In Ear Headphones For Great Sound In A Small & Convenient Package
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In ear headphones (also called in ear monitors, IEM, earphones, ear canal headphones, and canalphones) are small earphones that fit into and seal the ear canal. These earphones can sound significantly better than traditional headphones or earbuds at the same price, and work well with any iPod or MP3 player. In ear headphones are also commonly used by on-stage performers to monitor sound mixes; this prevents possible feedback from stage monitors, and isolates the artist from audience noise.
Some in ear headphones fit deep into the ear canal (Etymotic, Shure) and provide the best isolation and reduction of noise. Some are shallower (Denon, Monster, Sony, iHarmonix, Skullcandy) and provide less, but still good, noise blocking. In ear headphones help to ensure safe listening levels because they isolate so well you don't have to turn the music up too loud to overcome noisy environments. Most in ear headphones come with a variety of different size/material ear tips; it is important to experiment to find the tip that works best for you. To get good bass from in ear headphones it is CRITICAL that you have a tight ear-tip seal in your ear canal. Nearly all in ear headphones are efficient enough to work well directly out of an iPod or portable player. There are adapters available to convert any in ear headphone into a headset for use with an iPhone or cell phone.
A Selection Of The Best Low-Cost In-Ear Headphones
At the lowest price point we've come to enjoy the warmth and bass of the iHarmonix iHX Pro-ev; a great deal. For children or people with small ear canals we recommend the Sennheiser CX300. At a slightly higher price, the Denon AH-C452k has a warm and lovely sound. Skullcandy makes some tasty in ear headphones; we particularly like the Titans bumpin' sound, and the wood-bodied Holua--a miniature holiday for your ears. The Etymotic ER6i sound quality is superb, and seats deep in the ear to provide the best isolation of the in ear phones mentioned thus far.
Our Favorite High-End In Ear Headphones
Etymotic Research has long offered an outstanding line of in ear headphones and remain strong in the category with the HF5 and ER4P. Both are neutral and articulate headphones, with the 4P providing a better refined sound and a bit more bass. Monster brings on the bass and eyeblinking impact with the Beats by Dr. Dre Tour and Turbine Pro in ear headphones; both are punchy, with the Tour warm and fairly neutral and the Turbine Pro both big and lively. Shure also has great products in the field with the neutral and competent sound of the SE310. Featuring three micro drivers, the warm, luscious, and very inviting sound of the SE530 makes it our favorite.
A Variety Of Special Purpose In Ear Headphones
A number of cool, special purpose products have been built with and around in ear headphones. There are two in ear headphones with tunable frequency response: the Sennheiser IE8 which has a tiny screwdriver adjustment for the bass, and the Sleek Audio SA6 that uses tiny replaceable ports to tune the bass and treble. The Sleek also has an optional wireless attachment that will work with any portable player. You can turn any in ear headphone into an iPhone or cellphone headset with the Shure Music Phone Adapter (see Shures compatability list for details). Etymotic has two great wireless Bluetooth in ear products: the etyBLU is the best Bluetooth headset we've tested for clarity of communication; and the ety8 sends digital music wirelessly from your iPod to the in ear receiver units, and you can control your iPod with buttons on the earpiece.
We've listed our top picks below but you can click here to see all in ear headphones.
