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#1
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
I have the standard earpod set, which came with my
armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich |
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#2
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earbuds
RichD wrote:
I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? You have to get somebody with ears that suck, to wear the earbuds that suck..... You might try reading the reviews to find a set that is generally well liked, but otherwise, you just have to risk the hundred bucks and take a chance on quality vs. scam.... Good luck! |
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#3
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Aug 12, 9:18*pm, RichD wrote:
I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. *It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. *They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? *For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. *Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich http://www.etymotic.com/ Good product...stupid name. Biggest problem is losing them. Second biggest problem is ear wax. They have replaceable filters, just don't lose the kit you get when you buy them. Third biggest problem: they fit tight in your ear canal. There is always a potential to damage your ear due to the good fit. You can generate very high SPL levels. Just use common sense. Etymotic used to be really expensive, but I think the patent expired. Lots of clones now. I really wouldn't advise getting the top of the line. They are cheaper from 3rd party vendors than the factory website. |
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#4
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
"RichD" wrote in message ... I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. I suspect you are talking about "ear buds" which sit inside the pinnae, but do not have tips that insert into the ear canal. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. Those aren't ear buds, those are earphones, or more technically IEMs for in-ear-monitors. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? Shure offers about 5 different kinds, and the top of the line run close to $600. And, they are not alone. I suspect there are some really golden IEM's that run up to $1 large, and beyond. For something so small, how can there be such a range? For you today I have the usual answers: quality and hype. Is there really such quality difference? Yes and no. Surprisingly, IEMs are a bit like speakers in that in all honest truth, we don't know what quality *really* means. They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. It is worse than that - local stores as a rule don't even cary the really good ones. And, they are personal items like toothbrushes. After you stuck them into your ears I don't want to buy them. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. Yes and no. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? The standard tools include a measurement microphone (small diameter, omni, very flat and wide response) and an acoustical coupler. Here's an example, for headphones: http://www.bksv.com/products/transdu...lers/4157.aspx |
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#5
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On a sunny day (Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:18:58 -0700 (PDT)) it happened RichD
wrote in : I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich I bought some Sennheiser for maybe it was 10 Euro. The sound quailty is orders of magnitide better than the other crap. Also they do not fall out, to the point where they can rip the cable. The other never lasted longer than a few month, these I have had for more than a year. They are my reference when I do audio editing. |
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#6
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Aug 13, 12:18*am, RichD wrote:
I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. *It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. *They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? *For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. *Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. |
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#7
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 06:19:35 -0700 (PDT), Globemaker
wrote: On Aug 13, 12:18*am, RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. *It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. *They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? *For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. *Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. A doctor got it right. Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. d |
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#8
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
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#10
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 09:24:33 -0700, SuspendedInGaffa
wrote: On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:12:00 -0500, " wrote: On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:24:42 GMT, (Don Pearce) wrote: On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 06:19:35 -0700 (PDT), Globemaker wrote: On Aug 13, 12:18*am, RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. *It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. *They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? *For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. *Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. A doctor got it right. Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. "Never put anything into your ear, OTHER THAN your elbow." That said, I do wear ear buds (with over-the-ear hooks) and a MP3 player when I mow the lawn. Several million men and women in this nation alone, wear ear protection 'buds' every day, and I am quite sure millions more around the world. Several million men and women in this nation alone, drink or smoke cigarettes, every day, and I am quite sure (there are) millions more around the world. Just because it's done by "several million men and women" doesn't make it a smart thing to do. |
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#11
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
