November 25, 2005
View Comments | Post CommentMy Freak Ears And Their Final Appeasement
I'm proudly not an owner of an iPod. Sure they're cute and all, but I don't really have a use for them. When I'm walking somewhere, I like to hear what's going on around me, and I like chatting up random strangers. I don't work out (I play a few sports, but don't do anything where interaction isn't required), and I don't drive enough to justify the purchase, or even putting it on some fanciful wishlist.
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Despite not owning an iPod, I have on many occasions used the standard, white iPod ear bud headphones. I was, until yesterday, using Ryan's spare iPod ear buds for use with my laptop. Unfortunately, iPod headphones and I are not compatible. Something about the shape of my ears make it so that the iPod ear buds not only refuse to stay in there, but make my ears ache after about fifteen minutes of use. Now, maybe I have freak ears or something, but if so, then I'm sure a large number of other people have similarly freaky ears.
Continually displeased with ear buds, but desirous of their convenient size, I set out looking for other options. I considered some really nice but expensive options (Ultimate Ears Custom Headphone Plugs, $550; Super-Fi 5 Pro, $250; Shure In-Ear Headphones, $180; Sony Fontopia Series, $50; Apple In-Ear Headphones, $40), and even sought some of them out in stores to try on. But anything under $50 just didn't pass muster, so I soon decided that I wasn't willing to pay what it would take to make my ears comfortable. Until yesterday when I discovered Radioshack product number 2102547.
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I was in Radioshack and saw some Radioshack branded in-ear headphones with foam rubber padding around the in-ear part, and a shape completely different from other headphones I'd seen. They were $20, and Radioshack had a nice return policy, so I bought them. Now I've used them for a day or so, and wow! All my problems solved (well, my ear bud problems, anyway).
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I highly recommend these things if you are displeased with the comfort of ear buds, or if ear buds don't stay in your ears. The headphones come with a bunch of replacement foam rubber pads, though it doesn't seem like they'll really be needed. These headphones have no trouble staying in my ears, feel perfectly comfortable for hours at a time, and have the added benefit of acting pretty much like earplugs and blocking outside sound. Not only that, but the sound is great too. The lows and highs are powerful and full.
So, I strongly recommend these. And I can't believe that I'm the only person I know who has this problem with standard ear buds, so I posted this to help out my faithful and strange-eared readers.
Posted at November 25, 2005 5:14 AM | Comments (5)
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I've used headphones that looked like that, and I bet the Radio Shack ones are just rebranded versions of the ones I had (made by Koss). They're surprisingly good for the price. My only complaint was that the cone-shaped foam slowly pushed them out of my ears, so I had to continually push them back in.
I'm now using the Sony Fontopias and absolutely love them. My only complaint: they block out too much noise, so when I'm walking I use the ones that came with my iPod. The Fontopias are simply great for working on campus or in the library, though.
Posted by: Jay Goodman Tamboli at November 25, 2005 8:48 AM
Yes, these do block out a bunch of noise. Since I don't use mine for walking around and iPodding, I can't really comment, but that might be annoying. For my purposes (library, airplanes, etc.), they're perfect.
Koss and Radioshack may have bought the same OEM phones and branded them. Either way, the foam does not have this effect for me. They stay perfectly in place for me. Are you inserting them correctly? There's a particular way you're supposed to do it (I don't. They just fit me. But for many other people, this process is required).
Posted by: David Barzelay at November 25, 2005 1:37 PM
thank you, david barzelay. this genuinely helps me, as i have trouble cramming my ipod earbuds in my freaky little mouse ears.
Posted by: meredith at November 27, 2005 11:11 PM
I just bought these earphones online, so they had better work, Barzelay! :) I have had the same problem with my ears--I think my ear holes are too small, because earbuds always fall out; and since they don't go all the way in, i crank the volume up really loud (like all the way up) and everyone thinks I'm deaf. So I had resorted to regular ear phones (yes, embarrassing, I know)--but now you may be my earbud savior--I'll let you know how they work. I am cheap so they should be arriving in 5-8 business days...
Posted by: Talya at November 29, 2005 10:44 PM
Thank you so much, I have the same problem with the stupid iPod earbuds and other similar ear buds. A friend of mine has extremely similar, if not the same radioshack ones you mention, but they were a gift so she didn't know where they came from. Definitely going to give them a shot; maybe now I can finally ditch my lame headphones!
Posted by: Liz at May 27, 2008 9:52 PM
