Is it just me or am I the only one who just can't stand IEM. So,I just buy cheap and basic just for exercise

You are not alone.

IEMs for me are what I use when I need to be on my phone. Or sometimes on a train or plane. Or occasionally to listen to for a short while. But I can’t listen for hours.

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I don’t mind IEMs when the situation calls for it, ie. gym, yard work, travel, offices that don’t allow over ears. I prefer to use over ears when I am at home or a situation allows them. It isn’t that I find IEMs to be uncomfortable even though some can be but so can over ears; its just that I prefer over ears.

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lol I used to be a traveler like you until I took an arrow in the knee :joy:

for real though, I do find a lot of IEM’s uncomfortable after more than 1-2 hrs of use. I have found an IEM tip that i like the Spinfit CP240 (medium) that I can wear for quite a bit longer… but I was looking for other tips people recommend when I stumbled across this and it gave me a laugh!

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The smallest Comply tips wrapped in nova lox.

Damn,I can’t tell if he’s serious.

For those who don’t like to stick things into their ear canals (like me), I tried the Google wired USB-C ear buds and they are quite acceptable for long term use. A little tilted up in mids with a gentle slope back to neutral on the treble. Bass is ok, but you’re never going to get IEM style bass without an in-ear seal, which these will never give you, of course.

Touch sensitive controls. Google assistant. $30.

They aren’t terrible.

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I keep a set in my tech bag inside my backpack as everyday carry, and when I need to do phone calls/conference calls =) I agree they aren’t bad and are rather comfortable with the adjustable loop that holds it in your ear.

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I went with the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 for a country length plane ride. They are reasonably comfortable and when you flip the switch howely moley these things kill the plane noise and I could hear the stewardess! They have 2 sizes of ear plugs. The smaller ones worked for me. Very light and they sound pretty good to me. They go for about $250 but I had a $100 gift card from a tip from a client so effectively I felt like I spent $150.(I know. I know. I spent $250. But it felt like $150.)

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Hey DarthPool! My joke to total strangers in elevators(as an AV tech I spend a bit of time in hotel elevators) "If Darth Vader married Ella Fitzgerald she’d be?.. Ella Vadar!:joy::sweat_smile::grimacing:
:yum:

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I am with you on this! I hate the way any IEM feels in my ears and honestly I have been looking at a pair of Koss Porta Pro KTC for phone calls and the gym. I tried several IEMs and I just can’t enjoy them.

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I’m not a fan of IEMs either, but I do like the CA Andromeda (OG and Gold), my other IEMs I do ok with are the BGVP DMG and the TIN HiFi T2-3(pro).

None of them stay in my ears like nger than a couple of hours before I’m irritated/fatigued by them. I use the DMG for my Gym time.

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If you like how Andromeda fits, you’ll probably like Sony M9. In my experience it sounds better in almost every way compared to Andro S. While soundstage isn’t as wide as andro’s, the imaging is much more precise, and it has fuller mids and much much better bass. Give them a try if you find them near you.

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Thanks! I’ll check them out, I also like the fit of the BVP DMG, I am not the biggest IEM guy, mostly travel and gym gets IEMs in my ears.

My favorite sound so far has been the Solaris, but I find the Andromeda’s my go to. Currently using my Andromeda Blacks, I really like that sound as it keeps the “sparkle” but adds a little more bass!

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I don’t hate them, I just don’t want drivers stuck down in my ear canal when the corrupt file/digital noise hits. Ow!!!

I have the Andromeda , they are solid performer but I was not able to use it for long. Maybe I need to look for alternatives.

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I also found the Bose QC-20 to be a good solution. I have always had trouble getting earbuds to stay in my ears. I ended up with the smaller ear bud in my left ear (white) and the larger one in my right ear (black). Even then they wouldn’t stay put, so I found an ear hanger on Amazon that works, and makes them secure. I am pleased with the result shown below,

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For phone calls and gym, I find the PowerBeats Pro to be really effective, but only with the right tips. Because of different sized ear canals I went with Symbios in the left ear and SpinFits CP240 (double-flanged) in the right, This was after a lot of tip-rolling, but they are comfortable, they stay in my ears under any circumstances and they sound reasonable.

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I seem to be incapable of enjoying IEMs. I splured on the Solaris but never could find a consistent firm fit. As long as I sat still, it was OK, but using them on the move proved too complicated … and I missed the cushion comfort of earpads, which also helped me isolate my mind better on flights. The sound on those things was amazing, though. But it proved to me that I am not an IEM guy. Certainly not a TOTL IEM guy. I might consider dropping a couple hundred bucks on something, as it is nice to have the super easy portability (taking even compact high-end headphones uses up vital space in a carry on bag).

Somebody who likes both should do a Koss Porta Pro vs (insert high-end IEM here) review that includes sound, comfort, portability, value, and how they sound driven from basic equipment - phone and/or DAP.

Is it only me, or do others dislike the Apple Pro Earbuds sticking out of all those talking heads on TV these days?

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They can’t remove them. TV talking heads are fed every single word from HAL or the Cerebrum Communicator (CC). This is a proven fact. I saw it on the documentary below.

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They look stupid, if you ask me.

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