The All New Earsonics SM3 Appreciation, Discussion and Review Thread! - Page 89  

I now took two other stock Sensorcom tips (maybe it is good I ordered double package =]) and cut them down more then I did with the other ones. And then licking them again. This makes the fit a lot better and it is one of the first times I can really hear the quality of the in-ears for longer then 2 minutes. Let's hope it stays this way. 

Whats the best place/price to buy these in the USA?

 

Soundearphones.com

 

In fact this is not only the best place to buy these in the USA, but the whole world! These things are more expensive both in UK and France, their homeland. Make sure you ask for the 15% discount by the way... I'm pretty sure they'll provide you the coupon themselves.

 

 

I really doubt you could get a good fit with these if you cut off the second flange. I advise you to try the double flange sensorcoms again. I learnt how to put these things in the ears by a video I watched on the web somewhere... This is how I do it: I take the right piece, hang it down from behind my right ear, then bring my left hand over my head and pull the top of my right ear up with my left hand, then push the eartips into my right ear canal and finally twist it inside, so the housing becomes horizantal like in the picture. This way I get a perfect fit. If I were to cut the second flange, I think either the housing had to be pushed inside the ear canal along with the eartip -which would really hurt- or the eartip would be left too far out for me to get a good fit. I strongly advise you to use the double flanges, because the nosels are too short... At least that's how it works for me...

I can say that you shouldn't try it, the result in fit is horrendous.  I am just fed up fiddling with all these tips into my ears,
I want to start enjoying the magic!. I will try your recommendation though, as I still have stock sensorcom tips (unmodded) left. 

I also just ordered earbud replacement tips fo Monster Beats Dr.Dre Tour N and replacement tips from Shure (to use the core for spacing). I just hope your tip works or that these triple flangs will. 

 

By the way, it really hurt my ears at first (not the eartips, but the housings hurt my ears) but when I got used to it they started hurting my ears only after 1 or 1.5 hours later.... So don't give up trying if it hurts your ears. The great sound is definitely worth it.

Also I just wanted to make sure you are aware that the red one is the right earpiece and the blue is the left one...

Okay, I tried your method. For right ear it didn"t work (yet), for left ear it did (great sound). But unfortunately after some time they popped out for the zilliont time. I also get volume issues again. Shaking my head to the left first meant more volume, later the tips were still in my ears but I lost the sound completely (as also happened before by jamming the tips in (no ear pulling). Moving the housing the first time meant going from almost no sound to perfect, later it didn"t change a thing.

So cutting them down totally worked the best for now, fitwise, not soundwise, I know the sound can be a lot better

I"ll let this issue rest for tomorrow and will try again the day after. I want to thank everyone for their advise so far, head-fi is of great help!
Edited by latent - 10/9/10 at 2:35pm

I know (also see my photos few pages back). I figured that out with the shown picture in the manual. But many thanks for your concerns. If you do the cord around the top of your ears it is the only possibility, I think.
Edited by latent - 10/9/10 at 2:36pm

What do you think would be the closest competetion to the SM3? If I were to replace the SM3 with another IEM -which would be very hard for me to do as of now for I'm almost in love with it- I'd certainly like the replacement IEM to have a great soundstage and tight, accurate bass like the SM3; I would also like it to have a neutral midrange -as opposed to the quite forward mids of the SM3. I'm quite pleased with the highs of the SM3, even if the reported slight recession is true, so the replacement could either have highs similar to that of the SM3, or just a tad more, though I definitely don't like shrill, earbleeding highs.

 

I'd really appreciate it if you could chip in your opinions. 

I don't know much about the specific traits that you are after in relation to the following IEMs...

However these are the IEMs that commonly come up against the SM3 - Westone UM3X and the Shure 535s .

 

I'd hope other members will chime in with more suggestions/info, but there's some names to look at.

Shure's are definitely not what he's looking for(too much treble and mid-range), neither is um3x(has less sound-stage, more bass, bit more mid-range and treble).

I'd recommend trying new tips however, but both IEMs above are more mid-centric than the SM3.

 

There's this thread reviewing all of them plus ck100:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/511135/ck100-um3x-se535-sm3-ie8-a-journey
 

Edited by tehort - 10/11/10 at 1:20pm

Maybe IE8? Though they don't offer the same definition and timbre accuracy as the SM3, they have a warm, coherent sound, with slightly recessed mids. The midbass hump may be annoying, but it can be equalized. The soundstage is very large, but there is much more bass than on the SM3, and imo it hasn't the same quality. It has more decay and much more weight (unless you wear the ie8 with a shallow fit, but then you lose isolation).

Not so easy, heh?

I will repeat myself but I think replacing the filters, you would get the sound you're looking for. What if you asked someone to do it for you?

I was thinking the IE8 also, but it does lack the definition and the natural warmth gives it a veil, however I did think it had very nice timbre accuracy!  The FX700 might be a good bet with a more laid back sound and V shape frequency response.  Just EQ the bass and treble down a bit and you might be in business.  It does offer nice detail, but again, not as much as the SM3.  The SM3 is hard to match without going to a custom.
 

You could always try out the FI-BA-SS...