Best Durable Earbuds

[screensaver400]

I know I can get high end buds like the Etymotic or Shure products, but I got burned with some E2Cs that fell apart twice. What I'm looking for are some relatively inexpensive earbuds that sound at least as good as the standard iPod buds, but are much more durable. I want to feel alright shoving them in my pocket for the day. Any suggestions?

[Ryan]

What's wrong with the standard iPod earbuds for your situation?

[PB PM]

The standard iPod earbuds aren't durable enough, they start to fall apart if you put them in your pocket enough.

[Ryan]

The standard iPod earbuds aren't durable enough, they start to fall apart if you put them in your pocket enough.Really? I did that for months, back when I used to carry my iPod to school every day. They lasted just fine. Have they started shipping a different pair of earbuds since the 3G?

[chucker]

Really? I did that for months, back when I used to carry my iPod to school every day.

Ditto.

Have they started shipping a different pair of earbuds since the 3G?

Yes, actually, since last fall (i.e., since the 5.5G/2G nano). But even with those, I don't have the issue.

[BlueRabbit]

The standard iPod earbuds have been pretty durable for me, too. I carry mine in my pocket all the time (the same one as my keys, in fact), and they're still working fine.

[screensaver400]

I have the newest version of iPod earbuds. They're about 6 months old, and all the rubber stuff on the part that goes in the ear is falling off. On both buds, as well. Who knows, maybe my earwax is just really corrosive.

[lightning_bug]

If you're just looking for some earbuds that have similar sound to the ones supplied by Apple, I've found that these ones (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MX400-MX-400-In-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00004Z0BN/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/104-0625302-4095937?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190000943&sr=8-3) actually work quite well. I bought my pair for about $5 before shipping, and the case broke before the earbuds did (in fact, the earbuds still work just fine for what they are).

I've had good experiences with the lower-end Sony earbuds as well, at least until I've abused the wires to the point of breaking...buying a pair with a pocket wind-up case should prevent that for a little bit anyway.

[Windowsrookie]

I use Sennheiser MX 90 buds, but my Aunt is still using the original ones that came with her 1st gen iPod mini.

[Yontsey]

I have these (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-EX51LP-Fontopia-Headphones-White/dp/B000779RZU/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8330969-7839318?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190001321&sr=8-1) and I love them.

[torifile]

Didn't Shure's warranty cover your e2c's?

[screensaver400]

Didn't Shure's warranty cover your e2c's?

Yes, once. Sent me a whole new retail box, and all I had returned was the buds themselves. However, if I remember correctly, there was some caveat that the replacements were only covered for the duration of the original warranty, or up to 90 days from after the replacement. The replacement buds had the same issue, but by that point they were out of warranty.

EDIT: OT, but I see your sig has changed. Did Bagles pay you?

[torifile]

No but the countless posts he spent agonizing over it was payment enough. :devil:

[Dorian Gray]

The Shure E2c earphones are really poor value-for-money in my opinion. In terms of sound quality they can't compare with the humble Sony MDR-EX71's for example, yet they cost more. Bass response is non-existent, which Shure try to market as "accurate" (which is utter bollocks: even my bookshelf speakers have much better bass response than the E2c's, which shows the silliness of their claim of accuracy). Build quality of the E2c's is also poor. They do offer fairly good sound isolation.

The stock iPod earphones are more robust than any earphones that sound good, so if you manage to break those I think your only option is to go back to a boombox on your shoulder. :D I'm surprised you're considering going back to iPod earphones or similar after trying in-ears, but I guess that just reinforces my point that E2c's are crap compared to better in-ear 'phones.

My experience with stock iPod earphones is that they sound atrocious to the point of destroying my listening pleasure completely. The frequency response curve must resemble Mount Everest, they are harsh and grotesquely distorted, and because they don't reduce outside noise you have to crank the volume to an uncomfortable level (which irreversibly damages your hearing (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6982184.stm) and annoys everyone around you). In-ear 'phones were a revelation for my iPod use and I wouldn't use an iPod at all if I had to go back to the Apple earphones. I remember hearing the drivers over-extend and slap against the cages with alarming regularity when listening to bass-heavy music, yet no air was being moved! At the time I thought it was my particular sample, but I've tried other people's iPod earphones since and they're all the same.

