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What you need to know about in-ear-canal headphones (a.k.a., “canalphones”)
by Dan Frakes, Playlist Magazine
As more and more people own iPods, Zens, and Zunes, and use those players in noisy environments, in-ear-canal headphones - commonly known as "canalphones" or "in-ear monitors" - have become increasingly popular. As a high-quality option for replacing the cheap headphones included with portable music and media players, the selection of canalphones has, over the past decade, evolved from a few expensive models to a wide-open market with dozens of choices across a wide price range.
Still, it’s fair to say that most people aren’t familiar with in-ear-canal headphones, which differ considerably from traditional headphones in terms of fit, sound quality, and use. We’ve put together this primer to help you understand what makes canalphones unique and why you may (or may not) want to give them a try.
As more and more people own iPods, Zens, and Zunes, and use those players in noisy environments, in-ear-canal headphones---commonly known as "canalphones" or "in-ear monitors"---have become increasingly popular.
As a high-quality option for replacing the cheap headphones included with portable music and media players, the selection of canalphones has, over the past decade, evolved from a few expensive models to a wide-open market with dozens of choices across a wide price range.
Still, it's fair to say that most people aren't familiar with in-ear-canal headphones, which differ considerably from traditional headphones in terms of fit, sound quality, and use.
We've put together this primer to help you understand what makes canalphones unique and why you may (or may not) want to give them a try.
Unlike standard headphones, which use relatively large drivers (speakers) and fit on top of or around your ears, or earbuds, which use fairly small drivers and sit loosely in your outer ears, in-ear-canal headphones use very small drivers and actually fit inside your ear canals (thus the name canalphones).
In fact, using either rubber eartips in various sizes, or foam eartips that expand to fit any size ear canal, canalphones are designed to seal your ear canals closed, blocking external noise---much like a pair of earplugs.
In fact, many canalphones look and fit just like earplugs.
Some of the companies that sell true in-ear-canal headphones include Altec Lansing, Etymotic, Future Sonics, Shure, Ultimate Ears, and XtremeMac.
What are the advantages of in-ear-canal headphones over other styles?
Another is that because they block so much external noise, when listening in noisy environments, you can listen to music at lower levels than with most other types of headphones.
Finally, because of the technology used and the way canalphones seal in your ear canals, they have the potential to produce very good audio quality---some in-ear-canal headphones are among the best headphones on the market, period.
Finally, most in-ear-canal headphones suffer---to varying degrees---from microphonics, a phenomenon where, because the headphones seal so tightly against your ear canals, bumps and scrapes to the headphone cables are transferred up the cables directly to your ears.
(Manufacturers have tried to reduce microphonics by using different cable materials and by using designs that reduce cable movement; for example, Ultimate Ears and Shure use over-the-ear cable designs.)
And, of course, as with most audio products, sound quality varies between models---in general, the more you spend, the better overall sound you'll get.
But there are also variations between models at similar prices, and some relatively inexpensive models hold their own against pricier products.
Some vendors, such as Shure and Ultimate Ears, also include no-flange rubber tips in several sizes.
You try out all the various tips to find the one that offers the best seal and the best comfort.
Available from some canalphone vendors directly, or as after-market accessories from third-party vendors, custom earpieces replace the stock rubber or foam eartips with versions that fit your individual ears perfectly.
Over the past few years, an increasingly popular variant of in-ear-canal headphones has been what we call canalbuds.
We've got a good number of the latest and greatest canalphones in the queue for review, so be sure to keep an eye on Playlist and check out the Playlist Product Guide for the latest reviews.
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