Tips for Atrio M5: Comply or Shure Olive?

[SevenForce]

Hi all,

I recently aquired the Future Sonic Atrio M5, and I'm having mixed feelings towards them. Perhaps it's because my ears are used to bigger phones such as the HD595 and MS-1. Most of the sound is pretty nice, but the mid-highs seem somewhat shrill and generally don't sound great.

I'm using the foams, as the flange tips don't really fit my ears (the large are too large for my canal, and the smalls don't isolate at all), but the isolation through those isn't that great for use on the London Underground.

I'm looking for new tips, in the hope that they will fix the isolation problems at least, and perhaps sort the high end out a bit too.

I've narrowed the search down to the UM Complys or Shure Olives, hearing mixed things about both with regard to sound quality, fit and isolation.

So, my main priority is isolation and fit, with sound quality being a bonus.

Are the Olives anything like the Marshmallow tips? I had problems with those slipping out...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Regards,
Dave

[navmau]

The Shure tips are comfy and will last about 5 times longer than the comply tips per pair!

I personally found that the Shure tips (which the complys will probably do too!) darkened the bass a bit too much in the sense that a lot of definition was lost but apart from that, they were fine.

Sorry I can't directly compare SQ of the 2 options but these are my thoughts on the Shure tips anyhow.

[dr dougie]

I found the Atrio foams and double flanged tips to be the best for the Atrios from my collection personally. Shure olives do not work for me - with the rounded tips they move around too easily. I doubt you will get better isolation from tips other than any of these unless the fit is really bad. Also these earphones need a lot of burn in and the treble will smooth out over time.

[dap_pad]

I personally like the double flanged and Shure olives the best as well, but use the latter more. I find them more comfortable for longer periods of time. It does muffle to bass a bit... but the comfort factor counteracts it

[SevenForce]

Hmm... The problem I find with the double flanges is that any movement of my mouth will either cut out the sound, or make one side sound completely different to the other, so eating-while-listening is out of the question with those.

The foams are indeed very comfortable, but they're so horribly dirty now (after a few weeks on the Underground) and have gone really soft.

So it seems like some people have problems with the Shure Olives slipping out, which is exactly what I want to avoid. The Marshmallow tips did that a lot for me, and the Shures look similar.

Any more opinions on the Complys? I'm a bit put off by their short life, but they seem like they might be the only tips to give me a proper fit.

[tstarn06]

I sold off my Atrios for SA6s, but at the end, I was using Shure yellow foamies, the ones for the E3C/E4C/E5C (narrow sound tubes, not the wider canalphone type). They are ugly and not the longest lasting foamies, but for $2 a pair on ebay (20 pair for $5.xx and $5 S&H), not bad on the cost front. I use them still with my SA6s as well. They are just great fit for my ears. I also use Comply foamies with the SA6, the P200 line, and they are gray so not as ugly, but also a good seal.

I never really liked the olives, since they seemed to always be ready to fall out. In fact, Ihave a bag of mediums sitting around, no use to me.

You could try the "reverse" mod and put the olives on upside down (yes, upside down) for a tighter fit.