Another pair of overpriced 'phones are the Etymotic ER6i's. Same problem: no bass response whatsoever, sold with "accuracy" snake-oil. They have phenomenal sound isolation (to the point of being downright dangerous in public, in my opinion), but anything that drops the relative response of the sub-100 Hz frequencies by 10 dB is useless to me.

At the sane end of the price spectrum you really can't beat the Sony models. The MDR-EX71's are my choice because they are so comfortable (I sleep with them in sometimes, and can wear them literally all day with comfort), sound so good, and cost so little. They are not perfect of course, and some of that great bass response gets a little flabby and ragged at the extremes, but they are vastly superior to in-car woofers for example, which plenty of people find bearable (I don't). They're also so efficient (2 notches of PowerBook volume equates to 8 notches with the stock iPod 'phones) that choosing the volume you want is problematic due to the ubiquitous crap digital volume controls which have very coarse adjustment at low levels. And if you listen at really low volumes many devices have a poor signal to noise ratio.

Some people manage to destroy the cables but I've had mine in near-daily use for three years with nary a problem. I suspect you'd have to massively kink the cables, repeatedly, to break 'em. Which, now that I think about it, I do see people doing all the time on public transport. :rolleyes: Yeah, basically, putting headphones in your pocket shouldn't be a big problem (I do it sometimes), but make sure the cables aren't kinked. It amazes me how bad people are with cable management. From headphones to notebook power adaptor plugs, to phone chargers: I come across all of these with unbelievable kinks and even knots in the cables, with their owners mystified as to why the cable/plug might stop working. Strange.

[Taskiss]

Yeah, basically, putting headphones in your pocket shouldn't be a big problem (I do it sometimes), but make sure the cables aren't kinked. It amazes me how bad people are with cable management. From headphones to notebook power adaptor plugs, to phone chargers: I come across all of these with unbelievable kinks and even knots in the cables, with their owners mystified as to why the cable/plug might stop working. Strange.I have a small fabric bag that came with my Logitech VX Nano mouse that I put my earphones and my bluetooth headset in so they won't get twisted around and scratched by my car keys. The Moshi nanoPouch looks like it would be good for this use, too.

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ipod/review/moshi-nanopouch-ipod/

[ghoti]

The Shure E2c earphones are really poor value-for-money in my opinion. In terms of sound quality they can't compare with the humble Sony MDR-EX71's for example, yet they cost more. Bass response is non-existent, which Shure try to market as "accurate" (which is utter bollocks: even my bookshelf speakers have much better bass response than the E2c's, which shows the silliness of their claim of accuracy).
That doesn't make sense, you're not arguing against the e2c's accuracy, but for the (inaccurate? overblown?) bass response of your bookshelf. ;) Those Sonys are really cheap, how good is the sound isolation? Apple's in-ear headphones are quite decent too, but the e2c are much better imho, and the Apple in-ears also won't stay in my ears.

[screensaver400]

Has anyone used the ER-4P? I've heard only great things about them, but I'm more interested in the durability.

Perhaps if I go for rather high-end buds, I'll treat them better. :-P

[Dorian Gray]

Taskiss, the Sony 'phones come with a little pouch (http://www.mdcenter.nl/artikelen/ex71_vs_e2c/sony_accessoires.jpg) too. I don't use it much because the asymmetric cable arrangement allows the earphones to fall around your neck while not in use, which to me is more convenient than putting them away every time.

Ghoti, my bookshelfs roll off dramatically at very low frequencies (below about 50 Hz), so anything that rolls off less is more accurate (by which I just mean a flatter response curve). The E2c's actually roll off even more, so they're not close to accurate at very low frequencies. They may well be more accurate than the MDR-EX71SL's at mid and high frequencies, but that advantage (if it exists at all, though I suspect it does) cannot compensate for the lack of bass. There may be all kinds of interesting stuff going on in the bass of the music, but you won't hear it with the E2c's. Admittedly my bookshelfs probably boom more than the E2c's at low frequencies, but not objectionably so to my ear. The MDR-EX71SL's also boom a little, as I mentioned (most people wouldn't notice though), but they have a far superior reproduction to the E2c's anaemic sound.

