iem
i finally stopped using my airpods on my primary computer (running windows, sometimes linux) for audio and replaced them with a pair of wired iems. this meant no more spontaneous bluetooth connection problems, no more digging out an ancient unwieldy wired headset just to mix music, and especially no more "dun-dundun-dun" battery-low notifications after less than four hours of use.
(this change actually happened about a month ago. i've just been putting off writing this entry since then because other work—and laziness—kept getting in the way.)
since i had no experience with actual iems yet and did not want to fully commit to something i might not enjoy using. i ended up buying a ~$25 dollar pair known for good sound quality over anything else. most reviews online complained about the fit, but this turned out to not be an issue for me after some use.
unlike airpods, the cables on these wrap around your entire ear and neatly nestle into your ear cavity. as in, they're very hard to have accidentally falling out all the time. also unlike airpods, and probably like every other similar-grade earbuds, these use detachable cables which you must connect yourself, to the correct sides, after receiving the unit.
attaching the cables took some time. initially, i had them connected to the wrong sides: right on left, left on right, with me in the background staring at it wondering how such a shape would possibly fit in my ear. then i switched the cables... and everything suddenly made sense. after figuring all of that out, i noticed small, faint "L" and "R" markers on each driver and cable connector that i never bothered to look at. there you go.
sound quality, maybe unsurprisingly, is excellent. they have a nice neutral (but not clinically so—they are very pleasing to listen with) sound response. bass is also excellent: in some songs, i could hear bass notes and kick drum texture i'd never noticed before.
it probably also comes as no surprise that i can mix music much more easily now. each time i wanted to listen to my guitar, i had to disconnect my airpods, dig out my ancient budget over-ear headset with the painfully short cable, then lean in while trying to play what i came up with. i'm not really sure how i put up with this while making the first four yardim tracks earlier this year.
(iem - in-ear monitor)2024-09-29
