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[Disclaimer]
This guide might contain error that I (the author) dont know of. This guide is only meant to provide general information for newbie who newly venture into the canalphones world. If you find any error in this guide, please kindly point it out. Also note that some information within this guide are copied or modified from Etymotic, Shure, Headwize, Headroom and Wikipedia website. I do not reference all of them in the article, but links to the original page have all been listed at the end. The credit goes to the original writer / companies for providing the information online freely. Thanks. You (the reader) are free to distribute this guide for non commercial purpose. If you have any suggestion / opinion, please email me: ofeysow@gmail.com. Also,
visit my website @ InEarMatters.net for IEM news and reviews.
*Many thanks to sambo60 @ head-fi.org for taking the time and effort to copy-edit and proof-read the guide.
InEarMatters.net
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Contents
What is an In-Ear-Canalphone? I thought IEM/canalphone is also called 'earbud'? Why noise isolation and not Active Noise Cancellation? Transducer Types Choosing the right eartips Eartips size Eartips: Factors for comfort How to use your IEM Cleaning and maintaining your IEM and eartips Static Electricity Discharge through IEM Does "burn in" or "break in" IEM necessary? Is headphone amp necessary for IEM? Microphonic and Bone Conduction Hissing and Sibilance Durability and Out-of-Warranty Issue IEM and Health In regard to IEMs' frequency response Is IEM worth the money? IEM's basic Pros and Cons OK, I have a budget now, what class of IEM should I be looking of? How about Custom Molded IEM? So I am ready to get some serious IEM, which companies should I be looking at? References Pg. 4 Pg. 5 Pg. 6 Pg. 7 Pg. 8 Pg. 10 Pg. 11 Pg. 12 Pg. 13 Pg. 14 Pg. 14 Pg. 14 Pg. 15 Pg. 15 Pg. 15 Pg. 16 Pg. 17 Pg. 18 Pg. 18 Pg. 19 Pg. 20 Pg. 21 Pg. 23
*If you read Chinese / , you can find the translated works here, thanks to a few good fellows @ erji.net.
What is an In-Ear-Canalphone?
In-Ear-Canalphone, also known as canalphone, ear-canalphone, ear-canal headphone, or In-Ear-Monitor (IEM), is a type of Inter Aural headphone that is designed to be used where the users ear canal is sealed by the phone. The seal generally serves two functions: (1) to block noise and (2) to form a sealed acoustic chamber in order to achieve a fuller sound. To create such a seal, the earphones nozzle along with its tip (or sleeve) is inserted into the front part of the ear canal. Many high end canalphones are custom molded to the user's ear for maximum comfort and a perfect seal. Is it a canalphone or an IEM? Due to its great portability, high sound quality and noise blocking ability, specially tuned (and often custom molded) canalphones have long been used on stage by musicians and audio engineers alike. These canalphones are part of the In-Ear-Monitor-System (IEMS), which can be either wired or wireless. For ease of naming, canalphones used in such system are referred to as IEMs. Later, as canalphone manufacturer began to make high quality canalphones available for the general consumer (iPod generation), the word IEM became popular thus replacing canalphone as how we refer to all canalphones. Technically speaking, only canalphones on an IEMS should be called an IEM. However, there is no concrete definition of the word IEM and it is easier for general consumer to use a simpler terminology. Sometime IEM is also used only to refer to high quality canalphones. For the purpose of this article, we will refer to all canalphones as IEMs.
[Picture of various types of earbuds] Earbuds are worn in the opening of the ear, often just outside of the opening of ear canal. They can have headband or clip-on to increase comfort, but they do not form an air-tight seal to the ear canal as they are not intended to go into the ear canal.
[Picture of various types of IEM] On the other hand, canalphones / IEM are intended to be partially inserted into the ear canal to create an air-tight seal (reasons explained at Pg. 4). The reason why so many websites mislabeled IEM as 'earbud' is simply because they don't understand the differences.
