You don't know what you're missing. The Etymotics will *not* fall out of your ears. You can yank the wire and it will end up yanking your whole head. Not recommended. But nothing short of careful puling at the stalk will cause it to come out.

In terms of the sound, I've been through Sennheisers, Koss, open and closed setups, earbuds, and none come close to the etymotics.

It has 23db sound isolation that puts you in your own universe. The "sweet" spot volume range runs practically the entire range. No EQ adjustments need to be made. The bass is very flat and linear as well, unlike the mass market garbage that overemphasizes the bass end of things.

Calvin "Gush!"