radioactive28

The Sony, Panasonic, Crossroad Mylars and even the universal UEs don't go very deep, so no damage done. Westone, Shure, Ety and all others that can use tri-flanges, they go much deeper in, but they're still quite far from the eardrums, so no worries. As long as you 'hear' yourself, the seal is probably there. It's basically a matter of preference: some don't mind the intrusion, other live with it for the sake of good SQ, and there are those who hate it.

Forget about earphones Get your friend a better source and save him/her from iPod-related muggings

There's the Koss KSC75 clip-ons for under $50, or Sony E888 earbuds for under $100. The Koss can be shrill to some users though.

Well, cans do imply headphones, traditionally. I think you should stay away from open cans if you're listening on the go. Especially if you use the X5L and still have to go near max volume. The Senn HD280 are pretty sturdy and closed too, but you should listen and see if the sound fits your preference. Then there's also Sony's V6. I'd second warsurferX's suggestion: IEMs don't absorb [a lot of] sweat, are very portable and can go loud [enough to make your ear bleed] if you're so inclined

If you think the CK7 is a bit bright, you should really listen to the Etys before assuming what 'neutral' means

The house sound, as it's called, usually exists in the higher-end models, especially for Sennheiser and AT, who cater to both consumer and audiophile markets. Their consumers models tend to be OEM, so the sound is fairly generalised and far from ideal. For Sennheisers, it's warm, even dark to some. Shure has it's lush mid-range. Ety is bright and detailed. Can't say much about other brands though, got to let the experts fill you in on that.

If the DAP is terrible-sounding to start with, chances are, its internal amp sucks. A good amp will offer improvement then, if the DAP has a line-out for the amp. Otherwise, amping it without a line-out means you're just amping the internal amp with the external one. If you're _really_ lucky, it might not sound bad =p

Hmmm, no kidding? Anyway, the difference exists not only in the bitrate, but also in the inherent electronics design of the particular brand/model. For your budget, you're probably looking at a barebone model, CD-only, no slim profile, no bells and whistles. Have nothing to recommend though, since I'm not much into PCDP. Sony still carries quite a good updated range (from simple [~$100] to expensive ones [~$280]) at their showrooms. There's one at Junction 8, one at Wisma Atria, one at SLS, one at Marina Square, etc. Some Best Denki, Courts and Harvey Norman still have Panasonic ones, as does Stereo Electronics. Not sure about pricing though. Philips seems to be rarely talked about.

I keep my old CD player, a Sony, only as a backup player, if my MP3 player should die. I was actually thinking a while ago, "Hey, full CD playback is better quality," but realised the sound couldn't compare to my iriver playing 320kbps MP3s. (iriver also made CD players, though they're very rare these days. Panasonic's still in the business.) So, again, with all things in this hobby, you got to listen and compare. Decide in the end if the improvement in quality (if any at all) is worth the bulk. For starters, you might just try other MP3 players. iaudio and iriver players should soundly beat the iPod to pieces. Of course, all this wouldn't matter if your intent is nostalgia, wanting to use a CD player just because.

I don't really see how you can get the Shure soft flex to fit the SF5Pro. The foams should easily be the most comfortable of options. There's custom molded tips for the universal UEs, but they wouldn't fit the rest of the more common IEMs like Shure and Westones. It'll really be an investment down the drain if you give up soon after on the UEs.

Tough luck there, I wouldn't expect something as big as the SF5pro to have triflanges without showing you a world of pain. If you want it deep in, there's alway the option of custom mold tips for the SF5Pro, but it's rather pricey.

This begs the questions of how the blue tack got in there in the first place, but... I'm not entire sure about this, but I believe the filter is green, or some rather distinct colour. If the filter is broken, you see a hole running all the way past the metal collar that is part of the filter. As for the remaining blue tack, you need to be _very careful_, but it's probably possible to use a sewing needle to get it out. Go for bits of blue tack that you actually see; don't dig blindly into the tube.

