont think its working. i can only use them in 20-30 minute sessions(rubbers).

and these rubbers seem to be painfully bright. i dont have much to compare these type of things on yet, and its also possible it could be my source(terratec dmx 24/92).

few other things ive noticed about headphoens that go far in your ears:

gah i can hear my heartbeat during silence!
and i cant tell how loud im talking since its way louder when them ear canals are blocked off
or anthing else that uses your throat (eating drinking), gross.
most know about the microphone touching the cord problem, yea that sucks also.
edit: this could be just a me problem, but my jaw tenses up from etys.

er4p-s violate my ear hole. good thing they sound so damn nice.



head-fi, suck it.
my wallet hurts now.

 

[gpalmer]

I actually find I get the best seal when the Etys aren't very deep in my ear. There is a point where they first seal, that at first felt like they would fall out that actually turns out best for me. I have no idea if this is normal...

 

[maler23]

welcome to head-fi, sorry about your bleeding ear drums..

I don't own the ety's mostly due to research on this forum and my own experiences with ear plugs. So take any of my comments with a grain of salt.

I've heard that moistening the tips slightly for the rubbers helps to create a seal.

<begin obvious mom soapbox talk>But I don't think you should ever have to push them in until they hurt. You're just asking for an ear infection or possible damage to your ear canal.</end>

It may just be that the ety's aren't the ear-speakers for you. I suppose there's always custom ear molds, though I hear those run upwards of $100 or so..

I have the same problem with jaw tension whenever I stick plugs into my ears. I'm not sure what that is.

 

[lindrone]

Sometimes with the isolation earphones, it's better to achieve a seal right outside of the canal rather than "in" the canal.. for some people that's less problematic... All depends on the shape of your ears.

The foam will always be easier to use, because they form into whatever your ear shape is... unfortunately they have to be replaced much more often..

The microphonics... Ety's always had that problem.. Shures do not... That's one major reason I picked Shure's earphone over Ety's, but within' the budget Ety has better headphones. (I've got a Shure E5c... blows all other isolation headphones away.. when it's paired up with the right source. However, it's also $500!!.. Grr!!)

You might want to consider getting custom molding as well... there's several threads on custom moldings for the Ety's... just search for it.

 

[gpalmer]

This has been covered in great depth in a number of other threads, but you have to experiment to find out what works. For instance, for me the mositening actually let's the Etys slide too far into my ear and I wind up with hurting ears, although it works for a lot of other people. What I did was try a bunch of positions and experiments until I acheived the best isolation. I would test with a constant volume sound and see how well I could hear it. This also corresponds to the best seal, at least in my case, and therefore the best performance for me. I would definitely NOT push them into your ears till they hurt though.

 

[bangraman]

Talking about tips, this is what I'll be experimenting with for a while.

Koss "The Plug" earpiece glued to the tube part from an E5 foam tip. My supposition is that being squidgier the Koss tips are more comfortable. I'll post results if I think it's worth it.



Edited: 1.5 hours of listening later, this could be it. Outstanding imaging, highs and lows. Excellent comfort. Ill keep you posted.

 

[Fastjack]

Yeah, Ety-tips really are a problem.

I don't have any trouble getting a seal with the rubber-tips but they sound better and sit more safely when I push them in a little deeper. Problem is that equalizing the pressure is diffcult and never seems to stay equalized for long. So I always have the feeling of a light pressure or vacuum and I'm constantly fumble around to get it right. That sucks.

The foam tips on the other hand work fine regarding the pressure but the foam is no good (IMHO). After a few days use the foam doesn't expand a it's supposed to and so I sometimes can't get a seal. Additionally the foam is so rough and coarse that it bruises my skin after some time.

I'll try making tips from earplugs made of softer foam. Maybe that helps.

Another thing Etymotics might want to build into either the phones or the rubber tips is a way to equalize the pressure. Would be a great help for me.

 

[Vitalstatistix]

Try pulling your ears up (use left hand for right ear and vice versa) and twist the tip in. Moisture on the tips helps as well.

 

[bangraman]

I think the ear tweak is quickly mastered

Nothing's perfect, is it? I'm digging the Koss tips very much indeed. Much better and less pressure than the expanding E5 foam tips, and no occlusion of the sound. The difference is quite incredible. You do give up some isolation though. I did say nothing is perfect... And these practically start to self-destruct as soon as you touch them.

 

[williamgoody]

Is there a place to buy just the tips for the Koss plugs?

 

[bangraman]

Precisely what I'm wondering. Perhaps you could be good enough to drop Koss a mail?

 

[taoster]

Quote:

Originally posted by iluvvgwar ive been trying for quite some time now. and still these rubber tips feel so strange. the foamies are mad easy to use correctly in comparison.

Ive never been comfortable with the foamies.. they itch my ears and put too much pressure. I much prefer the rubber. Guess everyone have different ears and lucky for me, the rubber is the better fit

Quote:

fellow etymotic er4 users, when you attemp your seal, any tips/methods on aquiring a good one? as soon as it seals, is that considered good? or do you try to get it as far as possible before your ears start to hurt?

best seal is definitely NOT as far as possible. A good seal feels like a good seal hehe. The ear is closed off by the phone and makes a tight but comfortable seal. A little moisture helps but it's not really neccessary once you get used to it.

Quote:

and these rubbers seem to be painfully bright. i dont have much to compare these type of things on yet, and its also possible it could be my source(terratec dmx 24/92).

etys are so transparent it just might be your source that are painfully bright!


Quote:

gah i can hear my heartbeat during silence! and i cant tell how loud im talking since its way louder when them ear canals are blocked off or anthing else that uses your throat (eating drinking), gross. most know about the microphone touching the cord problem, yea that sucks also. edit: this could be just a me problem, but my jaw tenses up from etys.

All those are true and never goes away. I like to think I learnt how to keep totally still and slow my heart down but I think I just got use to it with time. They dont bother me any longer.

pls use the ety smile

 

[iluvvgwar]

Quote:

All those are true and never goes away. I like to think I learnt how to keep totally still and slow my heart down but I think I just got use to it with time. They dont bother me any longer.

haha yea. im still getting used to these suckers. breathing and heartbeat dont really bother me when the music is playing though.


i remember reading up on cellphone clips and clipping them to your shirt to get rid of the microphone noise. something i may look into.

i still prefer hd600s over the etys (hense the 600smile), mainly because i can wear them all day with no troubles.


but thnx for hte info, all. i think ive made some improvements today with the rubbers.

 

[Mr.PD]

For me the foam tips are the only ones that work. I can't get the white ones to seal, because they have to go so deep that I get a gag reflex, and even then they will fall out after a while. I don't like the expense of the foam, but I have no choice.
I have never worn my Ety's for more than 8 hours, I usually wear them about 4 to 6 hours at a time.

I have never heard my heart beat with them, but breathing hard is annoying. Eating crunchy food, okay any food, is a sure way to ruin a listening session.

For the cord noise problem I run the cord over my ears and between my glasses temples and my head. This holds the cord in place very well and stops all the noise making vibrations.

As a side note, I think the cord noise is due more to the construction and shape of the ear phone itself than the material used in the cord.