# What a dumb way to design earbuds **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 19, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914 "2008-05-19T23:37:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914/21 "2008-05-20T15:48:46Z")
[QUOTE=Terminus Est] Some of us prefer to hear the bass guitar on the left and the lead guitar on the right. [/QUOTE] Really?? Why? Or am I being whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914/22 "2008-05-20T17:13:19Z")
My main complaint is that the darned things don’t stay in when I am running. They are useless for running because after any reasonable distance my ear canals are so sweaty that the silly ear buds just pop right out. I ended up getting those ones with the hooks on top, and they work perfectly, though I often don’t get enough of a seal to block out the annoying gym music. By the way, my favorite way to deal with the cord is to run it down my shirt to the Shuffle on my belt. That way, if I’m running the cord is totally out of the way, and if I am trimming bushes I don’t accidentally cut it or get it caught on something. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914/23 "2008-05-20T18:16:12Z")
[QUOTE=Surly Chick] Really?? Why? Or am I being whooshed? [/QUOTE] Go to a concert sometime. Check out which player stands where. If that’s still unsatisfying, then I’ll say that some of us also prefer to hear the violins on the left and the cellos on the right. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914/24 "2008-05-20T18:25:20Z")
[QUOTE=Surly Chick] Really?? Why? Or am I being whooshed? [/QUOTE] Sort of a semi-whoosh. Stereo recordings are often set up so that instruments are heard coming from a specific position, usually with vocals in the middle. Just as many people like their speaker setup to mirror what was recorded, so they like the arrangement in their headphones/earbuds to be the same image as what was recorded. If you have the right earbud in your left ear, and the left earbud in your right, it can be like you’re facing away from the music. It might not make too much difference when you’re running or moving around, but it does when you’re sitting quietly and listening to music oftentimes. Oh, and **DiggitCamara** , [nitpick] Cord. Cord, cord, cord, cord, cord. [/nitpick] Sorry, but that drove me slightly nuts. I’m not normally a grammar Nazi. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914/25 "2008-05-20T23:13:36Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I used to be plagued by earphone drop-out, but last year I found the [perfect earbuds](http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-EX71SL-WK-Fontopia-Headphones/dp/B00030CHRQ). [/QUOTE] I’ll have to check those out. I’ve got some higher end earbuds, Etymotics ER-6 and Ultimate Ears and both sound great, but have criminally high prices on their accessories. A set of replacement tips costs $20 freaking bucks! The Sony tip set is $2.99! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-dumb-way-to-design-earbuds/449914.md?page=1)