By which I mean will something likethese
accept tips like these
And if it is (as I suspect) a case of “maybe, depends” can anyone enlighten me on what to look for to know which bulb types will also accept flange tips?
Thanks much—fast answers very appreciated, doing research for a friend about to make a purchase.
Some in ear headphones can take a range of ear fittings. You are probably better of asking the question the other way around. A critical question will be how much you (or your friend) are spending. Companies like Westone seem to make a range of fittings, and a number of brands will take them.
Be aware that part of the balance of the earphone depends upon the fitting. Deeper in canal phones (like the Etymotics) are really only intended to work with a solid in ear fitting.
This guide will hopefully answer most of what you need to know. There are some very useful reviews and guides on this site. Go wild. And do spend as big as you can. I loved my Etymotic ER-4S, but will almost certainly be replacing them with a custom fitted pair of something.
Look for a set that comes with one or more replacement/different sized tips, where the tip is rubber and not molded plastic. Then you know that the tip is removeable and you can replace it with whatever other tips you find.
Thanks for that link! Great stuff!
Curious. Aside from better sound quality of higher-end earbuds, do these flanges help the buds stay in one’s ears better?
Their main function is to block out outside noise. The ‘dead-air’ between the flanges is an acoustical insulator.
I wear earbuds when I ride motorcycle. I’ve tried dozens of earbuds, and the flanges are substantially better. The less noise I hear, the better I can hear the music, and I don’t need to turn up the volume.
Yes, the extra isolation makes for a very good musical experience. Has all sorts of benefits. I can use my ER-4S as sound protection plugs (Etymotic make protection plugs with the flanges as well, and they are very good) with the added benefit that I can have music as I work. Flying becomes almost a HiFi experience, as they cut out enough ambient noise to make the flight near silent.
But indeed, the flanges don’t just make the phones stay in the ear better, they make it so that you need to quite deliberately take them out, otherwise they won’t come out. It isn’t unknown for the phone to pull out of the flange, and leave the flange in your ear. Annoying, but usually only happens with old flanges. The downside of flanges is that not everyone has ears which suits a generic flange, (even though they come is different sizes) and they find them uncomfortable enough that they can’t use them. A custom in ear monitor makes for even better isolation, and a perfect fit. They require very deliberate insertion and removal.
Thanks.