Transducer types
There are two major types of transducers* being used on IEM: Dynamic and Balanced Armature (BA) transducers. (*note: but not limited to)
[Picture of dynamic transducer] Dynamic (moving coil) transducers are often found on low to entry class IEM due to their ease of availability and lower cost (relative to BA transducer). They commonly range from 8mm to 16mm in diameter. Dynamic transducers are known for their ability to create a more powerful bass response since relatively more air is moved during sound reproduction. More air movement means stronger bass sensation as we tend to feel low end bass more than actually hearing it. The downside of using dynamic transducer on IEMs is its larger size. It is also worth noting that many big brand name manufacturers use dynamic transducer of relatively low sound quality in their IEMs; therefore you should avoid most of them as much as possible if sound quality is your priority. Of course, there are also IEM manufacturers who specialize in producing high end dynamic transducer IEMs, most noticeably Future Sonics, one of the very first IEM manufacturers.
[Pictures of BA transducer] BA transducers have the benefit of being really small, therefore you can often find many IEM makers using 2 or 3 BA transducers in each side of their phone. By dedicating at least one of the BA transducers as a woofer, multi-ways IEM tend to have better bass performances than most single-way BA transducer IEM (but not always). The use of multiple BA transducers partially solves the bass problem as BA transducers move a lot less air than dynamic transducers (and noticeably less low end bass). The downside of BA transducers is its higher price tag. There are also hybrid-IEMs (ie. UE Super.fi 5 EB) that utilize both dynamic and BA transducer together in order to have the best of both worlds. However, reviews of such type of IEM are often mixed. For more info about transducer, please visit wikipedia.
Three types of eartips can be commonly found on IEMs: soft plastic (also known as flanges or sleeves, often silicone or PVC based), foam, and custom mold with hard acrylic or soft silicone materials (there are also hybrid hard/soft mold, but less common). Soft plastic eartips have two versions: Universal and size-dependent. Universal soft plastic eartips such as Etymotic tri-flanges and bi-flanges allows the user to insert the eartips to a suitable and often relatively deeper canal depth to create the seal (which sometime can be seen as too intrusive to the user). Size-dependent soft plastic eartips such as Shure soft flex sleeves have three sizes: small, middle, and large. The user selects the size of the eartips based on the comfort of the seal to their ears. Beside custom molds, foam tips are generally considered to be most comfortable and provide a better seal. The tighter seal means foam tips tend to give a warmer, fuller and often more enjoyable sound than soft plastic tips. Foam tips also have two versions: Universal (i.e. Shure yellow foam) and size-dependent (Shure black foam). Most foam tips are not washable and require replacement after a few weeks of use (see section: Cleaning and maintaining your IEM and eartips). Foam tips made by Comply are often considered to be the most comfortable. Comply also manufactures different types of foam tips for different IEMs. Unlike soft plastic tips, foam tips are often specific to the nozzle diameter and cannot be used on IEMs with a different nozzle diameter (unless a modification has been made). Shure black foam is one of most popular foam tips on the market as they are quite comfortable and designed to be user cleanable (see section: Cleaning and maintaining your IEMs and eartips). They are now made with dots on the bottom of the sleeve. 1 dot = small, 2 dots= medium, 3 dots= large. For real measurement, please read the following PDF file provided by Shure. Custom mold are commonly found on high-end IEMs (or custom IEMs) where the transducers are part of the tips. However, custom molded tips can also be ordered to fit universal IEMs (IEMs that are designed to use soft plastic or foam tips). Recently, custom IEMs have become more and more popular in the mid-end IEM market too (like those found on Livewire and FREQ). The biggest advantage of custom molds is its fit. Since the mold is custom made to match each user, it ensures a perfect seal while providing the best comfort and SQ (which is why many musicians prefer custom molds).
Note: Eartips often found to have noticeable effect on sound quality of the IEM. You should always try different options of eartips to find the most preferable. For visual reference of different type of eartips, please visit this link. For visual reference of different IEMs' size, please visit this thread.
Eartips size
[Picture shows UE's eartips of various sizes] Choosing the correct tip size to use on your IEM ensures a perfect seal, which in turn translates into maximum comfort and high sound quality. Using a tip that is larger than needed often leaves the user with aburning sensation or pain in the ear canal within a very short period of use. Using a tip that is smaller than needed will result in either a weak seal or air/sound leakage. In such situation, the user will notice that bass is weaker than normal or not presented, and the IEM tips will fall out from the ear canal very easily. *One should note that despite having found the best fit, inserting a foreign object into the ear canal can feel very uncomfortable the first few times. In order to overcome this issue, a bit of patience is often needed in addition to choosing the correct type of tips of the right size.
