earbuds

8.28: web.gear/in-canal earbuds:

. a critic of Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds (Black)

was told to goto www.headphonereviews.org;

but he was already everywhere I was at:

(needs micro sizing, and both hi-fi, noise-drowning):

"(

. at $450, my beloved Shure e500 'phones

are not exactly a good candidate for working out in the gym, or sleeping

(I use an iPod to block ambient noise with rain).

. I settled on the Sennheisers, because their low profile

makes them comfortable for sleeping,

and they provide a reasonable (about 10-15db) noise blocking.

) . cord is short -- good for {neckwear, armwear} .

. the Shure e500's also have a mic button

to allow listening without having to remove buds .

. I'm hoping some active noise-canceling buds will give me some sounds;

[8.29: but that was because it does at wind howl,

but that's only because wind is a noise pattern,

whereas it will not try to activate on a voice

because it has no regular rhythm;

I can instead plug into the recorder . ]

. they sell cd's of rain, and there is free rain sounds on the web:

. after seeing how good Shure' high end could be,

spent a lot of time looking at their mid-priced wares;

only their high end has separate {woofer, midrange} drivers;

but they are also known for excellent fit:

"(

$70 E2C's fit perfectly and comfortably in my ears

using one of the 3 sizes of Flex sleeves they offer, ...

$75 SE110's have a slightly different shape,

and cannot get a comparable fit .

) .

. perhaps for great fit get the same sleeves as for the e500 or e2c:

eg Replacement Sleeves EABKF1-10s (Small)

are fitting E3C*, E4C*, E5C*, E500PTH*, 13C* and 14C* .

. another bud for hi-fi: Klipsch Image S4 earphones

"(

Straight up: these in-ear headphones shocked me

with their superb sound quality, especially given the $80 price tag.

Sure, they're not precisely "cheap" compared to some models that are available,

but they do fall in the sub-$100 range

and they offer audio on par with sets that cost three times as much.

Truly, if you are looking for a new set of ultraportable headphones,

the Image S4 should be a top choice.

Price:$79.99 - $79.99 (check prices)

) .

. here are ones with the dreaded prong design:

trying to pull these out will bust your eardrums!:

AO Safety Blockade Isolation Earbud-Style Earphones (NRR 24)

Ultimate Ears website I found these foam eartips from Comply Foam

but foam breaks down while silicone lasts forever .

-->

Comply NR-10i was engineered to maximize noise reduction,

obtaining a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 29db!

The included Complyª Foam Tips P-Series

were engineered to take the shape of an ear canal

by gently expanding and remaining in place.

Complyª Foam Tips are made of high-tech, viscoelastic polyurethane foam

developed for the ever-changing ear environment.

aq.gear/earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/Radians One-Step Custom Molded Earplugs:

. here is just what I was wishing for

to make all those other buds fit just right

by adding a custom fit rubbery surrounding

that exactly fits the outer ears:

aq.gear/earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/Radians One-Step Custom Molded Earplugs

. Radians One-Step Custom Molded Earplugs (NRR 26)

web.gear/earbuds with active noise-cancelling:

$38 Philips SHN7500-27 Noise Canceling Headphone

$60 Sony Mdrnc22/Blk Noise Canceling Headphone (Black)

$60 Audio-Technica ATH ANC3BK NoiseCancel Earphone BK!

"(

when used with the computer,

they make an awful constant buzz/crackling noise

(with the noise-cancelling mode on, off and even without battery).

AT technical support informed me that it is a common problem with

high sensitivity (low impedance) headphones.

. the active noise cancellation is not as good as the Bose,

and the audio quality is not as good as "vanilla" IEMs such as Shure E2Cs.

But I find myself opting to carry the ATH-ANC3

more often than the other options when I go on a long flight.

Until a better option comes along,

I'll be using these as my dedicated in-flight earphones.

) .

web.gear/audio acc's:

. find other things at amazon I need to make shipping worth it

(bike parts, tools, acc's ) .

. audio acc's to get include items to make the cord modular,

so that when the added cord wears out,

I can just plug in a new one .

