Robert11 wrote:
Hello:

Have tried several brands of earphones, but find them all pretty
uncomfortable.

Was wondering if anyone has any experience with these "ear-bud" kinss of
phones ?
Comfortable for long term use ? Fidelity ?

Fidelity is pretty good. But comfort depends on the size of your ear
canal and the size of the earbud. This would have to be a
'cut and try' type of thing.



Also, is there possibly a type available that you can hook over one ear, but
does Not go truly into the ear canal ((like a hearing aid does) ?


Most earbuds go in the canal. But there are a few, and I think CCrane
has a couple that hook over the ear, and rest on top. Comfort for these
depends on how well they're designed, of course, but are generally nicer
after several hours of listening than the in-ear bud. At least for my ears.

Now, there is a third option that I created for my cell phone. It's
an in-ear bud, but slipped into a molded earpiece. Can't fall out.
Comfortable for hours of wear. The molded earpiece does change the
quality of the sound, but if you're talking about HF radio, you're not
exactly into hi-fi territory. You can get ear molds at Radio Shack in
the cell phone department. Jabra makes them, they're soft silicone, and
you can slip just about any earbud into one.

Then, again, Telex makes earplugs with accessory earmolds that snap
together and fit quite well, but are acoustically designed for decent
fidelity. TV anchors wear these on-camera. You can put the driver at the
end or a coiled acoustic tube and then snap the tube into the earmold,
OR you can snap the earmold directly onto the driver and slip it into
your ear. I have this arrangement, too, when I'm using my R-10 in the
field. Good listening, long term comfort, and I never have to worry
about it falling out of my ear.

Both Jabra and Telex make earmolds in different sizes for your fit.
The Jabra come in multiple sizes already in the package, both left and
right. The Telex, you have to select size, left or right at order.



Any of these available as wireless ?


Mostly not, but wireless can be creatively arranged, with a bluetooth
arrangement, if you'd like. There are bluetooth transmitters and
receivers available. And the bluetooth earpieces are worn over the ear
as you would prefer.


Would like to keep cost down to about $75 max.


Then, a good set of earbuds and the Jabra earmolds would be your best
option. The Telex components alone would cost you about twice that.
Though bluetooth, from an outlet like TigerDirect will probably make
your budget.