"Don Pearce" wrote in message ... Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. A doctor got it right. Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. And yet people with hearing aids wear them every day without a problem! I can't recall a doctor saying they should never be worn either. Of course it does help if you clean them occasionly, but I am willing to bet the people who use them everyday don't clean them everyday. And don't get ear infections every week either. Trevor. |
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#12
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 14:29:42 +1000, "Trevor" wrote:
"Don Pearce" wrote in message ... Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. A doctor got it right. Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. And yet people with hearing aids wear them every day without a problem! I can't recall a doctor saying they should never be worn either. Of course it does help if you clean them occasionly, but I am willing to bet the people who use them everyday don't clean them everyday. And don't get ear infections every week either. Trevor. I use my Etymotic buds frequently, and I wash the ear seals every time. I couldn't imagine doing otherwise. Infection is unlikely as I don't let other people use them, but it would give me the creeps to put them in dirty. The doctor was, of course, talking about Q-tips when he made his elbow remark. For a normal, healthy person the ears are self-cleaning and need no extra prodding, which is more likely to push the accumulated wax up against the ear drum than remove it. d |
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#13
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
"Don Pearce" wrote in message ... The doctor was, of course, talking about Q-tips when he made his elbow remark. A point that seems to have been lost in the retelling. For a normal, healthy person the ears are self-cleaning and need no extra prodding, which is more likely to push the accumulated wax up against the ear drum than remove it. Yeah, I could never see much point in Q-tips for the ears. They do have other uses IME. Trevor. |
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#14
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
Trevor wrote:
"Don Pearce" wrote in message ... Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. A doctor got it right. Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. And yet people with hearing aids wear them every day without a problem! I can't recall a doctor saying they should never be worn either. Of course it does help if you clean them occasionly, but I am willing to bet the people who use them everyday don't clean them everyday. And don't get ear infections every week either. Trevor. ....and there is no way to "clean them" with your elbow. You have to get that ear wax out with a q-tip or pickup key or something a lot smaller than an elbow....... Another problem with ear buds is they don't breathe, so they get hot.... They block out air circulation that allows the heat to disperse. this is why I prefer the small, non noise blocking earphones. But as has ben pointed out above, these don't block out noise. So, you need to find something that blocks out noise, but allows air to circulate inside the ear, and I don't know anything that can do both of these two things that's small enough to wear. |
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#15
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
"Bill Graham" wrote in message ... Another problem with ear buds is they don't breathe, so they get hot.... They block out air circulation that allows the heat to disperse. this is why I prefer the small, non noise blocking earphones. But as has ben pointed out above, these don't block out noise. So, you need to find something that blocks out noise, but allows air to circulate inside the ear, and I don't know anything that can do both of these two things that's small enough to wear. Many hearing aids don't allow the ear to breathe (BTE with ear moulds in particular), and yet people manage to wear them all day. While it may not be ideal, especially on hot days, I don't know of any medical risk, or surely they would not be sold by the million? Presumably it's a case of getting used to it. Trevor. |
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#16
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
"Trevor" wrote in message u... "Don Pearce" wrote in message ... Ear infections come standard, at a cost of intense pain. Never put anything in your ears. A doctor got it right. Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. And yet people with hearing aids wear them every day without a problem! That's because they use ordinary sanitary practices like keeping them and their ears rasonably clean. Let's face it, there is a well-known phobia that a tiny minority have about putting things like this in the ear. It's probably related to OCD. |
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#17
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
RichD wrote:
I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich Epoxy works well. Jamie |
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#18
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:33:05 -0400, Jamie
t wrote: RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich Epoxy works well. Jamie You would have to make an artificial ear canal and place the microphonic transducer at the 'eardrum'end of it, and the earbud transducer at the test point end. With that keeping each test on the same set-up, the results should all track, even if the numbers are off or 'uncalibrated'.to a specific measure. Until you calibrate it (the input to the mic), of course. That would be dealing with the position and angle of the mic transducer at the 'eardrum' end of the channel. |
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#19
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Browns coach Pat Shurmur revealed starting wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi has an injured bone in his left leg. Massaquoi, who wore Kevin Kolb Cardinals Jersey and showed up at training camp with a cast on his leg. He has not yet practiced and spent the workouts on an exercise bike and watching from the sideline. Shurmur did not divulge any details about Massaquoi’s injury until Monday, when he confirmed it was a bone problem. The Browns have not said how long they expect Massaquoi, who had 36 receptions as a rookie, to be out. You can log on our Online Kevin Kolb Cardinals Jersey and select our best quality Kevin Kolb Cardinals Jersey if you are true fans of Cleveland Browns.