Frankly, I think this is a case of Sony's R&D discovering how to deliver solid bass from 9 mm drivers in sub-$100 earphones, so all the little garage-based audiophile outfits have been forced to market their products in a way to counteract Sony's huge advantage in this area.

how good is the sound isolation?
Very good when you get the fit right: much better than any active noise cancelling headphones I've tried. You can make out normal speech if you turn your music off, but not very well. They're superb at blocking out the noise of public transport.

Apple's in-ear headphones are quite decent too, but the e2c are much better imho, and the Apple in-ears also won't stay in my ears.
These ones (http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=93FE2D8B&nplm=M9394)? I also had problems getting those to fit. They didn't sound as good as the MDR-EX71SL's either, even when held in place.

I suppose I just see the Sony MDR-EX71SL's as a good balance between full-range reproduction and accuracy, at the kind of price I'm comfortable with for daily use. That said, my next earphones will probably be the MDR-EX90LP model (http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowArticle.action?section=ODW+SS+en_GB+Products&articlesection=1&article=1150907420890&productcategory=%2FAccessories%2FACC+Headphones%2F HED+Outdoor%2FHDO+Performance+In-ear&productmodel=%2FAccessories%2FACC+Headphones%2FHED +Outdoor%2FHDO+Performance+In-ear%2FMDR-EX90LP&productsku=MDREX90LP.CE7&site=odw_en_GB). I've been genuinely impressed with Sony headphones, both high-end closed and in-ear models: they punch well above their weight.

[Anonymous Coward]

If anyone really likes the Shure E2C, they happen to be Amazon's "Gold Box" special for today.

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-E2c-Sound-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B0000CE1UO/ref=xs_gb_20_center-2_rw_uk_16006/104-5855168-1662315?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_r=0E2VEA3MP82QC2XGWNKW&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_p=305207801&pf_rd_i=20

I know this reply is formatted just like a "spam" message, but I have nothing else to say.

[screensaver400]

Do you think the E2Cs are worth $40? I paid $90 when I first bought them.

[Kickaha]

The Shure E2c earphones are really poor value-for-money in my opinion.

Agreed. I tried out the E[2-4]cs, and the 3 ended up being the sweet spot for me. *Much* better sound than the 2, nearly as good as the 4s, but at a lot less cost. I probably could have done better if I had shopped around more, but I love these things.

I have hearing damage from cranking up the stock earbuds in an effort to drown out external noise, so going for the canalphones was a necessity. :P As an added bonus, the battery life is greatly extended when you only have to put the volume to 20%. :)

[screensaver400]

Agreed. I tried out the E[2-4]cs, and the 3 ended up being the sweet spot for me. *Much* better sound than the 2, nearly as good as the 4s, but at a lot less cost. I probably could have done better if I had shopped around more, but I love these things.

I have hearing damage from cranking up the stock earbuds in an effort to drown out external noise, so going for the canalphones was a necessity. :P As an added bonus, the battery life is greatly extended when you only have to put the volume to 20%. :)

So are E2Cs worth $40?

[ghoti]

Yes! They're also worth $100, IMHO.

[screensaver400]

Yes!

Thanks! :lol:

[Dorian Gray]

Well, at $40 they're a bargain of course, my reservations about bass notwithstanding. They sound nothing like the stock Apple earbuds, which cost fully $29 at the Apple Store, they protect your hearing, they are more comfortable, and they're much easier to drive.

Kickaha, I haven't tried the E3c's. They're too pricey for my kind of income (income?!) at the moment. They use a totally different technology to the E2c's so I can imagine they might sound very different.

BTW, can someone clear up whether I should be using apostrophes for plural product names? :p I know Brad would be aghast at the notion, but it seems messy to just stick an "s" on the end of "E2c".

[screensaver400]

BTW, can someone clear up whether I should be using apostrophes for plural product names? :p I know Brad would be aghast at the notion, but it seems messy to just stick an "s" on the end of "E2c".

