Earphones that won't fall out of my ears?

Submitted by Trace6x t3_10lyo41 in headphones

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for IEMs or ear buds or earbud tips or any weird hackery to get the damn things to stay properly seated in my ear holes?

I play bass guitar in a band and I really need to take proper care of my hearing. We're a lively band so I need to figure out how to get earplugs and/or IEMs to stay 100% firmly seated in my ears between all the movement and sweating.

I've tried loads of different types of ear tips, I even spent over £100 to get custom molded ear plugs but these would still slip loose enough to not have a full seal during a performance. I've just bought some cheap IEMs because I sometimes have trouble hearing myself onstage but as always, they don't fit in my ear and slip out almost instantly.

Short of wearing headphones on stage or having some way of applying pressure from the outside so they don't move, idk what to do. Anyone have any suggestions?

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NomDePlume007 t1_j5ztrg3 wrote

IEMs are really a personal fit item! I've had good luck with some cheap IEMs with a long name:

MEElectronics Sport-Fi M6 Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones with Memory Wire (Clear)

They are super cheap, and surprisingly good sound, but their key characteristic is they also stick in my ears very well when I run or walk. Might be worth a try, not much risk if they don't work for you.

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Trace6x OP t1_j62wiqs wrote

Thanks for the suggestion, I bought some cheap IEMs that are similar, but they don't stay in, I think I have weird ears :(

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RubenRag t1_j5zxdwx wrote

sir, may I introduce these if you haven.t tried them (if you have and they didn't fix the issue you possibly have the worlds slipperiest lug holes!)

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https://www.linsoul.com/products/azla-sednaearfit-xelastec?variant=35769783976091

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They are almost impossible to remove from your ear once in!!!

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dadu1234 t1_j622jaz wrote

spinfit w1 is also a good alternative. i like the w1 build better because it has a hinge like structure inside so it fits more comfortable. it also grips!!

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Trace6x OP t1_j62wfor wrote

Oh they look interesting! Wonder if I can get them in the UK, thanks!

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RubenRag t1_j65dvbk wrote

Amazon uk have them

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Trace6x OP t1_j65gqg2 wrote

Hell yeah! I'll take your word for 'impossible to remove' :D

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RubenRag t1_j65i2y8 wrote

Ooh, they are slightly larger than normal, I’m usually an L in most tips but I’m a ML in these maybe even M

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Toronto-Will t1_j608qrw wrote

Look into Bose SoundSport. I won’t commend the sound quality, but the tip design (which I suspect is patented) is very effective at holding them in your ear. I am not sure they will protect your hearing—they are IEMs, so there is passive isolation, but they are certainly not advertised for hearing protection.

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TagalogON t1_j60alja wrote

Make sure you got proper ear tips with the vacuum seal so that you're not being tempted to raise the volume to compensate for the external sounds.

Try Spinfit W1, FiiO HS18, AZLA SednaEarfit XELASTEC, Dunu S&S, etc. ear tips for possibly better fit/seal, noise reduction/isolation, and comfort.

Haven't really seriously used the XELASTECs, Dunu S&S, and the other new sticky ear tips for running or fast movements yet but other people report good things with those sticky ear tips.

The dimensions/sizing/measurements/etc. for most ear tips these days will be on Amazon/AliExpress/HiFiGo/etc. Unfortunately you have to blind buy the ear tips in order to get a feel for the dimensions/measurement/etc. that you like for your ears. Remember, this will also change with different IEMs as they'll have different nozzle length, nozzle angle, and so on.

Here's a bit more info on ear tips: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/10lly6d/how_to_make_sense_of_iem_tip_fit/j5xnyv2/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/10k210n/alternative_tips_for_aria/j5o2f8q/

This is how you should use Etymotics or really any IEM or TWS earbud to make sure you have that good/perfect fit for that vacuum seal (necessary for the bass to be properly produced): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KwXEqe6Gq4

Try not to use foam ear tips when it comes to activities with a lot of movement/sweating/etc. as it's probably using up the lifespan.

