Inner ear headphones - monitors

[dern]

Anyone heard of a specific type of inner ear headphones called monitors? I'm looking for a pair of earphones that play music (obviously) but block all (or as much as possible) background noise and are as effective as earplugs. I'm told they are called monitors.

Anyone know what I'm on about and where I can get some?

Ta,

Mark

[jimothy]

Monitors are speakers/headphones that reflect as true a picture of the sound as possible. Very expensive but very accurate.

If you want headphones that block out as much other noise as possible, try Bose. They do some (always advertised on planes). Or seihnesser do some that are moulded to your ears.

[chim_knee]

You could also try Etymotic. They are very expensive but, apparently, are the dogs-doo-dahs.

[dern]

Thanks guys.

The application is that I want to listen to my mp3 player on my bike. I always wear ear plugs because the wind noise is so great that it can effect your hearing long term. If I use normal inner earphones that let all external noise in then you tend to turn up the stereo to compensate so you end up going deaf more quickly.

Cheers,

Mark

Edited to add: motorbike, not push bike

>> Edited by dern on Wednesday 26th January 14:57

[AllTorque]

I recommend these:

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008XYJL/qid=1106751519/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_3_1/202-8429762-6399055

No fancy technology, but they have a set of silicon buds which actually fit inside your lug-holes and expand to the correct size. When they're in, you can't hear anything except your heartbeat, even with the music off. Bit disconcerting actually....

[thebluemonkey]

IIRC the etymotics will accept a fitting for earplugs which are made by an audiologist. Probably a very expensive way to go but you'll end up with no noise and perfect music reproduction.

[JonRB]

Sony do active noise-cancelling in-ear headphones. Perhaps they would fit the bill?

Edit: Quick Amazon search shows they are around £85 - see here

>> Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 26th January 15:16

[Incorrigible]

Monitors are what you use to monitor sound, subtly different to speakers headphones etc (although you can get monitor speakers too)

The inside ear ones you're talking about are the ones you see musicians using on telly

Is that what you want, or do you want a set of headphones ??

Get ear monitors from a music shop (get more info from harmony-central.com)

[Incorrigible]

Dern

Just seen your second post sorry, my last one was probably not much use, Although I've never used in ear monitors they might well work

Another option would be speakers in your lid, there is a company that specialises in fitting them. Predicatably I can't remmber who they are, sorry

[dern]

Incorrigible said:

Monitors are what you use to monitor sound, subtly different to speakers headphones etc (although you can get monitor speakers too) The inside ear ones you're talking about are the ones you see musicians using on telly Is that what you want, or do you want a set of headphones ?? Get ear monitors from a music shop (get more info from harmony-central.com)

I want a set of inner ear headphones that block external noise that I can were under my motorbike helmet.

I'm going on a trip to france this summer and last time we went we spent quite a lot of time on the motorway which was pretty dull and some music would be quite pleasant.

I'm not averse to spending a reasonable amount (my headphones at home cost me >100 much to wife's horror) and I'll investigate all the options suggested so far.

Thanks,

Mark

[g4ry13]

Shure E2C are meant to be very good. here

>> Edited by g4ry13 on Wednesday 26th January 15:43

[dern]

Incorrigible said:

Just seen your second post sorry, my last one was probably not much use, Although I've never used in ear monitors they might well work Another option would be speakers in your lid, there is a company that specialises in fitting them. Predicatably I can't remmber who they are, sorry

No worries. The speaker in the lid probably wouldn't work as I have to wear earplugs in the lid while riding at speed as a hell of a lot of wind noise is generated and that on it's own can degrade your hearing over time. Speakers would have to overcome the wind noise and would therefore increase the overall volume and send me deaf more quickly.

Cheers,

Mark

[dern]

g4ry13 said:

Shure E2C are meant to be very good. here

That looks exactly what I'm after, thanks.

Did you read the last line of the last review?...

AH! and one final point, not a good one. Wearing these earphones will almost certainly make some moron/matrix geek say "Mr Anderson, remember me?"



Mark

[Incorrigible]

[redacted]

[mr_tony]

picked up some cheap and cheerful panasonic xbs phones today. Seem to block most external noise and are pretty darn loud. 24 quid in dixons.

OF course proper audio quality inner ear phones are going to block more sound but thye'll cost a lot more.

Headphone wise I always found in the studio that sennheiser sp25S were the loudest things you could get - as preferred by many djs at the time as you could still hear them in a club to mix the next tune... (probably illegal now...)

[dern]

Incorrigible said:

Not sure, I thought the high end jobbies had some sort of noise canceling stuff in them/with them. they literally work out the sound coming in and cancellit out by playing a negative noise back at it. Bloody clever

It does sounds clever.

The reservations I have are that it's active and may simply stop working or the batteries die and that it probably won't work outside a certain range just like speakers and and microphones do and it might let stuff through outside that range that I can't hear and the first I'd know of any damage done is that I suddenly can't hear that well any more.

I'm not knocking the suggestion it's just that I'm not sure I entirely trust it in the environment I want to use it in.

Thanks anyway,

Mark

[Incorrigible]

dern said:

I'm not knocking the suggestion it's just that I'm not sure I entirely trust it in the environment I want to use it in.

Yeah, know what you mean, it does get quite bloody loud in a bike lid at 1.6 kleptons

I should try those shure ones then. I've got quite a bit of shure kit (microphones mainly) and it's all really well built

Lets us know how you get on, I might have to invest in some myself Motorhead for the next track day then

[rugbyfiend]

dern said:

g4ry13 said: Shure E2C are meant to be very good. here That looks exactly what I'm after, thanks. Mark

I've got a pair of these and they are very good, however wearing them for prolonged periods (2 hours plus) they do start to hurt my ears a bit. Something to be aware of if you are intending on keeping them on for a while whilst on motorways in france.

[Uriel]

I've never tried them, but people I know that have rave about Etymotic ER4s from www.etymotic.com/

[popov123]

dern said:

Anyone heard of a specific type of inner ear headphones called monitors? I'm looking for a pair of earphones that play music (obviously) but block all (or as much as possible) background noise and are as effective as earplugs. I'm told they are called monitors. Anyone know what I'm on about and where I can get some? Ta, Mark

I use this system with my band - (drummer using click tracks)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=23786&item=3778283625&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

Ive found it to be pretty reliable.

Only downside of these things is they need a good quality battery in them, (cr@p ones last approx 7 seconds ) - a duracell will probably last 5-10 hours. Once the battery dies so does your sound!

The earphones themselves are very good, the foam inserts will need replacement at relatively short intervals as well if you are using them regularly - They get dirty however cleans your lugs are!