Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Telesmurfen

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 18, 2016
238
343
Hi!
I just bought the new AirPods, and these are my first in-ear headphones ever, so I have a question about the fit and how to wear them correctly.
I’m sure it’s a silly question, but how deep in the ear should they sit to get the best audio quality? I get a “good fit” with all three silicons tips and there is no big difference in the noise cancellation.
The smallest go way deep into the ear, the large almost doesn’t fit into the canal, or at least it stops at the very start of it. And the medium sized is somewhere in between.
Does the different length into the ear canal affect the audio quality or is it all just a matter of preference?
What will be most comfortable for longer use? Any thoughts?
 

Petrophas

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2018
92
91
Small tips stay in my ear better and I can hear the music louder and more clearly. I don't feel like I have to adjust the fit as much. However, because it goes so deep, it actually gives me greater headache with noise cancellation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Telesmurfen

TimothyL

macrumors 6502
May 4, 2019
373
270
I use the mediums which come on them. It’s a good fit for me if you just stick them in until it’s comfortable. There is no standard right or wrong for an exact depth
 

Otflyer

macrumors 65816
Nov 14, 2017
1,474
999
SF Bay Area
I use a medium on the left and large on the right side. You can mix and match. Seal has everything to do with sound quality and ANC.
 

ATC

macrumors 65816
Apr 25, 2008
1,185
433
Canada
All 3 tip sizes passed the fit test when I got my APP, now all three fail. I wouldn't put too much stock in the fit test results.

I do however notice quite a difference between the three sizes when it comes to ANC and sound quality. For me, the Small was by far the worst, the Mediums were OK but the Large tips gave me the best ANC performance and best sound, especially on the low end.

Sound quality is subjective, so that would be up to you to test and see which tip is best but it's really easy to objectively test ANC performance; just turn a fan on High in a room and see which tip best eliminates its noise.

OP, I suspect one of the three sizes performs noticeably better than the other two. That's the tip you should wear.
 

todundsteuern

macrumors newbie
Oct 20, 2019
15
8
Comfort should also play a factor in your choice. I tried the Medium tips and they made my ears hurt, while the Small tips don't. Both tips passed the fit test.

I'd say try out a combination of tips that you feel comfortable wearing first, then test them out in real-world conditions like the other posters have described.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.