3 February, 2008

How to use in-ear canal headphones

I upgraded my iPod's headphones a few weeks ago.

I hadn't been using the ugly and notoriously mediocre ones which came with the mp3 player, of course, and I wasn't exactly dissatisfied with the Sony 'outer-ear' earphones (these, I think) which have served me well for years, but I'd become aware that their output was audible to others and I suspected their quality could be improved upon.

I specifically didn't want 'proper', ear-enclosing headphones linked by a headband, partly for carrying-conveniece, partly because I don't like wearing them and partly because I simply don't need expensive hi-fidelity headphones: if I listen to music through headphones, it tends to be 192kbps mp3s at work, in the street or whilst moving around my house, rather than CD-quality tracks given my full attention in a darkened room.
Hence, taking advice from experts at the Porcupine Tree Forum (PTF), I selected a pair of Sennheiser CX-300 in-ear canal headphones.

My immediate impression was split:

• "Wow, these are clear!" Even in the limited circumstances described above, I was inside the music, clearly hearing nuances I hadn't even noticed before. Wonderful.
• "Wow, these are tinny!" Despite the claim of 'bass-driven sound' on the packaging, my new headphones had a drastically weaker bass response than my (far cheaper) old ones. Disappointing.

Which brings me to the point of this entry: things can be done to optimise the experience, and I'd have been mistaken to dismiss the Sennheisers as a bad buy.

Firstly, speakers need to be broken-in. The effect on in-ear headphones won't be as dramatic as on over-ear headphones or full speakers (i.e. items with larger drivers), but audio quality will increase a short while after one starts to use them, not immediately. The PTF gurus suggest that 20-30 hours should be enough. A recommendation is to leave new headphones attached to a CD player (on repeat) for a few working days, but not to break them in with one continuous session.
Actually, I didn't do that, but I've certainly noticed an improvement with time, and the initial, attention-grabbing tinniness has gone.

Secondly, the fit in one's ear canal is particularly important. Three sizes of rubber sleeves were provided; I found the medium most comfortable, but the larger size provided markedly deeper sound (and isn't uncomfortable). There is a risk of overdoing the effect, and introducing a subtle 'dullness' which might be merely mistaken for a proper bass response. Be careful. I might continue to experiment.