I tried several earphones on the market but hardly any of them actually fit in my ears. In the end I ended up buying cylindrical earbuds, so I thought I’ll write advantages and disadvantages of them. I hope you’ll find them useful when buying your next earbuds.
“Music is the strongest form of magic.” – Marilyn Manson
Table of Contents
Cylindrical Earbuds
Advantages
The benefit of cylindrical earbuds is that they can be worn while performing sport. Many sports involve being sweaty or dirty, and, particularly with headphones, many sports involve perspiration. So cylindrical earbuds can be worn whilst engaged in a sport without risk of them coming off.
They are also good for wearing at night, because it is easier to wear them with a pair of normal-sized, fully covered, or closed-back earbuds (often referred to as in-ear monitors), rather than a pair of open-backed, or over-ear headphones (usually called over-the-ear headphones).
Disadvantages
Although cylindrical earbuds can fit snugly in the ear, they can be more uncomfortable than conventional headphones. If they remain in the ear they can give a muffled sound, because they interfere with the ear canal, and they can feel quite loose in the ear.
They can also be harder to take apart to change batteries or gain access to earbuds if they are damaged.
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Audio in-ear Monitors
Advantages
In-ear monitors have sound in them. This is distinct from noise-cancelling headphones that reduce ambient sounds, which attenuate the audio and leave room for the sound from the audio source to come through. In-ear monitors, on the other hand, leave the audio inside the ear, allowing sound to come through from the source, rather than blurring it.
Disadvantages
In-ear monitors can be very uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, especially if the earbuds are too small for the ears and the fit is too loose. In fact, most people find they get better sound from small, closed-back headphones rather than in-ear monitors.
When they come into contact with water they can stop working, and if they have dust or hair in them they can become extremely uncomfortable. In-ear monitors can be less convenient than earbuds if you want to wear them whilst doing a bit of exercise, as they cannot be slipped in your pocket.
