S-Plug earbud micro-review

[adouglas]

No affiliation… just reporting on a product I'm happy with.

I like to listen to NPR during my commute, so I've got the all-too-common earbud challenge.

Here's the basic issue: Almost all earbuds have a plastic bit that sits outside your ear canal, in the fleshy part of your ear. For many if not most of us, this creates two problems.

First, the darned things tend to get dislodged as you put your helmet on.

Second, assuming you get the lid on with them in place, the padding in the helmet can press on them and make them uncomfortable.

I used some MEE buds that hook over the ear for quite a while. This solved the getting-the-helmet-on issue but they were still uncomfortable.

I also tried getting one of those mold-it-yourself rubbery earplug kits and embedding the buds in the plugs. That didn't work well at all.

I've finally found what is, for me, The Answer:

http://www.plugup.com/the_S_plug_ste...rbuds_s/67.htm

These are very much like a lot of earbuds, in that they have a sort of mushroom- or "christmas tree"-shaped silicone tip that goes inside your ear canal. Where they differ is that there's nothing outside your ear canal but the wire.

They're expensive at over $135 and frankly, they don't look like they're worth it from the pics. However, there's a money-back satisfaction guarantee so I figured I'd give 'em a shot.

Amazing. Totally comfy if you don't overdo it sticking them in, ZERO pressure from the helmet, excellent noise isolation and decent sound. They also have a more expensive two-driver version if you really care about sound quality. They even have a short cord, so you don't have five feet of wire to deal with.

I'm very satisfied.

[LoD575]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Here's the basic issue: Almost all earbuds have a plastic bit that sits outside your ear canal, in the fleshy part of your ear. For many if not most of us, this creates two problems.

First, the darned things tend to get dislodged as you put your helmet on.

Second, assuming you get the lid on with them in place, the padding in the helmet can press on them and make them uncomfortable.

I used some MEE buds that hook over the ear for quite a while. This solved the getting-the-helmet-on issue but they were still uncomfortable.

I was having the same problems as well. The plastic tip of normal earbuds would dig into the lobe causing one if not both to bleed.

The MEE earbuds would sit great in the canal and the wire would loop over the ear. Putting a helmet on and keeping them in place was still somewhat of a problem.

I found my solution in JVC Sport style earphone which have a soft rubber ear hook. Putting on a helmet in no problem now and seldom to the earphones require any adjustment. I find them to be comfortable and have no problems wearing them for 5+ hours. Audio quality is decent for the price.

The JVC's are my 5th set of earbuds that I have tried. I probably have spent the same amount in different sets as to what the S plugs cost. I would have rather paid the price upfront for one set then trying various other sets.