Shure E3g Gaming Ear Buds

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review3355.html' target='_blank'>http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review3355.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Shure’s new line of gaming canalphones fill in the gaps within the company’s consumer line, by retaining the crisp, accurate sound of the C series and boosting the bass. Some users may find this style of headphone uncomfortable, but for those who appreciate complete immersion into their music, there’s no better option. There are some issues with fitting that plague all headphones of this style, but with a slew of available ear canal sleeves, there’s one sure to satisfy you."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/20060101_1623021.gif" /><br /><br />These ear buds certainly look impressive, but after reading so many studies pertaining to hearing loss associated with ear bud use, I would be very leery about sticking these things in my ear! 8O

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

That's hardly the case, since the study that seems to be doing the rounds is based on open-earbuds.

[Kent Pribbernow]

From what I understand, in-earphones such as this one do far more damage compared to ear-buds because they blast audio directly into your eardrums. Which makes sense considering the speaker is inside of your ear.

[Darius Wey]

From what I understand, in-earphones such as this one do far more damage compared to ear-buds because they blast audio directly into your eardrums. Which makes sense considering the speaker is inside of your ear.

I recall reading a paper on this last year. The general consensus was:

Any sort of earbud/earphone/headphone (call it what you will) has the potential to cause hearing loss. Prolonged use and volume are all contributing factors. Standard earbuds tend to cause more damage than the open-style headphones because the sound is being channeled directly into the ear rather than leaking out. In-ear ones tend to multiply that effect even more so.

[ctmagnus]

Does anyone know what the consesus is on headphones (not earbuds), regarding whether the kind that allows exterior sound in (open) or the kind that doesn't allow exterior sound in (closed) is better for the wearer?

[Darius Wey]

Does anyone know what the consesus is on headphones (not earbuds), regarding whether the kind that allows exterior sound in (open) or the kind that doesn't allow exterior sound in (closed) is better for the wearer?

Depends on how you use it. If, as a result of using open headphones, you're going to crank the volume up to compensate for the outside noise, then that could work out to be worse than using closed headphones at a standard volume.