# Bleedin Headphones



## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

The left speaker in my etymotic 4's has just gone really quiet. The same thing happened with a pair of goldring 2000's that only lasted a week. I seem to have no luck with earphones. Can anyone recommend some good in ears with good sound quality and build quality suitable for rock/ metal that wont break the bank as I'm not spending Â£140 to get a replacement pair of etymotics.


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

Is the problem always with the left channel? If so, you might want to check your source components. We are talking here about some fairly miniature components and if you send your amp into clipping at high volume ( easily done on some music passages) then you are frying your coil. Etymotic is a good product.


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## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

Pretty sure its not the source. Well I know its not. The goldrings died after a week on my old phone, these etymotics have been fine on all different sources from phones to ipods to elec drums to bass amps.

Just went to listen to some music in the garden on my iphone and the left channel is whisper quiet. They were fine yesterday and Ive tried the original Iphone pair in the phone and they work fine.

Either that or my left ear has gone deaf suddenly.


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

My wife has been wearings hearing aids now for about a year. She has this pamphlet on the care of the aids. The inside of the ear is at 37c with almost 100% humidity.( Tropical environment) A lot of moisture can get inside and cause premature failure. It is necessary to clean after each use and store in a special moisture absorbing container. ( Watch box with silica gel packets will do just fine) When you spend $5000 for hearing aids, you make darn sure you follow the instructions and thank god for health insurance.


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## minkle (Mar 17, 2008)

BlueKnight said:


> My wife has been wearings hearing aids now for about a year. She has this pamphlet on the care of the aids. The inside of the ear is at 37c with almost 100% humidity.( Tropical environment) A lot of moisture can get inside and cause premature failure. It is necessary to clean after each use and store in a special moisture absorbing container. ( Watch box with silica gel packets will do just fine) When you spend $5000 for hearing aids, you make darn sure you follow the instructions and thank god for health insurance.


$5000 jesus!

Thanks for the info Mike, that will probably explain why i go through headphones quickly too.


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## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

Hmm could be that. Ive been out side all day too, I was hoping to relax in the sun (curently 28 degrees C here) and listen to some music. I guess its possible the earphones have fried cos of the humidity and moisture.

Any reccomendations for something to replace them with?


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## minkle (Mar 17, 2008)

Tom Radford said:


> Any reccomendations for something to replace them with?


I've set myself a budget now with them and got some Creative ones that have lasted quite a while now! They were on offer on Amazon so thought i'd try them.

Avoid Sony, all the ones i have had have been quiet stright out the packet.

Cant say anything about the higher end stuff because i've not had any for a few years now.


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

Tom Radford said:


> Any reccomendations for something to replace them with?


As I mentioned in my previous post, your earphones are a top shelf product. Buy a very cheap brand first then see if the problem re-occurs with the same set of circumstances. No sense paying big bucks if it's only a maintenance problem.


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## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

I've bought some cheap Sound Magic PL30's. Only Â£20 but got good reviews. See how they fare.


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

Etymotics are pretty good, so I read.

Aside from the way-overpriced Bose In-ear Triports that I'm using from time to time now (I got them free with my credit card rewards points), I don't know much more than what I read on Head-fi.org. Lot, and I mean a LOT, of seriously overfunded gadget boys, who drop US$1350 for some custom-ear insert headphones that are supposed to be aural nirvana.

Lately the ThinkSound Rain and Thunder got good reviews, good VFM. Since something in your equipment, or something in the way you're using it, is burning out earphones, I'd buy cheap. ThinkSounds would be good. (Rain are flat, Thunders have more bass -- matter of taste.) If you can get the Apple in-ears (not the ones that come with iPods, but the replacement ones) cheaply, they get high marks too (for what they are).

FYI

EnGadget had a "IEM blowout" test with recommendations in each of three price ranges. Shure had some good ones in that comparison. Check it out.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Tom Radford said:


> I've bought some cheap Sound Magic PL30's. Only Â£20 but got good reviews. See how they fare.


Good move Tom, I look forward to your thoughts on them. Audio equipment has always followed the law of diminishing returns with a dedication similar to that of a religious order.

I must dig my old (1979) Linn LP12 out of the loft at some point, if nothing else, it looked the part.


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## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

Ahhah!!

Just fixed my Etymotics!

I forgot they have a built in filter, tiny little thing about 1mm long between the speaker and end of the "speaker tube" where the bud slides on.

Pulled them out with the supplied tool and replaced them for new ones and good as new.

Must have been blocked with some wax or gunk.

Oh well, going to have some cheapie spares now too.


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

Right on...!


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

Oh...! You never thought to clean it?


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## Tom Radford (Apr 28, 2009)

David Spalding said:


> Oh...! You never thought to clean it?


Nope, the Etymotics were my first "proper" set of in ears and I completely forgot they had filters in them.

Oh a good note, the Soundmagic PL30's have arrived.

Wow...

For Â£20 I really cant see why the Etymotics are Â£140. The bass response on the PL30's waaay better than the Etymotics. Ive just done a direct comparision, same song, with both of sets of earphones, and I actually prefer the PL30's.

I've tried several genres from drum n bass to pop to metal and the PL30's seem to have a better range. The Etymotics seem a little flat after using the PL30's for a while.

Very impressed. They come with a neat little case, over ear hooks, and a whole range of ear buds from large to small.

I shall give them a fair trial and see how they are after a week or two.


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## Disco You (Jun 22, 2010)

You can;t go wrong with sennheiser cx300's in my opinion. I've got some and know loads of people with them, they're all as happy as I am.


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## rooi neus (Dec 9, 2010)

I can vouch for the Sound Magic PL30's too. Amazing sound for the price.


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