I think, indeed, it ought to be E2cs, which is very odd. That's why I tend to make it E2Cs, even though the C should be lowercase.

In any case, though, I really can't decide. Now I'm back to my "lets get some high end buds" mood. I'm thinking... If I'm going to spend $40 on some mediocre buds that are a good value, maybe I should just put that toward some $180 buds that are supposed to be amazing (ER-4P).

[Kickaha]

So are E2Cs worth $40?

Dunno - depends on how well you like them. :) Hate to punt like that, but I think these things are highly subjective. You like what you like, and if the price is low... great! OTOH, if you can't stand them, then no price is too low.

[Kickaha]

Well, at $40 they're a bargain of course, my reservations about bass notwithstanding. They sound nothing like the stock Apple earbuds, which cost fully $29 at the Apple Store, they protect your hearing, they are more comfortable, and they're much easier to drive.

The protecting the hearing is important - ask me. :p (I have a perpetual ringing in my left ear.)

Kickaha, I haven't tried the E3c's. They're too pricey for my kind of income (income?!) at the moment. They use a totally different technology to the E2c's so I can imagine they might sound very different.

They do. I was going to get a pair of the E2cs, and decided not to once I heard them. The E3cs have much better bass, and are just... crisper.

BTW, can someone clear up whether I should be using apostrophes for plural product names? :p I know Brad would be aghast at the notion, but it seems messy to just stick an "s" on the end of "E2c".

No apostrophe is correct, according to what I was taught. :)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_apost.html

[Anonymous Coward]

BTW, can someone clear up whether I should be using apostrophes for plural product names? :p I know Brad would be aghast at the notion, but it seems messy to just stick an "s" on the end of "E2c".

I would not claim to be the authority on this, but I believe that different rules have been proposed by different style manuals.

For example, I was taught that a list of items in a sentence always had a comma separator, even before the "and", except if there were only two items in the list. However, some style manuals, supported by printers, proposed that no comma was necessary before the "and" in order to save ink. I suppose that it might be true (this is pure speculation) that a lobby of printer and ink manufacturers could convince someone to write a style manual which proposed the opposite.

I would suggest that there is no hard and fast rule, and that no apostrophe is more correct for general purposes, except when it would serve to clarify or avoid confusion, such as to identify, if not readily apparent from context, whether e2cs was the plural of e2c or a separate model. As mentioned previously, if there are other ways to do this, such as capitalization, "E2Cs", I personally would not use the apostrophe.

[PB PM]

I have the newest version of iPod earbuds. They're about 6 months old, and all the rubber stuff on the part that goes in the ear is falling off. On both buds, as well. Who knows, maybe my earwax is just really corrosive.

I don't think that is it. Both pairs that I have had (G2 Nano, and 30Gig iPod) are doing the same thing. My 1st Gen Shuffles (old style earbuds) didn't do that.

[screensaver400]

So I decided on the ER-4Ps. Since they're expensive, I know I'm going to treat them like a divine gift. Plus they come with that spiffy foam case.

[Eugene]

So you went from looking for inexpensive, durable headphones to buying the least durable, most expensive ones? Why the 180?

[Reid]

If anyone really likes the Shure E2C, they happen to be Amazon's "Gold Box" special for today.

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-E2c-Sound-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B0000CE1UO/ref=xs_gb_20_center-2_rw_uk_16006/104-5855168-1662315?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_r=0E2VEA3MP82QC2XGWNKW&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_p=305207801&pf_rd_i=20

I know this reply is formatted just like a "spam" message, but I have nothing else to say.

Hey, thanks for the great tip! I've been waiting for a good deal on these or the ER6i's, and this was too good to pass up. Now, of course, I've got to spend 25% of the price of the earphones just for one of those damn iPhone socket adapters. That has got to be one of the most annoying and pointless design decisions Apple has ever made.

[screensaver400]

So you went from looking for inexpensive, durable headphones to buying the least durable, most expensive ones? Why the 180?

Well... I got to thinking. I treat headphones like crap because I know they are crap. They're cheap. So if I buy some nice ones, I'll treat them better, and receive a better quality earbud. Plus, I've heard that the ER-4P are more durable than the ER-6, which seem rather durable.