Earphone advice?

BMKN

I seem to be going through earphones at a rate of knots. I have to buy new ones every 4 months. I usually spend about €50 on a set. I use them everyday for running and cycling. I find the wires get wrecked and then the ear buds go. What do you guys use? Should I invest in a good pair or waterproof set or even bluetooth set. Ive gone through 2 sets this winter already. One pair was addidas sport ans seinheiser.

rozzer32

Goes and gets some popcorn.

adam0bmx0

Anonymous

I use H2O Audio in ears for running and they are by far the best I have found.
Slightly less bass (but still lots of bass ;-) ) than the Seinheiser's that I had before, which did not last long due to being water resistant and not waterproof like the H2O's.

Seinheiser's were a little under £20 and lasted months, H2O's are about twice the price but have had them years.
Guessing you might be abusing cables if they are failing but I have never had a problem.

I had the high end H2O's first but bass was not that great (but they are super tiny).
I then got the MKII of the standard ones (Surge 2G I think) and they are brill.

I use the old ones in the sauna (at the gym) now and still going strong :-)

Americans know a thing or two about bass IME.
Have Speakercraft ceiling speakers which sound fab and much better than Kef ones which need a subwoofer.

StillGoing

navrig2

In the absence of anyone else rising to the bait.......

Why are you cycling whilst listening to music?

Don't you know it is inherently dangerous and you will end of getting hurt or even killed.

Anonymous

I ignored the cycling bit as he mentioned running :-)
Maybe he is not cycling on the road.

upperoilcan

Navrig2 wrote:

Why are you cycling whilst listening to music?

Don't you know it is inherently dangerous and you will end of getting hurt or even killed.

It's this exact edge that keeps me going. :shock:

joelsim

For running...sound quality and build quality I would recommend Klipsch A5i Sport.

For cycling...I wouldn't recommend in-ears as they isolate you from traffic, personally I don't wear any on the bike.

Anonymous

Sorry to moan about the Klipsch but they seem a bit of a marketing ploy rather than a great solution to running with music.
I have tried some that go around your ears but find that the 'frame' will move when running and can cause the in ear bit to move within your ear which is detrimental to sound quality.

The other thing is that even if this does not happen I would find having something around my ears annoying. Its never going to fit everyones ears well unless its made to measure, and even then I would still find it annoying.
Then again the guy in the pic I saw using them had an iPhone strapped to his arm which would be a real no no for me :shock:
Never understand why people run with iPhones (apart from thinking (mistakenly) that they look good). I do not really want to take a call or have a quick game of Angry Birds while out running!

The review also said that bass was good without being overpowering. To me thats code for the bass not being that great.
It also said that the reviewer would happily use them when not running, but to me thats saying he would use them if he had to, but would rather use something else.
I use my H20's all the time as they sound better than about all but one in ear I have ever used.

The big problem with the Klipsch has got to be that they are not waterproof though.

For me waterproof in ears with an iPod shuffle is the way to go for running, and H20's sound better than most in ears, yet alone so called (that are not even waterproof) 'sports' in ears.
The H2O's + iPod shuffle costs about £70.

Some people moan about cable tug on in ears but I do not find it a problem and I think people just make no effort to avoid it.
You can get loads of different size/shaped rubber bits to personalise the fit. I am using foam ones, the type that ear plugs are made of. You squish it then it expands to the shape of your ear after you put it in.

Just making sure your ears and the buds are clean and dry (ears are a waxy place even before you start sweating) is probably overlooked by most people who then moan that buds fall out.

Off for a (music free) cycle now ;-)

flasher

I love these threads

Navrig2 wrote:

In the absence of anyone else rising to the bait.......

Why are you cycling whilst listening to music?

Don't you know it is inherently dangerous and you will end of getting hurt or even killed.

Can you explain why?

What exactly do you do differently when you hear a vehicle coming from behind, do you.

A) Get off the bike, stand by the side of the road wait for the vehicle to pass before continuing.

Hold your breath and grip tighter to the handlebars, hoping the vehicle won't hit you.

C) Bunny-hop onto the pavement.

D) Pull even further into the gutter, making an accident more likely.

E) Continue as before and do nothing.


To the OP, I use the ones that came with my phone (as that's what I use), my phone changes regularly so then do the headphones.

Tjgoodhew

^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^

In regards to the OP question.

I have a set of sony earphones i got from TKMaxx that have lasted 4 years. By far and away the best set I have ever owned and I think the cost me £7.99. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDR-E11LP- ... cr_pr_pb_t

I dont really run but have cycled wearing them in all conditions and they still work perfectly.

Im not too fussed about sound quality when im out on a bike as i only ever have one ear in so there is always extensive background noise anyway

R0B75

Flasher wrote:

I love these threads

Navrig2 wrote:

In the absence of anyone else rising to the bait.......

Why are you cycling whilst listening to music?

Don't you know it is inherently dangerous and you will end of getting hurt or even killed.

Can you explain why?

What exactly do you do differently when you hear a vehicle coming from behind, do you.

