Thanx, this was informative as well as funny; all of you are Great Americans.
Richard
+1. I may not be from Scotland, but I'm not located in the US either.
Cleaning your ears.
- Thread starter neilxvx
- Start date
+1. I may not be from Scotland, but I'm not located in the US either.
How do you get your elbow in there?
It involves a saw and a bottle of bourbon...
...Anyway, I'm getting a set of custom IEMs (in-ear monitors) made. I used to have a set of noise-cancelling headphones (QuietComfort IIs) but they kinda died on me and didn't really block out sound as much as I'd like. Anyway, after some research I found out about IEMs (what some musicians use to hear the music on stage) and their sound isolating properties; think earplugs with earphones built in. Custom fitted IEMs provide about 25-30 decibels external noise reduction, meaning you don't have to turn your music up as loud and they just look neat. The only downside is that I think I'm turning into an audiophile...
I would not recommend these at all. I am a musician and have used these before. The safest way of listening to music is with a pair of speakers, no matter how loud (within reason). This is because there is a lot of air in between the speaker cone and your ear drum.
When you use in-ear monitors, its not because they sound better. It's because when you're on stage, all of the sound reinforcement is pointing 90 degrees from you and there is a lot of cancellation. It may sound weird but you can be on stage and not really 'hear yourself'.
Musicians don't use them because they look or sound good. Its out of shear necessity to hear their own performance or harmonize better. As a singer, you could be singing into a microphone and not even hear yourself. Back in the day they used to have on stage monitors, but these have "zones" where they sound good or bad, and you can also have phasing issues and cancellation with more speakers on stage.
Thus, the in-ear monitor is the solution. But don't mistake these for some "high-fidelity" solution. These are a necessary evil. They also put the sound source so close to your ear it can be dangerous, at any level.
Most rock stars are deaf so I wouldn't use them as a basis for comparison. Its the same reason why I will NEVER use ear buds- at any volume they stress your ear. Open air designs from Sennheiser or even Koss are much better for your ear health.
Hope my long rant will help spare your ears....
For what it's worth, I appreciate your input and will take it seriously. Buuut I'm going to be difficult anyway...
I would love nothing more than setting up a good set of speakers or getting that $600 pair of Sennheisers I stare at monthly, but where I do most of my listening (in an office where there are constantly people talking, computers running, etc or on a plane) my music would have to compete with all that background noise.
I know I come across as a very impulsive person here, but this is a decision I've put nearly a year's research into and I feel it's most appropriate for my situation. Again, I appreciate your input, I just argue with everyone; ask half the forum.
I just argue with everyone; ask half the forum.
You don't argue with me, I must be a nobody
For what it's worth, I appreciate your input and will take it seriously. Buuut I'm going to be difficult anyway...
I would love nothing more than setting up a good set of speakers or getting that $600 pair of Sennheisers I stare at monthly, but where I do most of my listening (in an office where there are constantly people talking, computers running, etc or on a plane) my music would have to compete with all that background noise.
I know I come across as a very impulsive person here, but this is a decision I've put nearly a year's research into and I feel it's most appropriate for my situation. Again, I appreciate your input, I just argue with everyone; ask half the forum.
No problem- I would then suggest at least the Bose Noise Reduction stuff- the first generation seemed better than the second. Not sure if there was a third ever made.
I can understand your dilemma, just be careful with your ears- you only get 2 and they don't heal easily.
You don't argue with me, I must be a nobody
Yes I do!
Like I said earlier, I had the QuietComfort IIs until they broke. They're not bad, but not my favorite.
Maybe I just need to clean my ears.
What do you guys think this is, Head-Fi?
*pats his week-old Sennheiser HD650s*
Anyway, slightly on topic -- I'm not sure I understand the argument that IEMs are more likely to damage your hearing due to the proximity of the driver. I would think that at a given perceived volume level, the pressure that your ear drums are experiencing would be more or less equal whether that sound is coming from speakers, full-size headphones or IEMs. If anything it seems as if the first two would be slightly worse, given that you may have to compete with background noise.
And fully on topic -- I generally don't use Q-tips to clean my ears, but I do use them to get the water out after a shower. When the wax starts to build up I use a few drops of a carabamide peroxide solution to loosen it up (Debrox I think is the brand name.)
*pats his week-old Sennheiser HD650s*
Anyway, slightly on topic -- I'm not sure I understand the argument that IEMs are more likely to damage your hearing due to the proximity of the driver. I would think that at a given perceived volume level, the pressure that your ear drums are experiencing would be more or less equal whether that sound is coming from speakers, full-size headphones or IEMs. If anything it seems as if the first two would be slightly worse, given that you may have to compete with background noise.
And fully on topic -- I generally don't use Q-tips to clean my ears, but I do use them to get the water out after a shower. When the wax starts to build up I use a few drops of a carabamide peroxide solution to loosen it up (Debrox I think is the brand name.)
Said in jest, no offense intended; I use it as an all purpose/generic statement bordering on neutral.
Richard
What do you guys think this is, Head-Fi?
