In-Ear

In-ear headphones are everywhere – iPod users know them as the instantly-recognizable round, white little earbuds. As the name indicates, in-ear headphones sit in your ear. They’re more portable than over-ear and on-ear headphones, and can be easily stashed away with your MP3 player when not in use. There are two types of earbud headphones: ones that rest in the ear, or ones that protrude into the ear canal, otherwise known as canalphones. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Outside Ear Canal
The iPod’s earbuds are examples of this kind of headphone. Found most often with MP3 players, these headphones sit outside the ear canal without protruding directly inside. These are known for their convenience, inexpensiveness, and portability, but there are downsides, as well. These earbuds are more likely to fall out than ones that sit securely in the ear canal. In addition, these headphones aren’t capable of producing the same kind of dynamic range as full-sized headphones and canalphones, which causes many users to raise the volume of the music they’re listening to. At a higher volume, users are at more of a risk for hearing damage.

Canalphones
Canalphones are inserted directly into the ear canal, and have a similar portability to earbuds that sit outside the ear canal. A number of different sizes are often available to fit an individual’s ear comfortably. The padding around the earbud is most often made of silicone rubber, elastomer, or foam for comfort and noise reduction. These headphones aren’t for everyone, though – some find them to be overly invasive and don’t like how much ambient sound the earbuds block out. It’s best to try them out first before picking up a pair.

Who Should Use Them?
In ear headphones are great for sports enthusiasts – wearing on- or over-ear headphones while working out is often uncomfortable. They’re also great for portable music devices, and can be easily stored in a pocket or small purse. They’re not often great at cancelling noise, especially earbuds that sit outside the ear canal, so in-ear headphones aren’t best for frequent fliers.

Apple iPhone 3G S Headphones Review

The iPhone 3G S is here, and it comes with some freebie headphones. We tested these headphones. They're not great, but they aren't nearly as bad as we would have guessed.
	Added on 2009-06-22 10:21:00

Shure SE115 Headphones Review

SE115 The SE115s are Shure's new entry-level edition in their popular SE series of in-ear headphones. At first glance, there isn't much to separate the SE115s from the rest of Shure's options. They have the same design, their performance results have similar trends, and the headphones come with similar sleeve options. The main thing you'll notice are the SE115s don't come with Shure's regular batch of extras.

Added on
2009-05-06 05:14:00

Shure SE530 Headphones Review

SE530 The SE530s are at the high end of Shure's in-ear options. Like other Shure in-ears, the SE530s come with a variety of extras, such as eight different sets of sleeves, an optional volume control, and an optional remote and mic. The S530s have a modular cord, meaning it's a bit under a foot and a half long. This is ideal for connecting to a media player in an arm band. The headphones also come with an extension cord that makes them a typical length for a set of in-ears.

Added on
2009-04-14 08:44:00

Phiaton PS200 Headphones Review

The PS200s are Phiaton's first entry into the in-ear headphones arena. Their packaging looks fancy and their price, $250 says great quality, but our testing showed the PS200s would be more comfortably priced as entry-level models.
	Added on 2009-04-02 19:52:00