A) Get off the bike, stand by the side of the road wait for the vehicle to pass before continuing.

Hold your breath and grip tighter to the handlebars, hoping the vehicle won't hit you.

C) Bunny-hop onto the pavement.

D) Pull even further into the gutter, making an accident more likely.

E) Continue as before and do nothing.


To the OP, I use the ones that came with my phone (as that's what I use), my phone changes regularly so then do the headphones.

To add to this, Deaf or hard of hearing people are allowed to cycle and drive. Wind noise can also be a problem resulting in you not hearing anything anyway. Listening to music is not inherently dangerous at all, I've been doing it for years, having no road sense and not looking is what causes accidents. I guarantee you that no road accident has ever been as a result of someone not hearing a car, the fact is they are caused by people not looking.

Back on topic. I've been through a few sets in the last year or 2 and currently have a set of these as I have an Android phone and need the remote and mic to take calls. The sound quality is superb for the money. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-SHS8105 ... f=pd_ybh_5

I prefer the ones that hook over the ear as they are more comfortable. I can't say what they would be like for running though. I did have a set of Monster iSport Immersion earphones. The sound quality was excellent but they failed and were sent back for a refund within 6 months. That has put me off buying expensive earphones now.

tlw1

Joelsim wrote:

For running...sound quality and build quality I would recommend Klipsch A5i Sport.

For cycling...I wouldn't recommend in-ears as they isolate you from traffic, personally I don't wear any on the bike.

I would listen to Joel.......

t4tomo

Why do you need earphones for running and cycling, if you want music just sing.

No need to worry about earphone coming loose perfect acoustics gets you more roadspace as everyone gives you a wide berth

Note this also works with Skiing, much to the embaressment of my children.

darkhairedlord

^^^^this

Try singing loadly to "good ship venus" by the sex pistols. Always gets the traffic to notice you.

antonyfromoz

I don't ride with earphones but for running I previously had a pair of sennheiser pmx 80 and they were good for a number of years before packing up and now i have some Yurbuds which have been really good (no slipping out at all) for the last 8 months or so. The Yurbuds come in different sizes and when i bought mine i saw that they also had a set with a reinforced wire (Kevlar?) which might be an idea if you keep breaking the wires.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yurbuds-Ironman ... ds=yurbuds

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser-PMX- ... B001EZTJ34

navrig2

R0B75 wrote:

To add to this, Deaf or hard of hearing people are allowed to cycle and drive. Wind noise can also be a problem resulting in you not hearing anything anyway. Listening to music is not inherently dangerous at all, I've been doing it for years, having no road sense and not looking is what causes accidents. I guarantee you that no road accident has ever been as a result of someone not hearing a car, the fact is they are caused by people not looking.

It's common sense. We have developed 5 senses which allow us to inter-relate with our surroundings. Take away one or more of those senses and the inter-relationship with our surroundings is not as good.

It may even go further than that as there has been research which suggests that the senses work more closely together than originally thought meaning that removal of one sense is not just a simple loss of that sense.

http://shamslab.psych.ucla.edu/lay-arti ... ec2011.pdf

I agree that deaf people do cycle and I suspect that as a result of being deaf they may well be more observant that those of us who have our hearing. However I am sure that if you asked most deaf people would they prefer to hear whilst they cycle or not they would probably chose the being able to hear.

To mix the message meanwhile:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senses_Working_Overtime

joelsim

Many earphones these days, especially the cheaper ones have overblown bass.

Other options are the Audio-Technica ATH-CKX series which fit inside your ear with a clever c-tip, rather than around and over your ear.

The adage is generally true that you get what you pay for.

To be honest many people are content to listen to low bitrate MP3 on crappy earbuds, perhaps because they haven't heard something really good so they have nothing to compare it against.

I was speaking to a customer of mine a couple of weeks ago who was raving about the sound quality of the earbuds he'd bought. I've tried them and they aren't great. But I guess it is what you are used to.

Anonymous

For me, if they do not have a decent 'thump' they are not worth having, regardless of how good they are in other areas.
Not sure what overblown bass is but guessing it sounds distorted as opposed to a nice low thump and that would be as bad as no bass.

For running, the ability to withstand rain and sweat would be the second requirement.

The third would be convenience and that means they would have to sound good enough with 128mb compression (is that low?) so I can use a shuffle or something almost as small/light.

I would possibly spend four figures on an mp3 and/or custom fit buds etc. if I used it on a commute, but for running I am unaware of anything that would do a better job than the £70 kit I have.

LegendLust

Apart from the safety aspects - why would you want to ride listening to music?

For me, the pleasure of cycling is hearing the sounds of nature, the wind in your ears when your flying down a hill, the sound of the rain hitting wet leaves, the cry of a Kestrel overhead, the sounds of a moaning slapper dogging.

joelsim

Carbonator wrote:

For me, if they do not have a decent 'thump' they are not worth having, regardless of how good they are in other areas.
Not sure what overblown bass is but guessing it sounds distorted as opposed to a nice low thump and that would be as bad as no bass.

