Want an IEM that actually stays in my ears when exercising, £100 tops.

[pbirkett]

Currently using a pair of Sennheiser CX300s which I think are pretty good bang for the buck, but the problem is I seem to struggle to get them to stay in my ears.

I've tried all sorts, I've tried the medium tips but its very difficult to get a good seal with those as they are just a smidge too small. The larger tips can give a decent seal but only at an angle and they very rarely stay in my ears for long before i lose the seal.

I use these at the gym, so it would be good to have something a lot more secure.

I have some criteria:-

They must:-

* Stay in the ears securely - as I've just said
* Be very sensitive, the output of my Creative Zen Stone seems rather low
* Have powerful and punchy bass. I like my bass, and again, the Zen Stone seems rather light on it.
* Be easy to use. I tried my mates Shure E2Cs once and I found them cumbersome, not to mention uncomfortable. I also didnt think they sounded any better than the CX300.
* Be less than £100 tops. Actually I'd prefer it to be significantly less if possible, but I'd consider anything up to that price if it was really worth it sound quality wise.
* Be a good upgrade to the CX300 sound quality
* Not require an amp to get the most out of them - no way will i ever be carrying a portable headphone amp - I've just never seen the point.

Thats it. Dont want much do I?

[LFC_SL]

CX300 are semi-canal 'phones, not InEarMonitors

To explain how I use the term, IEMs offer various tips of shapes, materials and sizes to go much deeper into your ear canal than what you find on the high street

CX300 I regard as canal 'phones as they sit at the entrance of your ear canal, Fine if you are merely walking but try jumping on the spot and see how long they stay in, let alone exercise

Now that I have brushed that chip off my shoulder , I would advise the Westone UM1 or UM2. I got my UM2s for £125 second hand, and another member recently tracked them down for around that price to give you an idea

Or possibly Etymotic ER6i's

I am reluctant to recommend Shure's as having recently sold my E4G's I much prefer the unfiddly nature of the UM2s which are as easy to fit as normal earbuds. I will pepsi challenge this claim any day of the week

Thanks

P.S. Portable amps do make a difference. If you are ever down south I would invite you to try my RSA Tomahawk. However definitely have no place whilst exercising

[HiFi Headphones]

If you have smaller ears then I would stay away from the Sennheiser CX range (CX300, CX400, CX500, etc) as they have relatively large earphone body that causes problems with fit. We have had a number of customers comment that they have problems with the earphone body causing the earphone to pop out.

We've done a bit of testing at HiFi Headphones (we have a member of staff who has small ears!) and found that the Goldring GX200 was the best fit for a small ear. It's 'round the corner' design of the ear tip means it is easy and comfortable to fit. The GX200 also comes with Comply Foam ear tips that ensure a really comfortable fit.

The Klipsch Image X10 and Sleek Audio SA6 are two other earphones that are very small and easy to fit due to their single driver design, but they are way over budget for you.

[RohanM]

Sort of related, and sort of not: but I recently got some Comply tips for my Denons and they make a real difference to comfort - and stay in better than using the supplied silicone tips. Sound quality is also excellent (a touch warmer and fuller).

So, if you don't go for the full IEM -type devices, than adding/using Comply foam tips will help. In my opinion, anyway.

[pbirkett]

Thanks lads, i've narrowed it down to these:-

Klipsch Image X5
Sleek Audio SA6
Futuresonic Atrio M5
Westone UM1
Goldring GX200

[pbirkett]

Think I've decided to go for the Goldring GX200.

I was tempted by the Sleek ones but I think they'd be overkill for my needs / Mp3 player. The Goldring ones look to be a very good price for the performance, the only slight doubts i have with them is reliability / durability, but its so much cheaper than the others that its worth a punt.

[fizzyhair]

look at the "shure" stuff. Its a good alternative to the senny stuff

[pbirkett]

Originally Posted by fizzyhair

look at the "shure" stuff. Its a good alternative to the senny stuff

Originally Posted by pbirkett

Be easy to use. I tried my mates Shure E2Cs once and I found them cumbersome, not to mention uncomfortable. I also didnt think they sounded any better than the CX300.

[moogen]

I too am interested in some IEM's for gym, seems i have relatively small ear canals as well, i attempted to use my old Sony ex70's in the gym, but i sweat like a bastud after 10mins workout and they just kept falling out, I need something that hooks round my ears and stays pressed in. Do the foam inserts stay in better?

ANyone out there who sweats like a demon and has small ear canals vouch for that list above? I want to be able to go jogging and go in gym with these, without having to push them back in every minute.

So far only my Koss Headphones or Sennheiser PMX70's have done the trick, i too have a Zen stone which has a relatively low output in comparism to an ipod, and both let in alot of external noise.

MAny thanks.

[moogen]

Fyi i ended up going for the Soundwise S6 earphones. These have great reviews, alot of joggers etc recommend them.