More info on durability of foam ear tips (talks about AZLA SednaEarfit XELASTECs too): https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/zvmj9g/azla_sedna_earfits_tips_durability/j1pxvdz/

Oh and wipe your ear tips and IEMs after each use.

Here's more info on how to avoid/delay the condensation issues with the Olina, Chu, or most IEMs that have condensation issues: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/uznoqi/my_chus_broke_after_a_day_of_use/iadlxz5/. This has more info on the Moondrop Spring ear tips.

Basically for the future, just use a clean paper towel or microfiber cloth and wipe your ear tips and IEMs after each use. That should prevent/delay the clogging/condensation/etc. issues. It's just a problem with certain IEMs, more so the ones with metal outer shell designs. And if you live in a humid area or produce a lot of body heat.

Otherwise there's always Etymotics for ultimate noise reduction/isolation.

There's also Etymotics for $50 on Adorama. That's the ER2SE version. For $70 there's the ER3SE/XR versions. See the Etymotics links below.

Etymotics will beat any ANC, even top of the line ones from Sony/Apple/Bose/etc.

Look into Etymotics, especially with Comply P foam ear tips or Comply T(x)100 foam ear tips, as the deep fit and comfort can be a dealbreaker with the stock silicone tripleflanges/doubleflanges/etc.

Ear tips and cables for Etymotics: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/10i5ha8/7_unused_at_a_local_amazon_warehouse_store/j5dpuij/

Some more info on Etymotics, Adorama links to get them for $50-70, ear tips (has some info on custom ear tips, custom IEMs) for them, TWS adapters and neckband adapters for them, et cetera: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/10kgooz/searching_for_supreme_comfort_any_suggestions/j5sisjm/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/10fsl5b/i_need_headphone_suggestions_i_am_an_adult_who_is/j54m7gs/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/zqi0mj/truthear_hexa_vs_letshuoer_s12/j4su37c/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1048v59/which_etymotic_iem_should_i_buy/j33skvq/

Below are more direct threads about custom ear tips, custom IEMs, et cetera.

Here's a bit more info on how to get custom IEMs: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/x5tsdb/can_someone_recommend_affordable_iems_please/in39yfd/

Here's a bit more info on hybrid/multidriver IEMs, making IEMs fit in your ears, TWS adapters like the UTWS5, various ear tips as workarounds, custom IEMs, custom IEM ear tips, et cetera: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/w17dts/iem_ear_pain_go_away/igjncnp/

You might be find with using say other bullet style IEMs like Final Audio E500-E5000 lineup but for me those were like huge and so they couldn't really go as deep. Even if I used Spinfit CP240 ear tips. Or say Spinfit CP155. It's been a long time, but worth a try seeing if bullet style IEMs suit you more. They often don't have removable cables and so it's not as durability, still worth a gamble as you can just easily wiggle them for noise reduction/isolation.

See the new ultimate English database of bullet style IEMs for the various options, a lot of them are not as easily available on Amazon/etc. though: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-bullet-cable-down-iem-database-140-update.964041/page-3

Or look into aftermarket wingtips, earhooks, et cetera. Those are not guaranteed to work with your particular IEM/TWS earbuds/etc. but some of them should be fine for testing. Like earhooks for me make a huge difference, especially for peace of mind (I use TWS adapters like the FiiO UTWS3/5) but when the IEM is heavy or I do fast movements, they can still slip out, lol, that's why don't really run with TWS adapters despite other people saying it works well for them.

Some people also use those like DIY custom molds or silicone thingies with IEMs. It can help. I have some of those for light noise reduction and I don't like the feel of them but that's when they go inside my ear. If with IEMs, it should be just okay as it's just on the concha/etc. Some of those moldable silicone/etc. can be really sticky, so be careful with like the vents/nozzle/holes of the IEMs, lol.

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Trace6x OP t1_j62wpv5 wrote

Thanks for the info I'll take a look!

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Character_Record1232 t1_j63br8l wrote

Did you already try foam tips? , personally I hate them but the seal is pretty good

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