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#20
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:18:58 -0700 (PDT), RichD
wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? Actually,Shure had a set for $500 at one time. What they are, from an engineering standpoint, is a closed cell audio environment, which wouldn't be much different than the engineering behind the old, "acoustic suspension" speaker systems, where your inner ear is the "speaker box" side. The transducers can blow out your eardrum if they are made (read engineered) incorrectly. They have to be limited, but the limitation cannot cause any dampening either. Of course, you can blow your own ears out by cranking some amp though them, but most headphone amps (battery operated) are limited. Any of the good speaker makers would probably be a good choice. Klipsch, Shure. I wouldn't pay for any hyped company like Monster or those rapper 'products'. They only prove that 'sucker born every minute' thing. Mine cost $12 (JVC), and they sound great! I am sure something 2 or 3 times that would certainly sound better, I just do not have the cash for something I do not use that often right now. |
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#21
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:18:58 -0700 (PDT), RichD
wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? They suck. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? For something so small, how can there be such a range? Is there really such quality difference? They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? Ya wanna be stylish or ya wanna be practical? http://oldheadphones.com/crystal/phones/phones.htm H.  |
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#22
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
RichD wrote:
I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? Kids these days... They suck. Yep. The cheap ones tend to sound bad, too. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? They have sets over $400. For something so small, how can there be such a range? It's a micro machined (or cast or molded) thing. It's a transducer. Is there really such quality difference? Yeah, there apparently is. They are, as you note, a total pig in a poke. I would tend to resort to brand name choice, mainly Shure, because Shure get used as in-ears by people who perform with them for a living. We're down to what amounts to folklore, since you can't try them on. They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich I am not Shure I'd estimate my ear canal geometry, usea model of that to connect them to a measurement mic or a standalone, Panasonic omni electret element, and run an impulse ( and maybe white noise and maybe swept sine tones ) through 'em. That's got to be fraught with error - my tympani is not much like the back of an electret element. What would be interesting ( and might even be worth $20 or so ) would be a subscription service where people do empirical reviews of these items. Problem is: how do you establish credibility? Do people even care? If I were considering such a purchase, and I could hedge 10:1 a purchase error, I'd probably do it. I don't see one, so I figure there's a good reason for the lack of them. -- Les Cargill |
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#23
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On 08/13/2011 07:44 PM, Les Cargill wrote:
RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? Kids these days... They suck. Yep. The cheap ones tend to sound bad, too. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? They have sets over $400. For something so small, how can there be such a range? It's a micro machined (or cast or molded) thing. It's a transducer. Is there really such quality difference? Yeah, there apparently is. They are, as you note, a total pig in a poke. I would tend to resort to brand name choice, mainly Shure, because Shure get used as in-ears by people who perform with them for a living. We're down to what amounts to folklore, since you can't try them on. They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich I am not Shure I'd estimate my ear canal geometry, usea model of that to connect them to a measurement mic or a standalone, Panasonic omni electret element, and run an impulse ( and maybe white noise and maybe swept sine tones ) through 'em. That's got to be fraught with error - my tympani is not much like the back of an electret element. What would be interesting ( and might even be worth $20 or so ) would be a subscription service where people do empirical reviews of these items. Problem is: how do you establish credibility? Do people even care? If I were considering such a purchase, and I could hedge 10:1 a purchase error, I'd probably do it. I don't see one, so I figure there's a good reason for the lack of them. -- Les Cargill One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 160 North State Road #203 Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net |
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#24
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
Phil Hobbs wrote:
On 08/13/2011 07:44 PM, Les Cargill wrote: RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? Kids these days... They suck. Yep. The cheap ones tend to sound bad, too. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? They have sets over $400. For something so small, how can there be such a range? It's a micro machined (or cast or molded) thing. It's a transducer. Is there really such quality difference? Yeah, there apparently is. They are, as you note, a total pig in a poke. I would tend to resort to brand name choice, mainly Shure, because Shure get used as in-ears by people who perform with them for a living. We're down to what amounts to folklore, since you can't try them on. They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich I am not Shure I'd estimate my ear canal geometry, usea model of that to connect them to a measurement mic or a standalone, Panasonic omni electret element, and run an impulse ( and maybe white noise and maybe swept sine tones ) through 'em. That's got to be fraught with error - my tympani is not much like the back of an electret element. What would be interesting ( and might even be worth $20 or so ) would be a subscription service where people do empirical reviews of these items. Problem is: how do you establish credibility? Do people even care? If I were considering such a purchase, and I could hedge 10:1 a purchase error, I'd probably do it. I don't see one, so I figure there's a good reason for the lack of them. -- Les Cargill One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. I never stick anything in my ear smaller than my elbow. There's obviously the Etymotic thingies, but they cost too much. A piece of surgical tubing seems close enough. It'd be like making measurements at the end of an organ pipe, so it all sounds eminently futile I've been using Koss PRO35A on-the-ears for more than ten years now. Good known quantity. And I don't want to play music loud enough to justify earplugs any more. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Les Cargill |
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#25
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On 08/13/2011 08:01 PM, Les Cargill wrote:
Phil Hobbs wrote: On 08/13/2011 07:44 PM, Les Cargill wrote: RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? Kids these days... They suck. Yep. The cheap ones tend to sound bad, too. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? They have sets over $400. For something so small, how can there be such a range? It's a micro machined (or cast or molded) thing. It's a transducer. Is there really such quality difference? Yeah, there apparently is. They are, as you note, a total pig in a poke. I would tend to resort to brand name choice, mainly Shure, because Shure get used as in-ears by people who perform with them for a living. We're down to what amounts to folklore, since you can't try them on. They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich I am not Shure I'd estimate my ear canal geometry, usea model of that to connect them to a measurement mic or a standalone, Panasonic omni electret element, and run an impulse ( and maybe white noise and maybe swept sine tones ) through 'em. That's got to be fraught with error - my tympani is not much like the back of an electret element. What would be interesting ( and might even be worth $20 or so ) would be a subscription service where people do empirical reviews of these items. Problem is: how do you establish credibility? Do people even care? If I were considering such a purchase, and I could hedge 10:1 a purchase error, I'd probably do it. I don't see one, so I figure there's a good reason for the lack of them. -- Les Cargill One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. I never stick anything in my ear smaller than my elbow. There's obviously the Etymotic thingies, but they cost too much. A piece of surgical tubing seems close enough. It'd be like making measurements at the end of an organ pipe, so it all sounds eminently futile I've been using Koss PRO35A on-the-ears for more than ten years now. Good known quantity. And I don't want to play music loud enough to justify earplugs any more. It isn't _my_ music that justifies the earplugs. Properly fitted earplug headphones are far safer than ordinary ear buds in noisy environments such as airplanes (I just got to gold frequent-flyer status, so I care about that. If business continues to be good, I may make platinum this year.) You have to crank up the volume so high to get any S/N ratio that you can easily damage your hearing. Give me the occasional case of diver's ear any day. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 160 North State Road #203 Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net |
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#26
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:23:10 -0400, the renowned Phil Hobbs
wrote: It isn't _my_ music that justifies the earplugs. Properly fitted earplug headphones are far safer than ordinary ear buds in noisy environments such as airplanes (I just got to gold frequent-flyer status, so I care about that. If business continues to be good, I may make platinum this year.) You have to crank up the volume so high to get any S/N ratio that you can easily damage your hearing. Give me the occasional case of diver's ear any day. Cheers Phil Hobbs Bose noise-cancelling headphones. Well worth the cost if you spend more than 20 hours a year in aircraft. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany -- "it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com |
