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VanMac

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 26, 2005
914
0
Rampaging Tokyo
Hey.

So, I have some Shure E4c headphones for my iPod. The sound quality of these things is fantastic.....when they stay in my ears.

I've tried all the combinations of foam/rubber/plastic things that go on the end that you stick in your ear. One of the sizes works real well, and they just sound amazing (for $350 CDN I hope so).

Anywho, I just find that they tend to work their way out after a bit, and then of course they sound like crap (very tin like and annonying). I'm always re-adjusting them, pushing them into my ear, and it lasts for like a few minutes, then I have to adjust them again. And this is not from jogging or sports activities, this is just sitting on the train.

I've tried running the wires up over my ear to reduce the jiggling of the cable, and a variety of other positions and what not, but nothing seems to keep them firmly in my ear.

So, just looking for some advice, or if anyone else has experienced same thing, and can offer some tips. I'd like to try to make them work, as I spent some good dough on them. I could sell them if I have to, but I will not get what I paid for them, so there is a loss there. Also I would prefer wearing this style as I would rather not to have big 'muffs' on my head while commuting to work ( but I will if that is the only way I can get good sound). I had the stock iPod headphones for a while, but found they started to hurt my ears after a while, and the quality was not that good.

That's about it. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
If the foam sleeves don't work, then I do not know what to tell you.

Are you pinching dowm the foam, and then pushing them in a good bit ? (They will go suprisingly far.)
 
Are they those earphones which are designed to block out pretty much all external noises? I fancy a pair myself.

There is something which should pretty much solve your problem (see link), but I don't know if you can buy them without earbuds already attatched to them or anything.

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/imagesProducts/180x180/MDRJ11G.jpg

Worth investigating though!

Oh, and those rubber bits that stick further into your ear than most headphones? They come in different sizes, might wanna try a bigger size? And if there's a remote, or something like that half way down the wire of your headphones which hangs by your chest, that may be pulling the headphones loose.
 
For optimum security they should be worn over the top of the ear and down the back of the neck. The adjustment tube should then be used to cinch the fit tight. I got tired of the fit issues of various in ear phones and they weren't particularly comfortable either, so in the end I went for a pair of custom fitted in ears.
 

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I have the same problem, especially when I am chewing gum (guess the motion of my jaw works the earphones out... weird). I read on a message board about this one woman who got special tactical earpieces from a military supply company and replaced the foam/rubber earpieces, but I couldn't find what site it was.
 
I new I liked this forum....thanks for the good tips.

Too be honest iGary, I never really paid much attention to the foam tips. I think I tried them quickly when I first got the E4c's but found the rubber tips worked ok( other then slipping out).

So, I tried the foam again. Squished them down real good, jammed them in, and held them for 10 seconds to take shape. I've been bouncing around the house with them in for 30 minutes listening to Chevelle, and they seem to be holding! Vunderbar. I will give them the real test on the rails on Monday.

And Sesshi....thanks for the tip on over the ear, and cinching tube(impressive artwork by the way). I havent been cinching the tube, and it really reduces cable flopping. Stellar.

Thanks again for the tips. Anyone looking for in ear headphones would be very happy with the Shure E4c. Incredible. In desperation, I dug out my Sony MDR-V300 over ear headhphones. I dont like to commute with something so big on my head....but I needed good sound. Did some sound comparisions, and although the MDR-V300s are not bad, the E4c's just blow them away. Pretty impressive for such a small package.

Rock On.
 
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