. that means wrapping the unit's cord in a bag,

and then sealing that bag around the ext.cord .

. one item is a 3-way that let's 2 jacks into one socket

{2sockets, 1 jack}

[8.29: eg,

. with a double-jack cord it becomes

{ socket -> bud

, socket-> jack-ext.cord-jack-socket-recorder

, jack-> socket-ext.cord-jack-radio

} . I dont have the other parts,

and don't know if it works plugging 2 sources into 1 outlet .

12.21:

every combination of inputs and outputs works! ] .

8.28: aq.gear/amazon.com/noise cancel buds with cord and volume

. "Sony Mdrnc22/Blk Noise Canceling Headphone (Black)"/59.99

"Belkin F8V234-WHT-APL Headphone Splitter"/4.42

Sennheiser HZR-62 Stereo Volume Control"/25ft Cable" /31.99 .

8.28: Radians One-Step Custom Molded Earplugs (NRR 26)/$14

9.2: proj.gear/molded earplugs around banded buds:

. radians`custom molded earplugs .

. the molded earplugs did great fitting around buds on a band:

they hold the buds steady to maximize sound

without having the hard buds pressing my ear sore .

9.3: bk.gear/sony`Noise-Canceling Headphones#mdr-nc22:

. install AAA battery; test with loud vmixer: ok,

sony.com/headphones, 888 559 7669

sony.com/service, 800 222 7669

accessories? 800 488 7669

. accessory for use in full helmet,

this may need a french head band (one from chin to top of head )

to help keep helmet from grabbing ear buds on the way out .

. while active it is messed by cell's transmissions

and is messing radio transmissions when too close .

amusing warnings:

. if feeling drowsy or sick

it could be a somatopsychic reaction to noise cancellation .

. feel tingle in ears some? static shock;

try wearing only natural fiber clothing .

fortunate coincidences:

. has a constriction for attaching tether

-covered cord could last longer than circitry

given that will be fried by sweat at some point .

9.3: sci.gear/belkin`headphone splitter:

. very thick cords for backing up that lifetime warranty .

sennheiser`volume control(2channel)#hzr62:

. seemed the reception on my radio was slightly off?

the radio uses the headphone cord ground as antennae;

maybe the extreme length (meant for across the room control)

is the problem .

todo:

. the cord looks fairly thick, like it might be easy to hack shorter .

. re check that reception is worse .

9.3: todo.gear/bagging for audio gear: [done]

. the long wire of the volume control,

and the noise-canceling circuitry can ruin radio reception;

carefully pre-test for best reception reception,

or make the system very adjustable .

proj.gear/earbud/pull.cord`anchors:

9.5:

. the pull.cord that protects the electrical cord from being pulled

needs a modular anchor that will be reachable

even after the earbud is covered with moldable plastic earplug .

. could use al'wire twist around the body,

with any bulk layed at the right side's 2:00 o'clock position .

. form a loop with a twist,

that loop is horz'al at top of bud`body,

the twist of it travels to the bud`neck;

one leads is pulled around the bud`neck,

and finally twisted around the other lead .

. after the neck`loop is made,

the initial loop can be laid horz'ally;

finally, the moldable earplug is optionally put into place .

( the sony in-canal buds don't really need a moldable solution,

but other buds do ) .

mis:

. careful with stress placed during twist,

al'wire breaks easily;

9.7:

. might consider wire from paper clip;

or make sure the moldable addition helps keep al'wire from rebending .

9.8:

thread instead of al'wire:

. better than al'wire loop on earbud

is many thread loops that bind to a rope,

then rope is sewn to sleeve .

9.5: proj.gear/earplugs molding clipped:

. much of the molding was not needed,

I noticed, after looking at how it grabs the ear .

. anything outside of the central bowl is clipped away .

10.10: mis.gear/headphones/broken:

. cln headphones that came with the cassette;

might prevent wax by making a big hole in grill .

. broke the driver punching into through the clogged grill?

get the new buds ready with harness .

. the sony`noise canceling earbuds are expensive,

so, I couldn't wear them without an armor

that would prevent the wires from being pulled .

