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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.
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 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. 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) blocks noise and 2) forms a sealed acoustic chamber to achieve a fuller sound. To create such as 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 for comfort and 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 been used on stage very early on 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 the ease of naming, canalphones used in such system are referred as IEM. Later, as canalphone manufacturer began to make high quality canalphone available for the general consumer (iPod generation), the word IEM becomes 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 hard definition on 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 canalphone. For the purpose of this guide, we will refer to all canalphones as IEM.
[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.
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 think there is any difference.
Transducer types
There are two major types of transducer being used on IEM: Dynamic and Balanced Armature (BA) transducers.
[Picture of dynamic transducer] Dynamic (moving coil) transducer is often found on low to entry class IEM due to their easy availability and lower cost (relative to BA transducer). They commonly range from 8mm to 16mm in diameter. Dynamic transducer is 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 more about low end bass than actually hearing it. The downside of using dynamic transducer on IEM is its larger side. Also worth noting, many big brand name manufacturers use dynamic transducer of relatively low sound quality in their IEM, therefore you should avoid most of them as much as possible if sound quality is your priority. Of course, there are also IEM manufacturers specialize in producing high end dynamic transducer IEM, most noticeably Future Sonics, one of the very first IEM manufacturers.
[Pictures of BA transducer] BA transducer has the benefit of being really small, therefore you can easily find many IEM maker using two or three BA transducers in each side of their phone. By dedicating at least one of the BA transducer as a woofer, multi-ways IEM tend to perform better on bass than most single-way BA transducer IEM (but not always). The use of multiple BA transducers partially solves the bass problem as BA transducer moves a lot less air than dynamic transducer (and noticeably less low end bass). The downside of BA transducer 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, review of such type of IEM often contains mixed opinion. For more info about transducer, please visit wikipedia.
[Eartips of various kinds] Three types of eartips that can be commonly found on IEM: 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 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. User selects the size of the eartips based on their comfort of the seal. Beside custom mold, foam tips are generally being 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, Pg. 13). Foam tips made by Comply are often considered to be the most comfortable. Comply also manufacture different types of foam tips for different IEM. Unlike soft plastic tips, foam tips are often nozzles diameter specific and cannot be used on IEM with different nozzle diameter (unless modification has been made). Shure black foam is one of most popular foam tips in the market as they are quite comfortable and designed to be user cleanable (see section: Cleaning and maintaining your IEM 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 IEM (or custom IEM) where the transducers are part of the tips. However, custom molded tips can also be ordered to fit universal IEM (IEM that are designed to use soft plastic or foam tips). Recently, custom IEM has become more and more popular on mid-end IEM market too (like those found on Livewire and Alien Ears). The biggest advantage of custom mold 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 mold). Note: Eartips often found to have 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 the link to Head-fi.org. For visual reference of different IEMs' size, please visit this thread on Head-fi.org
Eartips size
[Picture shows UE's eartips of various sizes] Choosing the correct eartips size to use on IEM ensures a perfect seal, which in term translate to better comfort and improved sound quality. Using an eartip that is larger than needed often left the user with burning sensation or pain in the ear canal with in a very short period of use. Using an eartip that is smaller than needed will result in either a weak seal or air/sound leakage. In such situation, 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 the best fit, inserting a foreign object into the ear canal can feel very uncomfortable in the first few times. In order to overcome this issue, choosing the right type of tips of the right size and a bit of patient is often needed.
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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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Note 1: Experiment done by Head-fier has shown that by gently dipping the foam in pharmacys grade peroxide solution (also known as eardrop, often used for dissolving earwax) for a short period of time (15 minutes or so) can partially clean the foam and extend its lifespan. The same principle applies to user removable filter and earwax clot on nozzle opening.
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The easy way of telling which IEM needs amping is contained in the spec. The general guideline is, IEM that have less than 50 ohms impedance and more than 98 dB on sensitivity most certainly doesn't require an amp to sound at its best.
