Looking for earbud recommendation - L-cords

[avramce]

Hey all,

I'm looking for any recommendations for asymmetric earbuds. The key concern for my wife is that the cord can rest on her neck, as earbuds tend to fly out of ears easily. So far, we tried the Sennheiser CX300B II, Phillips SHE9501s, and a few Sony headsets. They all worked well, however, the Phillips set had a headphone break within a year (no sound) and the Sony cord deteriorated like salt on a slug. The Sennheisers are working great (on a second set, as the left bud fizzled out), but my wife is concerned about cord management.

Her ideal pair is a L-shaped cord (asymmetric cabling) with a clothed/braided cable to prevent tangling or wear-n-tear. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm all ears

[CrowdAds]

[dfkt]

Fabric covered cables don't prevent tangling, that's just a marketing gimmick - usually it's the opposite, fabric cables are harder to untangle and kink easier.

Instead of a J-style cable I would recommend looking into over-the-ear IEM designs, like the Soundmagic E30 for example. Those usually give the most secure fit, with the cable worn in a loop over the ears.

[Mikerman]

I learned about the over-the-ear "trick" for earbuds when I purchased my first pair of Shure IEMs, and that's how I wear all my IEM's/earbuds--they stay secure that way and don't come out, even when exercising/hiking/jogging.

[avramce]

Thanks for the prompt replies. My wife has small ear canals, so I'll suggest the over the ear method for her. She wants a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre, solely for the 'tangle-free' cable, but for that price, I know we can get better.

For the time being, I'll see if we can get her a Y-cord pair that can fit over the ears.

[mbamg]

Originally Posted by avramce

Thanks for the prompt replies. My wife has small ear canals, so I'll suggest the over the ear method for her. She wants a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre, solely for the 'tangle-free' cable, but for that price, I know we can get better.

For the time being, I'll see if we can get her a Y-cord pair that can fit over the ears.

There should be plenty of over-the-ear IEMs out there. Besides, I've heard that the Beats have terrible microphonics because of the ribbon-flat cables.

I recently bought the MEE A151s during the Cyber Monday sale. While the sound signature isn't for everyone, the braided cable is probably the best you can get for the price.