. now that my other headphones got trashed

[@] mis.gear/headphones/broken

and I don't enjoy triking without headphones,

I finally got into gear, and up-prioritized the armor project .

. great to have the sew.mach working again .

reversable:

. notice the pillowiness of it gets in the way?

try that behind the neck: works ok .

. bud can fall out more easily with stiff wire supports,

good to have radians moldable ear plugs to shape buds to outer ear .

sci.gear/earbuds/recording and listening with the split:

. the volume control is needed to control over-signal,

but the separate channels can be difficult to make equal .

. the volume is much more convenient than mousing

(not sure what's wrong with the kybd's sound keys) .

sci.gear/earbuds/works with recorder:

. the 3-plug cord not only helps protect the earbud's cord,

it also allows the mp3 recorder to either

bring sounds to the earbuds,

or pipe sounds to both the recorder and the earbuds .

10.11: proj.gear/earbuds/custom-fit:

. radians quick curing rubber stays the shape of your ear,

and helps the buds stay in, even with the weight of armored wires .

todo:

. the plugs can be drilled and tied to the buds;

consider the plugs may seem adhered;

but are pliable and can be knocked loose

. do preventive tying .

pos:

. careful in public pulling out accidently or in a hurry to hear .

. need clean ears and not sweat or get wet .

mis"caps can come loose easily:

-- pulled out while impacted by custom fit .

10.13: co.trice/gear/Trainer#noisy:

Chris

date Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 7:27 AM

I have a Kurt Kinetic fluid trainer

(the model that was replaced by the Road Machine I think) with the 20" adaptor.

It's noisy,

which makes it hard for example to watch TV while spinning,

and it gets boring quick.

Which is why this winter,

I'm going to start cross-country skiing to keep in shape.

Christian

10.23: proj.gear/earbuds/radians`plug is curse and cure:

. when the earbuds are kept in place with the radian's

custom fitting earplug, it tends to push the plugs against the ear

to the point where it becomes quite painful .

. however, with the radian's added,

the tips of the buds become optional,

thereby giving your ear canal complete freedom .

. nevertheless, the lack of a tight fit is nullifying

the earbud's noise-cancelling function .

. with 3 earbud tips to experiment on,

I tried several degrees of circumcision:

. one just left the rubber stem around the anchor .

the other had the stem full length,

and the one I usually use -- the smallest --

had it's mushroom cap clipped back away to beyond the anchor .

. the main pressure is from the double layer of the tip

around the hard plastic of the anchor .

. to get both a soft and air-tight seal,

mis, todo:

. I would next try using a larger mushroom clipped beyond the anchor

but I made the mistake of already using my larger ("unwanted" versions)

for irreversable modification experiments .

proj.gear/earbud`screen/clean:

. use needle to pick wax out of the screen that is

protecting the bud from wax .

. for a day's pay you can get a removable wax guard

that is easier to clean .

. after the wax is dislodged, I use my mouth as vacuum cleaner .

web.gear/earbud caps for sony nc-22:

Tx-400 Integrated Wax-Guard

T-400

Sony Mdrnc22/Blk Noise Canceling Headphone (Black)

Other products by Sony

3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (76 customer reviews)

10.27: proj.gear/earbuds/mod's to reduce ear inflammation:

. maybe take slices out a bit at a time ?

. could then try reforming bottom edges with silicon

atleast if it seems like new buds will keep it out of ear canal,

and the thickness is not too deep

so then exposure to curing silicone caulk is minimized .

10.30: proj.gear/earplug hug:

. while cleaning plugs,

worry about not needling diaphram again -- $99 down the toilet!

then, as if to rescue me from stupid,

the door bell rings!

proj.gear/earplugs/comply`foam tips with wax guards#tx400:

. try earplugs on trike:

. the silicon grease is very stable,

and hopefully will keep the foam from decomposing .

. now that I have a chance to test the nc's with good plugs,

I found there is less noise without the nc's being active

. this worries me because when I first tried the sony nc-22,

I used the same test as was used now (my vitamixer)

and, the last time I had a problem with nc's

it was because I had modified them .