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For Insertion and Removal of Foam Eartips Make sure the shiny side of the foam tips will be facing your eardrum when inserted. Compress the foam eartip by rolling it between your fingers. With the opposite hand, pull up and back on your ear to straighten your ear canal. Carefully insert the foam tip into the ear canal, holding the IEM in place until the foam expands to produce a seal.
Proper Usage:
Set the volume control of the audio source to minimum. Insert the 3.5mm IEM plug into the headphone jack. Set the volume control to a comfortable listening level. Using IEM while driving a motorized vehicle, operating machinery, bicycling or jogging is not recommended, because you may not be alerted to potential danger. Do not use the IEM at excessively loud levels (see more at section: IEM and Health). Do not pull on the cord to remove it from the jack or the ear. Avoid bending the barrel of the cord.
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IEM's basic Pros and Cons [+] Noise isolation = safer listening volume [+] Portability with great SQ [-] Maintenance Required [-] Narrow soundstage [-] Price/Performance ratio is lower than large size headphone.
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OK, I have a budget now, what class of IEM should I be looking of?
It is very difficult to divide IEMs of different SQ (and sometime, their price) into different classes. Here is a simplified and generalized point of view: For US$50 or less, you are looking at the Low Budget Class. Low budget class contains dynamic IEMs that provide relatively poor noise isolation (often using single flange tips) and SQ slightly better (or on par) than the iBud. This class of IEM generally is found to have a very colored sound signature, bloated bass, and harsh or no treble at all. In all, one can define them as a pair of acceptably good earbuds, but with isolation. For $50 to $100, you are looking at Entry Class IEM. In this class, you will find mostly dynamic IEMs with better SQ and one-way BA transducer IEMs. In this class, the SQ is generally considered to be better than your average earbud and able to compete with sub-$100 headphones. For $100 to $300, you are looking for Middle Class IEM. In this class, you will find dynamic and two-way BA transducer IEMs worthy of being classified as audiophile grade. You will also find budget custom IEM in this class, and often they are found to be very good for their price. Beyond $300, you are looking at High End IEMs. Many IEMs in this class are two-ways or above, offering SQ that can rival most big size headphones. If you really have that much money to spend, a custom IEM in this class can easily costs over $1000. Be wary of two things: Firstly, many Low Budget and Entry Class IEM are often overpriced by their manufacturers (to appear of a higher class than they actually are). Therefore, judging them by price alone will not suffice. Secondly, price is often determined by demand. Therefore, you should not use it as an absolute guide when buying an IEM. Sometime great IEMs are undervalued, and sometimes they are overvalued. The best way to determine an IEM's price/performance ratio is to read reviews and ask those who have more experience than you for advice. It would be ideal if you could audition your targeted IEM before paying for them, but unfortunately it is often rather difficult to do so. IEM is one of the most active sections of the headphone market, so reading past reviews often isnt enough to determine the actual value of an IEM. The simplest way to find you ideal IEM actually does require some work, and it is: research, research, and more research. Reminder: All of the above is just a simplified and generalized point of view. The actual market price might not truly reflect the value of the headphones.
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[UE11 Pro, costing over US$1000] Generally speaking, custom molded IEMs are very high quality, but come with a high price tag. If you are not one of those who has an unlimited budget, budget customs like LiveWires or HearYourSelf.com are among some of the best budget custom IEM makers out there, providing quality products with the advantage of custom while costing much less than products from big name companies like UE. A few things you might want to know before investing into Custom: 1) A good impression is essential for a good fit. DIY impression kits are very simple to use, but often the impression isn't as good as those from a professional. Trying to save money and time by using a DIY kit will sometimes end up costing you more time and money as you will need to redo the impression again and again to get a good fit. 2) Unlike universal IEMs, the product life cycle (how long you are expected to use the product) of custom IEMSs is quite short, often estimated to be less than 4 yrs. The reason is, your ears will keep growing / changing till you kick the dust, therefore your ears will change in a couple of years rendering your customs useless as they will no longer fit your ears. You should expect to get a new custom (or at least a remold of your old custom IEM) every few years in order to prolong its life. Note, many IEM companies do not re-shell / remold old IEM, thus you should ask the corresponding company about details of remolding service before ordering. There are companies in the market that do provide reshelling service for custom IEMs from another company, or even turning universal IEMs into customs. Of course, there are exceptions, and there are people who are able to use their custom for more than 4 years. The experience varies from person to person in different age groups, thus there is no definite answer to how long your custom will fit your ears. Generally speaking however, the younger a user is, the more likely a remold will be needed in a shorter period of time when compared to an older user.
