Tread lightly on the things of earth

I recently moved into a cube farm at work that would make Dilbert shudder. Feels like I’m sitting in a football-field-sized floor of cubicles — which themselves sit on elevated flooring that makes noise when anyone walks by — in the midst of people who are paid to talk on the phone all day.

For me, this extracubular jibber-jabber leads to Work Not Happening. I had to take steps to keep out the extraneous sounds, for sanity as well as productivity.

Some Googling led to this overview of sound-reduction options, which led me to this enthusiastic review of Etymotic ER-4P “noise isolating earphones,” which I’d never heard of.

Took me two days to go from “no flippin’ way” on seeing the price tag to “shoot, I really need these.” Three days later I had a package in hand from CustomEarsets.com. Staring at the package, I felt like Stuart, who says in the review —

I bought them safe in the knowledge that this was quite possibly the stupidest, most irresponsible purchase I had made in quite some considerable time; but that “Hey what the heck, I hadn’t done anything as unfathomably dumb in quite some time and so it was probably about time I did”. And I can honestly say that they have made a believer out of me. I almost feel religious about them.

Oh man, not only can I not hear anything of the outside world with these things occupying my cranial sanctum, the sound quality is transporting me outside this world. What’s playing on my computer is being darn near hardwired into my brain. Oh! Oh! The bliss of it! (I am an aural person, as you might infer.)

Like now, I’m listening to Loreena McKennitt as presented in streaming Hearts of Space program #469, The Book of Secrets. Loreena is singing like an angel inside my head. Heaven must be a little like this.

(I listened to Hearts of Space radio broadcasts back in the 1980s, and then lost track when my local public radio station stopped carrying it. Now I find all Hearts of Space programs back to 1984 are online as streaming Real audio available by subscription. It’s a glorious rediscovery, as is my renewed friendship with the new-and-improved Live365 Internet radio wonderland.)

The very best listening bionicry appears to be Ultimate Ears’ UE-5c™ “personal monitors,” reviewed here. Going to an audiologist for custom-molded earpieces, as you must do to procure these, seems like a near-ultimate luxury to me. Maybe someday.

2004-04-14 update: The primary reason I bought these earbuds from CustomEarsets.com (aka Radio Partner) was to keep open the inexpensive option of custom earpieces that are For My Ears Only. That seemed like one of the most luxurious aspects of the top-of-the-line UE-5c™ personal monitors.

In the case of this custom earset, however, no audiologist required (as nice as that would be). You pack your own ears with a self-mixed slippery casting material supplied by Radio Partner, let it harden, remove, then send the resulting earcasts to them. About three weeks later you receive your personalized earset. Carefully twist the ER-4P sound barrels into the earset pieces according to instructions, and you’re set.

My custom earset arrived yesterday. The earset pieces are fleshy and odd-looking, but sure enough they fit my ears perfectly. The ER-4P sound seems to me as high quality as with the supplied white plastic flange tips but wearing this custom earset seems noticeably more comfortable.

These block external sounds almost but not quite as completely as the white tips, which is an advantage to me: people were coming into my cubicle and moving their mouths randomly, seemed to me, until I’d get an earbud extracted from my head enough to hear them. Now I can make out what they’re saying without the theatrics (theirs and mine).

After I’ve used these custom earpieces for a while, I’ll note whether I’m as pleased with them as I’ve been without them. Regardless, I’m elated at having discovered more soul-stirring music in the last six weeks (via Hearts of Space) than I’ve found in the last six years. I had forgotten how music — especially well-reproduced music — feeds my soul.

2004-07-02 update:
Another make that looks good is Future Sonics ear monitors, but I haven’t investigated yet.

2004-11-18 update:
As long as I’m daydreaming about high-end canalphones, lindrone writes convincingly about the Sensaphonics ProPhonic 2X-S relative to the Etymotic ER-4 and Shure E5c and the Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pro, complete with numerous photos. Thanks, lindrone.

2004-11-21 update:
Tyson makes an excellent point that’s crucial for best listening results, a subtle point that’s taken me 9+ months to realize (duh). Even though he’s talking about Sensaphonics 2X-Softs, this applies to Ety ER-4Ps as well:

Comfort and sound quality can definitely be affected by how you insert them and seal them. I find that there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. The wrong way is to simply twist them in and leave them like that. If I do that, I find there is a sort of “suction” feel, almost like a vacuum was created in my ear. This is pretty uncomfortable to me over time, and I also notice that it has the effect of dulling the high frequency quite a bit. I find that once I have them inserted, if I pull up and back on my ear lobe, it breaks the seal momentarily, allowing the pressure to be “equalized” in my ear, so that I don’t have a suction sensation. When I release my earlobe it re-seals without that suction feeling and the comfort and sound quality are greatly improved.

Thanks, Tyson.

2005-12-27 overdue custom earpiece update:
A year ago I took a deep breath and sprung for the Sensaphonics [ProPhonic] Soft 2X and have had one foot in heaven since. Upon procuring the audiologist-made earmolds, as was necessary for the Sensas, then using the resulting Sensa earpieces for the past year, I realize my original custom earpieces pictured above aren’t even close. If I were looking for custom earpieces for Etymotics again, I’d investigate the Sensaphonics custom sleeves.]

2007-08-23 update: I notice some recent dissatisfaction on Head-fi.org with the current state of this Sensa custom IEM model; assertion is manufacturer changed audio drivers. I think mine are the previous drivers (last in for repair for self-inflicted damage in May 2006). So I still have one foot in heaven.

However, next time the opportunity presents itself to get a new set of custom IEMs, besides shopping around for current state of the market, I’m going to an audiologist the IEM manufacturer specifically recommends, as my Sensas’ custom fit is close-close-close but not perfect. (Granted, their well-used silicon has aged as has my aging noggin, either or both of which could account for the slight perfection shortfall.)

The generalized bottom line remains that paying extra for improved earphones is extraordinarily worthwhile for sonic joy. The market appears to evolve constantly, no surprise, so homework will probably always be required for optimum ROI.