Quote:
Originally Posted by Katsunami
No, they're not the same, but many people use the terms earbud and in-ear interchangeably.
Earbud: a disc that 'clips' into your ear, using the ear's nooks and crannies to hang in there. These don't provide any sealing, and you'll hear everything around you and others will hear your music.
(I *hate* these. They are always too big, never stay put, and they hurt my ears. I never try them and put them away with the packaging, so I have them should I want to sell the device they came with.)
In-Ear: It literally sits *IN* your ear; you shove it into the hearing canal. If you have a high(er)-end model such as the Shures (and many others), which come with many different sealing tips, you can create a seal that is so good you'll hear nothing but your music, and nobody can hear what you are listening to.
(I *love* these. I have 12 pairs of spare tips for my Shure's, and I'll buy some more later on. That's the only downside; the tips need to be cleaned, and thus wear down.)
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Judging by the product names on the packages of most of them, I'm not sure if the manufactures would necessarily agree that the terms should not "really" be used interchangeably, and I'd be curious to see evidence that "ear bud" was coined with intention of only referring to the type of ear phone you say.
But even if it is not so, it SHOULD be so. So I'll back you. Consider me a member of the Earphone Disambiguation Brigade!
And I agree with you on all the rest, too.
While some people will never be comfortable with in-ears, the key for many is to choose the correct size and shape of inserts. One size does not fit all!