*pats his week-old Sennheiser HD650s*
Anyway, slightly on topic -- I'm not sure I understand the argument that IEMs are more likely to damage your hearing due to the proximity of the driver. I would think that at a given perceived volume level, the pressure that your ear drums are experiencing would be more or less equal whether that sound is coming from speakers, full-size headphones or IEMs. If anything it seems as if the first two would be slightly worse, given that you may have to compete with background noise.
And fully on topic -- I generally don't use Q-tips to clean my ears, but I do use them to get the water out after a shower. When the wax starts to build up I use a few drops of a carabamide peroxide solution to loosen it up (Debrox I think is the brand name.)
I lurk over there.
It's my understanding that it's how the pressure reaches your eardrums. With speakers or cans there's still open air between your eardrum and the driver, whereas with the IEMs you create a seal that would cause the vibrations to have a stronger effect. Of course, I could just be talking myself into a corner here. hehe
Trying my hardest to get back on topic, I didn't know there were pharmaceutical solutions available for earwax. Linux. No, wait. Wrong thread.
Don't forget the Great Scottsman (sp?)
I go once a year to my ear doc who removes my ear wax with a long metal curette.
Try Cerumenex or Debrox, both or one are OTC. 10 drops each ear, using cotton plugs. Peroxide will work but only on the surface areas. The oil will loosen the was and you should be able to wash it out in the shower after a week or so. Alternatively, you could get your ears flushed at the MD's office. That will be $85 for a "house" call.
Thanks for the vote of confidence guys.
I realized now that they're actually molds, not impressions. Anyway, I'm getting a set of custom IEMs (in-ear monitors) made. I used to have a set of noise-cancelling headphones (QuietComfort IIs) but they kinda died on me and didn't really block out sound as much as I'd like. Anyway, after some research I found out about IEMs (what some musicians use to hear the music on stage) and their sound isolating properties; think earplugs with earphones built in. Custom fitted IEMs provide about 25-30 decibels external noise reduction, meaning you don't have to turn your music up as loud and they just look neat. The only downside is that I think I'm turning into an audiophile...
Futuresonics or UEs or Westones?
I rinse like hell with an ear syringe. Problem is, when theres too much wax, the fluid gets trapped under the wax and I can't hear a thing...
I've heard of people using a Waterpik
I soak a Q-Tip in peroxide, stick it in my ear, lay down on the couch so that the liquid drains down into the canal, and let it fizz away for a few minutes. I swab out the wax with 2 or 3 Q-Tips, then I rinse it out with warm water.
Several times a year, I put Debrox in there and let it do its thing ... probably a better choice than peroxide, but I don't always have it on hand.
BTW, you should always buy name-brand Q-Tips ... they are far superior to generic "cotton swabs." The name brand has more cotton, is softer on your ear, and much more absorbent than any generic product I've found.
Several times a year, I put Debrox in there and let it do its thing ... probably a better choice than peroxide, but I don't always have it on hand.
BTW, you should always buy name-brand Q-Tips ... they are far superior to generic "cotton swabs." The name brand has more cotton, is softer on your ear, and much more absorbent than any generic product I've found.
I went with a fourth option: AE3s from hearyourself.com; there's a giant thread over at head-fi. The website is kinda like QED minus the flashing button, but their product is well-rated and the guy that runs the website is excellent to deal with. I almost got the C3s but thought I wouldn't be replacing the cable anytime soon anyway and I would've gone for UEs, but I didn't have that kind of money available.
I can't imagine using a Waterpik to clean your ears. I had one for cleaning my gums and even the lowest setting felt pretty rough.
As a child, I had such buildup in my ears that my doctor would scrape on it and my mother could hear it...outside my little head!
To clean them, they had my mother put a drop each of glycerin, alcohol, and peroxide in a warmed spoon, then drop it in my ears. This softened the stuff until it could be flushed out. I don't know whether that is still a recommended treatment or not, so ask your doctor.
That said, I started wearing hearing aids 2 weeks ago.
They SUCK, guys; take care of your hearing. Hearing aids help me hear about like my old man's cane helps him run.
Having to take them out and put them in throughout the day (because I'm still in the "getting used to them" stage), I am especially conscious of being sure my ears are clean. I just swab gently after my shower.
To clean them, they had my mother put a drop each of glycerin, alcohol, and peroxide in a warmed spoon, then drop it in my ears. This softened the stuff until it could be flushed out. I don't know whether that is still a recommended treatment or not, so ask your doctor.
That said, I started wearing hearing aids 2 weeks ago.
They SUCK, guys; take care of your hearing. Hearing aids help me hear about like my old man's cane helps him run. Having to take them out and put them in throughout the day (because I'm still in the "getting used to them" stage), I am especially conscious of being sure my ears are clean. I just swab gently after my shower.
Ear candles are a hoax and dangerous
http://whatstheharm.net/earcandling.html
as long as you are careful a q-tip should be fine
http://whatstheharm.net/earcandling.html
as long as you are careful a q-tip should be fine
I have found that the infant and toddler Q-tips work great. The tip is larger so you cannot stick it in to far. After a hot shower I use one and it get's everything out.
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