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May 9, 2007

music

Canalbuds: how they feel, sound, and behave

Posted May. 9, ’07, 2:41 PM PT by Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen
Category | Music

creativecanalbuds.jpg

You may remember that I was seeking a replacement for my white iPod earbuds, specifically in the form of canalbud-style earbuds. If you don’t remember, you might want to pop over to my previous post to refresh your memory about in-ear-canal headphones and the various flavors they come in, or read Playlist’s article on the matter for more complete details.

I examined all of your excellent recommendations, and finally settled on the Creative EP-630. Dan Frakes, the iPod accessory guru, described V-Moda’s Vibe canalbuds (review) as his new favorite, but the $101 price tag was a tad too high for me (I know, I’m cheap). The EP-630 model is virtually identical to the excellent Sennheiser CX300 (review), save for a Y-shaped cable as opposed to the CX300’s asymmetrical one. Plus, I found them here in Canada for only CND$32. As a first-time canalbud user, here are my impressions.

First, what do they really feel like? As they partially block outside noise (more on that later), their silicon eartips fill up your ear canal. In a way, it feels as if you’d put a finger in your ear (of course, they’re more comfortable, thankfully!). The feeling is weird as first, almost awkward, but I got used to it in a few days, and now it feels normal and natural. Traditional earbuds give the impression the music is coming from the outside; canalbuds make it feel like the sound comes from inside your ears themselves, something that may initially be creepy, but more immersive. More after the jump.

Real in-ear headphones, while also sounding much better, block more external noise than canalbuds, which may be a good or bad thing. I haven’t tried the true in-ear variety, but I’ll try to give you a good idea of how much noise canalbuds seal out, provided they’re properly pushed into your ear canals and your volume is not set at insane levels.

You’ll definitely know when a vehicle or subway car is approaching. If you someone close by talks to you, you’ll probably be able to make out what they’re saying, but faraway voices are inaudible. Softer background sounds such as wind blowing fallen leaves are pretty much completely sealed out as well.

The main reason why noise blocking is good concerns your ear health. When listening in a loud environment, the natural reflex it too turn up the volume to compensate — and therefore gradually damage your hearing. With the world’s noise not being as big of a factor, your iPod will only need slight adjustments when moving between your home, the street, and the subway.

While canalbuds block some external sounds, they mildly amplify internal sounds. What I mean is that noise that navigates through your body will be heard in your ears. For example, eating a cracker produces a loud crunching sound, and you can feel your feet’s vibrations when running heavily. Another annoyance is that when the headphone cable hits or brushes against an object, the sound of that collision will be reproduced in your ears, something you really notice at first.

A few points specific to the Creative EP-630 and, consequentially, to the Sennheiser CX300 as well. They’re very small and light, and the cable has a rubbery feel. The box contains three sets of silicon tips to accommodate your ear size (the medium size should fit most people). For my non-audiophile ears, they sound much better than Apple’s white earbuds (the sound is much “fuller”, with stronger bass and good detail, though the treble can be a little weak).

So what’s the verdict? It all depends on how and where you use your iPod.

If you don’t care too much about sound quality and use your iPod mostly at home, on quiet streets, or in the country, canalbuds or in-ear headphones are probably unnecessary. If you do demand slightly better sound quality than the standard iPod earbuds but also seek portability, alternative earbuds like V-Moda’s M-Class or Sennheiser’s MX400 models could be good options.

On the other hand, if you often take your iPod on the bus or subway and walk on busy city streets, canalbuds are very appealing. As I mentioned before, you won’t need to significantly turn up the volume to really enjoy your tunes, and the experience is more immersive. If you walk a lot, you might want to make sure the headphone cable doesn’t move too much or bang against your body, as it’ll produce the annoying sounds I described earlier.

Canalbuds are not for everyone, but they offer a great balance of external noise blocking, sound quality, and convenient portability. Of course, this is only one guy’s opinion using one model, so I’d love to hear your experiences and opinions. Also feel free to ask any questions, and I’ll answer as best I can.


3 Comments

Moe said:

Boy, is this a timely post. Someone just broke into my car last week and took my digital camera and my Etymotic $150 headphones. They sounded great but left me with a sharp pain if I wore them for more than one hour. However, I've been wanting to use canalbuds for my next purchase and your post helped me decide on what should be my next purchase. I found them in Amazon for $52.00. Plus, they are black and match my soon to come iPhone.

May 10, 2007 6:42 AM
Walt Basil said:

For those of you who have ever used the in-ear ear plugs, for swimming or perhaps at a shooting range, that’s exactly what these types of headphones will sound like. All internal body sounds become amplified – swallowing, breathing, etc. Using these types of ear phones will be much like that, only you’ll have your music to “drown” out all those bodily nuances.

May 10, 2007 7:24 AM
Michael said:

I recently purchased a pair of Sony MDR-EX51LP. ~40 USD from Radio Shack. Similar review of main article, cord noise is annoying at first but you get used to it. Great bass and treble is decent too. I'd definitely recommend for those that like earbuds. I've tried "in ear" and they were too annoying to keep taking out/in. Canal buds are easier/faster to use.

May 10, 2007 7:34 AM

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