. maybe fresh batt's would help?

hopefully the only problem is that I had the test results confused:

the vitamixer actually sounds quieter when the nc is off,

so maybe I just had the power state confused during the original test .

. the trike-trainer can be heard only as a rumble

-- the part of the sound that gets to my ears through my body .

proj.gear/earplug/virtual removal with recorder/adj:

. lower volume on recorder and sound quality for hearing with plugs

but with minimal batt'use .

10.31: sci.addn/gear/earplugs/foam cracking:

. notice a bit of crack in plugs silica ok?

stay on course: don't mix any other greases with it .

proj.gear/earbuds/clipping radians:

. finish ways to trim radian's using toe`nail clippers .

11.1: co.net/youtube.com/Radians Custom Molded Earplugs:

Hi can you use small earphones like the Walkman earbuds and then the putty?

Was thinking that this would be great if so?? Thanks Rob

my reply:

yes, I did that with a pair of sony mdr-nc22's;

sounds great with solid connection

but careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .

. I now use Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips for sore canals,

and I had to razor back the Radians a bit .

. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs .

11.1: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips-Black/dp/B002OOWBWA:

solid sure sound, ways around fragility (5stars)

(attributes rated: Fit: 5; Sound isolation: 5)

(tags: earbuds, ear buds, headphone earpads, radians custom molded earplugs, silicone grease)

. other reviewers of Comply foam complained of deterioration,

and, this reminded me that

skin oils can be very corrosive to certain foams;

so, my first pair is getting lubed with a stable food-grade grease

like plumbers silicone grease

(this is the same stuff I was told by Culligan

to seal their water filter with)

. another foam-preserving technique

is finding a way to keep buds from being yanked out;

for this I use

www.radians.com Custom Molded Earplugs

www.cheaperthandirt.com/58929-1.html

but be careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .

. be conservative about how tight the buds are pressed against your ear,

because that's where they are going to stay for hours!

. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs;

but, not sure how that will affect the foam .

11.6: mis.gear/earplugs/detached in ear again!:

. it may be that the silicone grease is not a good idea

because it could be permeating the rubber core,

and expanding the rubber or in any case

making it easy for the tip to detach from the base,

leaving it in the ear .

. used a dental hook to pull it out .

the reason:

. the foam tip's core tube has no anchoring lip?

no wonder it slips off the base!

proj.gear/earbuds/sound muffled at times:

. moving jaw can block sound?

try clipping tip back to wax-guard

(and also flush with rubber tube, it turns out): ok .

11.6:

11:56: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-T-400-Foam-Tips-Pair/edit:

15:48: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-T-400-Foam-Tips-Pair/edit:

solid sure sound, but generic unsure fit to earbud:

rating: 1 (fit: 1, sound isolation: 5):

. other reviewers of Comply foam complained of deterioration,

and, this reminded me that

skin oils can be very corrosive to certain foams;

so, my first pair is getting lubed with a stable food-grade grease

like plumbers silicone grease

(this is the same stuff I was told by Culligan

to seal their water filter with)

[11.6: however,

a problem I've had with that approach,

is that if the grease saturates the inner tube or gets inside,

this tip will often pop off in my ear ...

AND, the reason this can happen so easily,

is that tube doesn't fit exactly:

instead of having a sharp lip to hold the earbud

like the original tips do,

this tip has only a straight-walled tube,

so that the fit is purely by friction .

]

. another foam-preserving technique

is finding a way to keep buds from being yanked out;

for this I use Custom Molded Earplugs

(a 2-part plastic that you mix

and it hardens to fit your ear);

but be careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .

. be conservative about how tight the buds are pressed against your ear,

because that's where they are going to stay for hours!

. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs;

but, not sure how that will affect the foam .

[11.6: sound muffled at times:

. moving jaw can sometimes block sound?

try clipping tip back to the wax-guard

(to the edge of the inner rubber tube);

. this works, but then it could be that

the bud would then only stay in place if you're using

custom molded ear plugs around the bud . ]

11.8: gear/earbuds/resting ears need bag for buds:

. if a bag were added to the neckband,

the earbuds could be stored there

thereby avoiding fears of knocking off and losing the tips.

