I needed headphones. I tried the default set from Apple, but I found them to be an awkward fit for my ear and I would have to use excessive volume to cancel background noise. I switched to the Etymotic Research and I really thought I might have found my match. These are ear canal headphones and are different than anything I've tried. I could listen to the volume at very low levels and the outside noise still wasn't bothersome. I tried for a month to get comfortable with the feeling, but ultimately, I didn't like the fit either. The phones would cause a partial seal in my ear, sort of like the feeling of water in the ear after swimming.

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