Full earplugs for hearing protection, so no holes there. The Bilsom ones are sold in a pair. There's also a more common brand that more of the pharmacies carry, meant for air travellers who want isolation. Their material is like that of the yellow foamies, and they come 6 (3 pairs) in a pack. Can't remember the cost though. To take this even further, this more common brand (sorry, don't remember the name) also has moldable wax-like earplugs. The material isn't exactly the softest, but, hey, they're moldable. 6 in a pack too. Making DIY tips?

Best way, go down and try out some ICs and amps. If you hear a difference, decide if it's worth the trouble. If you don't, there's no need to go to all that trouble. Our opinions matter zilch because we don't have your ears.

Is there a quality difference in the printed material - the lyrics booklet and such? They usually seem less well-printed, the Chinese ones. Or is it a trick of the light and mind? I wonder if the same is true of the print on the CD itself. I buy CDs for collecting if I really like the artiste, so it's usually only the Singapore and Japanese (ouch) version that gets my money.

You don't really need the Etymotic service centre. All we need in order to claim warranty is the local distributor, Norman Audio. Thing is, the last time my ER6i had a problem, they took about a week and a half to settle my claim. I've also spoken to them about the tiny amount of accessories (filters, tips, etc) they import to sell. Frankly, the impression I get is that they're not too bothered. And still they set the ER4 at a damn high price. Actually, nothing strange about liking both ER4 and E4c. They're both fast and very detailed. It's just that E4c doesn't have the bright Ety signature. @ OP: You might also want to consider the Shure E4c. It's in the same price range (local or online) as the 3 you listed, and also the same range of sound quality.

Check out pharmacies. Some carry this brand Bilsom, which does hearing protection. The packaging is a small yellow box about the size of a matchbox. Sets you back $1.50 for a pair of Comply-like foam earplugs. Washable too, but ultimately has to be disposed.

Congrats! =)

A view on the flipside here: One of the reasons why I've never bought online so far is the lack of credit/debit card. My E4c would have cost a hundred bucks less, which is quite significant. I console myself by thinking if I ever need to claim warranty, it's just a matter of popping home to get my receipt, and I should have a brand new pair within a few days, or even on the day itself. No hassle, no worries. But. My next possible purchase - ER4 - definitely online, seeing as to how visiting Norman Audio is practically no different from sending the set back.

I don't know what your issue with Shure is, but the E2c isn't representative of the Shure sound. Have you tried the E4c and E500? The cord design for Westone and Shure are actually more suitable for wearing down the back. I tried wearing mine in front, found it short and not very comfortable.

Local distributor sets the RRP. Not very good for the wallet, but one thing to look at is shipping + local warranty cover. Even so, Norman Audio (local distributor for Ety) has the prices way off compared to US street price. About twice, as you said, and they were not the most forthcoming when I last had an issue with my ER6i.

It works well off my MP3 player, so the handphone should drive it okay. I hope you're not meaning to use it while travelling though. It totally does not block out any sound.

An amp will improve a pair high-end cans like the SR325i, but I don't think that's what you need. Not when you're listening at max volume even out of an iPod. If you're listening while in the train/bus, you should stop and get a pair of IEMs or closed cans instead. If you're not listening in a noisy environment, you should stop and get yourself to an audiologist to have your ears checked.

Tom Lehrer The guy who wrote 'hits' like The Element Song (while playing accompaniment on the piano) and Masochism Tango.

Before you start adding components into the chain, what quality of MP3 files are you listening to? If bitrate/quality is the problem, an amp won't help you. If that's not an issue, and you value portability, maybe getting better earphones or IEMs is the shortest (and cheapest) path. For this, you should probably try out different earphones. Both Stereo Electronics and Jaben carry a wide range of equipment that you can listen to with your own MP3 player. An amp may work magic in some cases, but improvements are usually not day-and-night. More often than not, people new to this hobby of 'listening' don't hear any difference, or the amp just makes the problem more apparent.