11.9: proj.gear/earbuds/clip for anti-rotation of neckband,

11.14: pos.gear/earplugs/zn-rub:

. new plugs inserted deeply on base

and smothered with zn -rub instead of silicone .

. it may be air can also cause foam wear

so if zn-rub doesn't cause loosening of tube

then apply zn-rub to spares too .

. do the next tip burn before zn rub

to see if foam is too flammable ungreased .

proj.gear/earbuds/clip the bud`tips:

. clip the bud`tips;

things are worse:

I see this tube does have some lip to it!

[apparently it works by making the inner tube

from a plastic material that you can heat-shrink;

so, after they cut the piece they need,

heat-shrink narrows the entrance]

. well, try some flame from above to reshape into lip .

this does work, and so generally you can

shorten them for sharply angled ear canals .

11.14: co.net/amazon.com/Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips-Black/

product-reviews/B002OOWBWA/my comment to Nathan Hillyer:

These are great, but you are better off getting them from

the Comply website, November 10, 2009

. you noted the The Comply website also offers a different option

that blocks earwax from getting into your buds .

. the item you're reporting on does have that option

and it came with mine from amazon .

. are you referring to a 2nd way of blocking earwax ?

maybe they accidently sent you t400's instead of tx-400 ?

co.net/amazon.com/Comply-Tx-400-Foam-Tips-Black/

product-reviews/B002OOWBWA/edit#2:

. other reviewers of Comply foam complained of deterioration,

and, this reminded me that

skin oils can be very corrosive to certain foams;

[11.14: so, my first pair got lubed with a stable food-grade grease

like plumbers silicone grease

but I later wondered if that was healthy for topical application

and have sinced used zinc oxide ointment as a grease . ]

[11.6: however,

a problem I've had with that approach,

is that if the grease saturates the inner tube or gets inside,

this tip will often pop off in my ear ...

AND, the reason this can happen so easily,

is that tube doesn't fit exactly:

instead of having a sharp lip to hold the earbud

like the original tips do,

this tip has only a straight-walled tube,

[11.14: or slightly more narrowed at the end by heat-warping]

so that the fit is purely by friction . ]

[11.14: using heat to form a connecting lip:

. I was able to form a gripping lip on the tip's base

by pulling the foam back a bit (it ignites easily)

and applying a lighter flame that melts the inner tube

thereby creating a rounded narrowing

that better fits my sony mdr-nc22 tip holders .

. set the melted tube on something it will not adhere while cooling

and this will make the lip even more hook-shaped .

]

. another foam-preserving technique

is finding a way to keep buds from being yanked out;

for this I use Custom Molded Earplugs

(a 2-part plastic that you mix

and it hardens to fit your ear);

but be careful about over-packing or getting it into vents .

. be conservative about how tight the buds are pressed against your ear,

because that's where they are going to stay for hours!

. might also consider antibiotic ointment with chronic in-ear plugs;

but, not sure how that will affect the foam .

[11.6: sound muffled at times:

. moving jaw can sometimes block sound?

try clipping tip back to the wax-guard

(to the edge of the inner rubber tube);

[11.14:

. or, try clipping the base to make it shorter,

and retighten the base using the flame method described above .

]

. this works for my configuration,

but then it could be

that the bud would then only stay in place

if you're using custom molded ear plugs around the bud . ]

11.20: proj.gear/earbuds/bag on neck band for bud storage:

. the radian custom plugs come with a double string bag,

so I reknotted the pull strings to be around

the neckband guarding the earbuds .

11.21: proj.gear/earbuds/plugs with new triple-ab,

[anti-biotic ointment as lube]

11.24: gear/earbud/minidish for recorder on neck:

. from a pocket on a neckband,

a recorder sits with its mic facing your neck;

then connected at top is a mini.dish in front of the mic .

[11.26:

. the dish is part of a spring-loaded clip

so that it doubles not only as a sound scooper

but also has a pinching action

that keeps recorder from bouncing out of bag .

]