For running, the ability to withstand rain and sweat would be the second requirement.

The third would be convenience and that means they would have to sound good enough with 128mb compression (is that low?) so I can use a shuffle or something almost as small/light.

I would possibly spend four figures on an mp3 and/or custom fit buds etc. if I used it on a commute, but for running I am unaware of anything that would do a better job than the £70 kit I have.

You'd be surprised Carbonator.

Compression is a killer, yes.

Listen lossless or 320kbps and you will notice a huge difference on decent earphones. On cheap, thumpy, overblown bass earphones, maybe not so much. As I said it all depends on what you are used to but there is a whole world out there to be explored and once you go there, there is no coming back.

Don't get me wrong I like good, strong, tight bass too, my main listening is dance music.

All I'm saying is that you can do much much better than the Skullcandy and Beats of this world.

Anonymous

So name some kit that meets the criteria for running.

They have to be buds or else they are uncomfortable.
There is no point saying any buds that are not waterproof as they are going to get wet.
There is no point in saying anything big mp3 wise as it will be too bulky and heavy.
The mp3 also has to also be useable (vol/track up/down) through a jacket pocket without taking it out or seeing it.

As I said, if I was not running I would have the dogs dangleys with zero compression, but for running other things come first IMO.
If I can have both then great

joelsim

I don't have any views on the mp3 players, but most specialist sport earphones will be water resistant and made to stay in.

Brands such as Audio-Technica, Klipsch, Sennheiser all do good ones at various budgets.

In essence earphones/headphones are like bikes. Would you buy a cheap bike from Argos or Asda? If you listen to music a lot then get a higher bitrate on your music and buy some decent kit, it will sound better, it will last longer, it will give you more satisfaction and pleasure.

I think with regard to having the same pair for running and for other times...I would have a pair for each purpose. But then again I've always been into my hifi.

Anonymous

So have I. Portable in particular. As soon as it was made I bought it!

I said exactly the same thing about having a different pair for each purpose. The thing is (that I also said) is that I only have one purpose for them out and about, and thats running.

Water 'resistant' means bugger all IMO. If something is going to get wet it needs to be waterproof, and if you do not get wet when running you are not doing it correctly

My Sennheiser ones lasted a couple of months. They sounded really good (for running use) but were not up to the job.
I would spend hundreds on high end ones (even just for running) if I thought they would survive sweat and rain, but I simply do not think they will.

You are preaching to the converted re good quality audio, but you are not recommending anything worthwhile for the purpose of this thread IMO.

spasypaddy

the best earphones for sport that i have tried and cant recommend highly enough are the jaybird bluebud x.

bluetooth connectivity, lifetime warranty against sweat, decent battery life, dont come out your ears.

brilliant product.

Iamnot Wiggins

Carbonator wrote:

Never understand why people run with iPhones (apart from thinking (mistakenly) that they look good). I do not really want to take a call or have a quick game of Angry Birds while out running!

You do realise that, in this modern world we live in, that iPhones (not to mention the majority of other phones) can be used to store & play music and generally replace an iPod or similar? Insanity, I know!!

Anonymous

Iamnot Wiggins wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Never understand why people run with iPhones (apart from thinking (mistakenly) that they look good). I do not really want to take a call or have a quick game of Angry Birds while out running!

You do realise that, in this modern world we live in, that iPhones (not to mention the majority of other phones) can be used to store & play music and generally replace an iPod or similar? Insanity, I know!!

An ipad and a macbook have that funtion too. Would you strap either of those on your arm and have a big white wire swinging from it as you run?

Iamnot Wiggins

Carbonator wrote:

Iamnot Wiggins wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Never understand why people run with iPhones (apart from thinking (mistakenly) that they look good). I do not really want to take a call or have a quick game of Angry Birds while out running!

You do realise that, in this modern world we live in, that iPhones (not to mention the majority of other phones) can be used to store & play music and generally replace an iPod or similar? Insanity, I know!!

An ipad and a macbook have that funtion too. Would you strap either of those on your arm and have a big white wire swinging from it as you run?

Of course not as they're not as portable as a phone?

apreading

Personally, I wouldnt run with a phone either, but it would just about be OK if necessary. I would use one of these by choice: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00H ... UTF8&psc=1 Really good, great battery life and really small/light too.

One thing that might convince me to run with a phone is internet radio - occasionally I use mine in the gym for this reason.

Anonymous

Iamnot Wiggins wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Iamnot Wiggins wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Never understand why people run with iPhones (apart from thinking (mistakenly) that they look good). I do not really want to take a call or have a quick game of Angry Birds while out running!

You do realise that, in this modern world we live in, that iPhones (not to mention the majority of other phones) can be used to store & play music and generally replace an iPod or similar? Insanity, I know!!

An ipad and a macbook have that funtion too. Would you strap either of those on your arm and have a big white wire swinging from it as you run?

Of course not as they're not as portable as a phone?

How about an ipad mini? Would that be portable enough?