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So I am ready to get some serious IEM, which companies should I be looking at?
If you believe you are ready to get into the serious (and often more expensive) part of the IEM games, here are a few IEM manufacturers that you might want to pay more attention to (in alphabetical order): Universal IEM brand list:
AIAIAI AKG Apple Atomic Floyd Audio-Technica BeyerDynamics Bose Brainwavz by MP4Nation Creative Cresyn (Korea) CrossRoads (Singapore) Denon DUNU (China) EarSonics (France) ECCI (China) Etymotic Final Audio Design (Japan) Fischer Audio (Russia) Future Sonics Grado Head-Direct / HiFiMAN Hippo (Singapore) j-phonic (Japan) JAYS JVC Kenwood Klipsch Maximo MEElectronics Microsonic Music Monster NuForce Ortofon (Japan) OVC (China) Phiaton Phonak (Swiss) Radius (Japan) Sennheiser Shure Sleek Audio SonoCore (Korea) Sony
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SoundMAGIC (China) Spider SunRise-Audio (Vietnam) Thinksound Ultimate Ears V-moda ViSang (China) Vsonic (China) Westone Woodees Xears (Germany)
1964 Ears (with reshell service, U.S.) Advanced Communication Solutions (UK) Alien Ears (with reshell service, U.S.) Ambient Acoustics (Ukraine) Canal Works (Japan) Clear Tune Monitors Compact Monitors (Germany) DRM Earz E.A.R. inc. EarPower (Italy) EarSonics (France) EarSound Customs Fabulous Earphones (Germany) Fidelity Custom Earphones Fisher Hearing (with reshell service, U.S.) FitEar (Japan) Future Sonics Insono (France) JH Audio Kozee Solution (with reshell service, U.S.) LiveWires Microsonic Music Minerva Hearing Protection (UK) Puretone Music Rooth (with resehll service, China, via Japan distributor) Sensaphonics Sleek Audio (with custom artwork service) Spiral Ear (Poland) StarKey Thousand Sound (China) Ultimate Ears Unique Melody (with reshell service, China) WanXuan (Hong Kong) Westone Xtreme Ears (Brazil)
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The above lists are not exclusive. There will always be new and better IEM / manufacturers waiting to be discovered, so check out the online forums and my website (InEarMatters.net) regularly. If you wish to see a company being added to the list, please don't hesitate to email me. ***The original LiveWires team is now separated into two companies. EarPeace Technologies (CA) is holding the original LiveWires brand name while In Ear Systems (TN) operates under new brand name "Fidelity Custom Earphones" and produce what seems to be the same dual driver IEM (plus new models as well).
References
Berge B, Pirzanski C, 2005. Ear canal dynamics: Facts versus perception. The Hearing Journal 58(10):50-8. Dean MS, Martin FN, 2000. Insert earphone depth and the occlusion effect. American Journal of Audiology 9: 131-4. Federman J, Picou E, 2009. Music and hearing protection: A call to action. Perspectives on Audiology 5(1): 3-9. Federman J, Ricketts T, 2008. Preferred and minimum acceptable listening levels for musicians while using floor and in-ear monitors. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 51(1):147-59. Fligor BJ, 2007. Hearing loss and iPods:What happens when you turn them to 11? The Hearing Journal 60(10):10-6. Fligor BJ, 2009. Risk for noise-Induced hearing loss from use of portable media players: A summary of evidence through 2008. Perspectives on Audiology 5(1): 10-20. Palmer CV, 2009. Affecting life-long habits of school-age musicians. Perspectives on Audiology 5(1): 21-7.
Etymotic - ER4 Instructions For Use Headroom - Ear Canal Headphones Headwize - A Quick Guide To Headphones Headwize - Judging Headphones For Accuracy Shure - Isolation of Shure earphones and NRR rating Shure - Diminished sound in one ear Shure - Static Electricity Discharge through Headphones / Earphones? Shure - Shure earphones and headphone amp? Shure - "burning in" earphones or "breaking in" earphones Shure - Cleaning and maintaining Earphones and Sleeves Shure - How can I tell which sleeve size I am using? Wikipedia -headphones Wikipedia -Psychoacoustics
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