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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 IEM of different SQ (and sometime, their price) into different classes. Here is my point of view: For US$50 or less, you are looking at the Low Budget Class. Low budget class contents dynamic IEMs that provide relatively small noise isolation (which often found to use single flanges tips) and SQ slightly better (or on par) of iBud. Such class of IEM generally is found to have very colored sound signature, bloated bass, harsh or no treble at all. In all, one can define them as a pair of acceptably good earbud, but with isolation. For $50 to $100, you are looking at Entry Class IEM. In this class, you will find mostly dynamic IEM with better SQ and one-way BA transducer IEM. In such class, the SQ is generally considered to be better than your average earbud and able to compete with sub-$100 headphone. For $100 to $300, you are looking for Middle Class IEM. In this class, you will find dynamic and two-way BA transducers IEM worthy of being classified as audiophile's 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 IEM. Many IEM 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 warned of two things: First, many Low Budget and Entry Class IEM are often overpriced by their manufacturers (to appear as a higher class), therefore judging them by price only will not suffice. Second, prices are often determined by demand, therefore you should not use it as an absolute guide when buying an IEM. Sometime great IEM is undervalued, and sometime it is overvalued. The best way of determine IEM's price/performance ratio is to read reviews, and ask those who has more experience for advice. It would be most perfect if you can audition your targeted IEM before paying for them, but unfortunately it is rather difficult to find such a place. IEM is one of the most active sections of the headphone market, so reading pass review often isnt enough to determine the actual value of an IEM. The simplest way to find you ideal IEM actually does require some works and it is research, research, and more research. Reminder: All of the above is just my point of view.
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[UE11 Pro, costing over US$1000] Generally speaking, custom molded IEM are very good in quality, but with a high price tag. If you are not those who have an unlimited budget, budget custom 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 yet cost much less than products from big name companies like UE. Check out the next chapter for more IEM makers. A few things you might want to know before investing into Custom: 1) A good impression is essential for a good fit. DIY impression kit is very simple to use, but often the impression isn't as good as those from professional. Trying to save cost and time by using DIY kit sometime will cost more time and money as you will need to redo the impression again and again to get a good fit. 2) Unlike universal IEM, the product life cycle (how long you are expected to use the product) of custom 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 thus render your custom useless as it isn't custom to your ear anymore. 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 shell life. Note, many IEM companies do not re-shell / remold old IEM, thus you should ask the corresponding company about detail of remolding service before ordering. There are companies in the market that do provide reshelling service for custom IEM from another company, or even turning universal IEM into custom. There are also exceptions that people are able to use their custom for more than 4 yrs. The experience varies from person to person on different age group thus there is no definite answer to how long your custom will fit your ears. Generally speaking, the younger you are, the more likely you will need to a new mold sooner.
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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:
AKG Apple Audio-Technica BeyerDynamics Bose Creative Cresyn (Korea) CrossRoads (Singapore) Denon Dunu (China) ECCI (China) Etymotic Fischer Audio (Russia) Future Sonics Head-Direct / HiFiMAN Hippo (Singapore) JAYS JVC Kenwood Klipsch Maximo MEElectronics Microsonic Music Monster NuForce Ortofon (Japan) OVC (China) Phiaton Phonak (Swiss) Radius (Japan) Roland Sennheiser Shure Sleek Audio Sony SoundMAGIC (China) SunRise (China) Ultimate Ears V-moda Vsonic (China) Westone Woodees
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Advanced Communication Solutions (UK) Alien Ears Compact Monitors (Germany) E.A.R. inc. EarSonics (France) EarSound Customs Fidelity Custom Earphones Fisher Hearing (with reshell service, U.S.) FitEar (Japan) Future Sonics iNCREDIBLE eARS Insono (France) JH Audio LiveWires *** Microsonic Music Null Audio (Reshell only, Singapore) Sensaphonics Sleek Audio StarKey Ultimate Ears Unique Melody (with reshell service) Westone
The above list is not exclusive. There will always be new and better IEM / manufacturers waiting for us to discover, 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" but producing what seems to be the same dual driver IEM (plus new models).
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References
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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