What’s Wrong With My Ears?
Posted on | May 6, 2006 at 1:06 pm | 11 Comments
I long to be able to be hip and wear earbud-style headphones when I’m listening to my iPod. But I just can’t. They fall right out of my ears. I must have mutant ears, since there is nothing to hold the earbuds in them. Won’t somebody please take a look at my ears and tell me what’s wrong? What am I missing? Is something too small or too big? Will plastic surgery fix this abomination? Do I have any hope of normalcy?
Here’s a few different views of my right ear (click on it for the bigger version):
Thanks! Latre.
Comments
11 Responses to “What’s Wrong With My Ears?”
May 6th, 2006 @ 9:32 pm
Flasshe,
There’s nothing wrong with your ears. My wife has very cute ears and she can’t wear them either. Research shows you have to be age 25 or under to wear ear buds. Besides, do you really want to look like one of the Cool People in the iPod ads? Come on! You’re a LoudFan. We’re not cooler. We’ll never be cool. We’re just better!
And besides,you know what happens to Cool People. They all become jaded, miserable and shrivel up and die!
Wear old-fashioned headphones with pride. The bigger, the better. Because it’s not about size, it’s about the music.
May 7th, 2006 @ 3:33 pm
25 or under, Dan? I couldn’t wear them back at age 25 either. Although they weren’t so omnipresent back then.
Oh, you mean demographically speaking…
Actually, I’m not sure I want to be cool, but the earbuds are compact if nothing else. Lugging around normal sized headphones can be a drag.
May 7th, 2006 @ 4:34 pm
Describing something as “a drag” is strong evidence you’re not under 25…
May 8th, 2006 @ 10:45 am
Wow, ears are really weird-looking body parts.
And what strikes me about your ear, Rog, is that it looks very different from photo to photo.
As for ear-buds: I tried replacing my iPod buds with a cheaper version from HP, and had the same problem: the right one would NOT stay in. So I imagine it’s just a matter of finding the right fit. They are not all the same.
May 8th, 2006 @ 11:23 am
I think we all have the same problem to different degrees. The design of the Ipod earbuds is not driven by ease-of-use or practical application. It’s driven by cost.
On the rare occasion I was able to get them to stay in, there’s too much seepage of outside noise for my comfort. I don’t understand why women at the gym feel the need to talk on the phone while working out.
I went out and got these: http://tinyurl.com/c6868 (Thanks Sonycard)
They fit inside your ear and block out a great deal of extraneous babble (”OHMIGOD – My heartrate is up to 100! Can you believe it!”). They also have different size rubber inserts, in case there’s an issue with the size of your ear canal.
And… Why don’t you have any hair in your ears?
May 8th, 2006 @ 12:26 pm
Those shots are definitely all of the same ear, Paula.
I’ve tried many, many different pairs of earbuds over the years and none stayed in for even a little while, so I don’t think it’s a matter of finding the right fit. I really do think I’m missing something in my ears that most people have, like an extra flap of skin or some sort of deep outer ear cavern.
Doug, I have tried direct-in-the-ear-canal ones like the Sony ones you mention, but find them very uncomfortable. And even those want to keep popping out – it’s like my ear canal is too small.
May 8th, 2006 @ 2:23 pm
Theproblem with headphones is that they won’t let you try them on in the store. I have about a half dozen pair and only one set of earbuds I like. When I can get away with it I use some over the ear clipped headphones that fold up pretty small.
Go with what works.
May 8th, 2006 @ 2:36 pm
I find that the small OTE clipped headphones don’t press close enough to my ear and I lose a lot of volume/bass. I generally go with the large ones that cover the whole ear and still have clips and where the rims (?) face towards the back of the head instead of the top (i.e. “street style” – ain’t I hip?). The ones I use fold up into a fairly small pakcage but nearly as small as earbuds of course.
You’re right – whatever works…
May 9th, 2006 @ 1:28 pm
I, too, find myself non-earbudable. I also can’t use those kind that clip over the back of the ear. Even if it weren’t for my classes, they just won’t hang on. I need bigger ears, I guess. I’m doomed to good old fashioned headphones.
May 24th, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
Have you seen these?
http://griffintechnology.com/products/earjams/index.php
They look like they might be an inexpensive solution.
May 24th, 2006 @ 1:24 pm
Haven’t seen ‘em before. Might be worth a try – at least, as you say, they’re cheap.