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#27
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Aug 13, 4:47*pm, Phil Hobbs
wrote: On 08/13/2011 07:44 PM, Les Cargill wrote: RichD wrote: I have the standard earpod set, which came with my armband MP3 player. It pops out every 2 minutes. How did these things become the standard design? Kids these days... They suck. Yep. The cheap ones tend to sound bad, too. So now i'm looking for the earbud style, i.e. inside the ear. They range from $8 to $40, and Shure offers a set, over $100?!? They have sets over $400. For something so small, how can there be such a range? It's a micro machined (or cast or molded) thing. It's a transducer. Is there really such quality difference? Yeah, there apparently is. They are, as you note, a total pig in a poke. I would tend to resort to brand name choice, mainly Shure, because Shure get used as in-ears by people who perform with them for a living. We're down to what amounts to folklore, since you can't try them on. They are all sealed in blister packs, there's no chance to compare. Even if there were, differences in environment, time of day, etc. swamp perceptual discernment. How would you go about testing these things, in the lab? -- Rich I am not Shure I'd estimate my ear canal geometry, usea model of that to connect them to a measurement mic or a standalone, Panasonic omni electret element, and run an impulse ( and maybe white noise and maybe swept sine tones ) through 'em. That's got to be fraught with error - my tympani is not much like the back of an electret element. What would be interesting ( and might even be worth $20 or so ) would be a subscription service where people do empirical reviews of these items. Problem is: how do you establish credibility? Do people even care? If I were considering such a purchase, and I could hedge 10:1 a purchase error, I'd probably do it. I don't see one, so I figure there's a good reason for the lack of them. -- Les Cargill One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 160 North State Road #203 Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 845-480-2058 hobbs at electrooptical dot nethttp://electrooptical.net http://www.etymotic.com/customfit/index.html Etymotic will do custom fits too. I find their off the shelf stuff is fine, but note the noise isolation can be too good. I certainly don't recommend walking around the city with 40db of attenuation. They are great for air travel. |
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#28
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
Phil Hobbs wrote:
(...) One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. One would want to cast around a hollow plastic tube to vent air back into the canal in order to avoid an ER visit to remove the finished casting... --Winston |
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#29
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
Winston wrote:
Phil Hobbs wrote: (...) One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. One would want to cast around a hollow plastic tube to vent air back into the canal in order to avoid an ER visit to remove the finished casting... --Winston I wasn't suggesting pushing it all the way down to the eardrum, silly. Cheers Phil Hobbs |
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#30
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
Phil Hobbs wrote:
Winston wrote: Phil Hobbs wrote: (...) One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. One would want to cast around a hollow plastic tube to vent air back into the canal in order to avoid an ER visit to remove the finished casting... --Winston I wasn't suggesting pushing it all the way down to the eardrum, silly. I didn't figure you were. Casting a piston to the inside of the ear canal and then removing it is gonna cause a significant vacuum. Sounds painful, at least. At worst, a burst eardrum and inner ear infection? Ewww! --Silly Winston |
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#31
Posted to sci.electronics.design,rec.audio.tech,alt.audio.equipment
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earbuds
On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:37:36 -0400, Phil Hobbs
wrote: Winston wrote: Phil Hobbs wrote: (...) One approach would be to make a casting of the outer part of your ear canal with something like ShapeLok. I've been meaning to try that myself. One would want to cast around a hollow plastic tube to vent air back into the canal in order to avoid an ER visit to remove the finished casting... --Winston I wasn't suggesting pushing it all the way down to the eardrum, silly. Cheers Phil Hobbs Doesn't matter. A half a gram of media is enough to rip your eardrum if you are pulling a vacuum on it as you draw out the casting. Even if it only goes half way in. Good call, Winston. |
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