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Good earbuds with jack WHITHOUT silicone tips

Lydon

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Joined
May 5, 2025
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Hello, sorry about my english.

I'm looking for good earbuds with jack whithout silicone tips. I don't like the feeling of "plug" in the ear.

No need microphone or noise cancelation. For movies or music, not for conversation.

Example of what I mean are the apple earpods or jvc ha-f19m

Another type was old Samsung with A6 phone, not completely round, perfect fit for me.

Thanks in advance.


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Hello Lydon, welcome to ASR!

What you're looking for are "earbuds". They fell in popularity after the introduction of in-ear monitors (IEMs) with silicon tips, but there are still a few good brands out there. The chinese brands like FiiO, Moondrop and Nice HCK are good examples.

SuperReview and others on squig.link keeps a nice measurement database on his site. The referenced used is the famous Apple Earpods.

For specific models, I recommend the NiceHCK EB2S, the FiiO FF1 for $20, the VE Monk for $7 and the RY4S for $4.5. But there are many many others, like the FiiO FF3 and FF5, or the NiceHCK B80 etc. Knowing the name earbuds, you may search up YouTube or the internet for other recommendations (or wait for others to comment here in ASR)
 
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Honestly the Earpods are still the best ones on the market especially since a lot of other offerings don't come with a USB-C or Lightning connector. With others you'll need a dongle like the Apple dongle. In my experience when it comes to audio it's good to never write off Apple, they may not make state of the art products but they know what they're doing
 
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I still use those on the go, they don't have more extension than average speakers and not very easy to adjust or pack but fine with me. Creative Aurvana Air.
 
Do they need to be earbuds? Maybe let us know why you want earbuds specifically. You may be interested in Koss KSC35, KSC75 or KPH40 which aren't ear buds but are either ear clips or very light headphones. They also make some headband style ear buds.
 
Do they need to be earbuds? Maybe let us know why you want earbuds specifically. You may be interested in Koss KSC35, KSC75 or KPH40 which aren't ear buds but are either ear clips or very light headphones. They also make some headband style ear buds.
Hello, IEMs bother my ears a lot, need to put very deep due fitting (small conduct).
Another system would also works, but.. with a headband, think are not confortable. I have never used with ear clip like ksc75 are they comfortable? I also wear glasses so...
I also thought about considering bone driving, but I don't know if it's worth it...
 
Hello, IEMs bother my ears a lot, need to put very deep due fitting (small conduct).
Another system would also works, but.. with a headband, think are not confortable. I have never used with ear clip like ksc75 are they comfortable? I also wear glasses so...
I also thought about considering bone driving, but I don't know if it's worth it...
For what it's worth the KPH40 is the most comfortable headphone I've ever used. They're the only headphones I could wear indefinitely. What are you worried about headband wise? I find the ear clip versions less comfortable.
 
ksc75 are they comfortable? I also wear glasses so...
KSC75 with Parts Express pads is very comfortable. Compared to regular headphones, it barely presses even when wearing glasses.
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but the EarPods are still more comfortable.

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Try fitting this style of hook onto your EarPods. It anchors around the pinna and is very comfortable. I use my EarPods with hook about 300 days out of the year.
 
For what it's worth the KPH40 is the most comfortable headphone I've ever used. They're the only headphones I could wear indefinitely. What are you worried about headband wise? I find the ear clip versions less comfortable.
Never used ear clip, worry about glasses. About headband: I have to put them on and take them off often, usually only one ear
 
KSC75 with Parts Express pads is very comfortable. Compared to regular headphones, it barely presses even when wearing glasses.
View attachment 450419

but the EarPods are still more comfortable.

View attachment 450420

Try fitting this style of hook onto your EarPods. It anchors around the pinna and is very comfortable. I use my EarPods with hook about 300 days out of the year.
KSC75 with Parts Express Is a DIY? Thanks for the anchor sugestión.
 
I prefer the sound of the KPH40 drivers over the KSC75. I find the KSC75 fatiguing.
 
You can EQ. And it may vary by country, but in Korea the KSC75 with Parts Express costs about half as much as the KPH40.
Just get KSC35 instead and put it on the parts express if you get fatigued easily. Paying shipping twice adds up though sourcing both koss + parts express headband. Personally I'd rather the KPH40 headband anyway. I bought two spare pairs just in case.
 
Just get KSC35 instead and put it on the parts express if you get fatigued easily.
Yes, You could do that, of course. But as I mentioned above, I use EarPods a lot (and sometimes custom IEMs). Tone-balance fatigue from different devices isn’t an issue for me, because I apply the proper HPCF to equalize them all for binaural virtualization.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I don’t have any issues about headphone and IEM. I think it’s best to focus on the OP.
 
Yes, You could do that, of course. But as I mentioned above, I use EarPods a lot (and sometimes custom IEMs). Tone-balance fatigue from different devices isn’t an issue for me, because I apply the proper HPCF to equalize them all for binaural virtualization.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I don’t have any issues about headphone and IEM. I think it’s best to focus on the OP.
I am not arguing what you want. I am arguing you should buy KSC35 + parts express headband if you are sensitive to fatigue and not the KSC75 rather than EQing.
 
I am not arguing what you want. I am arguing you should buy KSC35 + parts express headband if you are sensitive to fatigue and not the KSC75 rather than EQing.
I don’t want anything from you... You were the one who said you felt fatigued.

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You can buy a different device instead of EQing, or you can EQ instead of buying. - I’ve already explained why I brought up the KSC75 combo (though this may vary by country).
As I mentioned, I use not only Koss but also Sennheiser HD 800s, IEMs, and CIEMs—Each device is equally equalized for the same HPCF purpose and up to HRIR/BRIR. . So I have no issues with fatigue, and there’s nothing I want. It’s your choice. I’m just taking part in the OP’s thread. That’s all.
 
Not a usual IEM user (in that I don't particularly like headphones/iems etc generally). After a reasonable review here on asr bought a wired inexpensive set but found fit somewhat an issue even after changing pads a bit....a friend of mine then gave me a wireless set with better fit to my ears even with foam earpieces and no change particularly needed for better than anything I got with the other set. I suppose ear shapes are hard to standardize in any case....YMMV
 
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